In 1953, the award-winning and much-lauded American playwright and author Lillian Hellman was called to testify before the Committee on House Un-American Activities (HUAC), chaired by Senator Joseph ("Have you now or have you ever been a Communist") McCarthy.
Like many other intellectuals. Hellman was essentially told that she could save her neck by exposing suspected communists among her acquaintances, or go to tria lfor political subversion.
Hellman refused to hand over any names—famously announcing, "I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's fashions"—and also managed to
