Category: Monthly Review Press /

“Studs Terkel—Interpreter of America” via Counterpunch

“Studs Terkel—Interpreter of America” via Counterpunch

“...In the world of the word, Studs Terkel was a multi-talented man. He was an actor, a playwright, an organizer, a deejay, and an interviewer, among other things. Mostly, however, as Alan Wieder makes clear in his newly-published biography of Terkel, he was an ‘interpreter of America.’ His ability to not only listen, but also to ask the right questions of an interviewee, made his radio shows and books of oral history not only informative and enjoyable; those interviews became the standard to which others strived to achieve. It was as if Terkel had a certain magic once the tape recorder was turned on.....”

Ian Angus: New Anthropocene Epoch Is Already Here

Ian Angus, author of Facing the Anthropocene: Fossil Capitalism and the Crisis of the Earth System, talked to David P. Ball of Metro Vancouver just before his September 15 presentation at Simon Fraser University

The American War in Vietnam: 2 Counterpunch Reviews

The American War in Vietnam: 2 Counterpunch Reviews

We are never going to get a better truth-telling antidote than the one John Marciano provides. Longtime activist and scholar, author of Civil Illiteracy and Education, the battle for the Hearts and Minds of American Youth and co-author of Teaching the Vietnam War, Marciano knows his stuff.

Marta Harnecker on “The Best Homage We Can Pay Fidel”

Marta Harnecker on “The Best Homage We Can Pay Fidel”

“Over half a century ago, as Latin American households were celebrating the start of a new year, some good news arrived from Cuba: a guerrilla army with a social base among the peasantry triumphed on the Caribbean island, liberating the country from the tyrannical Batista regime. A political process began that not only aimed to overthrow a dictator, but sought to follow a consistently revolutionary line: genuinely transform society for the benefit of the great majority….”

Ottawa Valley Faces Ian Angus (and the Anthropocene)

Ottawa Valley Faces Ian Angus (and the Anthropocene)

in which Ian Angus, author of Facing the Anthropocene: Fossil Capitalism and the Crisis of the Earth System, talks to Jennifer Estendorp of Inside Ottawa Valley
“What is the Anthropocene you ask?
‘Geologists divide the history of our world into increments, based on what they know about eras,’ explained Ian Angus, local author. ‘Currently, we’re in the Holocene epoch.’

Studs Terkel now and then: Alan Wieder on KBOO radio; Studs himself, same station, 1996

Studs Terkel now and then: Alan Wieder on KBOO radio; Studs himself, same station, 1996

Alan Wieder, author of Studs Terkel: Politics, Culture, but Mostly Conversation, talks to community radio station KBOO’s Gene Bradley on “Political Perspectives,” followed by an interview with Studs Terkel, from the same studio, in 1996. And, if you’re in Portland, Oregon on August 30, drop by Broadway Books, , 7:00 to 8:00pm, 1714 NE Broadway, where Alan will read from his book and talk about Studs Terkel.

Facing the Anthropocene: climate change is a ‘global emergency’”

This summer, a panel of geologists voted to recognize today as an age where human activities match or exceed natural forces and are globally significant. They named it the Anthropocene. On September 13, Ian Angus, an author and eco-socialist activist, spoke at a colloquium organized by UBC’s geography department, addressing this proposed geological epoch and introducing his new book, Facing the Anthropocene.

The Vietnam War Was No Mistake: John Marciano’s book reviewed in the LA Progressive

The Vietnam War Was No Mistake: John Marciano’s book reviewed in the LA Progressive

John Marciano has written an absolutely essential book to counter the prevailing myth that the American invasion of Vietnam must be commemorated as a ‘noble cause’ of which all Americans need to be proud. We should not question that everyone who crossed the Pacific to kill and die there, as the embodiment of all that is great about America, has to be honored for their patriotic dedication and sacrifice. At least since Vietnam, if not much earlier, joining the military has been called ‘service,’ a selfless act for a higher good. Marciano points out that the call for honoring participants in the war does not include the hundreds of thousands who protested in opposition.