A very interesting read indeed. What a fantastic but complex experience in hindsight, despite the trauma . While I wasn’t involved in IS at all, my first girlfriend’s ex was; he seemed to fit the misogynistic pattern you mention in the guise of being all for women’s rights with fist raised, but try and get him to pay child support or even babysit one of his two children (different mothers) and it was hell no, too busy with the movement. I do wonder what you think of DSA.
What a trip, Kath, I didn’t know that! Do you mean back in UK, with the Socialist Workers Party? They were quite bit bigger than the U.S. group, I always got the impression. And yeah, real old school BIG MAN SAYS SO energy. Haha.
I really don’t know more about the DSA than anyone on the sidelines. I vote for Bernie in the primaries, that kind of level. I’m afraid I’m so sewn into the skeptical 4th Estate that it’s my perch from here on out. And local defense committees! Anyway, I hope we see each other and can yammer on soon! It’s overdue for my North Trip.
I sometimes joke that some people have a tendency to overdo things without thinking, and others have a tendency to overthink without doing. I am definitely inclined towards the latter; I've always been impressed by your willingness to overdo things (from a certain point of view) and be thoughtful about them.
It's also a reminder of how much changed in one generation (or less). For comparison I turned 15 in the early 90s and I had some awareness of radical politics but, at least from what I could see, there wasn't much energy around the movement at that point.
I remember listening to Leon Rosselson's "Song Of The Old Communist" -- which tells the story of an old man who had, over his lifetime, thrilled to the Russian revolution and then seen the dreams of the soviet union fail and he's essentially telling the younger generation, "we may have failed but I'm not sorry that we tried" (here's a nice cover by Nancy Kerr -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5-tqTjrivo ) and I felt very much in the younger generation.
There probably wasn't a scenario in which you stayed in the movement, and everything worked. In retrospect, that's hard to imagine, but I appreciate how vividly you write about the sense of fighting for something important; the pride in your victories and frustration at being dismissed or betrayed.
Incidentally, I feel both a little dumb and old . . . I turned 15 in the early *90s* . . .
I think that Leon Rosselson album has some great melodies. You might enjoy "Whatever Happened To Nannerl" his song about Mozart's sister: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrSGvtSC2iI
Another tangent: really interesting material in the early chapters about Berkeley at the beginning of the Free Speech Movement. Lots of pieces I didn’t know before.
It blows my mind that these folks, born in the 40s, were having these conversations, while I, a toddler and pre-schooler, was on the same streets holding my mother’s hand, dodging tear gas. Aside from Jack Weinberg, I never got to talk to any of them, later in the IS, about our impressions of Berkeley, and so I’m finally finding out.
I was so intrigued with the memories of Hal And Ann Draper, whom I never met. They wrote and collected science fiction, you know. There could be a whole chapter about the overlap between socialists and early sci fi in Berkeley.
There is also a lot of respect and nostalgia in the book for Stan Weir, whom I was close to, from the 70s til his death. He really was “all that.” I loved working with him on his little underground lit project, the SingleJack Press, where he would publish tiny books the size of your hand, that were working class stories. I confided to him about my frustrations, the last time we saw each other in the 90s. He shared his regrets along similar lines. The losses and estrangements. We cried. As Stan had been in the thick of it since the 40s, I felt the long tail.
Aw Celia. Love you. Another one who knows. Did you like those old photos of Dan that John took? I love them. So many of those photos are from Cincinnati.
That was an honest but somehow respectful telling of some difficult stories. Looking forward to reading your recommended chapters. I read a draft of Anne's -- was I think it's important that she got her history of UPSurge written and published. We should all 3 get together sometime and spill that old tea!
I have so many postscripts to this piece. Too many. Well, here’s one: Yes, I did speak face to face with folks here that I spoke of, individually. Sometimes many years later.
Like, “Why did you do that?” kind of conversations.
It’s not because I’m so brave or calculated, I’m just the kind of person who can’t be with you in a room when there’s an elephant there, too. I burst out.
What I found is that, most of these guys say don’t remember. Like flat out, “Oh no, that never happened” kind of memory holes. It doesn’t fit their story of themselves.
One of the men sent me a Western Union telegram a year after our last sighting, saying, “Men are shit. You’re a good kid. Have a nice life.”
A remarkable piece of writing, Susie. Thank you.
Your praise is the best!
Once again Ms. SUsie Bright, Thank you for a good lean to truth.
Thank you, Gwenn!
More pieces here that build on your earlier memoirs and a few vague memories
The movement had
The power and the righteousness (in the good) sense
And the grim patriarchal programming that just won’t stop
I was kind of crushed by the revelations about Cesar Chavez
But also beyond surprise
Sad and angry that you were hurt
But grateful for who you are, which is, in part, because of these wild ass adventures
Seems to me
You took the heat and came out stronger and wiser
Thank you Ross. For your poetry too. We lived through extraordinary times. Xoxo
You are awesome. I am really hoping the young leftists can get it right --breaking out of the patriarchy as well as shutting down Capitalism....
Man, they have the energy! I have to drink so much coffee to keep up
A very interesting read indeed. What a fantastic but complex experience in hindsight, despite the trauma . While I wasn’t involved in IS at all, my first girlfriend’s ex was; he seemed to fit the misogynistic pattern you mention in the guise of being all for women’s rights with fist raised, but try and get him to pay child support or even babysit one of his two children (different mothers) and it was hell no, too busy with the movement. I do wonder what you think of DSA.
What a trip, Kath, I didn’t know that! Do you mean back in UK, with the Socialist Workers Party? They were quite bit bigger than the U.S. group, I always got the impression. And yeah, real old school BIG MAN SAYS SO energy. Haha.
I really don’t know more about the DSA than anyone on the sidelines. I vote for Bernie in the primaries, that kind of level. I’m afraid I’m so sewn into the skeptical 4th Estate that it’s my perch from here on out. And local defense committees! Anyway, I hope we see each other and can yammer on soon! It’s overdue for my North Trip.
Yes, I did mean SWP in 70s London. And yes to a trip up north! ❤️
Thank you for these recollections.
I sometimes joke that some people have a tendency to overdo things without thinking, and others have a tendency to overthink without doing. I am definitely inclined towards the latter; I've always been impressed by your willingness to overdo things (from a certain point of view) and be thoughtful about them.
It's also a reminder of how much changed in one generation (or less). For comparison I turned 15 in the early 90s and I had some awareness of radical politics but, at least from what I could see, there wasn't much energy around the movement at that point.
I remember listening to Leon Rosselson's "Song Of The Old Communist" -- which tells the story of an old man who had, over his lifetime, thrilled to the Russian revolution and then seen the dreams of the soviet union fail and he's essentially telling the younger generation, "we may have failed but I'm not sorry that we tried" (here's a nice cover by Nancy Kerr -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5-tqTjrivo ) and I felt very much in the younger generation.
There probably wasn't a scenario in which you stayed in the movement, and everything worked. In retrospect, that's hard to imagine, but I appreciate how vividly you write about the sense of fighting for something important; the pride in your victories and frustration at being dismissed or betrayed.
Nick, that melody is really beautiful, I had never heard it. In addition to the poignant lyric. Now I’m going to listen to more of Kathy, too.
Incidentally, I feel both a little dumb and old . . . I turned 15 in the early *90s* . . .
I think that Leon Rosselson album has some great melodies. You might enjoy "Whatever Happened To Nannerl" his song about Mozart's sister: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrSGvtSC2iI
Thank you.
Another tangent: really interesting material in the early chapters about Berkeley at the beginning of the Free Speech Movement. Lots of pieces I didn’t know before.
It blows my mind that these folks, born in the 40s, were having these conversations, while I, a toddler and pre-schooler, was on the same streets holding my mother’s hand, dodging tear gas. Aside from Jack Weinberg, I never got to talk to any of them, later in the IS, about our impressions of Berkeley, and so I’m finally finding out.
I was so intrigued with the memories of Hal And Ann Draper, whom I never met. They wrote and collected science fiction, you know. There could be a whole chapter about the overlap between socialists and early sci fi in Berkeley.
There is also a lot of respect and nostalgia in the book for Stan Weir, whom I was close to, from the 70s til his death. He really was “all that.” I loved working with him on his little underground lit project, the SingleJack Press, where he would publish tiny books the size of your hand, that were working class stories. I confided to him about my frustrations, the last time we saw each other in the 90s. He shared his regrets along similar lines. The losses and estrangements. We cried. As Stan had been in the thick of it since the 40s, I felt the long tail.
You were! You. Were. You still are
Aw Celia. Love you. Another one who knows. Did you like those old photos of Dan that John took? I love them. So many of those photos are from Cincinnati.
That was an honest but somehow respectful telling of some difficult stories. Looking forward to reading your recommended chapters. I read a draft of Anne's -- was I think it's important that she got her history of UPSurge written and published. We should all 3 get together sometime and spill that old tea!
I love seeing pictures of Dan I’ve never seen before - that wild hair!
Remarkable writing about memories of memorable times.
Thank you, Richard, truly.
I have so many postscripts to this piece. Too many. Well, here’s one: Yes, I did speak face to face with folks here that I spoke of, individually. Sometimes many years later.
Like, “Why did you do that?” kind of conversations.
It’s not because I’m so brave or calculated, I’m just the kind of person who can’t be with you in a room when there’s an elephant there, too. I burst out.
What I found is that, most of these guys say don’t remember. Like flat out, “Oh no, that never happened” kind of memory holes. It doesn’t fit their story of themselves.
One of the men sent me a Western Union telegram a year after our last sighting, saying, “Men are shit. You’re a good kid. Have a nice life.”
Alrighty then!
Most excellent; this writing is an act of bravery
Thanks sister Nancy. You were there. The Young and the Restless and the Brilliant.