Howard Fast (1914 -2003) was an American author. In 1943 he joined the Communist Party in America, and he continued to work for Communist papers well into the 1950s. Consequently, in 1950 he was summoned to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. This investigative committee, originally set up to identify and isolate American citizens with Nazi sympathies continued its activities after the War, and then mainly focussed on surveillance and identification of American citizens, civil servants and organizations with Communist sympathies, to detect any subversive activities or possible disloyalty. The investigations of the Committee very deeply intrusive, and the most resented feature of the Committee's work methods consisted on its insistence to give out the names of other people.

The last supper, and other stories (1955) is a collection of short stories which describe experiences of dealing with the House Committee on Un-American Activities. To Howard fast being called before the committee, and subsequently imprisoned for three months was a deeply humiliating experience. Several of the stories in the collection focus on life in prison, interrogation by the Committee, and aspects of betrayal. The last supper, and other stories is a deeply moving collection of short stories, that documents a very black page in so-called American democracy.

The last supper, and other stories was published by the Blue Heron Press, a publisher created by the author to publish his own work, as after the Committee hearings and his conviction he was blacklisted by American publishers, and unable to publish. However, Fast's very successful novel Spartacus was self-published, and its filming by Hollywood in 1958 broke the ban.

Howard Fast 's experience with the Committee prompted him to write the now considered very prominent essay "Why the Fifth Amendment?" which explains and details the importance of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, of which the House of Representatives was in dire need of being reminded.

Fast has a very long publishing career, with his first novel published in 1933, and his last in 2001, altogether more than 50 novels publsihed, some under the pseudonym as E.V. Cunningham. Besides novellistic work, there are several collections of short stories, non-fiction and autobiography.

The last supper, and other stories should be read as a reminder that American citizens should remain vigilent about their governments subversive tendencies to intrude upon and restrict its citizens civil rights. ( )