Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Howard Zinn, 1922-2010
It’s really discouraging to see the scarcity of media coverage regarding his passing. It’s not even up on Yahoo’s main page anymore. The man was a legend. MSNBC reported the passing of the old lady who played the psychic ghost hunter in the 80s movie Poltergeist, but I didn’t see a single mention of Zinn.
Posted by Charles from Jersey City on 01/28 at 06:04 AMI read the NY Times obit last night and they used it as yet another chance to discredit him as an historian. Even in his death, Howard helps us see how the machine rolls on.
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/28 at 06:06 AMI haven’t seen anything on BBC about it yet either.
Posted by michael from not scotland on 01/28 at 08:05 AMThanks for the kind words on Zinn. I sent them along to my friends. He was a wonderfully optimistic person and his insights will be sorely missed. Always speaking truth to power, is the best way to keep his legacy alive.
Also don’t worry about quietness here… Just because I don’t have something to say doesn’t mean I’m not checkin’ in.
Posted by Bob T. from Archer, FL on 01/28 at 08:12 AM“He said ‘Even if you win the rat race...you are still a rat’” - Howard Zinn
Posted by michael from not scotland on 01/28 at 08:28 AMI wrote a Zinn article too…
Posted by michael from not scotland on 01/28 at 09:42 AMThanks, Bob T.
Great post, Michael. I’m sure the Web is humming with Zinn love today. As it should be.
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/28 at 09:54 AMMany Thanks. This is very sad news. The calamity in Haiti and the death of the people’s historian. 2010 hasn’t been a good year…
Posted by noah from santa barbara, CA on 01/28 at 11:40 AMFrighteningly true, Noah. Less than month into the year. Also, we can add in the passing of Expendable Helga’s mother-in-law (she told me last night).
The default page at Zinn’s site:
http://howardzinn.org/defaultPosted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/28 at 11:47 AMHoward and me…
A few years ago Professor Zinn did an engagement in upstate New York. He was magnificent. The audience gave him a very, very long standing ovation. This was shortly after my arrest for protesting the war and friends insisted on introducing me to the star. During our conversation, I asked Zinn what he thought about my planned project to increase the reading of his “History”. The plan - “the Zinn Project"- was to offer a monetary prize to the first reader who found a substantial error of fact in his book. When I told Zinn of my plan his eyes twinkled and he said, “Ah, they will find an error. No history book is perfect”. I will always treasure that memory of him. ( “The Zinn Project” never took off. My efforts were soon to be diverted. I never raised the prize money. Too much time in Court. Now might be a good time to try again.)Posted by RMJ from Ward Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts on 01/28 at 12:41 PMThanks, RMJ. How are your ribs?
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/28 at 12:43 PMSends Hugs to Helga.
2010 is just beginning...Just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do.
Posted by RMJ from Ward Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts on 01/28 at 12:44 PMMickey # 11...thanks for asking. They hurt but as long as I can shovel, it is a good day.
Posted by RMJ from Ward Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts on 01/28 at 12:47 PMDamn. This is the definition of ‘a massive bummer.’
Quote of the day: “I’m sure the Web is humming with Zinn love today.”
The best part of Howard Zinn wasn’t his humane, fearless grasp of history, but his appreciation of both art and humor - quite rare on the left. Introduced at a talk as “professor emeritus,” he followed it with “My grandson asked me what ‘professor emeritus’ means. I said ‘It means you’re unemployed.’” Big laughs.
When he spoke at Nader’s super rally in Boston (2000), I was one of about fifteen people who streamed out of the audience to his seat in the front row to get an autograph. He seemed very pleased to do so - very graceful.
This minute, I’m thinking Zinn personified Che’s saying about true revolutionaries and love. (captcha sez ‘include’)
Turn That Shyte Upside Down Dept: So, when’s Thomas Sowell and gonna get hit by a meteorite? I’m just askin’.
Posted by Zen Prole from Pac NW on 01/28 at 12:55 PMWow, JD Salinger died too. Not a good week for writers.
Posted by Charles from Jersey City on 01/28 at 01:40 PMMy condolences to Helga.
Posted by michael from not scotland on 01/28 at 01:48 PMhere’s to Howard Zinn. ‘History’ was the book that changed me...removed the blinders.
Posted by JOS from Chicago on 01/28 at 03:47 PMI only just heard the news from your site Mickey, I hadn’t checked the net all day, and I try to avoid the BBC etc (although they may not be saying anything anyway #3).
To me Howard Zinn always seemed happy. It was like he was optimistic of humanity and he knew that the ideas would win out in the end.Posted by Rick (the Cartoonist) from England on 01/28 at 04:29 PMMy Howard Zinn comment is stuck back on the previous page.
Needless to say, it’s a big loss for us.
Posted by Andy from Shanghai on 01/29 at 01:00 AMThanks, all.
A new post is now up (with more Zinn stuff). See you there.
Posted by Mickey Z. from Astoria on 01/29 at 07:01 AM
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