Re: [sixties-l] The New Left Re-Examined

From: William Mandel (wmmmandel@earthlink.net)
Date: Mon Mar 18 2002 - 14:43:26 EST

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    I know nothing whatever about the role of the post-SDS new left going
    into organizing the blue collar work force in the 60s-80s. I do know
    that in the Berkeley and San Francisco areas, I, a defected Old Leftist
    (CP until 1956) and at that time still a Marxist, enjoying considerable
    standing among youth because of my role in the 1960 HUAC hearing
    ("Operation Abolition," "Berkeley in the Sixties," "KPFA on the Air")
    and as an FSM Executive Committee member, then continued to believe that
    the future lay with the blue-collar working class and successfully urged
    quite a number of well-known young activists to take that route. Some
    became union leaders. Some are now retiring.
       I would guess that in other localities as well, former or continuing
    CP members played that same role. I know that, as opportunity offered, I
    presented that idea in my Pacifica broadcasts heard in New York and Los
    Angeles as well as the Bay Area.
                                    Bill Mandel

    Bob Anderson wrote:
    >
    > I have not seen the book but any text on this subject has to start including
    > some of the new documentation of the role of the post-SDS new left who went
    > into organizing the blue collar work force in the 60-s80s... my
    > dissertation, for one, studies this in the Pittsburgh steel industry.
    > Rivethead is another, and I suspect Barbara Kingsolver would fit this
    > description. This is perhaps one of the greatest activities of the new left
    > and it is barley mentioned or included in any texts.
    >
    > bob anderson
    > albuquerque, nm
    >
    > > From: William Mandel <wmmmandel@earthlink.net>
    > > Reply-To: sixties-l@lists.village.virginia.edu
    > > Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 20:08:52 -0800
    > > To: sixties-l@lists.village.virginia.edu
    > > Cc: sixties-l-digest@lists.village.virginia.edu
    > > Subject: Re: [sixties-l] The New Left Re-Examined
    > >
    > > Knowing nothing about this unpublished new book, I would like to
    > > recommend, as the best book thus far on the Sixties, one that has had
    > > little attention in the usual sources because it does not set out to be
    > > academic, although contributed to largely by professors (Leon Litwack,
    > > Clayborne Carson, etc.]. Presented as a coffee-table picture book, it is
    > > titled THE WHOLE WORLD'S WATCHING: Peace and Social Justice Movements of
    > > the 1960s and 1970s, and was published last year by the Berkeley Art
    > > Center Association. The 23 essays are on, and virtually all by, the full
    > > spectrum of movements: anti-HUAC, civil rights, FSM, Vietnam War, peace,
    > > women's, lesbian and homosexual, Latino, Native American, disability,
    > > environmentalism. It is the thoughtfulness of the authors, plus the fact
    > > that all were either participants or contemporary observers of the
    > > events, that makes it so fine a contribution to historiography. The
    > > Berkeley Art Center Association is at 1275 Walnut St., Berkeley, CA,
    > > 94709. <berkeleyartc@earthlink.net> . www.berkeleyartcenter.org. I have
    > > no idea as to whether examination copies are offered.
    > > William Mandel
    > >
    > > John C Mcmillian wrote:
    > >>
    > >> Hi,
    > >> Along with Paul Buhle, I've co-edited a book called "The New Left
    > >> Re-Examined," which (fingers crossed) is coming out next fall from Temple
    > >> University Press. Briefly, this is a collection of revisionist
    > >> essays on the New Left, written by scholars who are too young to have had
    > >> any first-hand experience with the movement. They come from a variety of
    > >> perspectives, but most of them dissent, in some fashion, from the current
    > >> orthodoxy of historical writing on the New Left. The Table of Contents is
    > >> listed below.
    > >>
    > >> Anyhow, I'm writing this listserve because Temple wants the names and
    > >> addresses of of professors who teach courses on the Sixites, or on American
    > >> Radicalism, who might be interested in assigning such a book - presumably to
    > >> send them examination copies. So if anyone fits this description, please
    > >> feel
    > >> free to send me a private email and I'll put you on the list!
    > >>
    > >> Many thanks,
    > >>
    > >> John
    > >>
    > >
    > > ========================================================
    > >
    > > My autobiography, SAYING NO TO POWER (Creative Arts, Berkeley, 1999),
    > > was written for the general reader. However, if you teach in the social
    > > sciences consider it for student reading. It is a history of how the
    > > American
    > > people fought to defend and expand its rights in my lifetime, employing
    > > the form of the life story of one who was involved in most serious
    > > movements: labor, student, peace with the USSR, civil rights South and
    > > North, civil
    > > liberties (I seriously damaged the Senate Internal Security Committee,
    > > the McCarthy Committee, and the House Un-American Activities Committee
    > > with spectacular testimonies that may be heard/seen on my website,
    > > http://www.billmandel.net ), the RADIO OF DISSENT (37 YEARS ON
    > > PACIFICA),
    > > with very extensive information on its history) and the feminist
    > > movement,
    > > although I am male. The book contains some fifty pages on my late wife,
    > > Tanya, appearing appropriately throughout the book. They may be found in
    > > the index under Mandel, Tanya. My activities began in 1927. I am 84. The
    > > book
    > > is available through all normal sources. If you want an autographed
    > > copy,
    > > send me $23 at 4466 View Pl., Apt. 106, Oakland, CA. 94611
    > > ========================================================

    -- 
    

    ======================================================== My autobiography, SAYING NO TO POWER (Creative Arts, Berkeley, 1999), was written for the general reader. However, if you teach in the social sciences consider it for student reading. It is a history of how the American people fought to defend and expand its rights in my lifetime, employing the form of the life story of one who was involved in most serious movements: labor, student, peace with the USSR, civil rights South and North, civil liberties (I seriously damaged the Senate Internal Security Committee, the McCarthy Committee, and the House Un-American Activities Committee with spectacular testimonies that may be heard/seen on my website, http://www.billmandel.net ), the RADIO OF DISSENT (37 YEARS ON PACIFICA), with very extensive information on its history) and the feminist movement, although I am male. The book contains some fifty pages on my late wife, Tanya, appearing appropriately throughout the book. They may be found in the index under Mandel, Tanya. My activities began in 1927. I am 84. The book is available through all normal sources. If you want an autographed copy, send me $23 at 4466 View Pl., Apt. 106, Oakland, CA. 94611 ========================================================



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