Howard Zinn
August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010
I read Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States about twenty years ago. At that time, I was impressed by its breadth, and I’d found its slant as uncompromising as it was inspiring; I still am, and do. Since that time, I’ve read a few of his other books, and read and listened to a bunch of his interviews. I also had a chance to see and hear him speak in person a few times, and even asked him two questions at one of his talks (I think one of them had something to do with the treacherous waters one swims in when choosing between the “lesser of two evils”). I also geeked out and got his autograph on my copy of his book Terrorism and War.
Today is a sad day.
A PEOPLE’S HISTORY is a tremendous book, and Zinn was an amazing historian and thinker. This is very sad news indeed.
A friend of mine actually had a high school history teacher who used APH… as the class text. Pretty amazing, but that should be a commonplace.
What a great idea for a book—so simple, and yet so revolutionary. …And still so radical, unfortunately.
Zinn was brilliant. May he rest in peace; condolences to all who knew him. You, too, John. I envy you your having got to meet him, and hear him speak.
I used to run after school programs here in NYC, and I, too, was impressed when one of the teachers, in a school with a terrible principal, used A People’s History as his primary textbook. I’m not one for mandatory texts, but if there must be, then this should be one of them.
Yes, Zinn was brilliant; he did truly shine. And he had this dry sense of humor that made him all the more approachable.
Lots of Zinn audio and video to remember him with, and learn from:
http://www.democracynow.org/tags/howard_zinn
…Has anyone seen or read his plays? I didn’t even know he wrote them.
I’ve heard most of those. I’ve listened to Democracy Now for many years now.
And no, I haven’t seen nor heard his plays.