2004-1.qxd 3/2/2004 3:54 PM Page 1 ...and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth. TheThe VVolunteerolunteer ABRAHAM LINCOLN JOURNAL OF THE VETERANS OF THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN BRIGADE Vol. XXV1, No.1 March 2004 Patriots Act! Joan Blades, co-founder of MoveOn.org. The organization was honored by the Lincoln vets at the San Francisco Bay Area reunion for its patriotic acts in battling the Bush administration on the frontlines of cyberspace. From Madrid to Cyberspace "What is it to be a patriot? To wrap yourself in the flag, or really stand up for what it represents? To trample on democratic rights, or defend them?” from Patriots Act! This year’s San Francisco Bay Area reunion featured Patriots Act, written and directed by Peter Glazer with musical direction by Bruce Barthol. The show was performed by members of the San Francisco Mime Troupe on February 29 and included a stellar performance by veteran folk singer Barbara Dane. Don’t miss the New York performance on May 2. See back page for details. More photos of the SF reunion on page 3. PHOTOS BY RICHARD BERMACK 2004-1.qxd 3/2/2004 3:54 PM Page 2 SAH”] where I returned to John Cookson’s grave. There we laid a wreath of laurel leaves, joining over a hundred people in a solemn remembrance. They were part of a tour Letters of important sites where the Internationals last marched in Marçà just before the famous repatriation march in Dear Editor, Barcelona in 1938. Two other brigadistas joined us here: My trip to Spain of October 27-November 2 (with son Harry Randall, Lincoln Brigade photographer whose war John Kailin and daughter Julie Kailin and Member of the photos were on display in a local gallery; and Milton Wisconsin Friends of the Lincoln Brigade, Judith Klehr) Wolff, the Lincolns’ last commander. I later spoke briefly was personally very rewarding because it was the occasion about Cookson and the Spanish edition of the book at the for the release of the Spanish translation of my 1992 City Hall to an audience of several hundred. manuscript of the letters of, and testimonials to John We also participated in a special session of a confer- Cookson, “Recordando a John Cookson un antifastica de ence held at the City Hall. This was an interview Wisconsin en la guerra civil española, 1937-1938” [“The conducted by two of my kids who joined me on the trip Memories of John W. Cookson, a Wisconsin Anti-Fascist in the with two highly respected Spaniards, Leandro Saun and Spanish Civil War”]. Carmen Casas. They had briefly and accidentally met John In Albacete, Antonio Roncero, the Vice-Chancellor of and Julie at the 1996 Homenage in Barcelona, and we had the University of Castilla-La Mancha, which published the all since connected and become friends. Leandro fought book, held a press conference announcing the publication, with the Republican army. He and I have almost identical where the book was first released to the public in the pres- shrapnel wounds in our arms, mine at the Ebro from Hill ence of a host of TV cameras and broadcast and print 666, and his from very nearby. After the war both Leandro journalists. This was covered on the local TV news. Several and Carmen became important leaders in the Resistance in local residents and employees of the Europa Hotel where France, and in later years in the underground of Franco we were staying who saw the conference report, stopped Spain, where he led the organization of the Communist me and gave very warm congratulations. Party in three provinces. Leandro and Carmen were both Two daily papers, La Tribuna de Albacete and El Pueblo de Albacete featured stories of the press conference and the Continued on page 19 SUBSCRIPTIONS Beginning with the next issue, annual The Volunteer Journal of the subscriptions to The Volunteer will be available Veterans of the to libraries and other institutions. The Volunteer Abraham Lincoln Brigade is published four times a year, in March, June, an ALBA publication September, and December. Library rates: $40 (4 issues) 799 Broadway, Rm. 227 Individual rates: $30 (4 issues) New York, NY 10003 Back issues (when available): $10 (212) 674-5398 Make checks payable to ALBA and send to: ALBA Editorial Board 799 Broadway, Rm 227 Peter Carroll • Leonard Levenson Gina Herrmann • Fraser Ottanelli New York, NY 10003 Abe Smorodin Book Review Editor book’s release. The same evening I spoke to a class of 55 Shirley Mangini college students in the class of History Professor Manuel Design Production Requena Gallego, who had arranged for the University to Richard Bermack publish the book. At 11:00 p.m. that night I was on Albacete TV (Ch. Editorial Assistance TVA) with my friend and translator of the book, Juan Carla Healy-London Maria Gómez Ortiz and Manuel Requena. We appeared Submission of Manuscripts live on a 20 minute segment of a magazine-format show Please send manuscripts by E-mail or on disk. hosted by the popular TV anchor Raquel Haro, a delightful E-mail: [email protected] person who asked many insightful questions. The next day, October 31 we drove to Marçà [“marr- 2 THE VOLUNTEER March 2004 2004-1.qxd 3/2/2004 3:54 PM Page 3 Patriots Act! “I am a revolutionary in the sense that I understand the word. I don’t find it a threatening word. It’s a nice word, it’s a good word. It’s an honorable word. And people who are revolutionaries are honorable people....Some of them have even emerged as national heroes, like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.” Saul Wellman from Patriots Act!, VALB reunion program The vets take the stage (top); Hilda Roberts (above left); activist Medea Benjamin, who introduced Joan Blades, and vet Nate Thornton (above right); Joan Blades (right). Photos by Richard Bermack. In the 1930s taking a stand meant picking up a gun and fighting fascism in Spain. Today the internet has replaced the gun, and MoveOn.org, the vets’ honoree, is on the frontlines, Abe Osheroff and folk singer Barbara Dane had their using the internet to fight the war-mongering agenda of the own reunion at the event. "The last time I saw Abe neo-cons and the Bush administration. MoveOn.org has forged a was in 1964. He was hammering nails on a roof, nationwide network of more than 1.7 million activists and has building a community center in Mississippi," Dane raised millions of dollars for key congressional campaigns. To recalled, noting their involvement in the civil rights find out more, visit them at www.moveon.org. movement during Freedom Summer. THE VOLUNTEER March 2004 3 2004-1.qxd 3/2/2004 3:54 PM Page 4 “Play/Dead”: Chicago Youth Show Spanish Civil War By Jamie O’Reilly n a frigid January afternoon in Chicago, a loyal audience of Ofamily, friends, teachers, and neighborhood youth braved the weather to attend a performance of “play/dead jugar/muerte, a shout out from the Spanish Civil War for the freedom of the world.” The house was packed in the intimate third floor Free Street Theater on Chicago’s Northside. Written and performed by a 10 person multi-ethnic ensemble of Chicago area high school and college students and directed by Jenny Magnus, with myself, Jamie O’Reilly, acting as musical director, These actor/creators undertook a risk; What affected the ensemble most “play/dead” energetically explored the risk that all creativity, and particu- occurred early in the creative process, the events of the Spanish Civil War larly collaboration, is a force for social when they viewed the film The Good and its meaning for today’s genera- change, inherently positive and con- Fight and then heard from Lincoln vet tion. Inspired by songs, texts, and structive in the face of so much Charles Hall and his wife Bobby. It personal histories from the Abraham destruction.” was Chuck’s story of courage and Lincoln Brigade Archives, the pro- The music and songs embolden determination, they said, that made gram also made an emotional the piece, contributing both a sense of them want to tell the story. statement from the urban youth who history through the performance of presented a frank and entertaining per- the best-loved songs of the War, and a Background of the Project spective on today’s political climate. sense of the present. The original In 2002, I agreed to help Chicago The original script consists of music: a folkdance, an anthem (based Friends of the Lincoln Brigade find a songs integrated with short scenes, on a Langston Hughes poem), and a bit context to pass on to young people the many based on theater games. of hip-hop, exhibit the composer-actors’ history that can inform and inspire “’Play/Dead’ or, in Spanish, ability to honor the stories and interpret current generations to make a commit- juega/muerte (as in to play a game), them in a contemporary voice. ment to peace and justice in their time. tocar/muerte (as in to play an instru- “Now that I know what I know, I I turned to Free Street, an award-win- ment), obra de teatro/muerte, (a play, want everybody to know about it!” ning community arts organization that obra means ‘it builds,’ so it’s literally said Columbia College Theater stu- creates original theater with youth. ‘to build a theater’); all these meanings dent and cast member David Watkins, With the help of former director were important to the student/cre- 21, in a stirring post show discussion, David Schein and Special Projects ators of this performance,” said when asked what struck him about Director Bryn Magnus, we were able Director Jenny Magnus.