Veterans For Peace Weekly E-Letter

Join or Renew Membership | Donate | Chapter Contacts | Online Store
	Friday, March 11, 2016 Zinn Fund Request For Proposals Deadline Next Week, Fri, Mar 18th Does your chapter have a project to promote peace and justice? The Howard Zinn Fund for Peace and Justice provides support to local chapters to start or to significantly develop ongoing local programs that produce substantive changes for the VFP mission.  Two types of awards are made, depending on available funds: Several Independent Awards of up $500 to support focused local projects which further the VFP mission. One Partnership Award of up to $5,000 to support the development of an ongoing chapter program that will produce significant results for the long-term mission of VFP.  This involves a collaborative process between the chapter team and the Zinn Fund Committee over several months to develop the project and the final proposal.  The collaboration continues during the grant period as the project is implemented and project reports are prepared.  These projects are used to demonstrate VFP activities and to promote support for the VFP mission. The deadline for Zinn Fund Applications is Friday March 18 For more information, visit the webpage Howard Zinn Fund. Back to Top The Golden Rule Is Coming to the Northwest The Golden Rule will be seen by thousands of people at wooden boat festivals in Seattle (July 2-4), Vancouver, British Columbia (Aug. 25-28), Victoria, BC (Sept. 2-4) and Port Townsend Washington’s Olympic Peninsula (Sept. 9-11).  Her rust colored sails emblazoned with a peace sign (the original symbol of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) and the logo of Veterans For Peace will attract many visitors to the Golden Rule, who will learn about her amazing history, her courageous crews, and her ongoing mission.  Golden Rule Update submitted by Gerry Condon Back to Top Veterans Challenge Islamophobia Update In photo above:  VFP member, Reese Forbes outside the Trump Rally held in St. Louis, MO today.  Also present, Tom Ablen, Don Conners Chapter 61 member. VETERANS write an opinion piece or short statement as to why you think this campaign is important. Send a copy of your statement to shelly@veteransforpeace.org Veterans sign on to our statement. Non-veterans, please support our cause Back to Top This Month:  March 27-April 2, 2016 - 2nd Annual Shut Down Creech Join us March 27-April 2, 2016 at Creech Air Force Base, Indian Springs, Nevada for a 2nd national mobilization of nonviolent resistance to shut down killer drone operations in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan,Yemen, Somalia and everywhere. Last year 150 activists joined us from 20 different states, including than 50 veterans. Sponsored by: VFP, CODEPINK: Women For Peace, Nevada Desert Experience, Voices for Creative Nonviolence Register Online Visit Website For More Info View and Share Facebook Event Page *Need travel assistance *Travel assistance will be provided on a 1st come 1st serve basis with consideration given to post-9/11 veterans. Back to Top Interview: Former CIA Analyst Ray McGovern Warns of CIA/NSA and Gives Advice for Activists Click the image to view the video In the above video, acTVism Munich interviews former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. He talks about his experiences with the intelligence agency and about the reasons why he became an activist and a critic of the US government. Back to Top Stop the Provocative U.S./S. Korean War Drills in Korea! VFP-Korea Peace Campaign is deeply concerned with the current situation in Korea, and calls on our members and supporters to take the following actions to stop the provocative US-S. Korean war drills in Korea: 1) Contact the White House by phone, fax, email--urging the President to cancel or reduce the size and scope of the dangerous, provocative large-scale joint U.S./S. Korean war drill against N. Korea, started on March 7 — continuing to April 30. Tel: 1-202-456-1111 (White House) Fax: 1-202-456-2461 2) Also, please contact members of Congress to ask the President to do the same. Tel: 1-202-225-3121 (Congress) Let the VFP-Korea Peace Campaign know you called by dropping the coordinator an email to kpc@veteransforpeace.org Handout   Back to Top Celebration of the Life of Bill Gilson When:  Saturday April 2 Where:  Unitarian Church of All Souls, 1157 Lexington Avenue    (between E.79th Street and E.80th Streets) in Manhattan You should arrive at 1:45 p.m. Food service will start at 2:00 pm and continue throughout. There will be an opportunity for everyone to share a memory of Bill, a song or poem.  Children are very welcome! RSVP: hustleny@gmail.com Back to Top Travel Opportunities for Activists Location Sponsored by Dates Contact U.S./Mexico border SOAW Apr 25 - May 1 Email  marialuisa@soaw.org for more information. Cuba Code Pink May 2016 Visit the Code Pink website Palestine Interfaith Peacebuilders May 21 - Jun 1 2016 For more information email esiegel@ifpb.org Palestine Interfaith Peacebuilders Jul 16- 29 2016 For more information email esiegel@ifpb.org Palestine Interfaith Peacebuilders Oct   24-Nov     6 2016 For more information email esiegel@ifpb.org Back to Top		In This Issue: Zinn Fund Request For Proposals Deadline Next Week, Fri, Mar 18th The Golden Rule Is Coming to the Northwest Veterans Challenge Islamophobia Update This Month:  March 27-April 2, 2016 - 2nd Annual Shut Down Creech Interview: Former CIA Analyst Ray McGovern Warns of CIA/NSA and Gives Advice for Activists Stop the Provocative U.S./S. Korean War Drills in Korea! Celebration of the Life of Bill Gilson 501(c)(3) and Political Election Activity Travel Opportunities for Activists 2016 Convention Update Submit your workshop application Purchase Ad for Convention Program Book Purchase Table 2016 Proposed Convention Program 48th Anniversary of Mai Lai Massacre Andrew Bacevich: Why Is No Candidate Offering an Alternative to Militarized U.S. Foreign Policy? Book Tour:  War is a Lie by David Swanson VFP Statement of Purpose Available in Other Languages VFP Needs You to Help Increase VFP's UN Interaction New VFP Tote Bag Save the Dates:  Upcoming VFP Endorsed Actions/Events A Thought Worth Remembering! 2016 Convention Update Theme:  Peace At Home, Peace Abroad A Just and Sustainable Future for the World’s Children   The 2016 convention hosting chapter is VFP San Francisco Chapter 69.  The dates for the convention are Thursday, August 11 thru Monday, August 15 @ University California - Clark Kerr campus in Berkeley CA.  Please note the change from our past program.  This convention will not be Wednesday thru Sunday. Workshop applications Workshops will be held on Friday and Sunday.  The 2016 Planning Committee is accepting applications for all interested in presenting workshop(s).  Purchase your Ad for program book Ad prices are the same as previous years.  Please review the ad guidelines. Tabling Details of table size will be provided later.  Tabling may be limited, so be sure to purchase your table early. Proposed Convention Program Thu, Aug 11 - Presidents Reception/Poetry Reading Fri, Aug 12 - Opening Plenary, Workshop Presentations, Public Evening Event Sat, Aug 13 - Business Meeting, Banquet Sun, Aug 14 - Workshop Presentations Mon, Aug 15 - Closing Back to Top 48th Anniversary of Mai Lai Massacre Jack Doxey, Vietnam veteran and member of VFP Hugh Thompson Chapter 91 in San Diego CA reflects on the day Hugh Thompson (in photo) intervened the slaughtering of innocent My Lai villagers.   March 16th 2016 marks the 48th anniversary of the Vietnam My Lai Massacre. To say that it was a sad day in the history of our country is a gross understatement. Our United States military systematically slaughtered over 500 Vietnamese women, children, infants and old men in the tiny village of My Lai.  Jack Doxey's Reflection> Back to Top Andrew Bacevich: Why Is No Candidate Offering an Alternative to Militarized U.S. Foreign Policy? In a recent article, historian and retired Colonel Andrew Bacevich raised six questions that have been ignored in the 2016 presidential race. Most notably, he says, "Nearly 15 years after this 'war' was launched by George W. Bush, why hasn’t 'the most powerful military in the world,' 'the finest fighting force in the history of the world’ won it? Why isn't victory anywhere in sight?" Back to Top Book Tour:  War is a Lie by David Swanson David Swanson will speak about the latest developments in the telling and the debunking of lies about wars. He'll answer questions and sign copies of his new book, War Is A Lie: Second Edition. Events are planned for NC, DC, MD, WA, OR, NY, CA, and MN. The book will be for sale everywhere April 5th. Book Tour Schedule Back to Top VFP Statement of Purpose Available in Other Languages VFP's statement of purpose is available from the national office in Chinese, French, German and Spanish.  Please submit this form if you would like to receive a translated copy. Back to Top VFP Needs You To Help Increase VFP's UN Interaction Participants are needed for the 2016 NGO Conference to be held in South Korea in late May/early June.  The planning committee is also seeking participants.  There are several VFP slots available for the conference.  Registration will open soon. Here are a few ways that members can get involved Provide input about counter-recruiting in schools. Run for the Department of Public Information Board -  Elections are held in May.  Email, Ellen Barfield @ ellene4pj@yahoo.com if you are interested in any of these opportunities. 2015 Report on VFP and the UN by Ellen Barfield Back to Top 501(c)(3) and Political Election Activity VFP will abide by the 501(c)(3) rules set forth by the law firm Harmon, Curran, Spielberg Eisenberg, LLC regarding political election activity.  The document contains a list of "10 Mistakes Nonprofits Should Avoid in an Election Year" Back to Top Save the Dates:  Upcoming VFP Endorsed Actions/Events Mar 1-25 - Art Display:  Peace is Patriotic: A Soldier’s (mis)Remembrances in Maryville, TN Mar 27- April 2, 2016 - Shut Down Creech AFB outside of Las Vegas, NV Mar 30 - Inside Drone Warfare: Perspectives of Whistleblowers, Families of Drone Victims and Their Lawyers in Las Vegas, NV Apr 15 - GDAMS (Global Day Against Military Spending) Apr 22 - Earth Day May 14-21 - Sam's 5th Annual Ride for Peace, Raleigh, NC to Washington, DC May 23-25 - VFP 2nd Annual Lobby Days May 30 — Memorial Day (Observed) Jul 27 - Korean War Armistice Day Aug 11-15, 2016 - VFP Annual Convention at Clark Kerr campus of University of California Berkeley, CA Sep 21—International Day of Peace Oct 7-10 - First SOAW bi-national convergence at the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona Nov 11 - Armistice Day Back to Top A Thought Worth Remembering! War: a massacre of people who don't know each other for the profit of people who know each other but don't massacre each other.....Paul Valery H. G. Welly  Back to Top
Forward to a Friend Veterans For Peace, 1404 N. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102   Veterans For Peace appreciates your tax-exempt donations. We also encourage you to join our ranks. Click to no longer receive updates from Veterans For Peace

Sir George Martin-The "Fifth" Bealte Passes At 90

The edges of another era end -Sam Lowell

TODAY IS SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016

March 11, 2016 at 11:00 AM

• E-mail
• Twitter
• facebook

George Martin, The 'Fifth Beatle'

Sir George Martin died this week at 90. We’ll look at how the “fifth Beatle” revolutionized modern music.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison post in a 1966 publicity photo with their longtime producer and so-called “Fifth Beatle,” George Martin. (WikiCommons)

When you hear the Beatles, in all their joyful, sassy, creative glory, you hear John and Paul and George and Ringo. You also hear the inventive, eclectic, classically-trained genius of their legendary producer, George Martin. They wore beads. He wore sport coats. He saw their magic. They valued his. Together, they made some of the most amazing music ever. It’s worth digging in to how they did that.  This hour On Point,  Sir George Martin, dead at 90, and his way with the Beatles.

— Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Tim Riley, music critic and professor of journalism at Emerson College. Author of “Tell Me Why: The Beatles: Album by Album, Song by Song, The Sixties and After,” “Lennon,” and “Fever.” (@triley60)
Geoff Emerick, audio engineer. He worked closely with George Martin, and won Grammys for his work on the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Abbey Road” albums. Author of “Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles.”
Maura Johnston, writer, editor and music critic. Editor of Maura Magazine, the online culture publication. (@maura)

From Tom’s Reading List

Variety: George Martin: Beatles Producer Expanded the Palette of Pop Music — “From the first sessions in September 1962, Martin’s recordings of the Beatles mated an unprecedented toughness and a razor-sharp clarity. There were initial missteps, to be sure – Martin’s enthusiasm for ‘How Do You Do It,’ a duff tune penned by a pair of pro songwriters that later became a hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers, or his decision to replace Ringo Starr with studio drummer Andy White on a second version of ‘Love Me Do.’ But the producer quickly came to respect the musicians’ instincts, and moreover evidenced his ability to execute their vision of new sonic possibilities.”
The Guardian: George Martin: the man who changed pop forever (with a little help from his friends) — “Life would have turned out very differently for George Martin had the general manager of a publishing company called Ardmore and Beechwood not rung him in early 1962, suggesting he meet with Brian Epstein to discuss his charges, who had already been turned down by Decca and Pye: he might have remained among EMI’s massed ranks of staff producers, handy with a sound effect when the kind of comedy records he specialised in before he met them demanded it.”
Rolling Stone: How George Martin Changed the World — “The most important day of George Martin’s career — the day he proved himself the only genius who could have produced the Beatles — was February 11th, 1963, when they recorded their debut album, Please Please Me, in one marathon 13-hour session.”

Playlist

Please follow our community rules when engaging in comment discussion on this site.

Veterans For Peace, Other LGBT Groups Banned Again from Boston’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

TRT Editor | Mar 11, 2016 | Comments 1

• 13
  Shares
• 9

  Share
• 3

  Share
• 1

  Share
• 0

  Pin
• 0

  Share
• 0

  Mail
• 0

  Share

Excluded from Boston’s St. Patrick’s Parade were Veterans for Peace, as well as other LGBTQ groups. Included this year again are: OUTVets and Boston Pride

SOUTH BOSTON— Once again Veterans who have honorably served this country, many in times of war with decorations and wounds to prove it, are being denied from walking in the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Veterans who have experienced war first hand and who now advocate and work for peace and peaceful resolution to conflicts – NEED NOT APPLY.

“It is shameful that the Allied War Veterans Council are once again disrespecting veterans on Saint Patrick’s Day by not allowing a small unit of Veterans For Peace to march in the traditional parade. What are they afraid of? Our rejection is solely based on the fact that we work for Peace,” stated Pat Scanlon, event organizer for VFP. “This continues to be an embarrassment to the City of Boston and the Boston Police Department who attempted to resolve the issue this year.”

On October 27th negotiations between Brian Mahoney, the then Commander of the Allied War Veterans Council, and Scanlon of Veterans For Peace, took place in Police Commissioner Bill Evan’s office to attempt to resolve the conflict. At the meeting, Veterans For Peace pared down their unit to simply a small contingent of between seventy-five and one hundred veterans, two banners, a couple of cars for disabled and elderly veterans, and flags. The lead banner would read, “Lieutenant Tony F. Flaherty U.S.N. Memorial Unit of Veterans For Peace,” named after their beloved member, long-time resident of South Boston who passed away peacefully in July. Tony at one time was best friends with John “Wacko” Hurley the long time Commander of Allied War Veterans Council. How fitting it would have been to honor both men, who held differing views on war and peace, with resolution of this long standing conflict.
At that time, a deal was struck in the Commissioner Evan’s office. The size and make up of VFP’s unit was acceptable. It was agreed that Veterans For Peace complied with all the stipulations and regulations of the AWVC application. The only thing left, according to Brian Mahoney was for the AWVC to vote to approve the agreement. Two months later the Council finally voted on three things: First, to ask OUTVets to remove the rainbow from their banner, second, to rescind the invitation to Boston Pride and deny their application and third, deny Veterans For Peace’s application. The then Commander of the AWVC, Brian Mahoney resigned at that moment in protest over the vote. 

Two months later the Council finally voted on three things: First, to ask OUTVets to remove the rainbow from their banner, second, to rescind the invitation to Boston Pride and deny their application and third, deny Veterans For Peace’s application. The then Commander of the AWVC, Brian Mahoney resigned at that moment in protest over the vote.

Mahoney stated, “Veterans For Peace, are veterans, have complied with every stipulation of the parade’s application and have pledged to abide by all the rules and regulations as defined by the Council and should be allowed to march in the parade. They are being denied because of what they think and this is not right.”
Once word of this vote was made public, Sylvan Bruni, President of Boston Pride and long time ally of Veterans For Peace and one of the organizers of the inclusive alternative St. Patrick’s Peace Parade, was livid. Both he and Scanlon contacted Mayor Walsh and Commissioner Evan’s offices. Significant pressure was placed upon the AWVC from City Hall resulting in the Council quickly reversing themselves on their decision regarding Out Vets and Boston Pride. Both of these groups will march in the parade this year, but not Veterans For Peace.

Mahoney stated, “Veterans For Peace, are veterans, have complied with every stipulation of the parade’s application and have pledged to abide by all the rules and regulations as defined by the Council and should be allowed to march in the parade. They are being denied because of what they think and this is not right.”

On Tuesday, February 2, a meeting was held at the VFW Post in South Boston to reconsider Veterans For Peace’s application. Police Commissioner Bill Evans, Police Superintendent Bernie O’Rourke and Scanlon from Veterans For Peace made the case for VFP to be allowed to walk in the parade. Scanlon answered every question presented to him. He emphasized that Veterans For Peace would comply with all the rules and regulations as defined by the Parade Organizers. Commissioner Evans stated why it is important to resolve this issue and allow Veterans For Peace into the parade. The Commissioner also said, “the exclusion of these veterans is an embarrassment to the City of Boston.” That evening, after their guests had departed, by a vote of seven to six the AWVC once again denied Veterans For Peace to walk in the parade.
“This decision by the AWVC to exclude Veterans For Peace once again is not in keeping with the opinions of the vast majority of residents of South Boston, it is shameful and disrespectful of veterans,” said Scanlon. “They gave no reason for the rejection. One can only conclude that Peace is still a dirty word in South Boston, as least for the fifteen or so members of the AWVC. Boston has changed, the neighborhood has changed. People appreciate that some veterans who have experienced war first hand, are committed to and continue to work for peace.”

“…The City of Boston should take back the management of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, making it open and accessible to all, allowing all to be part of the historic celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, especially our veterans.”—Bob Funke, the Coordinator of Veterans For Peace

Bob Funke, the Coordinator of Veterans For Peace, a two tour veteran of Vietnam, and recipient of two silver stars, three bronze stars and three purple hearts stated, “Veterans For Peace contends the shortening the parade does not go far enough to rectify the intransigence of the AWVC. The City of Boston should take back the management of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, making it open and accessible to all, allowing all to be part of the historic celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, especially our veterans.”
NOTE: In March of last year, TRT conducted an in-depth story about the AWVC and their “exclusive” parade, which only allowed OUT Vets and Boston Pride to march. Since then mentions were made that this year things would change and Boston Pride’s inclusion would help other LGBT groups to march this year. As of this date, no other LGBT group has been approved to march. Other TRT coverage of the St. Patrick’s Parade and the continuous exclusion of other groups, history, etc. can be found here.
[From a News Release]

Also From The Web

*For The Folkies From Muskogee And Elsewhere- The Bob Feldman Music Blog On "My Space"-Free Leonard Peltier

Click on the headline to link to the Bob Feldman Music Blog( for lack of a better name) on My Space.

Markin comment:

This is great stuff for any music aficionado, especially of folk, social protest, and roots music. I am going to be "stealing" entries off of this site periodically but you should be checking it out yourselves. Kudos, Bob Feldman.

*****When The Tin Can Bended…. In The Time Of The Late Folk-Singer Dave Van Ronk’s Time

*****When The Tin Can Bended…. In The Time Of The Late Folk-Singer Dave Van Ronk’s Time

 

 

 

From The Pen Of Bart Webber

 

Sometimes Sam Lowell and his “friend” (really “sweetie,” long time sweetie, paramour, significant other, consort or whatever passes for the socially acceptable or Census Bureau bureaucratic “speak” way to name somebody who is one’s soul-mate, his preferred term) Laura Perkins whose relationship to Sam was just described in parenthesis, and righteously so, liked to go to Crane’s Beach in Ipswich to either cool off in the late summer heat or in the fall before the New England weather lowers its hammer and the place gets a bit inaccessible. That later summer  heat escape valve is a result of the hard fact that July, when they really would like to go there to catch a few fresh sea breezes, is not a time to show up at the bleach white sands beach due to nasty blood-sucking green flies swarming and dive-bombing like some berserk renegade Air Force squadron lost on a spree who breed in the nearby swaying mephitic marshes.

The only “safe haven” then is to drive up the hill to the nearby robber-baron days etched Crane Castle to get away from the buggers, although on a stagnant wind day you might have a few vagrant followers, as the well-to-do have been doing since there were well-to-do and had the where-with-all to escape the summer heat and bugs at higher altitudes. By the way I assume that “castle” is capitalized when it part of a huge estate, the big ass estate of Crane, now a trust monument to the first Gilded Age, not today’s neo-Gilded Age, architectural proclivities of the rich, the guy whose company did, does all the plumbing fixture stuff on half the bathrooms in America including the various incantations of the mansion. 

Along the way, along the hour way to get to Ipswich from Cambridge Sam and Laura had developed a habit of making the time more easy passing by listening to various CDs, inevitably not listened to for a long time folk CDs, not listened to for so long that the plastic containers needed to be dusted off before being brought along, on the car CD player. And is their wont while listening to some CD to comment on this or that thing that some song brought to mind, or the significance of some song in their youth.  One of the things that had brought them together early on several years back was their mutual interest in the old 1960s folk minute which Sam, a little older and having grown up within thirty miles of Harvard Square, one the big folk centers of that period along with the Village and North Beach out in Frisco town, had imbibed deeply. Laura, growing up “in the sticks,” in farm country in upstate New York had gotten the breeze at second-hand through records, records bought at Cheapo Records and the eternal Sandy's on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge and a little the fading Cambridge folk scene when she had moved to Boston in the early 1970s to go to graduate school.     

One hot late August day they got into one such discussion about how they first developed an interest in folk music when Sam had said “sure everybody, everybody over the age of say fifty to be on the safe side, knows about Bob Dylan, maybe some a little younger too if some hip kids have browsed through their parents’ old vinyl record collections now safely ensconced in the attic although there are stirrings of retro-vinyl revival of late according a report he had heard on NPR. Some of that over 50 crowd and their young acolytes would also know about how Dylan, after serving something like an apprenticeship under the influence of Woody Guthrie in the late 1950s singing Woody’s songs imitating Woody's style something  fellow Woody acolytes like Ramblin’ Jack Elliot never quite got over moved on, got all hung up on high symbolism and obscure references. Funny guys like Jack actually made a nice workman-like career out of Woody covers, so their complaints seen rather hollow now. That over 50s crowd would also know Dylan became if not the voice of the Generation of ’68, their generation, which he probably did not seriously aspire in the final analysis, then the master troubadour of the age.

Sam continued along that line after Laura had said she was not sure about the connection and he said he meant, “troubadour in the medieval sense of bringing news to the people and entertaining them by song and poetry as well if not decked in some officially approved garb like back in those olden days where they worked under a king’s license if lucky, by their wit otherwise but the 'new wave' post-beatnik flannel shirt, work boots, and dungarees which connected you with the roots, the American folk roots down in the Piedmont, down in Appalachia, down in Mister James Crow’s Delta. So, yes, that story has been pretty well covered.”  

Laura said she knew all of that about the desperate search for roots although not that Ramblin’ Jack had been an acolyte of Woody’s but she wondered about others, some other folk performers who she listened to on WUMB on Saturday morning when some weeping willow DJ put forth about fifty old time rock and folk things a lot of which she had never heard of back in Mechanicsville outside of Albany where she grew up. Sam then started in again, “Of course that is hardly the end of the story since Dylan did not create that now hallowed folk minute of the early 1960s. He had been washed by it when he came to the East from Hibbing, Minnesota for God’s sake (via Dink’s at the University), came into the Village where there was a cauldron of talent trying to make folk the next big thing, the next big cultural thing for the young and restless of the post-World War II generations. For us. But also those in little oases like the Village where the disaffected could put up on stuff they couldn’t get in places like Mechanicsville or Carver where I grew up. People who I guess, since even I was too young to know about that red scare stuff except to you had to follow your teacher’s orders to put your head under your desk and hand over your head if the nuclear holocaust was coming, were frankly fed up with the cultural straightjacket of the red scare Cold War times and began seriously looking as hard at roots in all its manifestations as our parents, definitely mine, yours were just weird about stuff like that, right, were burying those same roots under a vanilla existential Americanization. How do you like that for pop sociology 101.”

“One of the talents who was already there when hick Dylan came a calling, lived there, came from around there was the late Dave Van Ronk who as you know we had heard several times in person, although unfortunately when his health and well-being were declining not when he was a young politico and hell-raising folk aspirant. You know he also, deservedly, fancied himself a folk historian as well as musician.”    

“Here’s the funny thing, Laura, that former role is important because we all know that behind the “king” is the “fixer man,” the guy who knows what is what, the guy who tells one and all what the roots of the matter were like some mighty mystic (although in those days when he fancied himself a socialist that mystic part was played down). Dave Van Ronk was serious about that part, serious about imparting that knowledge about the little influences that had accumulated during the middle to late 1950s especially around New York which set up that folk minute. New York like I said, Frisco, maybe in small enclaves in L.A. and in precious few other places during those frozen times a haven for the misfits, the outlaws, the outcast, the politically “unreliable,” and the just curious. People like the mistreated Weavers, you know, Pete Seeger and that crowd found refuge there when the hammer came down around their heads from the red-baiters and others like advertisers who ran for cover to “protect” their precious soap, toothpaste, beer, deodorant or whatever they were mass producing to sell to a hungry pent-ip market.  

Boston and Cambridge by comparison until late in the 1950s when the Club 47 and other little places started up and the guys and gals who could sing, could write songs, could recite poetry even had a place to show their stuff instead of to the winos, rummies, grifters and conmen who hung out at the Hayes-Bickford or out on the streets could have been any of the thousands of towns who bought into the freeze.”     

“Sweetie, I remember one time but I don’t remember where, maybe the Café Nana when that was still around after it had been part of the Club 47 folk circuit for new talent to play and before Harry Reid, who ran the place, died and it closed down, I know it was before we met, so it had to be before the late 1980s Von Ronk told a funny story, actually two funny stories, about the folk scene and his part in that scene as it developed a head of steam in the mid-1950s which will give you an idea about his place in the pantheon. During the late 1950s after the publication of Jack Kerouac’s ground-breaking road wanderlust adventure novel that got young blood stirring, not mine until later since I was clueless on all that stuff except rock and roll, On The Road which I didn’t read until high school, the jazz scene, the cool be-bop jazz scene and poetry reading, poems reflecting off of “beat” giant Allen Ginsberg’s Howl the clubs and coffeehouse of the Village were ablaze with readings and cool jazz, people waiting in line to get in to hear the next big poetic wisdom guy if you can believe that these days when poetry is generally some esoteric endeavor by small clots of devotees just like folk music. The crush of the lines meant that there were several shows per evening. But how to get rid of one audience to bring in another in those small quarters was a challenge.

Presto, if you wanted to clear the house just bring in some desperate “from hunger” snarly nasally folk singer for a couple, maybe three songs, and if that did not clear the high art be-bop poetry house then that folk singer was a goner. A goner until the folk minute of the 1960s who probably in that very same club then played for the 'basket.' You know the 'passed hat' which even on a cheap date, and a folk music coffeehouse date was a cheap one in those days like I told you before and you laughed at cheapie me and the 'Dutch treat' thing, you felt obliged to throw a few bucks into to show solidarity or something.  And so the roots of New York City folk according to the 'father.'

Laura interrupted to ask if that “basket” was like the buskers put in front them these days and Sam said yes. And asked Sam about a few of the dates he took to the coffeehouses in those days, just out of curiosity she said, meaning if she had been around would he have taken her there then. He answered that question but since it is an eternally complicated and internal one I have skipped it to let him go on with the other Von Ronk story. He continued with the other funny story like this-“The second story involved his [Von Ronk's] authoritative role as a folk historian who after the folk minute had passed became the subject matter for, well, for doctoral dissertations of course just like today maybe people are getting doctorates in hip-hop or some such subject. Eager young students, having basked in the folk moment in the abstract and with an academic bent, breaking new ground in folk history who would come to him for the 'skinny.' Now Van Ronk had a peculiar if not savage sense of humor and a wicked snarly cynic’s laugh but also could not abide academia and its’ barren insider language so when those eager young students came a calling he would give them some gibberish which they would duly note and footnote. Here is the funny part. That gibberish once published in the dissertation would then be cited by some other younger and even more eager students complete with the appropriate footnotes. Nice touch, nice touch indeed on that one, right.”

Laura did not answer but laughed, laughed harder as she thought about it having come from that unformed academic background and having read plenty of sterile themes turned inside out.       

As Laura laugh settled Sam continued “As for Van Ronk’s music, his musicianship which he cultivated throughout his life, I think the best way to describe that for me is that one Sunday night in the early 1960s I was listening to the local folk program on WBZ hosted by Dick Summer, who was influential in boosting local folk musician Tom Rush’s career and who was featured on that  Tom Rush documentary No Regrets we got for being members of WUMB, when this gravelly-voice guy, sounding like some old mountain pioneer, sang the Kentucky hills classic Fair and Tender Ladies. It turned out to be Von Ronk's version which you know I still play up in the third floor attic. After that I was hooked on that voice and that depth of feeling that he brought to every song even those of his own creation which tended to be spoofs on some issue of the day.”

Laura laughed at Sam and the intensity with which his expressed his mentioning of the fact that he liked gravelly-voiced guys for some reason. Here is her answer, “You should became when you go up to the third floor to do your “third floor folk- singer” thing and you sing Fair and Tender Ladies I hear this gravelly-voiced guy, sounding like some old mountain pioneer, some Old Testament Jehovah prophet come to pass judgment come that end day time.”

They both laughed. 

Laura then mentioned the various times that they had seen Dave Von Ronk before he passed away, not having seen him in his prime, when that voice did sound like some old time prophet, a title he would have probably secretly enjoyed for publicly he was an adamant atheist. Sam went on, “ I saw him perform many times over the years, sometimes in high form and sometimes when drinking too much high-shelf whiskey, Chavis Regal, or something like that not so good. Remember we had expected to see him perform as part of Rosalie Sorrels’ farewell concert at Saunders Theater at Harvard in 2002 I think. He had died a few weeks before.  Remember though before that when we had seen him for what turned out to be our last time and I told you he did not look well and had been, as always, drinking heavily and we agreed his performance was subpar. But that was at the end. For a long time he sang well, sang us well with his own troubadour style, and gave us plenty of real information about the history of American folk music. Yeah like he always used to say-'when the tin can bended …..and the story ended.'

As they came to the admission booth at the entrance to Crane’s Beach Sam with Carolyn Hester’s song version of Walt Whitman’s On Captain, My Captain on the CD player said “I was on my soap box long enough on the way out here. You’re turn with Carolyn Hester on the way back who you know a lot about and I know zero, okay.” Laura retorted, “Yeah you were definitely on your soap-box but yes we can talk Carolyn Hester because I am going to cover one of her songs at my next “open mic.” And so it goes.                      

*From The "HistoMat" Blog- The Uses Of "Facebook"?

Click on the headline to link to a "HistoMat" blog entry concerning the possible uses of "Facebook" as an organizing tool for our leftist politics.


Markin comment:

This is hardly my, or anyone's, last word on the the possible uses of technology as such uses are always a necessary consideration as they evolve for those of us that fight for our communist future. One only needs to look at the use of such technologies ("Twitter","Facebook", "YouTube",blogs, etc.)in the initial organizing of the opposition in Iran to understand these possibilities. But there are limitations to the use of any such vehicles as effective tools for our side, our communist side, especially given our current tasks. The hard facts for us today are the necessity to recruit, teach, and maintain the cadre who will raise hell now(as the linked article in the blog details)but also be there when a revolutionary opportunity opens up. That cadre creation no cyberspace technology can act as a substitute for, at least if history is any guide.