Mickey Z

Cool Observer

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Saturday, June 28, 2008

Once upon a time...

As a barometer of how drastically the climate of a city can change, consider Abbie Hoffman’s 1971 tome, Steal This Book, in which he dedicates a chapter to the possibilities of surviving by your wits in New York. Considered radically beyond the pale at the time of its release, some of Hoffman’s advice appears somewhat quaint when viewed through the prism of the twenty-first century.

Under “housing,” Abbie advises fellow travelers: “There’s a poet named Delworth at 125 Sullivan St. that houses kids if he’s got the room.” For food, said the Yippie King, try the “host of swank bars with hors-d’oeuvres” on the Upper East Side.

Other entries demonstrate how incredibly corporatized our society and culture have become. For example, Hoffman talks of The Black Panther Free Clinic in Brooklyn, the St. Mark’s People’s Clinic, The Lawyer’s Commune, and services called “dial-a-demonstration” and “dial-a-freakout.”