john lewis and c.t. vivian, rest in power
What a sad and moving coincidence, that two great freedom fighters died on the same day. I chose these photos as a reminder that doing the right thing may involve…
obits
rip christo. there will never be another.
I was so very sad to hear that the artist Christo has died at the age of 84. I felt so incredibly fortunate to still be living in NYC when…
rest in power, larry kramer
We activists like to paraphrase the legendary labour activist Joe Hill by saying “First mourn, then organize”. Larry Kramer, who died yesterday at the age of 84, defined the phrase.…
toni morrison, rest in power
I was so shocked and saddened to learn of Toni Morrison’s death. I’ve been reading her work since a university creative writing teacher recommended The Bluest Eye in 1979. I’ve…
harry leslie smith — rest in power, and thank you
Harry Leslie Smith, who sometimes called himself “the world’s oldest rebel,” died in late November 2018. I was unable to acknowledge his passing on wmtc at the time. Smith, a…
rip philip roth
I was literally reading this article in The New York Times about Philip Roth when I heard he had died. It’s a wonderful story: an 85-year-old celebrated author who has…
rip barry crimmins: call me lucky to have known him
In late 2015, I blogged about a remarkable documentary: “Call Me Lucky,” about the life and times of Barry Crimmins. Barry died last week at the age of 64. Describing…
rip fred bass, who gave nyc a priceless gift
Is there a New Yorker alive who hasn’t spend time in The Strand? A New York City tourist who didn’t thrill to their first visit to The Strand? The man…
rip tom petty
The death of Tom Petty is terrible, shocking, dare I say heartbreaking news. From the moment I heard those unmistakeable first notes of “American Girl,” I was hooked. I was…
hail hail rock ‘n’ roll: rip chuck berry
To mark the death of rock legend Chuck Berry, everyone should watch “Hail Hail Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Taylor Hackford’s movie chronicling two concerts that celebrated Berry’s 60th birthday. If you…
fidel castro, 1926-2016
More than any ruler I can think of, Fidel Castro defies our insistence on seeing leaders as solely either good or evil. As this excellent assessment in Social Worker (UK)…
the greatest, forever. rest in power muhammad ali.
Revolutionary thought of the day, from a revolutionary American.Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets…
rest in power, daniel berrigan and michael ratner
The world lost two great fighters for peace and justice this past week.Daniel Berrigan was a lifelong peace activist, a man who was ready and willing to put his body…
in which the death of a rock legend makes me think about how our world has changed
When this came out, I hung the cover on my bedroom wall. Sharing memories of David Bowie, as so many of us were after his too-early death this week, led…
thoughts arising from the death of a defender of free speech
This week’s obituaries included the last living link to two landmark moments in the history of freedom of expression. Al Bendich was just two years out of law school when…
bobby keys, 1943-2014
Terrible news for the music world this week, and for the world of unabashed, unrepentant, hard partying rock-and-roll. I have loved Bobby Keys for as long as I’ve known of…
rest in peace, canine with a brave rebel heart
When I blogged about him a few years back, he was called Kanellos, the Greek rebel dog. Somewhere along the way, English-language media dubbed him Riot Dog. He was also…
thank you, charley richardson! your legacy lives on
On Labour Day, I happened to see this on Twitter: I am on my union’s labour-management committee, the group that meets monthly with management to discuss members’ concerns and try…
depression is to sad as cancer is to pimple (a few thoughts after the death of robin williams)
Reading a news story about Robin Williams’ death, I saw a tweet from Jimmy Kimmel. It said, in part: “If you’re sad, tell someone.” Depression is “you’re sad” the way…
nadine gordimer, 1923-2014
Nadine Gordimer was a great writer, and a steadfast voice for justice. Gordimer, a white South African, was a member of the African National Congress when the organization itself was…