The Selected E-Mail Correspondences of Richard Walton

Richard Walton

Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents i Introduction/Acknowledgements ii Biography of Co-Editors iv Biography of Richard Walton v Illustrations viii

Part II Baseball 1 Boxing 6 Catching up 8 Compassion 11 Education 13 Favorite Hang Outs 21 Homelessness 31 Humor 34 Illness 36 Politics 47 Printed Books 64 Religion-on Gods 65 Travel 66 Travel photos 69 Weather 74 Women’s Rights 75

Part III Appendix A: Letter of Solicitation 76 Appendix B: Instructions on How to Construct a Simple E-Book 77 Appendix C: Commendation from Senator Whitehouse 78 Appendix D: Articles by Columnist Herb Weiss 79 Appendix F: Articles by Columnist Bob Kerr 88 Appendix G: Afterword by Herb Weiss 89

Part I: Introduction and Acknowledgements

January 24, 2013

Herb Weiss and I are pleased to present you with this volume of some of the best of Richard Walton's unpublished writings. This collection does not claim to include all of his best, but simply some of the best emailed correspondence submitted by his friends and family for consideration.

Richard understood early on the power of social media. He began emailing and connecting friends electronically in the early 1990s and wrote thousands of correspondences on topics ranging from serious social causes to entertaining observations about people and events.

Over centuries the correspondence of great men has been published and studied after their deaths. As a college student, I remember reading the letters of Boswell and poring over the footnotes, so I could understand the context of England in his day. This volume of the unpublished best of Richard Walton's writing is a modern version: Richard tapped out his correspondence electronically to a friend, or maybe a whole network of friends, depending on the topic. Richard traveled worldwide, interviewed great political figures and social advocates, and in his own modest (sometimes self-deprecating) way made the groups and individuals he touched stronger and better.

Just like Boswell, Richard's writings reflect not only his thoughts but also the political and social context in which he wrote. In a letter to entering Brown students, Richard, who was an alumnus of Brown University, claimed not to be a successful man. He may not have been a successful man when judged in economic terms, but he was certainly successful in moving the needle on current social topics and in influencing literally generations of people, including students and colleagues at Rhode Island College. He even used to send me articles and ask my opinion as president of the college. He influenced others by example and by gentle questioning nudged us to consider other views. (See Richard's Wikipedia biography on pages v-vii for a sense of the range of his influence.) His causes and views, as well as his humor are captured in the email correspondence in this volume. Richard continues to be admired and respected; he received the Special Award for Distinguished Service to Alumni, presented posthumously by the Rhode Island College Alumni Association in spring 2013.

Social media prompted this e- book. (Richard would be so pleased that the networks he set up continued after his passing.) I received Facebook notification of a memorial event to be held at Roots Cafe in Richard's honor. Herb Weiss, whom I had never met, wrote to me via Facebook. I sent him an e-essay that Richard had sent me about the Encyclopedia Britannica going out of print and wondering what would happen to his Encyclopedia Britannica when he passed. (See essay on page 64). I asked Herb if he had the email addresses of Richard's children, so I could share Richard's concern that the encyclopedia be saved. Herb wrote back to me, and we chatted about the fact that I had saved all Richard's emails. Who can delete a correspondence with the subject line: "Do I Really Have to Wear Long Pants?" which was written in response to my invitation to recognize Richard as founding adjunct union president at my opening annual meeting of faculty, administrators, and staff. I just could not bear to delete any of his emails. Herb shot back an email saying that he bet others had saved Richard's emails, too. He asked me the big question: maybe we should do an e-book?

I had organized an e-book two years ago, so I felt confident that with Herb's help and with submissions from all of you - Richard's legion of friends - we could hear Richard's kindly, thoughtful, articulate, moving and humorous voice once again. Richard wrote many thousands of emails. We selected just ii the ones that we thought represented his thinking and interests (such as baseball, homelessness, favorite hang outs, politics, travel, humor, women’s rights, and education). We all received frequent emails from Richard in which he made only a brief comment and attached an article he found interesting. We did not include these group emails because the ideas were ones with which Richard agreed, but the words mostly belonged to another writer. We did, however, include his own essays that he sometimes typed into an email to a friend.

I write this foreword as an introduction to the e-book. Herb, my new social- media friend and collaborator, will write a postscript when the book is completed. I thank Herb Weiss, all Richard's email friends, and his family - especially Rich and Cathy - for making this volume possible. I also thank Gina Dibona, a RIC student, for her expert help in formatting the book. Most of all, I thank Richard Walton for being such a positive part of our lives.

-Nancy Carriuolo, president of RIC, Richard Walton's friend and colleague, and co-editor

iii

Biographies of Co-editors

Nancy Carriuolo Dr. Nancy Carriuolo (Carry-O-Low) was named the ninth president of Rhode Island College on May 12, 2008 by the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education. She has been an English professor and an editor for business and industry.

Carriuolo is the author of more than 30 publications with regional, national or international audiences. She has served on the board of New England Dollars for Scholars and on the executive committee of the statewide Campus Compact. She is currently a member of the board of the Tech Collective. She serves on the Vets (Veterans Memorial Auditorium) board and the Board of Directors of Crossroads Rhode Island. In addition, Carriuolo is vice-chair elect of the Council of Presidents of the Little East, on the review boards for the Journal of College Reading and Learning (JCRL) and the Journal of Developmental Education. She has been elected to the Board of Trustees for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

Carriuolo earned her undergraduate degree from the State College of New York at Brockport and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Herb Weiss Herb Weiss, Pawtucket’s Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer, has worked for over 14 years to transform and revitalize Pawtucket through the arts. Articles about the efforts have appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, and local newspapers.

Mr. Weiss has been instrumental in development of the City’s Arts and Entertainment District. He served as President of the Pawtucket Rotary Club (2005-2007). He now serves on Rhode Island’s Small Business Advocacy Council and sits on the Board of Directors and the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, Advisory Board of the Rhode Island Independent Film Collaborative, and Old Slater Mill Association. Mr. Weiss is a member of Theta II Leadership Rhode Island Class (2012). He has secured funding for the city’s most visible arts initiatives, the annual Pawtucket Arts Festival, and he has received multiple awards related to the arts.

Mr. Weiss has a distinguished 33-year career in journalism and a national reputation on issues facing the aging, health care and medical fields. He has written or co-written over 494 articles in national, state, and local publications and has received multiple awards. He served as founding editor of Senior Living (later renamed Prime Time), a publication distributed to over 30,000 readers throughout Rhode Island. His weekly commentary on aging, medical, and baby boomer issues is published in the Pawtucket Times and Woonsocket Call.

Mr. Weiss received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas in 1977; a Master of Arts in Gerontology in 1979 and a Certificate – Specialist in Aging in 1979 from North Texas State University in 1970.

Biography of Richard Walton

Source: “Richard Walton.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Aug. 2013. Web 7 Aug. 2013.

Richard J. Walton

May 24, 1928[1] Born Saratoga Springs, NY[1]

December 27, 2012[2] Died Providence, RI[2]

Nationality United States

Classical High School, Providence, RI (1945)[1]

Brown University, Providence, RI Education (B.A. 1951)[1]

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, New York, NY (M.A. 1954)[1]

Occupation Journalist, College Professor

Progressive activism against poverty, Known for homelessness, and hunger

Margaret Hilton (divorced)[1] Spouse(s) Mary Una Jones (divorced)[1]

Richard (1958)[1] Children Catherine (1960)[1]

Richard Walton (May 24, 1928 - December 27, 2012) was an American writer, teacher, and politician.[1] He was the vice-presidential nominee in 1984 of the short-lived Citizens Party; Sonia Johnson was the party's presidential nominee that year. v

Personal life and education Richard John Walton was born on May 24, 1928 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to Gertrude and Richard James Walton. As a child he moved with his family to Providence, Rhode Island, where he was graduated from Classical High School in 1945 and received a bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1951. His studies at Brown were interrupted for two years while he served in the U.S. Navy as a journalist's mate. He worked as a disk jockey on Providence radio station WICE before attending the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism where he received a master's degree in 1954.[1]

He was married twice, to Margaret Hilton and to Mary Una Jones; both marriages ended in divorce.[1] He has two children, Richard (born 1958) and Catherine (born 1960).[1] He returned to reside in his home state of Rhode Island since 1981.[1]

Walton died at age 84 of leukemia on December 27, 2012, at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, RI.[2]

Journalistic career As a print journalist, he worked for The Providence Journal (1954-1955) and then for the New York World- Telegram and The New York Sun (1955-1959). He then returned to radio for the Voice of America (VOA), first in Washington, D.C. as producer-host of Report to Africa (1959-1962) and then in New York City as principal United Nations correspondent (1962-1967). In 1960, he traveled extensively in Africa making a series of documentaries on the independence movement, interviewing many of the post-colonial leaders including Patrice Lumumba.[1][3]

In 1967 he left VOA to write his first book, The Remnants of Power: The Tragic Last Years of Adlai Stevenson (1968). Eleven other books followed, notably America and the Cold War (1969), The United States and Latin America (1971, ISBN 0-8164-3074-8), Cold War and Counterrevolution: The Foreign Policy of John F. Kennedy (1972, ISBN 0-14-021627-8), Henry Wallace, Harry Truman and the Cold War (1976, ISBN 0-670-36859-8), The Power of Oil (1979, ISBN 0-8164-3186-8), and The United States and the Far East (1979, ISBN 0-395-28931-9). He has contributed articles to numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, The New Republic, Saturday Review, Cosmopolitan, and Playboy.[3] He was an early member of the National Book Critics Circle.[1]

Teaching career After leaving the VOA in 1967, Walton began teaching writing, political science, and history at Housatonic Community College in Stratford, CT, The New School for Social Research in New York City, and what is now Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT. He has traveled to more than 50 countries, including teaching English in an elementary school in Shanghai in the summer of 2007.[1]

For over a quarter of a century until 2012, he taught at Rhode Island College where he was among the leaders of a campaign to unionize adjunct faculty.[1] In an election in April 2007, the adjunct faculty voted by an overwhelming margin to unionize and affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers.[4] He served on the union's negotiating committee, agreeing on an initial contract with the college and Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, which was ratified in October 2009.[5] He was elected as the union's first president and served until his death.[1] Rhode Island College lowered its flag to half-staff in his memory.[6] In May 2013, the college honored Walton with the Special Award for Distinguished Service to Alumni, in Memoriam.[7]

Political and community activism Involved from 1980 with the Citizens Party of environmentalist Barry Commoner, Walton was the party's vice- vi presidential candidate in 1984 on a ticket headed by feminist Sonia Johnson as the party's presidential candidate.[1] (Johnson's running mate on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket that year was Emma Wong Mar, however.) Walton had been interested in political third parties since at least the publication of his book on the subject, Henry Wallace, Harry Truman and the Cold War. Interviewed in 2008, Walton joked about his 1984 campaign for vice-president, "I don't think I attracted quite as much attention as Sarah Palin."[3]

He went on to become one of the early members of the Green Party of Rhode Island. In the 1996 Presidential election in Rhode Island he was temporarily a stand-in candidate for Ralph Nader's official running mate Winona LaDuke.[8] In the 2004 Presidential election, he endorsed Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb. He served on several national Green bodies.

Walton became well known as an activist against poverty, homelessness, and hunger. He served as president of Amos House,[9] which is the state's largest soup kitchen, and on the boards of a number of non-profit and social service organizations, including the George Wiley Center (advocates for the poor), the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, and the Slater Mill Historic Site. With the Providence-Niquinohomo Sister City Project he had been to Nicaragua many times where the project built a health center and a school, and he twice served on medical teams in Guatemala.[1][3]

Every year for his own birthday from 1988 to 2011, Walton hosted a substantial charitable fundraiser at his home that was typically attended by several hundred people, including sitting and former governors, senators, congressional representatives, and media personalities who were in some cases his former students.[9][10][11] The party was held for the first time at another venue in 2012.

Walton has received the Sister Carol McGovern Award of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless for his work with the homeless[1] and the John Kiffney Award of the Providence Newspaper Guild for his service to the community.[12]

Involved with the non-profit folk music venue Stone Soup Coffee House for 30 years, he was the first president of its parent organization, the Stone Soup Folk Arts Foundation, and served for 15 years. After a hiatus of many years, he had been returned to office and was serving as president at the time of his death.

In 2008 at the age of 80, Walton was profiled and interviewed as part of a major feature article in The Providence Phoenix about prominent people in Rhode Island.[3]

vii

Illustrations

Photo of Nancy Carriuolo- iv (Gene St. Pierre, photographer)

Photo of Herb Weiss- iv (Patty Zacks at Camera Werks)

viii

Part II: Richard Walton’s Selected Emailed Correspondence

Baseball

Topic: Baseball – Perfect Pitch Submitted by Dr. Nancy Carriuolo, president of Rhode Island College Relationship to Richard: I was privileged to know Richard Walton in his role as an adjunct English professor and founder of RIC’s adjunct faculty union. Most of our correspondence was on business matters, but other chats were with me (or with my husband Ralf) on non-business matters such as his annual birthday party. Richard was a colleague and a friend to everyone at the college.

On 5/12/2011 10:20 AM, Carriuolo, Nancy wrote:

My big moment this morning was that I pitched a legal pitch from the pitcher’s mound to open the women’s softball tournament. I hope the senate hearing goes as well. (-: Have a great day. I feel the same about you.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 10:32 AM To: Carriuolo, Nancy Subject: Ah, the Perks of the Presidency

Hi, What an honor, throwing out the first pitch! I played softball, pitching, last fall at Moses Brown, putting aside my crutches to do so. And when I came to bat, I lined a single ... but maybe my best days are a bit behind me ... if ever I had any best days. These are tough times to be in education, yet there's nothing more important. It's not a luxury; it is, as you know so well, an essential in so complex a world. -Richard.

On 10/3/2011 2:57 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy E. wrote:

What’s more American than baseball/softball? I am glad you had a good time.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 3:18 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Subject: I Would Have Sold My Soul

Hi, Nothing. It's odd that I, a very critical American, should be so enamored of the classic American sport. It was such fun yesterday ... and when I was younger, I would have sold my soul to the Devil to be an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers. Why the Tigers? Damned if I know but I loved them and adored their great first baseman, Hank Greenberg. Ralf would probably remember him. Yes, a wonderful afternoon and for a guy

83, I feel not so bad today ... and would play again. -Richard. ______Topic: Baseball – Hank Greenberg Submitted by Alan Koblin Relationship to Richard: I was the Lion’s Head bartender (8 Years), half-owner (13 years), friend of Dick’s (lifetime).

From: Richard J. Walton To: Alan Koblin Cc: McEvoy, Dermot; Bill Harley; Rick Brooks; Jane Murphy; Lee Clasper-Torch; [email protected]; Cathy Barnard Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 12:59 PM Subject: I Was at That Game

Hi, Al, What an extraordinary coincidence. Since I was such a fervent Tigers fan, my father took me to that very game.

And I've often told the story of how I was there for, I think, the only time Ted Williams ever pitched. It was, as you say, late in the game and the Tigers were way ahead. It was what they now call a laugher. My memory is, of course, fuzzy but I remember [quite possibly wrongly] his striking out my idol Hank Greenberg and Rudy York. They were laughing and trying to hit the ball to New Hampshire. It would be fun to look it up but I guess you already have. Ah, life was so innocent in those days ... sometimes I think, better. Thanks for this story, Al. I'm smiling as I type these words. Hope all is well with you. Peace. Dick

P.S. Markson would have enjoyed this story. And I hope you quickly got back with those Camels.

P.P.S. I'm also sending this to some of my local friends who love baseball ... and to my son and daughter, Mets fans from the days I used to take them to Shea 40 or so years ago.

One of my most vivid early baseball memories: 1940, I'm nine years old, Tigers are at Fenway, beating the shit out of the Sox. A half-dozen of us, mostly older guys, are gathered around the radio in Schwartz's kitchen, listening to the game. It must've been the 8th inning, Tigers way ahead, Sox have used up lots of pitchers. The crowd starts buzzing excitedly, and the announcer (probably Jim Britt) goes wacko. "Look who's coming in to pitch! It's Ted Williams!" Everyone in the kitchen starts jumping. "Hey, kid," Myer Schwartz says to me (I'm the youngest there), "run down to the corner and get me a pack of Camels." I run as fast as I can to the corner store, afraid that I'm going to miss

something historic. Williams pitches 2 innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, 1 strikeout (I think it was Rudy York). From: Richard Walton To: Alan Koblin Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2002 1:05 PM Subject: Hank Greenberg: the actual piece (July 16, 2000)

Hi, Al: Here is the Greenberg piece. I still can't figure out how a kid living in an Irish neighborhood in Providence picked the Tigers as his team and a Jew as his hero. Maybe that was an early indication that I would turn out a little strange. Thank goodness. Peace. Dick.

P.S. I just read it again. Not so bad.

07.16.2000 The great and good Hammerin' Hank Tears for my boyhood baseball hero

WHEN I WAS a kid in the '30s, growing up in ethnic South Providence (largely Irish-Catholic but with vivid chunks of other immigrant or near-immigrant groups), baseball was the only sport that really mattered (and still is, in my eyes). The Red Sox, of course, were by far the favorites, with a few favoring the Boston Bees (later Braves) and a fair number rooting for the Yankees, mainly Italians, because of Joe DiMaggio.

But for some reason that I've never figured out, my team (and I lived and died with them) was the Detroit Tigers. I was keen on the great Charlie Gehringer and Mickey Cochrane and Schoolboy Rowe, but my absolute favorite was Hank Greenberg. This was, of course, a time when anti-Semitism – occasionally virulent, more often mild but persistent -- was commonplace. I was too young to be very aware of that stuff, but I did know, in my conventional Irish-Catholic household, that to be a Jew was even odder than being an Italian or even an Armenian. (Everything was regarded in ethnic terms in those days.) I was the Sabbath goy for the Seltzer family across the street. I don't remember exactly what my Saturday tasks were. I vaguely remember lighting the gas stove or things like that. And there was even an active Jewish community, a minor-league Lower East Side, centered on Willard Avenue, a couple of blocks south of my home on Dudley Street. You know: a Jewish bakery and crates of squawking chickens and delis and people with pronounced accents, a sprawling, lively area that was great fun to visit. There were a lot of working-class Jews then. And there was a little Jewish store across the street and a few houses down on the corner of Gay Street. I still remember the guy's name, Mr. Carton, although I have no idea how he spelled it. He had a big pickle barrel and reached in to snare delicious pickles. And he was very nice. We didn't have much money then; no one in the neighborhood did. So sometimes we couldn't afford the nickel deposit on a quart of milk. But he'd let us bring our own bottle and he'd open his bottle and pour it into ours, saving us that precious 5 cents.

Anyhow, for some reason, I picked Hammerin' Hank as my hero. I absolutely adored him. I remember -- in, when was it, 1938? – hoping he would overtake Babe Ruth's unapproachable record of 60 homers. I still remember a Frank Lanning (I think) cartoon. Fuzzily, I remember

Babe Ruth on a cop's motorcycle flagging down a speeding Hank Greenberg. Or something like that. Of course, he didn't quite make it. He got "only" 58 homers, in those days before the cheap homers of today -- an awesome achievement.

My grandfather, Jack Boyle, loved baseball even more than I did (if possible) and listened to the Red Sox on the radio every day. This, of course, was long before television. And it was wonderful sitting with him listening to baseball games. They were, of course, played during the day, when baseball games should be played. Anyway, Gramp shared the prejudices of his day and class. (He was a house painter when he wasn't drinking.) But baseball was even more powerful in his life. He used to say, "Dick, if you had to pick a Jew, you picked a good one." And I sure did.

Years later, when baseball had lost its grip on me, I still remembered those days fondly. And I delighted in talking about them, always pointing out the remarkable achievements of my boyhood hero. In the '70s, when I lived in Greenwich Village as a writer, I hung around the late and much-lamented Lion's Head. Lots of baseball fans (writers, most of them) hung out there, and we formed a loose, very loose, club called something like the Bobo Newsom Memorial Fan Club, named after a scrofulous pitcher of great talent who wandered from team to team. It was a wonderful group: the late Joe Flaherty, a terrific writer who was campaign manager for Norman Mailer and Jimmy Breslin when they ran for mayor and City Council president; Joel Oppenheimer, Mets fan and poet in order of importance; novelist David Markson (and nephew of the legendary Madison Square Garden boxing promoter Harry Markson); the fine novelist Don Honig, who made his living writing a series of nonfiction baseball books; Larry Ritter, a distinguished New York University economist who wrote what may be the best baseball book of all time, The Glory of Their Times ; Vic Ziegel, the well-known sportswriter; occasionally Jim Bouton, the ex-Yankee pitcher whose Ball Four will keep his name alive longer than his record on the mound; and, most famous of all, the incomparable Red Smith, who regaled us with stories of, say, the St. Louis Browns of 1927.

We had some wonderful nights, and there may have been a wee drop consumed as the evening wore on. We had a fantasy baseball league and held a draft. No one was the least bit surprised when my first choice was Hank Greenberg. And when I bumped into latter-day baseball fans who scarcely knew who he was, I'd say casually things like: "You know, one year he had more than 100 RBIs." And they'd say politely something like, "That's pretty good." Then I'd add, "Before the All-Star break." That caught their attention.

Greenberg was one of the first major leaguers to enlist during World War II. As a Jew, he saw the dangers of Hitler more clearly than most. In his career, he hit "only" 331 home runs. But he lost 41/2 seasons to the war. If you figure an average of merely 40 homers a year (he hit at least that many before and after), that would have brought him up to more than 500. And his slugging average is still one of the highest in baseball history.

He was discharged, if I recall, about halfway through the '45 season and he led the Tigers to a pennant, winning it with a home run at the very end of the season. By then 34, he lasted only a couple more seasons, somehow ending up with the Pittsburgh Pirates (along with another great home-run hitter, Ralph Kiner) in the '47 season, when he encouraged another player subject to

4 slurs from the sidelines -- Jackie Robinson.

Oh, there's a lot more I could write, but this has gone on long enough. Why am I writing it now? Because I saw the four-star review of the movie The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg. A final note: Although I am not Jewish, I have heard and read many times of the enormous significance he had to American Jews. There had been, of course, many famous Jews, many doing more important things than playing baseball, but they were in the arts and sciences and commerce, and Jews were often disparaged as failing at "manly" things.

Well, Hank Greenberg (and others who have followed) showed them that just wasn't so. I wonder why I have tears in my eyes now. I'm 72 now, much too old to be weeping over a long- dead baseball player.

Boxing

Topic: Boxing—Rocky Marciano Versus Jersey Joe Submitted by Rick Brooks Relationship to Richard: I knew Richard, and was proud to call him a friend, for nearly 30 years. As a co-founder of Stone Soup and the RI Labor & Ethnic Heritage Festival, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Richard in planning and presenting numerous folk music and other cultural celebrations. As sports aficionados, we enjoyed many a sporting event -- both on the field and in the stands. And as a friend, I had the pleasure and privilege of Richard's wit and wisdom as we discussed politics, history, journalism, and contemporary social issues, as well as relationships with family and friends. Richard was one of a kind, and he is not easily replaced.

From: Rick Brooks To: richardwalton1928 Sent: Mon, Apr 8, 2013 11:15 am Subject: Richard's writing: Rocky Marciano versus Jersey Joe ... A Trip Down Memory Lane

Hi, This may be a trip down Memory Lane that only I may be old enough to take. I was tired last night from staying up too late to watch the Pats lose and I decided to go to bed early but for a few minutes I flipped through the channels. By chance I came across an old black and white video of the heavyweight championship fight between the aging [38] champ Jersey Joe Walcott [a good journeyman who had beaten and lost to the best heavyweights of his time] and the young Rocky Marciano [from Brockton who established his record as a K.O. puncher at the old R.I. Auditorium and thus was a local favorite].

Although I now have no use for prize-fighting, in the glory days of the "sport,' the period after The War, I never missed the Friday Night Fights: "Look sharp, feel sharp, be sharp with Gillette Blue Blades, the sharpest edges ever honed."

Those were days with fighters with names even you young folk may remember: Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake LaMotta, Rocky Graziano, Tony Zale, Carmen Basilio and, of course, the greatest of them all, the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis.

The Walcott-Marciano heavyweight title fight took place in September of 1952, 60 years ago, before most of you were born. But heavyweight fights in those perhaps primitive days were enormous events, as big as the Super Bowl today, maybe even bigger because of their elemental appeal, violence, knock-your-opponent-senseless violence what, to a lesser degree, makes football so popular today.

Anyway, I guess out of a sense of nostalgia I watched the fight which they compressed. Walcott floored Marciano in the first round, the first time he had hit the canvas ... but he survived. Then it was a not-particularly interesting brawl with the old and much

6 bigger Walcott having the edge it was said. Then came the 13th round and Marciano connected with a right that absolutely cold-cocked Walcott. He dropped to the canvas unconscious and Marciano became champ and retired some years later undefeated. It was said to be one of the hardest punches in the history of boxing.

Until then Rocky's main claim to fame -- a genuine one – was his fight with a way-over- the-hill Joe Louis in 1951. Although Louis did well in the early rounds it was an obvious mismatch and Marciano K.O.'d Louis. I was in Minneapolis then [my only foray into the business world at Cargill] and watched the fight. I wept that night because, as with many whites, my first black idol was Joe Louis, heavyweight champ for something like 11 years.

So there I was last night watching this awful video and going back 60 years. Even I was very young then.

After that fight they showed the Sugar Ray Robinson-Carmen Basilio fight five years later before 40,000 fans in Yankee Stadium. That's how big boxing was in those days. Now I couldn't name a single active boxer and pay no attention to that brutal "sport."

Don't know why I thought you might be interested in this story from an era before you were born but some of those names still echo in American sports history ... and I'm still sad that Rocky Marciano knocked out his idol, Joe Louis, who was only in the ring because the parasites around him got all his money.

Later, it was pathetic but sweet, Louis lived in some comfort hired by admirers to do things like be a "greeter" at a Vegas hotel ... and he appeared on TV now and then. I met him briefly in 1953 when I was a page for ABC on the Georgie Jessel Show and Louis made an appearance. I got to shake his hand ... that still means something to me.

Sorry I went on at such length. -Richard

Catching Up

Topic: Catching Up with Richard Walton Submitted by Aubrey Atwater Relationship to Richard: Aubrey is a nationally recognized musician whose relationship developed with Richard Walton at Stone Soup.

From: Richard J. Walton To: Aubrey Atwater, Linde Rachel Sent: Mon, Oct 10, 2011 8:39 am Subject: It Could Not Have Been an Easy Decision

Hello Aub and El,

Having been to your beautiful place a number of times and absolutely loving it, I can only imagine what a very difficult decision it is to leave that beautiful, serene place but Foster seems so very distant from other things you like to do and Bristol is also so lovely but both physically and psychically seems so much closer to Providence where so many of your friends and interests are. And although you are both young, the years do pass rapidly and travel becomes increasingly burdensome. Everyone's life has a certain rhythm and plainly you and Elwood have decided that the rhythm of your lives calls for a change. So I know all your friends will rejoice that you have the spirit to embrace change and we know that in time [for the real estate market is very slow these days] you will live your full, productive and giving lives in that beautiful, historic town of Bristol. Good fortune to you both for no one deserves it more.

Affectionately, Richard

Hello fans and friends, Elwood and Aubrey want to formally announce that we have decided, after much deliberation and thought, to put our 18th century farm on the market and hopefully move to Bristol, RI. We know this might come as a surprise to some of you, but although we have loved living in this beautiful paradise, we are ready for change, to downsize, explore new activities, and allow others to become the new stewards of this property. We know that those of you who have visited Mapledell Farm, or have been here for a concert in the barn, can attest to the magic and serenity that surrounds us on this beautiful slice of heaven.

If you know someone who may be interested in this property, here is the link for the listing. Change is exciting! Our best to you all, peace, Aubrey and Elwood http://stwmls.mlxchange.com/DotNet/Pub/EmailView.aspx?r=767450388&s=RIS&t=RIS -- Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly

Atwater-Donnelly, Traditional American Folk Music and Dance

From: Aubrey Atwater To: Richard, Rachel, Elwood Sent: Tue, Oct 11, 2011 5:39 am Subject: Re: It Could Not Have Been an Easy Decision

Thank you so much, Richard. I surprised the heck out of myself this summer after I got back from the Grand Canyon. I found myself suddenly saying to Elwood, "Do you want to move?" and he was all over it. He's been wanting to move/downsize for a few years now. I thought we'd never leave this place but I became aware that for us, it has come full circle in many ways and we'd like to change. It feels really right and we are ready to let this place go. We are quite excited to be in a smaller place and more urban, where you can just step out the door and walk to places. We already have a house in mind in historic downtown Bristol but we have to be patient because of the market. Thanks for your good wishes! And Linde, hope things are going well with you. Let us know when you are back in town and we can all try to make a date to go to Apsaras!

Love, Aub

From: Richard J. Walton To: Atwater Aubrey; Elwood Donnelly Sent: Sun, Apr 15, 2012 11:21 am Subject: Is the Move Behind You Now?

Hi, Aub and El,

I hope the move is behind you. I'm never going to move again -- I hope -- for it is such an ordeal. I don't know the size of your new house compared to your old but you had a lot of stuff in that wonderful old house ... and the barn. I do hope the move is behind you and that you can soon settle in to that fine old town of Warren. I'd gain a ton of weight if I lived there because you have Delekta's Drug Store, purveyor of the world's best cabinets, especially coffee. They are wonderful - made the old-fashioned way in a metal container that is plopped down in front of you with another entire glass awaiting you. It’s one of my favorite places on Earth. Thank goodness it's not an easy drive away although I often think of it longingly. I like Warren and I think you've chosen well ... and I'm looking forward to visiting you in your new home once you are settled in. And I'm looking forward to seeing, and hearing, you both on Sunday next. I assume you got the schedule I sent you. Thank you so much for appearing, for yours is the quintessential Stone Soup story, met, fell in love and now making beautiful music together. -Richard

From: Aubrey Atwater To: Richard, Elwood

Sent: Mon, Apr 16, 2012 9:16 am Subject: Re: Is the Move Behind You Now?

You are not kidding, we've already gained about 20 pounds ha, ha. But at least we can WALK to places and yes, I just love that old fashioned pharmacy. I am already imagining taking out-of-state guests there for a quintessential RI experience!

Compassion

Topic: Compassion Submitted by Joyce Cote Relationship to Richard: Adjunct Faculty, Rhode Island College

On 8/3/2012 12:50 PM, Cote, Joyce C. wrote:

Richard, you are always so immediate in your responses! I have a feeling that the advent of electronic messaging has really put you into the "zone."

I do remember the wonderful (and lengthy) handwritten letter of condolence you sent to me regarding my son. I'm sure you remember driving round and round West Warwick in search of the church where his memorial service was held. You were so annoyed that you could not find the church, but as it turned out, your letter with all of its sentiment about how the best intentions often run amuck was precisely what I needed to hear to move me beyond a place of self-blame and despondency. Although the letter itself was long ago misplaced, I am still struck by the commitment to a friend that clearly motivated such a lengthy and heartfelt effort. I still recall how reading that letter was a turning point in my grief - and my sense of guilt that I, as the mother, had not done more to save my child.

So, thanks Richard, otherwise known by my granddaughter as "that guy who looks like Santa." Certainly, if not the big guy himself, you are one of the helpers.

Enjoy the harvest at the Walton Family Farm!

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Friday, August 03, 2012 2:26 PM To: Cote, Joyce C. Subject: What a Very Nice Note!

Hello again, Joyce: What a very nice note. Yes, I remember driving around seeking that church. I should have gotten directions previously but I stupidly thought I knew where it was.

I cannot imagine anything worse than losing a child. My mother lost my sister Claire and my brother lost his daughter Sarah but although I certainly felt both losses, it's not the same as your own child.

I know my mother never completely recovered from losing Claire and I know that's true of my brother as well. It is just something you have to bear ... and you are bearing it well.

Of course you feel guilt. What caring parent wouldn't but something you learn along the way: you cannot live another's life no matter how much you care ... and it's plain how deeply you cared.

As to that Santa guy, well, one could be identified with a lot worse.

As to the farm, we should be getting ripe tomatoes within a few day and you're always welcome.

It would indeed be very welcome company. I start a series of chemo Monday-Friday of next week and the Monday-Tuesday of the following week but I expect to be home every afternoon and it would be nice to see you.

I hope things are going well and again thank you for this very nice note. -Richard ______

Topic: Understanding -- Unemployment Submitted by: Maureen Reddy, Professor and Chair of English, Rhode Island College. Relationship to Richard: She knew Richard as a colleague and fellow anti-war activist.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 2:40 PM To: Reddy, Maureen Subject: Oh, Damn

Hi, Maureen: I did not know that your husband worked at Border's. I was so sorry to learn that they were closing because, obviously, I have an affinity for people who work in bookstores. And I've been unable to go to their going-out-of-business sales because it troubles me to profit from the misfortune of others. Dumb probably because it's good, I guess, those books are being sold but it feels like buying a foreclosed house. I just couldn't do it. How long had he worked for them? Where? At Garden City. I did go there now and then -- although I don't buy a lot of books, too expensive for my budget - - I would certainly have said "hello" had I seen him. . . .

I am so pessimistic about the state of the nation and it's hard to know exactly who to blame. I know I despise those heartless Tea Party people and although I wish Obama were more Trumanesqe [I think we'll see a lot more of that once the campaign begins], I think he's doing the best he can ... but people are disillusioned, with the White House, with Congress because those guys plainly are incapable of governing this nation. With all our wealth we are floundering around, all but the uber-rich who've never had it so good. I've lived through The Depression, World War II, the Korean War, a bunch of recessions, the McCarthy period, the dissension of the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars and I've never been as depressed as I am now. It has, inevitably, spilled over to my private life and an otherwise good life has been spoiled by what I see all around me.

Sorry to have gone on at such length. Thanks for responding so promptly to my messages and I am damn sorry to hear about Doug's job. -Richard

Education

Topic: Education – Defense of public education Submitted by Barry Schiller, a retired Rhode Island College mathematics professor Relationship to Richard:

From: Richard Walton Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 8:10 PM Subject: Evolution versus Creationism

Hi: An interesting discussion of evolution versus creationism from the N.Y. Times Book Review. My own view has long been that those who dismiss creationism should attempt to understand the context from which it stems, for it has important social and political implications. Dismissing creationism is easy but does little to convince those who believe in it. Maybe the "clash of civilizations" is taking place here in the U.S. not between Western modernism and Islam. Peace. Richard

(Richard was referencing The New York Times, January 22, 2006, “When Cosmologies Collide” by Judith Shulevitz)

From: Richard Walton Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 6:01 PM Subject: Public Education Works

Hi: Contrary to what the privatizers would have us believe, public education works. I think you'll find this interesting. It appeared in The Progressive Review, an online lefty rag. Peace. Richard

(Richard was citing the Secret the hucksters don’t want you to know: Public Education Works by Robert Freeman, DC teachers Bog – eds.) http://thedcteacher.blogspot.com/

______

Topic: Education – Catching Up with Former Student Submitted by Maureen Reddy, Professor and Chair of English, Rhode Island College Relationship to Richard: colleague and fellow anti-war activist.

From: Brown, Haley E. Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 1:39:20 PM

To: Walton, Richard Subject: Writing 100

Hello, Professor! It's been quite some time but I took your Writing 100 class my very first semester of college back in 2007 and my experience with you and that class has stayed with me throughout my undergraduate career. It remains one of my fondest memories to date. I wrote a piece on women and society's beauty ideal that brought you to tears during discussion one day. I'm emailing you today because I recently had an idea for a children's book and I'm not quite sure what the first step would be in producing such a thing or where to start. I would love to meet for coffee one day and discuss these ideas with you! I truly value your opinion and any advice you could give me. I hope this finds you healthy and happy on such a beautiful spring day!

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 4:36 PM To: Brown, Haley E. Subject: Haley Brown, You've Made This Wintry Day Like Spring

What a nice surprise, Haley ... after nearly five years! I still remember the name Haley Brown but the face that goes with it is dancing just beyond my recall ... but we can deal with that by having that coffee you suggest. I'm on campus only on Mondays and Wednesdays for classes at 2 o'clock and 4 so perhaps we could meet sometime before my 2 o'clock.

I've been teaching a lot of years and a rare note like yours is so very welcome, especially as I near the end of my teaching years. Getting a book published is increasingly difficult and I've been away from publishing for a good many years. Yet books are still being published and maybe our conversation would come up with something helpful so, yes, let's have that coffee soon. The Café is quite a nice place.

On this day that feels more like January than late March, you can imagine, I hope, how nice it was to receive your note, to be remembered fondly after so many years, so many classes. I'm looking forward to our conversation. Suggest a couple of times and we'll pick the best one. Again, thank you for that very nice note.

Richard Walton P.S. I still weep in class now and then. I am so lucky to have taught for so many years. Best job in the world! ______Topic: Education – Requesting Medical Leave Submitted by Maureen Reddy

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 10:53 AM

To: Reddy, Maureen T. Subject: A Most Unwelcome Message

Dear Maureen: Perhaps you can imagine how much I hate writing this note ...but some years ago, as I got into my 70's and more so into my 80's, I promised myself I would not teach unless I was convinced I could teach up to my full ability. And several times each semester I would examine my performance as rigorously as one can examine oneself, considering the environment of the class, the work they did and, especially, their end- of-the-semester evaluations. Through the spring semester I thought I was still doing okay although I had pretty much determined that this fall would be my final semester. After all I am 84.

But then this health problem appeared. At first the doctors thought I'd be in shape to teach by the fall but the problem turned out to be more troublesome than originally appeared and it is now plain to me that I will not be in condition to teach successfully in the fall. Oh, I might be okay, but okay's not enough for me nor should it be for my students.

So with the deepest reluctance I must ask you for a medical leave for the fall semester in the hope that by mid-semester I will know that I'm fully prepared to do one final semester in the spring. I don't know if this will be possible; maybe I'll be grappling with this for the rest of my days, quite a few, I hope.

Please keep me on the adjunct mailing list for I'll still be involved with the college. Almost certainly I'll be hearing from students for one reason or another and I'll continue my duties as president of the union until my term ends at the end of the fall semester.

As you know, teaching at RIC has been central for my life for now 27 years and I hope I don't end those wonderful years on the sick list and not in the classroom where I belong.

I've had some success as a writer and some as an activist but I've long been convinced that I was meant to be a teacher. Perhaps a somewhat unorthodox one but a teacher none- the less ... and I'm so sorry that those wonderful years may be ending on the sidelines, not in the classroom where I belong ... but, hell, I am 84, a pretty good run.

May I thank you for your courtesy and for your friendship. It is important to me, as are the many relationships I've developed over the years ... and if there is any way I can ever help, you need but ask. Rhode Island College will always be an important part of me and I'm sorry to have to bow out now but I didn't think I could wait any longer.

Again, thank you, friend Maureen ... and I'm sure our paths will cross from time to time. I certainly hope so!

Warmly,

Richard

P.S. It is a nice coincidence that my op-ed piece appeared in the Journal today.

______From: Rick Brooks To: richardwalton1928 Sent: Tue, Apr 9, 2013 10:22 am Subject: Fwd: What Everyone Concerned with Education Needs to Understand, Especially Parents and Legislators. Teachers Already Know It!

Hi, What many legislators [state and federal and municipal] refuse to recognize is that the best teachers in the world cannot overcome the intellectual, social and financial deficiencies of their students, especially when classes are too large. Take the finest teachers out of Barrington and put them in Central Falls and there will be little difference in the educational results. If the kids in the rest of their lives suffer from poverty, dedicated teachers even of genius cannot succeed. It is as simple as that. Evaluate teachers, of course. We should all be evaluated in our responsibilities paid or not ... but the finest teachers are doomed to failure if we have failed our kids outside the classroom ... and we all recognize, or should, that this nation is guilty of massive failure outside the classroom. So I urge you to read this piece by a teacher that appeared in the L.A. Times.

Richard/Dad

The myth of the extraordinary teacher Yes, we need to get rid of bad teachers. But we can't demand that teachers be excellent in conditions that preclude excellence. ______

Topic: Education – Richard as a Teacher Submitted by Joan C. Dagle, Associate Dean and Professor of English, Rhode Island College Relationship to Richard: colleague

From: Richard Walton Sent: Sun 4/16/2006 10:05 AM To: Dagle, Joan; Reddy, Maureen Subject: It Brought Tears to My Eyes

Dear Joan and Maureen: You are both good teachers with long years of experience so I think you'll understand why I am so immodest as to send you this message from a former RIC student, Yvonne LeTourneau. Once in a while something so wonderful happens that you just have to share it with someone and who better than two fellow teachers I so much respect.

Yvonne, out of the blue, sent me a message the other day and because I remembered her especially, I soon responded. My response occasioned her longish message below, beneath my reply. Forgive my imposition but, as I say, I just had to share her message with people who would best understand. Peace. Richard

From: Yvonne, A former Student To: Richard

Hi, Richard,

Thank you so much for writing, I really enjoy hearing from you.

You did come into my life at a very important time. Ever since I wrote that e-mail to you I have been regretting that I did not add one key thing. Before I met you I was not very civic minded. You are the person, in my mind, who introduced me to the world of politics. Before I was very much focused on my own life, my own career, what do I want and need? I know I'm not alone in being selfish like this. But thank goodness throughout the course of my education, I came into contact with people who are passionate about the things they care about. I know we all are attracted to things for a reason.

So I want you to know, that I plan to be active in politics in some way throughout my life, and especially when I return to school to pursue a higher education. I do plan to earn my degree researching fungi and mushrooms, yes---because I love them, but also because they are a natural resource that is not fully appreciated because we do not know as much about them as we do about, say, trees and fuzzy animals. But I also love poetry and writing and will keep that up. And I also cannot ignore that the world is in a definite crisis right now.

All things are interconnected. My background and education in biology and forest ecology and now stroke research have shown me this. I see the world as a larger extension of the things I have been learning about on a small scale. For example I've learned about the delicate balance that keeps an immune system in check, and how an immune system is not perfect. It can get to a point where it cannot distinguish between what is "good" or "bad" for it as a system, and it will just "attack" because something in it said it should, which leads to the ultimate demise of the system. To me this could be a metaphor for the war in Iraq.

I was thinking of you the other day, as a circle of biologists stood around talking, our experiments running we had a bit of time to chat. Within that circle were Americans from different socioeconomic backgrounds, Chinese, a woman from Brazil, some men from India and Iran, and we were all talking politics: "What are we going to do?" I thought of you, because I thought you would have liked to have seen that scene. To me we were enjoying Democracy.

I believe, as I have heard you say and swear about, that America has become complacent. I don't want Bush to get any credit for this, but he is the poster child for where all the weaknesses in our system exist. His stupidity and his lies are arousing us to action. They should have aroused us to action before, but I believe they did not for a reason.

So please be sure, have faith, let it be known, that younger generations of Americans and immigrants to America want to see a better change for the common good in the future. We talk and talk politics. Talk is cheap, yes. But there is a young man in the lab who is considering running for political office someday. One who went back to school to become a doctor is also dedicating his time to health-care reform. And as I said, I do plan to get involved in the community, and act for change. For now, I vote, I sign petitions, I send letters to congress, I listen to speeches. These are all minimal activities. But I want to commit to more, and I do plan to. I know not only that I can apply my strengths and weaknesses to do some good, but that I should. It is my civic duty.

Bush is cutting funding to science, something we stroke and fungus researchers believe in, and an area of education that the US needs to improve if we want to do well in the future, as the world grows smaller. His funding cuts are arousing us to action.

The system that exists right now I believe is unsustainable, and it is failing, we are all watching it slip. History will mark Bush as (one of?) the lowest point(s) of failure we met. But I believe it can and will only get better from here, and I will do my best to play my part in seeing to that.

And I believe if I had not met you I would not feel this strongly about it. So you choosing to live your life the way you have has yielded great things. You caught my attention and I heard what you had to say and it has stuck.

In the end, if all things are interconnected, then what is at its heart, running the show? For the US, it is our government. So I have had a break from university education, allowing me time to really sit with myself and analyze my background and my beliefs.

And I want you to know I will do my best to see to it that your political torch will be carried in me, in some form. Life has been pushing me along and I have watched and listened. I will, hopefully, spend the rest of my life contributing back in a positive way. I know that in order to do something really well, it requires, among other things, focus. So can I be a scientist and a poet and a politician, and maybe even a wife and mother in there too? Or am I kidding myself, standing paralyzed like I'm in front of a wall of 20 different varieties of Cheerios at the supermarket trying to decide which one to buy? And in the meantime atrocities are occurring. I do know I am talented in some things, but if I want to do everything, I do it at the risk of failing to do any one of them well. I will keep in touch. And I will write again soon to respond to your e-mail.

Sincerely, Yvonne

Dear Yvonne: Your message brought tears to my eyes. The thing that makes teaching so special is occasionally reaching a student in a way that lastingly affects his/her life. You attribute such a thing to me and perhaps I did help but this stuff was always in you and would have emerged sooner or later. That I came along at the right time in your life is a source of profound satisfaction, something that I'll remember for the rest of my days. Thank you so much for this message. It comes at a good time for there is so much around us that is discouraging. It's not just George Bush; it's the fact that he could be nominated and elected which tells us something very sad, and scary, about our nation.

I'm going to save your message and in moments of discouragement -- and they are increasingly frequent -- I will read it again ... and it will help. Thank you ... and we must stay in touch. Peace.

Richard

P.S. We, as a nation, are so lucky that there are young people like you. Not enough perhaps but some, perhaps even enough to make a difference ... and that does offer hope. Again, thank you. I am so glad that our paths crossed. ______Topic: Critic of the “Progressive” Submitted by: Linde Relationship to Richard: Friends

From: Richard Walton To: Linde Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 5:19PM Subject: Here’s another critic of the “progressive”

Hi, Linde: I would like to believe students could be a force for change but most of my students don't seem very interested beyond getting "a good job." They do often complain about the high cost of education and even though it is but a fraction, a tiny fraction, of the cost at, say, Brown, it is a real strain on many students, many of whom are working far too many hours so they can pay for college. One of my assignments each semester is The Purpose of Education. I ask them why they are there and ask if perhaps they aren't being trained as economic units. I urge them to be skeptical of society and to see education as a way to make themselves into better, more productive human beings. Maybe if college becomes ever more costly, the students will begin to resist. I know I tell them they ought to organize against the high cost of textbooks, sometimes as much as a hundred bucks for a book that is used for 14 weeks. There is a national movement against overpriced texts, one that I've subscribed to ... and I don't assign textbooks in part for that very reason but I see very little ferment a-building, ready to burst out one of these days ... and strangely often whatever ferment there is is in elite colleges like Brown. At RIC many of the students are so exhausted by outside work they have little energy for protest. Now and then student pressure builds up and has a real effect but I, alas, don't see it at RIC.

Most of them have bought into "the American dream" as fabricated by the manipulators. But I do hope this guy is right. I very much hope that.

Richard

P.S. An undue reliance on student loans is a disaster. Graduates emerge with a crushing amount of debt and often have to choose their careers on what will most quickly pay off their debt than what they are called to do. In moderation school loans are okay but they often become an albatross.

This author suggests that we're better off turning directly to students than to those lame "progressive" analysts on the left (sycophant pundits, he calls them) for moving forward.

[Richard was referencing “Left Ed: Will Students Have to Lead the Way?” by Jeff Binne]

Favorite Hang Outs: The Lion’s Head and Stone Soup

Topic: Lion’s Head – Favorite New York Hang Out Submitted by Alan Koblin, Lion’s Head bartender (8 Years), half-owner (13 years), Relationship to Richard: Lifetime Friends

From: "Richard Walton" To: Alan Koblin Cc: "McEvoy, Dermot (RBI-US)" Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2002 5:39 PM Subject: My Salute to the Lion's Head

Hi, Al, I hope this reaches you. If it does, please let me know.

Dermot is spending the weekend here for some book tour stuff. We've been eating and drinking very well. This is a neck of the woods that takes its vittles and drinks seriously.

It would be very nice to be in touch with you again after all these years. I always liked you a lot and enjoyed our encounters.

Anyway, several years ago when I learned that The Lion's Head had closed, I sat down at my keyboard and the following piece emerged in just twenty minutes or so. I hadn't really planned to write it and I certainly wasn't contemplating publication but once I had finished it and thought it might be okay, I tried to figure out what to do with it. I assume [a wrong assumption, I was later told] that the Village Voice would do something significant about this very sad demise. So I scratched it off my very short list. So I decided to send it to The Providence Phoenix, an offshoot of the Boston alternative weekly and a successor to the New Paper weekly here. I figured that since they plainly regarded themselves as a latter-day Providence version of the Voice, they might be interested.

They were and they got ahold of some good Fred McDarragh photos and ran the damn thing. I sent it off to some New York friends, among them, I think, Dave and Dermot and Knox but I had no idea where you were.

I've since misplaced the printed [and xeroxed versions] and Dermot's visit caused me to see if I still had it on my hard drive. Well, there it was so I have taken the liberty of sending it to you. I hope it's okay.

I do hope we keep in touch. Peace. Dick, now, in his dotage, locally known as Richard. Here goes:

The Lion's Head By Richard J. Walton

I heard the sad news the other day from Dick Nason, the longtime Greenwich Village poet who returned to his Rhode Island roots three or four years ago. [Dick and I became friends at Brown nearly a half century ago, worked together on The Providence Journal and were neighbors in Greenwich Village for years.] And he heard it from his former wife and closest friend, Ruth Rogin, another Rhode Islander who has lived in the Village for more the forty years now. The sad news, news that has left a hole in my life, was the closing a week or two ago of The Lion's Head, one of the great New York bars of this century. Somehow I had missed it even though, as I later learned, it had been in The New York Times three days running, climaxed by an Op-Ed piece by that quintessential New York writer Pete Hamill, onetime Lion's Head regular and sometime drinking pal.

To a bar person [and I've been one for nearly a half century] when his bar closes, it is a serious loss, one that those who aren't bar persons have a hard time understanding. But a good bar [and The Lion's Head was a great bar] is like home and when it closes, it is truly like being homeless. I'm glad I don't live in the Village anymore because now I would feel cast adrift, as I did, to a lesser degree, when that fine bar in downtown Providence, Hope's, closed a few years back.

A good bar ... well, it's pointless to try to explain. If you understand, you understand and if you don't, there's no way you ever will. Even Joe Flaherty couldn't come any closer than an inadequate approximation of what a good bar means to a bar person. It has something to do, I guess, with a deep social need, one that has existed since men began to congregate around pre-historic watering holes. But such pretentious talk, unless a lot wittier than that [or very late at night], would be scornfully brushed aside at the Lion's Head or any decent bar.

This is, I guess, an inevitably futile attempt to deal with my loss and I guess I've got to begin with Joe Flaherty, that wonderful Brooklyn Irish longshoreman who became the great Greenwich Village writer of the postwar years. He was a longshoreman with a gorgeous flair for language. One day a friend slipped something he had written under the door of The Village Voice, then right next door to the Head. The editor, Dan Wolfe, loved it and before long Joe was no longer a longshoreman.

His pieces were often set in the Lion's Head and he made it seem a warm, funny and altogether appealing place. Thus, in 1969 when I, a Providence boy who had fled to The City years before, returned to New York after five years in the Connecticut exurbs, I headed right for the Lion's Head and there I stayed six or seven days a week for the next dozen years until I, my second marriage broken, returned to Rhode Island.

The Head was at 59 Christopher Street right at Sheridan Square, one of the main crossroads of the Village. Just a few doors away was the Stonewall Tavern where, in 1969, a riotous clash between gays and cops marked, some say, the beginning of the gay pride movement. The front

23 room, a couple of steps down from the sidewalk, was long and narrow, pleasantly dim, the bar to the right with two massive wooden lion's heads against the mirrored wall. To the left the wall was covered with the framed book jackets of its patrons, a hundred or more of them. At the end, above the doors to the kitchen, were dozens of photos of regulars ...and bartenders. And to the right was the entrance to the dining room, a big, handsome brick-walled room. The regulars went in there occasionally but they were primarily drinkers and talkers not eaters so they generally stayed up front, often two or three deep against the bar. It was a good room, a bit shabby perhaps but with the good vibes of a thousand good conversations ... and the bartenders never reluctant to buy a round. A good bar is a place for stories, funny, sad, dramatic "true" stories often made up on the spot, usually long, wandering digressive stories, most of all human stories. Well, there's not space to tell you the stories [besides I was largely a listener, greatly treasured amidst a clutch of wonderful talkers] but I can tell you something about the talkers.

Again we start with Flaherty, the tough, sometimes bawdy talk of a Brooklyn longshoreman gloriously grafted to the language of the Irish playwrights. Flaherty managed the bizarre, comic yet essentially serious campaigns of Norman Mailer for Mayor and Jimmy Breslin for City Council President and wrote a wonderful book about it, Managing Mailer. He was a student of horseflesh, knew and bet on sports, told hilarious stories, drank prodigiously of Remy Martin [a longshoreman drinking brandy], was steeped in literature, wrote with language that danced across the page, was a loyal, warm friend, loving father and a good husband to Jeanine Johnson, that fine, funny, direct woman of character who saw him through his last days. Booze got to Joe and he gave it up [but not hanging around the Lion's Head] and then cancer took him, still in his vigorous, life-celebrating 40s.

Then there was Joel Oppenheimer, modern poet and Mets fan, not necessarily in that order. He like so many Head regulars did not think of baseball as a metaphor for life but as life itself, or at least as essential to life as, say, your liver, an organ much violated there on Sheridan Square. He, another great talker, eventually left New York to teach, in New Hampshire, I think, and death claimed him too much too early. But his shade, and Joe's, must have been there at that melancholy moment when the last glass was raised, for they were inevitably in the thoughts of many at the bar.

Already it's plain that drink was, at the Lion's Head, not only a great lubricant but, for many, bane even more than balm. It was a serious drinking bar with all the attendant risks. And it was known, maybe even celebrated for that. One day, back in the 70s, a couple of proper, middle-aged, middle-class suburban ladies came timidly in. Jack Gillen, Joe's lifelong friend, another waterfront guy, was at the bar. Jack was another Head legend, a status augmented by the fact that he looked very much like John Lindsay, the mayor, and was often confused with him. The ladies approached the bar and one asked of Jack, one of the most elegant of men, if this was the famous bar of "writers with drinking problems." He, of course, gave the only possible answer: "No, Madam, this is a bar for drinkers with writing problems." I must add that Jack's wife [whose name eludes me as do so many others] used to come in occasionally and she was one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, a beauty made superfluous by her human warmth. She didn't need to be that beautiful; she just was.

Who else? The list is almost endless. But high on it was George Kimball. He eventually left New York for Boston and was, I hope still is, a highly idiosyncratic sportswriter for The Boston Phoenix. In those days, the late 60s and early 70s, he was a prodigious [a word I have occasion to use often of this gang] drinker and druggie. If he could get his hands on it, he would swallow it in whatever pharmacological combination presented itself. Mix and match seemed to be his credo. George had one glass eye that occasionally he'd take out and drop into his drink. He believed in making fun of everything. At an earlier stage of his hippie-dom he ran for sheriff somewhere in Kansas where he was going to school. His opponent had somehow lost a hand. George's slogan of course: What this county needs is a two-fisted sheriff. I don't think he won. He sure was fun, however.

Then there was Fred Exley, who wrote that extraordinary book [still alive] A Fan's Notes, a wildly funny bawdy book sort of about the New York Football Giants, one that, I have often been told, Frank Gifford thinks was about him. Fred would come down to the city to drink at the Head, stay for a while and then, for some reason, return to Watertown in New York's snow belt. He continued to write good stuff but nothing as legendary as that first book. Booze, or something, also claimed Fred. Oh, there are so many more. Like David Markson, a gifted novelist from whom booze stole too many years. But he's still producing and now, within hailing distance of 70, as are all those guys from the Head's golden years, he has a new book out, Reader's Block, one that Kurt Vonnegut has called "hypnotic." We spoke the other night of the Lion's Head. And he said he put on the wall there in its last days a list with the names of those no longer with us ... and people kept adding to the list. Like Tommy "Suge" Butler, a financial wizard who chucked his job to be a bartender there and actually earn money betting on sports.

I'm glad I didn't see that list. I hope Archie Mulligan wasn't on it. He was a bantam-weight red- haired Irishman who tended bar. He fancied himself an actor but he was really a talker, a wonderful talker, who told "true" stories about himself that no one believed but everyone loved. Eventually he got up the nerve to leave and go to Hollywood to try to make it there. I don't know what happened to him.

Then there were the Clancy Brothers. Yes, those Clancy Brothers. Tom lived in Brooklyn Heights and came over every day by subway and returned by car service. He was a fine man and, needless to say, a wonderful story teller. I'll never forget that afternoon now nearly 25 years ago. Victory Navasky, later editor of The Nation magazine, had just reviewed my Kennedy book in Life magazine and when I walked in, Tom started to applaud, joined by the few others in the bar at that most companionable hour, the late afternoon. When his brothers were in town, they all went into the back room and sang, as they had when I first knew them at The White Horse, the legendary bar that somehow went out of favor to be succeeded by the Lion's Head. But the White Horse, the bar of my first days in New York, is still there. I remember Lliam Clancy, who owned a splendid bar [in Waterford, I think; one of the most handsome I've ever visited] getting cross with the barman because he hadn't properly drawn a pint of Guinness. Tom later went to Hollywood to act and died a few years ago.

But that barman couldn't have been Paul Schiffman, a retired sea captain, the only Jewish sea captain anyone, including him, had ever known. Paul sometimes had his dark moods but he

25 was as warm and generous as man as ever live. Nor could it have been Mike Riordan, a handsome white-haired man who had once starred in "spaghetti Westerns." It was he who owned the Lion's Head at the end. Lung cancer had put him out of commission for months and in his absence it languished and by the time he could return, it was too late. Nor Al Koblin, bartender, then, for a while, part owner, who was sometimes irascible, always funny and a warm, caring good friend. It was he, I think, who characterized the Lion's Head as a bar for "Irish lovers, Italian intellectuals and Jewish drinkers." Mockery, especially self- mockery, was an art at the Lion's Head. Raised in Medford, Mass. Koblin's heart belonged to the Red Sox. But they broke it too many times and he said he had sworn off them for life. No one ever believed him.

Then there was brawny John Bergen, the roistering Irish longshoreman who was an unabashed Communist, and Curley Mendes, the tough little Jew who fought with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain and never backed down. And Wilfrid Sheed, the fine novelist and critic; and Donald Honig, another fine novelist who earned his living writing baseball books; and Larry Ritter, the well-known NYU economist who wrote what may be the best baseball book, The Glory of Their Times; and Larry Merchant, the TV sports commentator; and such fine, instantly- recognized film/TV character actors as Jack Warden and J.D. Cannon and Val Avery. And in his drinking days Pete Hamill used to come in with his then-date Shirley MacLaine.

Which causes me to notice that not many women have been mentioned. Well, maybe the Lion's Head was, as most bars are, largely a man's hangout but women were always welcome. I remember, from my days, lots of women regulars, Zane Berzins and Mary Breasted and Mary Nichols and Tonia Grossinger [yes, of the Catskill Grossingers] and a couple of nurses from nearby St. Vincent's I knew quite well whose faces are fresh in my aging memory but not their names. And women always felt secure there, no matter the hour. The bartenders always kept an eye on them and if any guy got out of line, he quickly got out of the Lion's Head. Perhaps the most famous woman ever to frequent the Head was a waitress who wanted to be an actress. Her name was Jessica Lange.

Oh, the names are beginning to pile up in my head: Jim Bouton, the Yankee pitcher who wrote Ball Four; Doug Ireland, canny political operative, fine lefty political writer and witty gay activist; José Torres, the light heavy champ; Vine DeLoria, the writer and Indian activist; Rosalie Sorrels, the folksinger; novelist Lucian Truscott IV and his then girlfriend, Peggy Kerry, the Senator's sister. Lots more will soon crowd into my mental Lion's Head but I'm running out of space and time so I'll close by saying that the Lion's Head was a downtown bar, a bit scruffy, a bit raffish and distinctly bohemian, not like some of the uptown literary bars like Elaine's, where people went to see and be seen. At the Lion's Head being well-known might help a little the first time or two but after that you were on your own. If you were okay, you were okay but if you tried to pull celebrity rank, well, you were in the wrong place. As far as the regulars and bartenders were concerned, George the truck driver [a sweet, quiet man whose last name has also eluded me, as so much does these days] was as much a part of the place as a much-honored poet.

I feel the loss and if I still lived on Cornelia Street, a five-minute walk away, I'd be desolate because it takes years to break in a new bar and even then the void can never be filled. But I'm here now and there are The Custom House Tavern and the East Avenue Café. They're not the

Lion's Head but then I'm not 40, or even 50 anymore either. Its time has come and gone. We all know that everything comes to an end. But not your bar. Not before you.

So if you see me at The Custom House or the East Avenue say "hello" and I'll tell you some of those stories, like the one about that bear of an American Indian with the lovely voice who made all that money singing a commercial. He drank a lot and one night. . . . Well, that's for another time.

Walton, Richard J., “The Lion’s Head,” The Providence Phoenix. Reproduced by permission.

* * * Al, this may not be exactly the final, printed version. I can't imagine that I didn't mention that my JFK was on the wall with the other books and I'm almost certain I made a warm reference to Frank McCourt.

Maybe someday I'll find my photocopies of the printed version and I can send you the printed version. But to do that I'll need your address ... and I'd like to know what you've been up to these last twenty years or so. How quickly they've slipped away.

Please do get in touch. Peace. Dick/Richard

P.S. Thus far Dermot has shown no Village withdrawal symptoms but we still have 15 or 16 hours to go before I put him on the Amtrak for The City.

"When they come for the innocent without crossing over your body, cursed be your religion and your life." Anon. But often quoted by Dorothy Day.

From: Alan Koblin Subject: Lion’s Head – Those Where the Days

I know you've all been wondering, "What the heck did Al Koblin do all those years in New York?" Well, the following article from a Providence newspaper, written a few years ago, will give you some idea what went on for 19 of those years. I was a bartender at the Lion's Head for 6 years, and then half-owner for the next 13. It was a place full of drunks and wackos and all kinds of weird, interesting people. I had a great time there, and also made some money, and it is the place where I met Eugenia, so things worked out pretty well.

A lot of writers and newspapermen hung out there, so a lot has been written about the place. Most of the stuff, writers being what they are, is semi-accurate and self-serving, but Dick Walton's piece comes closest to capturing the atmosphere of the place. Unfortunately, he has me coming from Medford, not Malden, but Walton is from Rhode Island, and what do those people know about Malden vs. Medford?

No, I never dated Jessica Lange. But I still root for the Red Sox.

See ya' -- Al

______Topic: Concern about Financial Health of Stone Soup Submitted by: Bruce McCrae (Rudy Cheeks) Relationship to Richard: friends for over 30 years and co-writer of Phillipe & Jorge’s Cool Cool World column in the Providence Phoenix. Bruce used to emcee Richard's annual bowling tournament for the Sister City Project in Nicaragua. He was also the professional adviser to RIC's student newspaper, The Anchor, for over 20 years and, frequently, he and Richard would take the bus up to or back from RIC together. Richard was very encouraging and helpful with many of the Anchor scribes.

From: Richard Walton To: Bruce and Chip Subject: difficulties at Stone Soup

Dear Bruce and Chip ... or P & J: It is with genuine concern that I inform you that Stone Soup, after more than 30 years, is struggling to survive. As with folk venues all across the country, the economy has significantly reduced audiences. So if we are to survive, we must depend on our loyal friends and supporters to make donations as they did four years ago.

Our audiences are big enough that the concerts are fine but night after night we have lost money and we needed to take measures to ensure our getting through the season. Although last year was a struggle, we, as institutionally strong as we've ever been, approached this season with some optimism, for we began it with three shows that, based on the past, were "money in the bank." But by the time those three shows -- wonderful nights of music -- were behind us, we had lost more than $2000, a huge sum for us. And we've lost money in most -- but, thank goodness, not all – shows since.

So we had to do something. We could not let so venerable, and so important, a cultural institution as Stone Soup die. We've cut the number of show but that's not enough. In the mailing that went out this week we included with the winter/ spring calendar an appeal for financial support.

Since P & J have been friends of Stone Soup, and many of its people, for many years now, we're hoping you'll help spread the word. An encouraging word or two from such trusted figures as P & J would make an enormous difference. So we are hoping you'll be able to help us at this moment of great need. T

Thank you. Richard. P.S. If you need any further information beyond what is provided below, please let me know: [email protected] or 781-7504. Even if donors don't have a PayPal account, they can donate through PayPal with a credit card, or checks can be sent to

Stone Soup Folk Arts Foundation, P.O. Box 1664, Pawtucket, RI 02862. Thanks again!

Dear Friend of Stone Soup: About five years ago Stone Soup was in a serious financial jam so we turned to you and once again you came through. Your donations were generous enough to see us through that season and launch us successfully into the next. We're turning to you again now and none of you will be surprised by the reason: the terrible economic climate has affected almost every folk venue in the land and most of us are struggling to stay alive. Stone Soup is no exception even though institutionally we are as strong as ever but because of the economy our audiences have diminished. They are certainly big enough for a wonderful evening of acoustic music but not big enough to meet all our expenses ... so we need your help to stay alive through this, our 31st season, and be healthy enough to look forward to a 32nd. There are few coffeehouses in the nation as old and as well-regarded as Stone Soup but now your help will ensure that we can continue to offer talented performers at our beautiful site, St. Paul's Church in downtown Pawtucket. Since you love folk music as we do, please send us contributions via mail or PayPal at our website: www.soup.org. Better yet become a Friend (see details on our website.) As you can see by looking at the calendar, we have already taken steps to tighten our belt by reducing the number of concerts for the winter and spring. Almost everyone in folk music says weekly concerts are now too frequent for this woefully-weak economy to bear. But that alone will not be enough. For most of our 30+ years we have supported ourselves almost entirely by our ticket sales -- that is almost unheard of -- but now we need your help(. Given the loyalty our friends have shown over the decades, we know we can count on you. Stone Soup has been an important cultural institution for now more than 30 years. We must keep it alive and we are confident you will help us survive for more good years ... and we look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, we need your contributions. Of course, the best contribution is when you come to hear good acoustic music at Stone Soup, so whether you are able to give or not, we look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you. The Stone Soup Board ______

Topic: Absolutely Wonderful Night at Stone Soup Submitted by Aubrey Atwater, a nationally recognized musician Relationship to Richard: Developed at Stone Soup.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Sun, Oct 24, 2010 9:30 am Subject: An Absolutely Wonderful Night at Stone Soup

Hi: It was an absolutely wonderful night of music, the kind of magical night at Stone Soup that renews your determination not to let such music die. As expected Jerimoth Hill was in fine form and, despite having a couple of faulty channels, Bill Monroe [with Kevin's assistance] provided sound that the band applauded ... and oh how that band did play. An Atwater-Donnelly group at the absolute top of its form and the audience loved it, absolutely loved it ... and, thank goodness, there was a substantial audience! We had 80 in attendance; once that would have been a so-so audience but in these

bleak financial days it's like packing Madison Square Garden. Aubrey and Elwood have a following so we easily cleared the thousand dollar guarantee ... and the kitchen and the raffle tickets [how many did we sell, Judie?] must have done well because in an envelope sitting between my keyboard and the monitor is an envelope in which Betsy put $552! For the first night this season we made a profit ... and a good one.

To the delight of Aubrey and Elwood, and me, our old stalwart Judy McGowan was there and many old friends of Aub and El. And apres-gig we filled four tables at the East Avenue! It was a fine Stone Soup evening ... and let's hope next week is good too. How many tickets have we sold for Livingston Taylor? Last I heard was 50 but that was a week or so ago.

Above I referred to "bleak financial days" and the recession obviously has affected the national psyche and even people not directly affected are husbanding their money. Elwood said Peeptoad lost on its last two gigs and Bob Drouin [at the Bill Harley event last Monday] told me that Jez Lowe, a longtime favorite at the BRT, drew only 20 people! But last night showed it can be done. It ain't easy but it can be done. Thank you, Aub and El, for a classic Stone Soup night! Richard

P.S. There is something special that happens when Aubrey and Elwood play at Stone Soup. They are so a part of the fabric of Stone Soup and, of course, Stone Soup is where they met, a story I couldn't resist telling last night and one they embellished as the evening went on. What a night! ______

Topic: A Thank You for a Successful Fundraiser Submitted by Aubrey Atwater, a nationally recognized musician whose Relationship with Richard developed at Stone Soup.

From: Richard J. Walton To: Aubrey Atwater; Elwood Donnelly Sent: Tue, Apr 24, 2012 12:32 pm Subject: Thank You, Aub and El

Hi, The best of the many good stories about Stone Soup is the one I've told so many times -- and hope to tell at least a few more times -- about this attractive young woman from Brown and this nice young mail carrier always trailed by two nice young boys. It is the classic Stone Soup story so a celebration such as our Sunday would have been absolutely unthinkable without Atwater-Donnelly. And it sure as hell wasn't without you: that was a terrific set, Not long enough but terrific from opening note till closing tap, vintage Atwater-Donnelly ... but you know how keen on you guys I am ... and have been now for a very long time.

We were hoping this would be not only a successful fundraiser but a memorable event and we've heard from many, artists as well as audience, that it was a special day, one

30 people won't soon forget. And it was so good to say you dancing away over at the side so I'm assuming it was an enjoyable day for you! And we raised $1550 and counting! A wonderful day and no one contributed more to it than A-D. Please tell Cathy and Kevin how grateful we are. What a day ... but when it was over, I was very tired ... but it was worth it. So come September we'll be starting season #32. In our folk world that's a very long time and I'm pleased that I've been there almost that entire time ... but I can feel that clock ticking. It will soon be time for me to step aside for someone else ... that time that comes for everyone.

Again, we are so grateful ... and no one more so than I And when I get over to Warren the Delekta coffee cabinets are on me ... I could do with one right now.

Thanks again. Richard

Homelessness

Topic: Homeless Advocate – Amos House Submitted by Joan Dagle, Associate Dean and Professor of English, Rhode Island College Relationship to Richard: Colleague

From: Richard Walton Sent: Fri 12/23/2005 5:10 PM Subject: Christmas at Amos House

Hi, dear RIC faculty friends: As some of you may know, I've been spending Christmas Eve and Morning at the Amos House men's shelter every year since it opened in March 1987.

Fortunately, I'll be able to do that again this year, ensuring that no one will have a better Christmas than I. For some reason, it seems to me to be a good idea to circulate once again a piece about the men's shelter that appeared in the Journal a few years ago.

If you read it again and it strikes a chord, you might want to make a donation to Amos House. It is, as always, struggling to stay afloat (Amos House, 415 Friendship St., Providence 02907).

To all: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Peace. Richard

CHRISTMAS at AMOS HOUSE

Maybe it's my age bringing out the Grinch in me but each year I find Christmas more difficult to enjoy. But each year I hope that it's not me, that it's the increasing commercialization of what used to be a wonderful holiday whether you were a religious Christian or, like me, a secularist who nonetheless loved the Christmas story, who loved the spirit of Christmas, "peace on earth and goodwill toward men." Each year, however, the commercialization becomes more relentless, the desperation to buy something, anything, grows greater and the true meaning of Christmas, whether based on religion or long-fading tradition, becomes more deeply submerged. Each year there are fewer stories in the media about the meaning of Christmas, about families and friends getting together, perhaps for the only time all year, and more stories about how the health of the economy is riding on the "success" of Christmas retailing. These stories become increasingly ominous as each Christmas approaches and afterwards, if the pre- Christmas alarmism hadn't succeeded in goading us to adequately do our capitalistic duty, increasingly mournful, as if we had somehow let America down. Now it wouldn't matter if only a few people felt the way I do. No, it wouldn't matter in the least but it seems to me [maybe I hang around with the wrong people] that increasing numbers of people, even the most loving and generous of people, share the bleak view that Christmas has become, except for those with small kids [and even they have their doubts], a hollow exercise in merchandising, demonstrating yet again that, as with our elections, our sports and so many other things, that

32 much of America is for sale.

Each year this rampant materialism depresses me and each year it grows worse. I know I am going to spend some time, some good time, with people I love but even that seems unable to raise my spirits. So, increasingly, each year I count on one thing to "save" Christmas for me.

As some of you know, I have been volunteering overnight at the Amos House men's shelter once a week since it opened in March of 1987. And each year I have been privileged to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning with our guests and . . . so, too, for 2001. Earlier in the day I had dropped into the soup kitchen bustling with volunteers preparing for a big Christmas dinner. The big dining hall was festive with red and white checked tablecloths and there I encountered the true spirit of Christmas, for there in an hour or so, hundreds of people would be served a wonderful Christmas dinner. And that evening, when I arrived at the men's shelter, I found another cheerful place. Remember, these are men without a home, with little in the way of Christmas expectations. But they were warm and safe and treated with dignity and respect, as should be all humans. Even more important, they were demonstrating human resilience. Even homeless on Christmas Eve they could find something to celebrate. I wonder if that were so in every Rhode Island home, homes often bursting with Christmas "stuff." When I arrived with my simple, inexpensive gifts [apples and tangerines and home-baked cookies and Oreos and ice-cold milk {it is, as we all know, a Newtonian law that Oreos must be consumed with ice-cold milk}], the guys were delighted. As was I.

It was a quiet night. Nothing demonstrably Christmasy but a nice evening. Some of the guys watched TV; some went to bed early (common because there's not a lot to do evenings) and some dropped into my office/bedroom to chat for a while before turning in.

Although the guys were permitted to sleep in Christmas morning, a number of them were already up by 6 when I started to get ready for breakfast. And the smell of bacon summoned others. About 7, the bacon in the oven to keep warm, I started taking orders, eggs easy over, sunny-side up [only one call] or scrambled. Some of the guys seemed astonished that their breakfast was being cooked for them [well, they did their own toast] and offered to do their own but I wouldn't let them spoil my fun. It took a couple of hours for everyone who chose to eat to drift downstairs and have breakfast.

Then it was time, silly Santa hat on my long, white-haired, bearded head, to distribute the gifts Amos House had purchased. Some of the guys were astonished by this too. Here they were homeless and receiving gifts but Amos House has never wanted its guests to feel forgotten on Christmas Day. The guys liked the gifts, just right for men who had so little: flannel shirts [the right sizes] and warm gloves and thermal underwear and warm ski caps; I probably forgot something. So it was a cheerful kitchen this Christmas morning, smelling of bacon and filled with men cheerful despite being homeless, for they had not been forgotten. And soon a couple of them would start roasting a turkey for those who had no place to go that afternoon.

It was a good Christmas Day at the men's shelter ... and a similar story was unfolding just down the street at the women's shelter. And as with all the Christmases Past that I can recall, there

33 was a nice story. One of the guys [we'll just use his initial M] called his sister to arrange to get picked up for Christmas Day with her and her family and learned, to his obvious great pleasure, that his mother, whom he hadn't seen in some while, had unexpectedly flown up to Rhode Island for Christmas.

So when I left about 10 o'clock, I left behind a house whose Christmas spirit was the equal of any in the state and, I expect, better than some.

Oh, people often say to me how nice it is that I spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at the men's shelter. I never quite know how to respond to that. Maybe it is nice but, as I appreciated again this time, there's no one anywhere who had a better Christmas than I. I can't imagine being anyplace else. Once again, Amos House had saved Christmas for a bunch of homeless men ... and for me too.

Humor

Topic: humor – on being called President Submitted by Dr. Nancy Carriuolo, president of RIC, Providence, RI Relationship to Richard: Colleague and friend of Richard

On 5/13/2011 3:51 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy wrote:

Dear President Walton, Ron Pitt will serve as my designee, in keeping with the contract. NC

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 3:51 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy Cc: Pitt, Ronald E. Subject: Thank You, Dr. Carriuolo

Dear Dr. Carriuolo: Thank you for your prompt response. Dr. Pitt is a fine man with whom we've had most amicable dealings in the past. We'll be in touch with him about a mutually-convenient time for the hearing.

Again, thank you. Richard

P.S. I've never been addressed as "President Walton" before. It has a nice ring to it.

On 5/13/2011 4:55 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy wrote:

I was writing President-to-President, a formal communication. (-:

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 5:07 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy Subject: But Maybe My Pay Check Is a Wee Bit Smaller

Hello again. Yes, I quite understand that we must be formal now and then ... but I'm hoping your pay is a lot better than mine, zero. I do concede however you have a much more difficult job. I have 300+ adjuncts; you have seven or eight thousand kids, lots of employees ... and tons of independent-minded contrarian faculty. No, I'm not proposing a job swap.

Richard

On 8/16/2011 12:51 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy wrote:

Hi, I am glad you can attend Coffee Hour. I announce the presence of union leaders, so please sit near the front, so people can see you.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 1:15 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy Subject: Does This Mean I Have to Wear Long Trousers?

Hello again, Dr. Carriuolo:

Does this mean I have to wear long trousers? I extend summer to the stretching point ... and I wear shorts, some a bit disreputable, all summer long. But if the solemnity of the occasion requires it, I will, however reluctantly, wear long trousers. And it's a bit funny hearing myself referred to as a "union leader," a term I saw in the newspapers although it never occurred to me that, somehow, I would become one. It demonstrates that old age is not always sufficient protection. But movies are cheaper.

On 10/3/2011 3:58 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy E. wrote: 83 means nothing. It is all about how you feel. My 98-year-old aunt used to tell me that she felt young until she looked in a mirror – always a bad surprise. (-:

Dr. Nancy Carriuolo

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 5:47 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Subject: I'm Still Young But ...

I'm still young but that damn body I come in is showing some signs of age. Thanks for the encouragement. Once upon a time I would not have been allowed to work so I would have missed nearly 20 years of fun ... and maybe my students too. Richard

______

Illness

TOPIC: Correspondence Prompted by Richard’s Op Ed about his Illness and the Fine Nursing He Received Submitted by: Dr. Nancy Carriuolo Relationship to Richard: Colleagues and Friends

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 11:48 AM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Subject: Richard Walton's Last Hurrah? 80th Birthday Party, Part V on Sunday Afternoon, May 27 at The Roots Café

Dear Dr. Carriuolo: It's that time of year again -- it comes so quickly -- time for my 80th Birthday Party, Part V ... but this year there's a change of time and place. Instead of at my place right on Pawtuxet Cove, we've decided to hold it at The Roots Café downtown. I sadly recognize it won't be quite the same as here right on the water but I've discovered I'm running out of steam and didn't have the energy to pull together a party that sometimes attracts a couple of hundred people. The clock and I have been battling for some years now but, as you know, the clock always wins. But I didn't want the series to end without notice after 25 years so at Bill Harley's suggestion, we're going to hold what may be the Last Hurrah at that fine arts/cultural center run by Len and Ali Cabral and others. It's a fine place for a party and even though it won't be quite the same, it'll be terrific. So I very much hope that Ralf and you will be able to attend. And speaking of that damn clock, I imagine the fall semester will be my final semester at RIC. I'll miss the students and I'll miss RIC but there comes a time for everything ... and how many teachers are in the classroom at age 84? I fear that time has come. Damn clock! Hope to see you and Ralf amongst many of the most interesting people in RI. Below is the sorta formal invitation. Richard

Hi, As many of you know, a long time ago when Richard Walton was about to turn 60, a bunch of his Stone Soup friends [Jann Campbell, Joyce Katzberg, Jane Murphy, Steve Snyder, Bill Harley, Debbie Block and others] decided that this milestone should be celebrated with a party. Sounded like a good idea to Richard but since he didn't want any gifts, he decided to make it a benefit for Amos House [where he has now been a volunteer for decades] and the Providence- Niquinohomo Sister City Project [he's been there numerous times]. The party was such a success, not only as a party right there on the shores of Pawtuxet Cove but it raised a couple of thousand dollars. So when the next year rolled around Richard decided to repeat the party, calling it his 60th Birthday Party, Part II. It too raised a fair amount of money so he decided to make it an annual event, in five-year increments of Part I, Part II, etc. And over the years we've raised about $75,000, not so bad for friends making donations at a party. Last year's was 80th Birthday Party, Part IV and as spring approached his year, people began asking about Part V ... but Richard felt himself running out of steam. He was in a dilemma: he didn't want to just

37 abandon what has become something of a tradition but he didn't have the energy to pull together another 200-person party. What to do? Then Bill Harley had a good idea: maybe it could be held at Len Cabral's fine arts center/club, the Roots Café, in the space formerly occupied by the Black Rep Theatre, 276 Westminster St.. Len thought it was a good idea so that's what's going to happen: Sunday afternoon [2 to 6], May 27. It'll be much like the parties at the Walton Compound: people will make donations to one or both charities, they'll bring delicious pot luck dishes [drinks will be available at Roots] and it will be another wonderful afternoon and Amos House and the Sister City Project will again benefit. So this is a long- winded invitation and since the 80th Birthday Party, Part V is a week earlier than usual and at a different place, we're hoping you'll spread the word as far and as wide as possible. And I hope to see you there. Richard P.S. Will this be my Last Hurrah? At my age, who can say. Check with us a year from now.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 10:01 AM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Subject: Walton Thank You to Nurses Op-Ed Piece in Today's Journal

Dear Dr. Carriuolo: You may still have been in Ireland when I first entered the hospital a couple of months ago with something akin to leukemia ... but, thank goodness, treatable. Although I am feeling quite good, I'm receiving frequent treatments and the doctors are still trying to figure out the best way to treat the underlying problem, bone marrow that is not producing healthy blood ... but in the meantime I'm doing well with occasional transfusions and next Monday I start a new round of chemo with a drug the doctors hope will be more effective than the first two rounds of chemo. But I'm functional, can drive to market, bank, library, etc. and even attend meetings but I'm not yet 100% and that may take a while.

The summer is, as always, going so quickly. I hope you and Ralf are enjoying it. I was planning to be at Europe but being confined here isn't being confined at all. It is just so nice here.

Hope all is well with you and that you enjoy the attachment.

Thank you. Richard

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 5:25 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E.; Reddy, Maureen T. Subject: Maureen Reddy's Eloquent and Moving Words about My Going on Sick Leave

Dear Nancy Carriuolo, Maureen Reddy's message to the regular and adjunct English faculty was so eloquent, and moving, that I thought you should see it. That and her personal message to me

moved me to tears. It ain't easy stepping away from the classroom. I do hope I make it back in the spring.

Here's what she wrote and my response.

Richard

From: Reddy, Maureen T. Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 4:47:08 PM To: EnglDept; EnglAdjuncts Cc: Aywas, Armande

Dear Colleagues, In case you did not see today's ProJo, I am attaching an OpEd by our own Richard Walton. As you know from a message from me earlier this summer--and as this OpEd details--Richard has had a serious health struggle during the past few months. Today, he gave me the extremely unwelcome news that he does not believe he will be strong enough to teach in the fall term at the high level he expects of himself. He hopes, however, to come back in the spring for a final term of teaching. His plan was to retire from teaching after the fall term, but neither of us wants him to end his career here at RIC on sick leave.

It's hard to imagine a semester without Richard Walton in the RIC English Dept., where he has taught for 27 years (far longer than most full- or part-time people, including me). Those of you who have served on the DAC recently know what everyone who has spoken to Richard about teaching for even five minutes could guess: his students LOVE him and are full of praise for his kindness and encouragement, often saying that he gave them confidence in their ability to improve their writing and motivated them to do their best. Richard came to RIC after a long and successful career as a journalist, and an even longer and ongoing "career" as a social activist. In the years of first daily and then weekly silent vigils against the war in Iraq that we held here at RIC, Richard--one of the organizers, of course--never missed one, regardless of weather. I admire him immensely and am grateful to him for many things (to mention just one: I would have missed many of those vigils were it not for Richard's example). I am sure many of you will want to be in touch with him. His RIC email remains active, but I know he prefers his private email: [email protected].

I look forward to welcoming Richard back in the spring term. Maureen

Richard Responded with the following note:

Damn it, Maureen: You're going to turn me into a weeper. Your personal message to me brought tears to my eyes and now this message to our colleagues has evoked them again. I am so moved.

Thank you. Richard

P.S. And the word "teacher" is one I revere. There is no higher occupation whether it be in the classroom or without.

From: Nancy Carriuolo To: Richard Walton Sent: 8/18/2012 3:32 PM,

Richard, I know you have not been feeling great. I do not expect to see you at Coffee Hour. However, I wondered if you had anyone that you would like to be recognized in your place – maybe someone to staff an information table? It is this coming Wednesday from 8-10. Please let me know. Thank you.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2012 4:25 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Cc: Nolin, Patricia A.; Narodowy, Donna; Kittredge, James; Sue Lawler; Bob Harrall Subject: Coffee Hour ... I'd Like to Be There But

Hi, I don't feel terrible but I'm not getting out much. As much as I'd love to be there, I don't think it's feasible ... but would it be possible for another union person -- Jim Kittredge, Sue, Lawler, Bob Harrall or perhaps even Mike Mullane -- to represent the union. Any of them would do it well. What do you think?

I’m holding my own, maybe even a bit more than that ... but there's still a way to go. But I think of RIC often and of course I still hear from students. After nearly 30 years -- and never took a sick day -- my heart is there.

Thank you for being in touch.

Warmly, Richard

On 9/17/2012 5:53 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy E. wrote:

Thank you, Richard. I was not sure you were monitoring email. Evidently, you are. I will take that as a good sign regarding how you are feeling.

I thank you for encouraging representation. You are correct that if we all help turn out voters to approve question 3, the resulting $50M could make a huge difference in the teaching and learning environment at RIC.

I appreciate your leadership and that of your officers. NC

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 12:13 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Cc: Kittredge, James; Lawler, Susan Subject: Re: Steering Committee ... We Should Participate

Hi, Dr. Carriuolo: I don't have the energy to do all the union stuff I used to [and want to] but I am active on line and am able to attend the most important meetings, internal meetings and contract talks with "your side." As to my health, I'm on sort of a plateau. We've not figured out yet -- if ever we will-- how to nudge my bone marrow to make healthy blood but we are dealing quite successfully with the symptoms: lower red blood cell and platelet counts and an elevated white blood cell count. A combination of drugs and the occasional blood or platelet transfusion keeps me at a tolerable level. But I have very little energy so simply feel unable to do all I used to do. That's why I decided I could not properly teach this fall. Whether the doctors -- and they are good -- are able to deal with the underlying problem remains to be seen but it's possible that I'll stay at this maintenance level for the rest of my days. Only time will tell. As to the bond issue, there's no question of its importance to RIC, its students and faculty. I have no doubt the adjuncts will do all they can to encourage voter approval ... and shortly before Election Day we'll send a message to all our members encouraging them to work toward its passage. All of the officers -- and I have wonderful colleagues who have been so supportive of me -- agree on the importance of Question 3. I'm sorry I was unable to be at our first College Council meeting. Not only is the Council important to the College but our membership is another indication of our increased presence on campus and we certainly thank you for your encouragement. Although to a lesser degree, I am still the active president of the union and hope to be so until my term ends at the end of this semester so please don't hesitate to be in touch with me directly if that should seem appropriate ... but if it seems more appropriate to be in touch with Jim Kittredge or other officers, that's fine. We officers are not jealous of our turf and work together wonderfully well. Thanks for your good wishes. Regards, Richard

On 9/18/2012 1:07 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy E. wrote:

Hi, Richard, Thanks for all you say below. You are correct: I did suggest that the adjunct faculty union should be represented at Council, and I am pleased to say the entire executive committee of Council agreed heartily. I was glad to look up and see Jim Kittredge at the table when Council met last week. I am hopeful that the campus community will not only vote “yes on 3” but also encouraged friends, family, and neighbors to do so. Our campaign consultant, Patti Doyle, tells me that we will need about 200,000 positive votes, so we need many more

beyond just our campus community voting with us. I thank you for your encouragement. As to your health, at my cabinet meeting this morning, one of the VPs was commenting how good Kresten Jespersen looks. As you may recall Kresten was very ill from a recurrence of a serious illness last year. . . and things did not look good. To everyone’s amazement and delight, he is back working and feeling and looking quite fit. We all wish that you also, in time, come back “better than ever.” I will keep you on my mailing lists and know that I am not bothering you. I am glad you are able to keep in touch, but remember to rest; rest is a good medicine.

Best, NC

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 3:28 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Cc: Kittredge, James; Lawler, Susan Subject: What a Nice Note!

Dear Dr. Carriuolo: Thank you for that lovely note. I cherish it. And the union is lucky to have such good officers so Jim, for instance, could pinch hit for me. Yes, please include me as in the past. Thanks to email I am able to participate in union and other activities [Stone Soup especially] in ways that would not have been possible in the past. As to getting rest, I know it's good medicine and I am getting it in rather larger doses than I wish were the case. But I have no alternative. No, you are not in the least bothering me. Indeed, it helps me feel involved with RIC even though I am, alas, too seldom on campus. And, as I say, closer to the vote, we'll encourage our members not only to vote themselves but to reach out to their families, friends and neighbors. Again, that was such a lovely note. Richard ______

TOPIC: Illness—Thank You to His Nurses Submitted by Jim Tull, a former director of Amos House Relationship: Close friend

On Jun 28, 2012, at 12:28 PM, Richard J. Walton wrote:

Hi, I'm sending this around because I want as many as possible to know of my deep gratitude to the oncology staff at RI Hospital, most especially the nurses. I've already gotten a very nice note from one of them, Linda.

Here's what I wrote to them, with a copy to the CEO of the hospital because I've long believed that if you praise workers you should make sure their bosses know it.

Richard

To those Wonderful Bedside Nurses on the Eighth Floor [Oncology Unit]

“Thank you.” These two simple words said sincerely may be the most eloquent in the English language but there are times, like this, at which even these lovely words are inadequate.

I wish there were words that could begin to express my gratitude to the bedside nursing staff in the oncology unit on the eighth floor of the main building at Rhode Island Hospital. That gratitude will be with me for the rest of my days for the loving care – and I do not use the word “loving” lightly – they gave me and, I'm certain, to every other patient during my nine long days in the oncology unit.

I had made 84 years without significant hospitalization but by early June it was obvious, even to me, that I was sick, perhaps even quite sick So I got in touch with Steve Brin, a splendid doctor who has been my primary care physician for years. He ordered blood tests and as soon as he saw the results he telephoned the renowned blood specialist at RI, Dr. Eric Winer. He, in effect, said get him in here pronto. Steve telephoned me and my brother Gary, who lives next door, “rushed” [the only word ever used] to Rhode Island Hospital.

Immediately they began an exhaustive series of tests, including a tap of my bone marrow. But while the doctors were working on a tentative, then firm diagnosis, they had to treat my blood urgently. I had a very low blood count of red blood cells [the ones that conduct oxygen throughout the bod] and of platelets [they control clotting] but an astronomical white blood cell count, one that was, a doctor friend told me later, the highest he had seen in 30 years of practice.

While the diagnosis [a chronic but treatable form of leukemia, a word I now dread rather less than I used to] was being made by Dr. Winer and his colleagues, the constant tests and first treatment was done by the bedside nurses and certified nursing assistants. That is essential but what makes bedside nurses special is their readiness to deal, with smiling faces and encouraging words, with the plainly gross aspects of bedside nursing. At the same time somehow reducing the sense of mortification and shame most patients inevitably feel. I certainly did!

I tested them: There was Myra, my first nurse. She tried the only sometimes-successful task of connecting me [a man with almost terminal modesty] to a tube that was supposed to take my urine to a bag hanging from the bed to save my having to stand up to pee every few minutes, necessary because of the high volume of saline solution necessary to flush out the debris of the destroyed white cells. Because I was having difficulty breathing when I stood it was a classic Catch 22: standing was difficult but the condom catheter was inherently unstable.

Jorge, a fine Certified Nursing Assistant, tried later to connect me but eventually, after an accident or two, we gave up and standing became the better choice.

Then there was Linda, the nurse who made up my bed just before I exploded with diarrhea just as I was getting into bed. So she had to clean me and remake the bed, unattractive chores she did smilingly without a trace of disgust. Her job, she said. It was Linda who, a night or two later, decided it was time to wean me off oxygen, thus making it possible for me to be discharged a day or two later.

Then there was Hilda! A CNA who had been there nearly 30 years, she swept in and out of the room like a hurricane radiating good will. One morning, after a rather messy night, she decided I needed a scrubbing. And scrub me head to toe she did, including my “bum-bum.” She even soaked my feet in a basin of hot water. I’ve never felt so clean in my life.

And there was Kim who saw me through a couple of very long nights. And Monique, my last nurse, who was bright, friendly and efficient who kept me informed as I neared that happy time of discharge.

But first among equals was Myra who never passed my bed without a friendly pat and a warm smile that touched me each time ... and although she was not then my nurse, on my final night she came into my room to bid me farewell. She connected with each of her patients.

I don’t mean to undervalue the doctors. I recognize it was their knowledge and experience that were putting me on the path to restored health. Dr. Winer and Dr. Sizer and Dr. Goldberg and others certainly demonstrated compassion and concern. I cannot overlook Shreyus Kulkarni, a third year medical student at Brown whose first clinical patient I was. He sort of adopted me and visited me often, answering my questions and even printing out detailed information for his terminally-curious patent. What a splendid doctor he’s going to be!

So I certainly don't undervalue the doctors. I owe them a great deal, quite possibly even my life. But oh those bedside nurses. I will never forget them. I’m sure many of their patients showed them gratitude and being human they enjoyed it. But plainly they weren’t doing it for the gratitude; they were doing it for some inner reason perhaps even one they do not themselves entirely understand, something to do with concern for others. Whatever that reason, a good bedside nurse is a loving person, perhaps even a noble one. Thank goodness they exist. I will never forget them.

From: Jim Tull Date: June 29, 2012 8:04:05 AM CDT To: Richard J. Walton Subject: Re: My "Thank You" Message to Doctors and, Most Especially, the Nurses at the RI Hospital Oncology Unit

Thanks Richard, both for doing this and sharing it. These workers, kinda like middle school teachers, perform this loving care in the context of a very dehumanizing institution of the hospital. As you know, I (and you) have received much commendation

for our work at Amos House, but I've always thought what I did quite in the minor leagues compared to what you describe here.

Should I just stop by, or make a reservation?

Jim ______

Topic: A Lovely Visit Submitted by Aubrey Atwater, a nationally recognized musician Relationship to Richard: Developed at Stone Soup

From: Aubrey Atwater Subject: Re: What a Nice Visit That Was! Date: October 23, 2012 6:10:08 PM EDT To: Richard; Elwood

Just forwarded the other message...thanks again Richard and hope the transfusion acted like a...well-needed transfusion...sorry you are having to deal with so much medically...what a trooper you are...love, Aub

-----Original Message----- From: Richard J. Walton To: Aubrey Atwater; Elwood Donnelly Sent: Tue, Oct 23, 2012 5:12 pm Subject: What a Nice Visit That Was!

Hi, Aub ... and El,

Aubrey there was a message from you but when I went to answer it, it had vanished. Please send it to me again. That was a wonderful visit. It refreshed me both body [that thick cabinet and the chowdah for supper] and soul, for as with old friends there was no need to search for things to talk about; our conversation just flowed naturally and it was so nice, as we spoke of so many things. As you can imagine, I am very conscious of the passage of time and it's hard to believe [although we must] that Elwood is now 62 and Aubrey on the cusp of 50. How did that happen but it did and it's so wonderful to see relationship that is so strong. You are rare people and I am so glad you are my friends ... and have now been for a lot of years. I am so grateful for the wonderful stuff you brought and even more so than your company. Thank you so much for coming. I'm rather late with my thanks but when I came into the house there was a message from the hospital summoning me for 8:30 this morning. My platelet [the stuff that causes clotting] was so low I needed a transfusion as soon as possible so I spent three hours there this morning. And this afternoon my RIC union had a bargaining session with the college. Another three hours. So now I'm kinda beat but I couldn't let the day go without telling you how much I enjoyed your visit.

Let's do it now and then. I'd like that a lot.

Warmly, Richard P.S. And please resend that message. I know it was a nice one. Thanks.

Thanks Richard! And any time you are out and about and feel up to it, please visit! -- Aubrey Atwater ______

Topic: Supportive Friends Submitted by Aubrey Atwater Relationship to Richard: a nationally recognized musician whose relationship developed with Richard Walton at Stone Soup

From: Aubrey Atwater To: Richard Sent: Tue, Oct 23, 2012 9:00 am Subject: great to see you!

Richard, It was great to see you on that dazzling fall day. You guys certainly have a nice arrangement over there. And thanks for all the garden loot. Glad we finally got to visit. It had been bothering me that so many months had gone by. Again, soon! Thanks for being such a supportive friend all these years and wonderful role model. I was thinking in particular about your uncanny ability to have so many friends of so many ages. When we have young friends come over to our house to visit, I sometimes think of you and say to myself, "We get this from Richard." :-) Sorry we didn't actually talk to your son, next time! Hang in there, hope your treatments help you feel stronger and better. Love, Aub and El

On 10/23/2012 6:07 PM, Aubrey Atwater wrote:

Here's the email I sent and thanks for the lovely, lovely note you sent us. I so appreciate your many supportive words--they mean a lot to us! Yes, let's plan to get together again soon! Love, Aub

From: Richard J. Walton To: Aubrey Atwater; Elwood Donnelly Sent: Tue, Oct 23, 2012 6:53 pm Subject: I Knew It Would Be Nice

Hi, Aub,

That's why I asked you to resend it because I knew it was going to be nice... and it certainly was. I hate segregation of any kind, including age. I hope I never end up in an "old folks home;: they have all those old folks. As to being supportive, I suppose part of it is an act of friendship but there's more than that. You guys are very gifted and there's no one I'd rather hear. You've never -- and I often wonder why --become "big" but over the years you've built a loyal, and discriminating, following and that's important. People who know quality like you, as I have for so many years now ... and I hope I'll be hearing you for a fair number to come. It could happen ... and, yes, please do come again. My house will no doubt be cluttered but it'll be nice by the woodstove.

Again, thank you ... and I'm eager to see your new house. Richard

Politics

TOPIC: Politics -- Musing on the Path Not Taken Submitted by Dr. Nancy Carriuolo

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 2:19 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Cc: Pitt, Ronald E. Subject: Richard Walton's 1984 Run for Vice President Remembered

Hi, Dr. Carriuolo: I thought you might find this [article on Richard’s being the last RI resident to be on the national ballot – 1984, Citizen’s Party VP nominee) amusing. I did. And Happy New Year. -- Richard

Hi, Chris Barnett: How amusing that that bit of now-ancient history has reemerged. Thank you. As noted, I'm still sort of politically active and still wishing that we'd have a truly- progressive President. For a while I thought we had one. I think that over the years I've met just about all of the 340 brave souls who voted for Sonia Johnson and me. All very nice people ... and with good politics. Thanks again. Richard.

[On 1/3/2012 2:00 PM, Chris Barnett wrote: On Caucus Day, still waiting for RI’s first presidential candidate; January 3rd, 2012 at 12:32 pm by Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes, On the Main Site }

On 2/21/2012 1:33 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy E. wrote:

Richard, what you said is s-o-o-o interesting. I also wonder sometimes about the path not taken. Of course, if you had made it big on the Today show, you probably would not be hanging around with us or with the folks at Stone Soup. (-:

From: Richard J. Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 2:30 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Subject: Maybe but Perhaps I'm a Contrarian

Hi, Once in a great while I wonder about that ... but not often. My life has been a damn good one so I seldom look back. But I did turn down a job as an NBC News correspondent because I refused to shave my beard ... and that certainly turned me away from a path that might have included fame and fortune. And I wrote two books critical of beloved figures [Stevenson and Kennedy] and one

favorable about a once-popular man [Henry Wallace] who later fell very much out of favor. Out-of-step, perhaps. But since I like the people I'm hanging around with, I have no regrets. Yes, a good life but maybe a bit on the skimpy side when it comes to money ... I've learned to live -- should it be or ? -- almost outside the money economy. Thanks for your nice note. Richard ______

TOPIC: Politics -- Richard’s support for Linc Chafee for Senate Submitted by Barry Schiller, a retired Rhode Island College math professor Relationship to Richard: Colleagues

Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 7:43 AM Subject: The Politics of Conscience: Why a Progressive Is Voting for Linc Chafee

Hi: Just about everyone I've spoken to agrees that if the contest for U.S. Senate were solely between Lincoln Chafee and Sheldon Whitehouse, there would be no contest: Chafee would win in a walk. But Whitehouse has done the only thing he can do, run against George Bush and it is a very effective tactic. . . . but after I thought about it long and hard, I decided I could not abandon that good man [Chafee] who has served the state, and the nation, so well. If voting against Bush is your criterion, whose vote against him has been more effective than Chafee's: on Judge Alito, on John Bolton, votes that hurt him politically in his bitter primary with Steve Laffey. Most important, his vote against Bush on the Iraq war at a time when most Democrats were voting for it. And these votes, from within the President's own party, were much more effective than Democratic votes.

Progressives and liberals have been agonizing over this for weeks but in recent days I've encountered several who have asked for whom I'm going to vote. When I said "Chafee," there was palpable relief on their faces, for they had felt isolated and alone, feeling somehow as if they were letting down the team by wanting to vote for a man they admired, one who had served the state so well. But I'm learning there are lots of progressives and liberals who are going to vote for Chafee for they admire this rare man who practices the politics of conscience, a man who has voted his conscience even at political cost, a man who will continue to do so. . . and not only that, a man who has delivered for Rhode Island. . . .

So what I'm hoping is that those progressives and liberals who are most reluctantly telling themselves that they have to vote against a man they genuinely admire will respond to their instinct and vote to "Keep Chafee." I am ... and I'm convinced it is the progressive thing to do. Peace. Richard Walton

P.S. If you have decided you should vote for Chafee, please let me know for I think there are many of us, and it is mutually self-supporting for us to know that. And, if you care to make your support public, well, then all the better. Thank you. ______

Topic: Politics Submitted by: Linde Relationship to Richard: Linde Rachel, resident in France, was Richard’s close correspondence and travel companion for nine years. She and Richard shared political and other values and views as well as each other's homes on both sides of the Atlantic during vacations. Linde's work life took place mainly in Africa and it was Richard's experience as correspondent for the Voice of America during the continent's independence years in the sixties that sparked their relationship.

Subject: UN vote on Palestinian Statehood Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2011 10:07:47 -0700 (PDT) From: Richard Walton To: Linde

Hi, The public argument is always that they are seeking a peaceful solution and what the US does is a step in that direction. But the US has been engaged in this supposed process for decades and nothing has come of it ... and nothing will come of it until Israel takes some effective steps toward peace and stopping the settlements and cutting back on them would be the most effective, I believe. And the US does say, time and time again, that Israel must do something about the settlements and Israel seems to agree but then, before you know it, some more are built. Israel seems to believe that it can survive by military means but some day, sooner or later, the US will decide to stop funding Israel's armed forces and the balance of military power in the region will start to swing. The Arab side can lose war after war after war ... but they only have to win once. Israel, on the other hand, cannot lose even once ... and I think Israel's only long- term hope is peace. Time is not on their side. Richard. P.S. Although Jewish financial and political support is a major factor, it is not the only one. The US as, in a sense, the founder of Israel feels a genuine moral obligation towards its survival. And it was the only democracy [or almost one] in the region but that is beginning to change and we're not going to want to alienate these new [if it happens] Arab democracies. It is enormously complex but the forces that will eventually prevail and are not helpful to Israel.

Linde Writes:

Hi. I found the article very interesting, coming from a side/voice that I know little about.

Linde

Attached: Article titled: Egypt: Why is Israel so Blind? MJ Rosenberg Last Modified: 09 Feb 2011 11:02

From: Richard Walton To: Linde

Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2011 4:04 PM Subject: From the pro-Israel, pro-peace camp

Hi, Linde: Thanks. I'm not familiar with this group either but I've been arguing for years that Israel's only real security is in making peace and doing what is necessary to achieve that. Preserving Israel by military means is not only costly, not only makes life in that tiny country unpleasant but may ultimately fail. The Arab side can lose war after war after war but if they persist, as history has demonstrated they will, eventually they will win ... and Israel cannot afford to lose even once.

What has happened in Egypt removes the protection on that flank and if Israel does not find a way to establish a lasting peace on terms acceptable to both sides, it may be on the eventual path to the destruction of Israel. They must learn that lesson. If not, the cost could be the very survival of Israel. I wish it had never been thrust upon the people of Palestine but it does exist and thus has the right to, but can it exist enduringly in a hostile sea. I doubt it.

This is very interesting. I'll circulate it.

Thank you. Richard

From: Richard Walton To: Linde Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 9:22 PM Subject: We Have Seldom Learned from Our Mistakes

Hi, Linde: As I don't have to tell you, we have seldom learned from our mistakes. We've had that same Manifest Destiny attitude -- the world must be made in our perfect image -- for most of our history. If Obama has learned from our mistakes, he'll be the first president to do so but he is more likely than any in the past. That would be nice!

Alas, we can't just simply turn back the clock. Though it's the way of aging empires, it doesn't work. We need to go forward toward that brave new world and learn from our past mistakes. Like many aging empires, the US has become rigid and seems unable to learn from mistakes. Apparently it didn't learn a whole lot from Iran. It's continuing blunders worldwide are costing a lot of innocent lives.

Linde

I'm wondering if I ought to go out and clear off my car. Although it's only 20 now so rain is not likely for quite a while, if we get rain or freezing rain or sleet, it would be difficult to clear it off later. Yeah, maybe I'd better go take a look. I've read a few papers. They're pretty good. Be back later, dear Linde. Richard

From: Richard Walton To: Linde

Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 4:46 PM Subject: Maybe We Should Go Back to Some Really Old Ideas

Hi, Linde: Maybe we should go back to some really old ideas: George Washington's "beware of entangling alliances." Just live our lives at home making them good for all citizens, try to help other countries without dominating them and, most of all, we cannot make the rest of the world in our image. The world doesn't want it and, in any case, we don't have the power. But we could make ourselves into quite a decent place if we'd give up trying to preserve our empire, an impossible task in any case. In the short-term however, the Middle East is a mess with no good course to follow, just some worse than others, I fear. ... outdated, irrelevant and intellectually bankrupt, wordsmithing its way tiresomely through/over the same old ideas - same old wine in occasionally new-looking bottles at best. I hope the current events in the Mid-East throw glaring lights on this emperor with no clothes and perhaps a crumbling empire.

Topic: Democracy

On Feb. 11, 2011 Linde Sent: Speaks my mind Linde Attached: Article Titled: When Democracy Weakens by: Bob Herbert From: Richard Walton To: Linde Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2011 4:15 PM Subject: Democracy at home

Hi, Linde: Thank you. I missed it and it's one of the most important op-ed pieces I've read in a long time ... and it's what I was saying in my last message. The left has got to attack the uber-rich and their political allies. We've got to make the voting masses finally recognize that they are being manipulated. For years I've said ours is a nominal democracy in which dollars count more than votes. This is a terrific op-ed piece. I will circulate it as widely as I can. Thank you, Linde. Richard

Topic: UN

Subject: UN vote on Palestinian Statehood Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2011 05:58:05 -0700 (PDT) From: Richard Walton To: Linde

Hi Richard,

This is the kind of stuff that really makes me angry - unless I'm missing something. Can you tell me why someone would go along with US policy and attitude and not throw a fit of anger? What kind of reasoning justifies their approach to a person of average intelligence?

Linde

Richard Replies:

I don't understand U.S. policy on this matter and I have not for a long time. At the beginning most progressives were pro-Israel and I admit I was too. We were influenced by the Holocaust, the socialist kibbutzim and "making the desert bloom." And of course the influence of American Jews, most of whom truly believed that Jews needed a refuge ... and Israel was it. But eventually progressives began to see beyond this to the indisputable fact that the Palestinians land was being stolen from them and the reason that this was supported by the West, and by the Soviet Union, was anti-Semitism. Other countries would not take the Jewish refugees, most of whom would have been happy to settle in welcoming countries. The U.S. has persisted in this stance [although the Obama administration is a bit better and sometimes seems to be moving in the right direction] and I don't entirely understand why although as we approach a presidential election year a vulnerable Obama does not want to alienate traditional Democratic support by Jews. Not only their number and influence in many sectors but the huge donations Jews have long made to Democratic office-seekers. It is not a simple black and white issue. The Israelis have some legitimate complaints but they are greatly outweighed by the Palestinian cause. Israel needs to make concrete, specific steps towards peace and dealing with the settler problem is foremost among them. But it will refuse -- to its own long-term detriment -- to take those steps as long as it can count on U.S. support. We give them billions every year and we support them diplomatically. Curiously, U.S. fundamentalists largely support Israel for Biblical reasons, these very people who otherwise have been traditionally anti-Semitic. It is quite a paradox. But however slow the momentum is toward Palestine, as I often tell Mike, it is in Israel's own interest to establish peace with its neighbors. An armed camp is not a desirable place to live. I share your frustration and Israel's intransigence may, in the long run, fuel just the kind of horror they fear ... but their approach is just exactly the opposite of what it should be. It's frustrating ... and scary. Richard.

Subject: Our World Cannot be Divided into Neat Little Ideological Boxes ... and the Choice in Libya Is Stark Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:22:49 -0400 From: Richard J. Walton To: International Committee

We, and I do not exclude myself, should have known that the world does not always fall

into neat little ideological boxes, something that Libya is demonstrating in the starkest terms. No Green likes to see American bombers again in the skies over a Third World country. It is almost a reflex to recoil in horror when that happens but the world is an increasingly untidy place. In Libya the choice was, and is, stark indeed. As best we can determine, there was, and is, a genuine uprising of the people against a despot, the kind of uprising that has erupted throughout that region of the world. And of course, Greens and others of good will, rejoiced in that uprising as we have for those in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, etc. We hoped, perhaps naively, that the uprising in Libya would follow the same course as those in Tunisia and Egypt, that longtime authoritarian rulers would peacefully surrender the power they had held for so very long. But that didn't happen in Libya. Gaddafi decided to try to hold onto power by force of arms, many of his troops mercenaries. He began to shoot down revolutionaries in the streets. So now the choice was stark. Does the world stand helplessly on the sidelines wring its hands and watch a revolution be crushed with a great cost of human lives, the lives of men and women seeking freedom, or do we [the world community not just the U.S] intervene on the side of those people seeking freedom. That was the choice: stand aside and watch freedom-seeking Libyans be mowed down by a dictator or attempt to help the people, the people whose cause was freedom. If we stood on the hand-wringing sidelines, would we not only be watching people sharing our values be slaughtered but would we not also be sending a message to despots elsewhere in the region, in the world that if your people rebel for freedom, not to worry: just mow them down in the streets. We're going to watch from the sidelines and weep ... but not do anything to help the people fighting for the freedoms that we proclaim belong to all. A mess knocking aside all sorts of stereotypes but, at this moment in history, a very clear choice: let men and women seeking freedom be mowed down in the streets or try to find some effective way to help them. Messy? It sure as hell is and who knows what will follow but what thing is certain: Gaddafi would fill the streets with corpses if we [again, not the U.S. but the UN and the Arab world] let him. Is that something we want on our conscience. Sure, another Tunisia, another Egypt would have been nice but this is Libya where a bloody dictator is clinging to power whatever the human cost. Sometimes the choice is ugly but clear. Do we answer the anguished cries of men and women seeking freedom or do we allow a despot to shoot them down in the streets. That's the choice.

Richard Walton, R.I.

From: Linde To: Richard Walton Sent: Sunday, September 4, 2011 9:15 AM Subject: Re: UN vote on Palestinian statehood Hi,

So are you saying that it's because of the Jews' contributions to the Democrats? Surely that is not the reason given before the UN. How do they justify themselves before the UN and the rest of the world? I know what you think, but I would like to know how they explain themselves.

Linde ______Topic: Save the Date Submitted by: Dr. Jason Blank, professor of sociology at Rhode Island College and the Longstanding President of RIC-AFT, the full-time faculty union. Relationship to Richard: He was Richard's colleague and fellow union president

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 11:06 AM Subject: Save the Date

Hi, Marcia: Thanks for the notice. I'll certainly save the date. I've known Chafee for some years now and he often comes to my birthday parties, as Senator and since; he was there this year. And I supported him publicly when he ran against Whitehouse, much to the dismay of my liberal and progressive friends. I believe character and courage are the most important qualities in a politician and although Linc and I hardly agree on all issues, he lacks neither character nor courage. And that's more than enough for me! Maybe I should start a group called Lefties for Linc! Just got back yesterday from a month in Europe. Cut my trip short because of a bout with my old enemy, sciatica. Limping a bit these days. Good to be home. Peace. Richard ______

Topic: Libya Submitted by: Linde

From: Michael Canney Subject: Re: [We Cannot Divide the World into Neat, Little Ideological Boxes ... Freedom Seekers Are Being Killed in Libya] To: Richard Walton

Richard,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I don't think anyone in this party believes that the Libyan government is a model for the values that we espouse, and I'm sure there are some genuine seekers of democracy and freedom among the opposition to Gaddafi. I'll bet there are also Islamic Jihadists and elements working under the direction of foreign intelligence services. When people resort to armed struggle, innocents will be killed. I believe they are being killed on both sides in this conflict.

The problem for us is that our own government is far more dangerous and violent, and far more of a threat to world peace than Muammar Gaddafi. Libya does not have troops in other countries and it has not attacked its neighbors, much less countries on the other side of the globe.

The real issue here for Greens is not whether we support Gaddafi but whether we support the unprovoked aerial bombing of another country by the US military. I don't have enough evidence (independent of the biased pro-US media sources) to agree with your assumptions about what actually occurred on the ground.

You say this is " a genuine uprising of the people against a despot," and you say that Gaddafi "began to shoot down revolutionaries in the streets." This story is being portrayed as if the uprising was a repeat of the protests in Egypt, with nonviolent demonstrators being shot down in cold blood. What if the violence was started by rebels seizing weapons and turning them on Gaddafi loyalists? What if there were armed attacks being made against the government, and a call to arms by the rebels, rather than a call to peacefully protest? I'm not saying protesters haven't been killed, but context is important. It is an accepted tenet of international law that every country has the right to defend itself against armed rebellion.

There may well be times when the violence and repression perpetrated by a government justifies armed rebellion as a response, such as the African National Congress forming an armed wing in 1961 to fight the apartheid regime, or the Sandinista Front against Somoza in the 1970's. But that was not the situation in Libya before this uprising. Taking up arms to achieve reforms is a last resort.

You claim our choice is "to stand aside and watch freedom-seeking Libyans be mowed down by a dictator or attempt to help the people, the people whose cause was freedom." I say there was a third choice, one that was deliberately pre-empted by the imperialist military intervention by the US and allies. There were calls for a peaceful intervention by the African Union and by Venezuela, but the UN cease fire was never actively pursued and these efforts to set up a process for negotiations between the parties in the conflict was blocked by the US. It was obvious to me that this intervention was not a spontaneous response to surprise developments. It was planned, and it was important to sabotage the peace efforts so as to avoid an outcome that is not controlled by the US.

After the bloody interventions and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, how can Greens sincerely believe the same forces will undertake a humanitarian mission in Libya? You only need to look at what was done to the city of Fallujah to understand that this is not a fate we want to wish upon any society.

Who will answer the anguished cries of the men and women who are current victims of military violence perpetrated by the US and its proxies? Who will prevent bloody massacres of Gaddafi loyalists (who make up a sizable portion of Libya's population, contrary to US propaganda) after the country is bombed into the Stone Age and overrun by foreign-armed rebels, many with their own agenda? This military intervention will not promote human rights and democracy in Libya, unless your model is Iraq, Afghanistan or Gaza. Bombing for peace is a lie.

Michael

Subject: Michael Canney, As Always, Is Eloquent ... but on Libya I Must Respectfully Disagree Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:51:13 -0400 From: Richard J. Walton To: Michael Canney

Dear Michael: As always, you are eloquent and since we are each unlikely to persuade the other, I will make no attempt to do so. But there are, perhaps, a couple of things I should note. One, my thoughts were entirely directed to the terrible, and complex, situation in Libya. They could hardly be construed as a defense of American foreign policy since the end of World War II. Indeed, since my first writings more than a half century ago -- books, articles and, in recent years, online postings, I have been an unremitting critic of American foreign policy and we share the conviction that the U.S. has been a most dangerous state, probably the most dangerous state in the postwar world. Nothing I wrote in my thoughts about Libya contradicted that. They were directed exclusively at the current situation, one in which accurate facts are not easy to find. Yet I came to the conclusion that a genuine peoples revolution was underway and that Gaddafi was taking draconian measures to crush it. I have no idea of the exact composition of the rebel forces nor have I any idea what will happen should it, as I most fervently hope, succeed. As you know, revolutions often go bad but that, most on the left agree, is hardly a reason to oppose them, for despotism must always be opposed. Once the revolution has succeeded, if it does, it will be up to the people of Libya to choose their course, something they have not been able to do under decades of totalitarian rule. Then perhaps we can help them in more pacific way. As to your statement: This military intervention will not promote human rights and democracy in Libya, unless your model is Iraq, Afghanistan or Gaza. Bombing for peace is a lie. I hope that does not mean you truly think those are my models. Before the second war against Iraq, I went to Baghdad with Ramsey Clark and others as a direct, and illegal, expression of my opposition to Mr. Bush's policy. And during Reagan's counterrevolution in Nicaragua, I went to that beleaguered country a good number of times in support of the Sandinista revolution, helping to build a health center and school there. I think our intervention in Afghanistan is a perhaps well-intended but probably futile attempt to rush the course of history, one that may be doing more harm than good. As to Gaza, I have long been a critic of Israel's policies [and occasionally those of some Palestinians] and my articles decades ago in The New York Times and The Village Voice got me into a lot of hot water with uncritical supporters of Israel. I've been called an "anti-Semite." But I've continued my criticism. As I say, Michael, we are not likely to agree when it comes to Libya but I assume that we both do agree that the fate of Libya should be determined by its people not by a dictator who has ruled by fear for decades. It is unsettling to see American, and western, planes in the skies over a Third World country but maybe for once we are intervening on the side of the people not against them. I hope that is true.

Am I certain my views on Libya are valid? No, I cannot be sure but I have heard on the radio the anguished cries of Libyan people asking that their revolution be supported. Should we be standing on the sidelines watching a brute crush his own people? Should we be encouraging other despots to believe they have license to brutally suppress uprisings in their countries? No, I don't think we should do that. Am I predicting a happy ending? Ours does not seem to be an age of happy endings but if we must make a choice between the people and their brutal overlords, I know what choice I hope Greens make. This is not an easy question and I do not question the bona fides of those who have a different opinion. I hope they are willing to do the same. Thank you. Richard Walton, R.I.

______

From: Richard Walton To: Mass Mailing Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 7:46 PM Subject: Putting the Lid on Stuff Critical of Israel and Its Lobbies in U.S.

Hi: As I know from personal experience and as any candid journalist with knowledge of such matters will attest, it is very difficult to get anything critical of Israel published in the mainstream American media. The recent study critical of the power of pro-Israeli lobbies could not find an American publisher so it was published in the U.K. And now Harvard has removed its logo from the study. And, according to the stories below, Jewish organizations, although furious with the authors [respected scholars at Harvard and U Chicago] have decided not to go public with their criticism which they feel, correctly, would draw attention to the study which now is quickly vanishing from sight because the mainstream media has ignored it. But I doubt if the study will disappear, so strong is it and we can use the Internet to spread it far and wide. The following items, from various sources, a couple of them Jewish publications, appeared in Friday's edition of The Progressive Review.

Peace. Richard Walton, R.I. Attached: http://www.forward.com/articles/7548 http://www.forward.com/articles/7550 http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/698307.html http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=698051 ______

TOPIC: Politics – Reinvigorating the Peace Movement Submitted by: Barry Schiller, former Rhode Island College mathematics professor

From: gpri-forum- On Behalf Of Richard Walton Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 5:50 PM To: Barry Schiller Subject: [GPRI] Scott Ritter on Reinvigorating the Peace Movement

Hi: I think all we peaceniks need to read this carefully. There is much in what Scott Ritter says and much we could do to improve the anti-war movement but after only a quick reading, I think we have to be careful not to become like those we oppose. A peace movement will never be as organized as the pro-war people because we are not authoritarian. Sure, we should try to work cooperatively but I'm a little concerned about the "warrior" approach that Mr. Ritter advocates. I have great admiration for all that he has done but such talk alarms me a bit. Am I being an old fuddy-duddy? Perhaps.

However, there is one prescription that I entirely embrace. There are times for pan-left actions for so many issues are related. But when it comes to this one, there are people who would join us if our focus were entirely on ending the Iraq war and preventing one against Iran. Anti-war rallies should be anti-war rallies and nothing else and we must insist on that else lots of people who deeply oppose the war will stand on the sidelines ... and we need them, and they need us.

These are just my views and Mr. Ritter has written a serious piece we should all read carefully. My views, for whatever they're worth. Peace. Richard Richard was referencing a Ritter article [http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/ritter/34332/] ______

TOPIC: Politics -- Iraq war and Katrina Submitted by Barry Schiller, a retired Rhode Island College math professor

From: gpri-forum On Behalf Of Richard Walton Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 11:14 AM Subject: GPRI A Direct and Indisputable Connection between Iraq and New Orleans

Hi, Even before the catastrophe people in New Orleans were saying that the war in Iraq was taking funds necessary for the physical security of that now- devastated city, real "homeland security." And now that the catastrophe has happened people are emphasizing the connection. That connection is true of so many aspects of American life. Iraq is a disaster here in the U.S. as well as in that poor, invaded country. We must make ordinary Americans aware of this ... and our politicians must be made to face this fact. Peace. Richard. P.S. And National Guardsmen that could have been an enormous help are in Iraq. Richard was referencing [www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=100] ______

TOPIC: Politics – Anti-War Activist at Rhode Island College Submitted by Joan Dagle, Associate Dean and Professor of English, Rhode Island College, Relationship to Richard: colleague

From: Richard Walton To: Group Mailing Sent: Mon 9/11/2006 8:59 AM Subject: Should We Resume the "War Is Not the Answer" Vigil?

Dear Colleagues: Should we again resume the War Is Not the Answer vigil on the fourth Wednesday of the month? The war continues and maybe our vigil, during an election period, might encourage students to think about the war and go to the polls. On the other hand, the attendance at the silent vigil has not been very big. Is a small, but consistent, witness better than no witness at all or does it suggest there is little support for our position. I tend to favor the former; even a few standing there silently calls attention to the futility and destruction of war. But the decision should be made by the group, especially by those who have so loyally participated since the vigil began some time before the invasion of Iraq. So please, let us know what you think. Thank you. Peace. Richard Walton ______

TOPIC: Politics – CIA Submitted by Cathy Barnard, daughter of Richard Walton

From: Richard Walton To: Group Mailing Sent: Friday, October 28, 2005 4:30 PM Subject: When Walton Was Recruited by the C.I.A.

Hi: I was invited to participate in a reading by local authors last night at the William Hall Library in Edgewood so I had to find some stuff to read. One piece I thought I might read [actually I never got around to reading it] was the op-ed piece that appeared in the NY Times on July 3, 1975 about having been recruited by the C.I.A. shortly after I got out of Brown in 1951. I thought it might interest [amuse?] you. Here it is. Peace. Richard

By Richard J. Walton

The Central Intelligence Agency is so much in the news these days that I thought it might be interesting to tell you how it recruited me more than twenty years ago when it, and I, were still in the formative years. I imagine my experience was not unique, and many of those who are now in the C.I.A.'s upper echelons must have been recruited the same way.

One day, in 1952, I think, I got a phone call from a man who identified himself as having gone to my university, Brown, a few years before me. He asked if I were interested in working for the C.I.A. I was 24, with a young man's thirst for adventure. I was also formidably ignorant about world affairs and totally unquestioning about the then current cold war consensus -- that we were good and the Communists were evil. So of course I said yes.

I had no idea then, and still don't, why he called me, but I guess it's like working for The New Yorker. They call you; you don't call them. I suppose he had access to my college record. It certainly couldn't have been my grades. Maybe it was because I had been sort of a Big Man on Campus.

Anyway, he told me I'd have to go down to Washington for an interview but that I couldn't tell my employers anything. I was instructed to say something vague about a government job. So off I went to Washington. This was before the C.I.A. had its bureaucratic country club office in Langley, Va. The offices I went to were in a cluster of wooden "temporaries" near the Potomac, enclosed, I think, by a chain-link fence. They were expecting me so there was no difficulty getting in. Inside, it was like walking across the Brown University campus of a couple of years before. I kept seeing guys I knew. I chatted briefly with some of them and they assured me there'd be no strain getting in. Evidently, the Old Boy Network would take care of me.

So that's what had happened to all those guys after graduation. I soon learned that three administrators I had known at Brown were C.I.A. executives and that any number of recent graduates were there too. The C.I.A. was then, as everyone came to know later, an Ivy League club. Indeed it has been a source of recurrent amusement to me that the most famous (infamous) C.I.A. operative of recent years, E. Howard Hunt, was a Brown man, along with his White House benefactor Charles Colson.

I was put through a series of interviews -- no, they were more interrogations of the kind to which people accused of particularly vile crimes are subjected. I was put in a little room and teams of interrogators fired questions at me, one team of two men for a half hour or so, and then another team. The questions came so fast and were often so weird that there wasn't time to formulate the answers I thought they wanted. I just had to answer them as straightforwardly as I could and hope I said the right thing.

My answers were mumbled. I do remember that they were very confused and anything but impressive. No cool, crisp operative was I. But if I don't remember much of those chaotic interrogations, I do remember a few of the questions. I was asked at one time or another whether I would parachute from a plane, whether I would interfere in the domestic affairs of another country and whether I could kill someone. I don't remember exactly what I said but it was something along these lines: I wasn't keen on parachuting but maybe I could; I supposed I could if it were necessary to American security; and I just didn't know.

When the interrogators were finished with me, I, in something of a daze, moved outside, convinced I had made a botch of the whole thing. But again I bumped into some people I knew and they assured me that my inept performance was entirely normal and that I didn't have a

61 thing to worry about.

So I went home to await the word that I had been told would soon be forthcoming. When it didn't come after weeks and then months, I figured that I had indeed blown it and that was that. Gradually, I stopped thinking about it, until about a year later when, to my complete surprise, I got a letter from the C.I.A. personnel office, signed by a man I knew from college, asking if I was still interested. I promptly wrote back something to the effect that I was interested to know what they had in mind. I never heard from them again.

For a while I was disappointed, for I was a Stevenson liberal then, the kind who despised Joe McCarthy but thought the Soviet Communists were out to conquer the world. In short, I was, except for some flaw, whatever it was, the perfect C.I.A. type, ready to make the world safe for democracy. If they had invited me to join, I almost certainly would have accepted.

And soon I might have been busily overthrowing the legitimate Governments of Iran and Guatemala and later, because I had studied Spanish, I might have been working with my fellow Brown man, E. Howard Hunt, on the Bay of Pigs fiasco. So by sheer chance, or maybe by virtue of some lovely failing (cowardice? skepticism?), I am now a mildly radical revisionist writer instead of a middle-aged agent muttering about their mucking up the finest intelligence apparatus ever devised or, more likely, a cynical agent too afraid to come in out of the cold.

Richard J. Walton is author of "Cold War and Counterrevolution: The Foreign Policy of John F. Kennedy."

Walton, R. J. (1975, July 13). Don't Call Us-We'll Call You. Or, Blowing a C.I.A. Career. The New York Times. ______

Topic: Richard Thank You Submitted by Bruce McCrae, of Philipe & Jorge

October 10, 2012

Hi, Bruce and Chip: Since the onset of my illness [sort of a milder cousin to leukemia] about three months ago, although I am certainly holding my own, I don't see The Phoenix as often as I'd like and would have missed your kind mention of me had my brother Gary not picked up one of the last copies of the current issue, the Oct. 5 - 11 edition. He read your column and of course called my attention to it. Thank you for once again mentioning me. You have been very generous.

Anyway, here's what I wrote in a message to my family and, later, to friends. Again, thank you ... and as I say it was an honor to be mentioned in the same paragraph as the great Barry Commoner. Thank you. Richard.

Hi, As I note below, I almost missed P & J's mention of me in the Phoenix that expires today [Wednesday]. I mention this mention only because running for vice president in 1984 was one of the most interesting periods of a pretty interesting life.

Of course the important thing is hardly my name but the passing of one of the great men of our time, Barry Commoner, the preeminent environmentalist who was bold enough to run for president to help spread the word about the necessity of protecting our environment . . . and even many who do not recognize his name all these years later may learn, sooner or later, how much present-day "greens" owe to Commoner, with whom I worked closely in the 1980 election. My activities with the Citizens Party were a foreshadowing of my later activity in the current Green Party. A great man has passed and to be mentioned in the same paragraph with Barry Commoner is an honor. Richard ______

Topic: Thank you Note 2 or 3 Years Late

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 1:39 PM To: [email protected] Subject: A Thank You Note to Randi Weingarten Two or Three Years Late

Dear Randi Weingarten: This thank-you note is at least two or three years late but since I may have the honor of meeting you on Thursday when you appear in Providence, I thought I should finally write this. My name is Richard Walton, the procrastination prone president of the still-new AFT local [1563] for adjunct faculty at Rhode Island College. We are approaching the end of our first three-year contract on August 31. What I am finally writing to acknowledge is that our local simply would not have come into being without the essential assistance of the national AFT, most notably in the person of Bob Jensen and, later, Bill Capowski. Bob came to us in, I think, 2007 and for about an entire year not only directed us wisely in our organizing efforts but himself went adjunct to adjunct to recruit supporters. We simply would not exist without Bob's efforts and some months later he was joined by Bill Capowski who added his passion and energy to Bob's efforts. We were blessed to have such workers, even inspirations. The legendary Marcia Reback was RI president still then and she too was unfailingly supportive, as has been her successor, Frank Flynn. Also the president of the fulltime union, Jason Blank, has all along been a staunch ally. And I cannot close our list of "thankees" without special mention of RI Field Representative Mike Mullane. He not only has helped us in ways too numerous to mention but he headed our negotiating team during the 17 months it took to get our first contract from the RI Board of Higher Education. We did not do handsomely with money, hardly surprising given the dire state of Rhode Island finances, but in other respects we did very well indeed. There is no comparing our status on campus now to our former status as a rag-tag clutch of part- timers with virtually no influence. Now I can send an email to anyone in the administration, from president to vice presidents to campus police chief and in almost no time receive a respectful and responsive reply. And much of that respect is thanks to Mike Mullane. I cannot close without mentioning the other fellow members of the negotiating team: Sue Lawler [now secretary], Jim Kittredge [now vice president], Maureen Romans [our first treasurer now retired], Fred Scheff and Tom O'Gorman. We stuck it out for 17 months and fought for every comma and semi-colon. Our very skilled treasurer now is

Bob Harrall. These are very difficult times for teachers and if there were ever any doubt that the AFT [and NEA] were needed, those doubts have been laid to rest. In any case, I join with other RI teachers union members to welcome you to our tiny but wonderful state on Thursday, March 22.

You will be very welcome indeed!

Richard

P.S. This footnote may amuse you. When we applied for our AFT Charter we asked if Local 1563 were available and to our delight it was. Why did we ask for that local number: in our election we won ... 156 to 3, an astonishing total that is now perpetuated in our local number, 1563.

______

Printed Books

Topic: The Value of Printed Books Submitted by Dr. Nancy Carriuolo, president of RIC, Providence, RI, colleague and friend of Richard

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2012 3:47 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Subject: Sad News: The Britannica No Longer to Be Printed

Dear Dr. Carriuolo:

Hi, One of the first things I bought when I returned to Rhode Island in 1981 was a set of the Britannica. In recent years I've seldom if ever opened it but learning today that it was going to cease print publication made me sad ... for even though I seldom if ever referred to it anymore, just having it gave me a sense of informational security. In recent years I've used Wikipedia [even though I have certain reservations about its reliability] simply because it's so much easier ... and if I have any questions about reliability I do more research. Of course the Britannica itself was not always right, as I discovered looking up stuff of which I had personal knowledge ... but it was so damn solid. It looked and felt reliable and it was, well, it was the Britannica. I seem to remember that the father of one of my daughter's best friends was a Britannica executive and that seemed a good thing to be. And when I moved into this house, my parents', 31 years ago, I was pleased when a Britannica salesman came knocking on my door. I didn't put up much resistance even though it was, I think, 800 or so bucks, a lot of money in '81 or '82. Yes, I'm sad the printed Britannica is biting the dust but I'm glad it will survive, and probably, prosper in its digital form. Hmm, I wonder how much it costs. It'll sure be a lot lighter. And what my kids will do with the printed version after I'm gone, I have no idea. But maybe they'll want to keep them around for a while. I hope so.

Richard/Dad/Grandpa/Dick

P.S. Come to think of it, it was one of the most expensive purchases of my life ... and I certainly don't regret it.

Religion – on Gods

Topic: religion– On God Submitted by Rick Brooks

From: Rick Brooks To: richardwalton1928 Sent: Tue, Apr 9, 2013 10:26 am Subject: An Atheist, Rick Gervais, Explains Why He Is ... Nothing New but Well Expressed

Hi, Nothing new here but this guy expresses well why he's an atheist. I'm not quite sure what I am: atheist or agnostic but I'm fairly sure that even if there is a God he is not the loving creature most proclaim him to be. If he were, this would be a much nicer world, one without war and genocide. The best I can give Him/She/It is indifference. I don't think this being much cares about human affairs; Hell, this being might not ever care if the Red Sox beat the Yankees ... and that's indifference.

So, for whatever it's worth, here's a piece that appeared in the WSJ. Oh, and notice the author's a big admirer of Jesus. Me, too. He believed in kindness, the cardinal virtue. And peace is okay too. And the warmest best wishes for this holiday season whatever God you may or may not worship. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the lengthening of the days.

Richard [Richard was referencing “Wall Street Journal-A Holiday Message from Rickey Gervais…Why I am an Atheist”]

Travel

Topic: Africa and Europe with Photos Submitted by Dr. Nancy Carriuolo

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 12:11 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy Subject: Yes, I'm Back from Africa and Europe

Hi, Yes, I'm back. Almost a month now but I've been very slowly returning to my real life. For something of an activist, I have a real talent for idling.

NC responds: Does this note mean you have safely arrived home from your travels? It is funny to hear from you. I was just wondering this morning if you were home yet.

From Richard: I neglected to thank you and Ralf for coming to my birthday party but less than 48 hours later I was on my way to Africa via Washington, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Cairo and Entebbe. It was my first -- and long-awaited -- return to sub-Saharan Africa since 1960 when I visited 16 countries to do a series of radio documentaries on the African independence movement for the Voice of America. While there I interviewed many of the most important African leaders of the time, including several who were later assassinated, amongst them Patrice Lumumba of the then-Belgian Congo. It was one of the great experiences of my life, which has been quite a full one. There are maybe some interesting chapters yet to unfold. The woman I travelled with lived in Africa for several years and has worked there many times since. Indeed, she's about to go to the Congo [now misnamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo] to evaluate a project there and she started an association in France to help women affected by sexual violence in the Eastern Congo, now the world's most dangerous place for women. She's also quite a good photographer and put together an interesting, short slide show of our time in Uganda and Rwanda, including some nice shots of elephants, lions, hippos, etc. . . and beautiful African countryside. You might enjoy watching it. It's about three minutes long. To see it, please go to this address:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=4c069e8759e64aa3&sid= 0IZtWbNw1Ysnqg.

There you can join, at no cost, Shutterfly and once you're a member, you're just a click away from Linde's fine slide show. Lots of people have seen it and have said they liked it. It will remove you from your office for a few moments. Far remove!

Yes, the changes being driven by the economy are potentially enormous. I am reading a book now that the new chairman of the RIBGHE gave to all the presidents. I have just

started, but it seems to be saying that online courses and programs must supplant at least part of traditional higher education or we cannot afford to sustain our system.

I suppose more online stuff is inevitable and for some courses it might even be superior to a conventional classroom. But maybe it's a function of my age but I don't think technology, as advanced as it may get, can ever equal the chemistry of a good teacher and interested students. And it's not just the teacher that's important; it is the interaction of the students themselves. We learn from each other, including the teacher! And it can be fun in a way that will never be possible on line. Education is expensive but as someone once said: ignorance is much more so. Hope to see you on the 24th as another summer has so swiftly fled by. Thank you for that nice note. Richard

On 8/11/2011 12:49 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy wrote:

Ah, Richard, you are an adventurer, and your friend is a good photographer. I would have been afraid to get so close to the hippos and elephants. The geodesic dome was really very comfy looking. Glad you had fun and got home safely.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 3:05 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy Subject: But a Cautious One

Hello again. If I am an adventurer, it is a cautious one. And Linde is indeed "a good photographer." You would love Africa and I hope you and Ralf can go sometime. There is simply nothing on earth like seeing animals in the wild. I'm glad you enjoyed the slide show. And I certainly did have fun ... I believe in it. Richard ______

TOPIC: China Submitted by: Dr. Nancy Carriuolo

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 3:18 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Cc: PEC Subject: Or How about My Teaching Elementary School Kids in Shanghai

Hi, Well, it might turn up in a game of Trivial Pursuit some day. And then there was teaching elementary school kids in Shanghai when I was a young man of only 79. A long life gives you lots of

opportunities ... and I've taken some of them. It's been a good life and RIC has very much been one of the best parts! Richard

On 1/3/2012 3:12 PM, Carriuolo, Nancy E. wrote:

Richard, I had no idea! Good for you.

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 10:59 AM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Subject: Nixon's Trip to China 40 Years Ago ... Richard Walton's Personal Footnote

Hi, Dr. Carriuolo: Nixon's trip to China was a long time ago and I've not thought of it for years but today's item about the 40th anniversary of the trip was a reminder of how that trip affected me. This is a note I wrote today to my kids and my granddaughter. Richard

Dear Richard, Catherine and Maggie: You may have heard, as I read in the paper this morning, today is the 40th anniversary of President Nixon's historic trip to China, the best thing he ever did as President and a great thing for the U.S., China, and for the world. But there is my personal footnote to that story that may interest you. My book on John Kennedy [Cold War and Counter-revolution: The Foreign Policy of John F. Kennedy] was published in January of 1972 and the publisher, Viking, booked me onto a number of radio and TV shows to publicize the book and they booked me onto the Today Show, even bigger then than it is now. Yes, you guessed it: I was booked for the week that Mr. Nixon decided to visit China, a visit that sent NBC and all the networks to China with him. The interview was, of course, cancelled and never rescheduled. One can only speculate how much good such an appearance on national TV would have done. After all it was a book critical of a martyred national hero and thus unwelcome to many Americans even though it was reviewed just about everywhere. But although it made it to Penguin paperback, it never really sold all that well. Would a Today appearance have made a significant difference? Maybe not but it certainly would not have hurt. So that's my personal, perhaps a bit wistful, footnote to history.

Love, Dad/Grandpa ______

Linde Rachel took the following photos. (In the photos in which Linde appears, a local person lent a hand.) Here is what Linda says about the trip: Richard and I met at a Green Party event at the Walton compound in August of 2003. Aside from Green Party politics, the first common ground we discovered was Africa. I was preparing to leave for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Richard told me that he had interviewed Patrice Lumumba in 1960, not long before his assassination. I was awestruck. After that, every time I returned to Africa for work, Richard would sigh and say how he would love to return to Africa one more time. So we went to the Great Lakes area in June 2011, skirting the DRC to the east because that part of the country was too dangerous for tourist travel. The photos were taken in south-western Uganda and in north-western Rwanda.

Photos from Richard’s Trip to Africa

Weather

Topic: Hurricane Irene and the Hurricane of ‘38 Submitted by Dr. Nancy Carriuolo

From: Richard J. Walton Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2011 7:35 PM To: Carriuolo, Nancy E. Subject: Waiting for Irene

Dear Dr. Carriuolo: For the last few days my brother and I have been a bit preoccupied by the impending visit of Irene but ever since Wednesday morning, I've wanted you to know how glad I was to be at your coffee hour. I knew RIC was doing a lot of good stuff but until your interesting talk, I had no idea how much good stuff we were doing! A very big number of RIC people -- in all areas of the college -- are doing very good things and it has made me more proud than ever to work at RIC. You cited lots of good people by name but just as I am proud of them, I am very proud of our president, for she presides over a big and productive enterprise. We all appreciate that it's a collective effort but that effort does not happen without effective leadership ... and you have provided it and with a warmth towards all your colleagues that has contributed to RIC being a very good place to work. . . . . Now about Irene. You and Ralf have been here and you know how vulnerable we are ... but we've done all we can to "batten down the hatches" and now it's up to Mother Nature. On CNN Internet they showed some scenes from the infamous '38 Hurricane. It is one of my most vivid childhood memories. In those days there were no advance warnings and kids went off to school that morning but by the time we left school, the winds were howling. I walked home [I was 10 then] along Broad Street and thought it was awful windy as I often clung to telephone poles not to be blown away. Hundreds of people lost their lives in Rhode Island and the damage was something like four billion in today's dollars. The state was devastated! I hope Irene is not as difficult but we'll learn tomorrow. I hope the campus is spared any serious damage. This has been a tough summer on campus. I hope our paths cross one of these days before too long ... and I was very glad to be there Wednesday morning. And very proud!

Richard

Women’s Rights

On 3/25/2011 12:34 PM, Linde wrote:

Hi Yes, this article on UNIFEM Project is interesting. . . especially in view of the fact that I’d been asking to propose an evaluation strategy (linked to accountability) for what was UNIFEM at the time and what is now UN Women (mentioned in the article). It was requested by the World Bank who had publicly criticized UNIFEM for poor evaluation habits. At the time I felt I was caught between a rock and hard place because their philosophies and approaches differed so radically. The WB liked my paper and published it on their evaluation website and UNIFEM did not (it was undoubtedly too technocratic for them). But in all fairness to UNIFEM or UN Women, it’s a hell of a job to change the heavy and pervasive bias against women’s participation at all levels and in particular at higher levels where the critical decisions are made. The project we are proposing and which we are trying to get funding for includes a part where the girl beneficiaries of the secondary education program will be trained to speak publicly, to participate in their communities’ development meetings, and develop their own proposals with regard to community issues. UNIFEM projects tend to focus on government institutional settings and connections and at that level, women and their projects become token gestures rather than having significant weight. But no matter where you go it’s an uphill battle that often seems quite hopeless.

Linde

Subject: The Only Battle Worth Fighting Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:15:12 -0400 From: Richard J. Walton To: Linde

Hi, Linde: I'm glad you found this interesting. I thought you would ... and it hadn't occurred to me that, of course, you had done that work for UNIFEM. Yes, it would be good to establish women's activities where they were their own masters and not just token affairs tolerated by male-dominated government bodies. Someone once wrote [can't remember who] that the only battles worth fighting are the hopeless ones. Of course the writer didn't mean truly hopeless ones but ones that at a certain stage seem hopeless. And women have made great strides in recent decades and I think that advance is going to continue and the further along women get, the more effective they'll be in getting even further. Lord knows there are vast distances yet ahead in certain societies, especially in those where a fairly basic form of Islam is practiced ... but advances in the West do have some effect on the Third World and instant communication is making women all over the world aware of the advances in certain areas and are going to stimulate demand across the entire globe. Women have, in large areas of the world, made great advances and that is a prelude, and a promise, to further advances in the near, middle and distant future. As women often cheer: go, girl, go!

Richard

Appendix A: Letter of Solicitation

March 9, 2013

Dear Friend of Richard Walton,

We all know that Richard Walton engaged in email correspondences that were heartfelt, thought-provoking, and-sometimes-hilarious. From the early 1990s until his recent death, he tapped out thousands of these correspondences. We would like your help in gathering and organizing the very best of these correspondences into an e-book of his unpublished writings. The letters of many great men have been collected for study. We believe that a fitting memorial to Richard would be to collect the modern version of letters – his email correspondences of note.

If you wish to participate in this project, please do the following:

1. Reread the emails you received from Richard and send to us only the ones that you feel are particularly of note – worthy of publication. Send no more than the best ten emails. You will be sending them to an email address established just to receive the submissions: [email protected]

2. If you can sort and send them by topic – which you state in the subject line of your email – that will be helpful.

3. Please begin your submission with the following information, which we may use as either a header for entries from you or as part of brief bios at the end of the e-book. We need your name as you want it to appear, job title, place of residence, and how you knew Richard. Sample: John Smith; musician; Pawtucket, RI; personal friend for 30 years.

4. Please send your submission asap but no later than Friday, March 29, 2013. We hope to complete the e-book by late May 2013.

The draft will be shared with Richard and Cathy, Richard’s children. No correspondence will be published without their permission. Also, the publication may be released at a modest price as part of fundraising. If so, use of the funds must be approved by Richard and Cathy.

We are experienced writers/editors who will treat your submission with care. Thank you for considering participation in our project.

Sincerely,

Nancy Carriuolo and Herb Weiss

Appendix B: Instructions on How to Construct a Simple E-Book

How to Make an E-book of Correspondences in 12 Easy Steps

Note: Two years ago, I gathered submissions and constructed an e-book based on recollections of my high school classmates. I had been warned that an earlier printed booklet was nightmarish to gather and edit, so I thought a bit about how to make the task simple before I began the project, which was finished in a couple of months. When Herb Weiss suggested an e-book, I was confident that I knew just what to do. Here are the 12 easy steps, which I adapted to collecting correspondences in this project. Remember this is a simple e-book that a technological neophyte could assemble. More accomplished computer users could add items such as an electronically searchable index. -NC

1. Decide what types of correspondence are likely to be publishable. 2. Identify sources of those correspondences and build a data base of emails. Decide if the book will be a pro bono publication to all who are interested or whether the book will be used for some other purpose, such as fundraising. 3. Draft a letter of solicitation in which you explain the project, what criteria will be used in selection, identify family members and others who will be used to screen the final selections, limit the number of submissions that may be made and set a date by which submissions are due. Include in the letter the e-address of an electronic mailbox to which submission should be made. Also include in the letter either a template into which the submission should be typed or a header in which the person making a submission should state his name, title, home city/state, and relationship with the person with whom he/she corresponded and any other brief information needed to understand the correspondence. Do not accept correspondence that requires other published material to be included unless you are willing to spend time securing permission from the publisher to reprint. See solicitation letter on page xx. I spent a great deal of time collecting permissions to reprint. 4. Set up an electronic mail box just to receive submissions. You do not want submissions coming to your personal mail box, where you will have a confusing blend of personal and e-book mail. 5. Set up an electronic file with headers under which to file accepted submissions. (Herb Weiss picked up our project at this point.) 6. Use the established criteria to accept or reject submissions. 7. Organize the whole book by header (could be chronological or could be by topics) 8. Write a foreword to describe how the project started and its value, and a postscript analyzing what the correspondence revealed about the writer, his thoughts, interests, and relationships. What, if anything, was surprising? 9. Edit and format the submissions into a book and add photos and copyrights, as needed. (I picked up our e-book again at this point.) 10. Review the final draft with stakeholders such as surviving family members. 11. Have one outside reviewer read and comment. Make any necessary revisions, based on the review. 12. Send the book out electronically to persons who contributed. Make plans to advertise and sell the book to others if fundraising is a goal.

Appendix C: Senator Whitehouse

Appendix D: Articles by Columnist Herb Weiss

Walton’s Good Deeds Touch Many in Ocean State By Herb Weiss

Published June 2008, approved for Reprint by courtesy of Pawtucket Times

Bright and sunny skies pulled many Rhode Islander s to the beaches for fun and sun last Sunday, but for over 100 of the state’s political, social progressive activists and scores from the folk music scene, Pawtuxet Cove in Warwick was the place to be to celebrate Richard Walton s 80th Birthday Bash. The well-known social activist, homeless advocate and supporter of the poor less fortunate and needy

Some of the state’s elected officials included Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian and Representative Grace Diaz, Representative David Segal came to support the well-known social activist, homeless advocate and supporter of the poor at his 20th Annual Pot luck Benefit. The event is scheduled annually to raise monies for Amos House and the Providence-Niquinohomo NICAGARUA]Sister Project.

Walton estimates that his gathering over the years has raised over $60,000 and this year’s event, with donations still coming in, has already realized nearly $5,000.

Potluck Becomes Annual Gathering for Many

Walton, sitting on a bench wearing his trade mark straw tropical hat and a blue checkered African poncho from Niger, which was a gift. Walton remembers that a friend suggested that he plan a special party to celebrate his 60th birthday in 1988. Because he did not want to accept gifts, the event would instead become a vehicle to raise money to support two causes important to him.

Dr. Michael Fine, 55, who resides and practices in Scituate, has come to Walton s backyard get together for almost 20 years. The Family Medicine practitioner met the socially-conscious Walton almost a quarter of a century ago when both were volunteers at the Providence- Niquinohomo Sister Project. Together they helped establish a Rhode Island Group that build a health center and a school in Nicaragua.

Dr. Fine marks the first Sunday in June on his calendar each year to remember to attend Walton s annual potluck. Now it is a part of my life, says Dr. Fine. [Walton s} life gives others an example of a much better way to live, says the Scituate physician

Folk Music lovers, Rick and Barbara Wahlberg, met Walton over 20 years ago at Stone Soup Coffee House. The Cumberland couple have been coming to the Walton s annual potluck for 12 years. Ten years ago, Barbara says that she took Walton s cue, when she turned 40 years old.

She held a potluck to raise money for Providence-based Dorcas place, a program that promotes adult literacy.

Richard is a great example of a humanitarian, says her husband, Rick, who serves as President of Stone Soup Coffee House, located at Pawtucket s St. Paul s Church. If we can all be just half the humanitarian he is, it will be a better world, states Wahlberg.

For 20 years, Rudy Cheeks, a co-author of Phillip and Jorge column in the weekly Providence Phoenix, has made his pilgrimage to Walton s backyard potluck on Grenore Street. This potluck gives him an opportunity to see old friends that he sees only once a year at this event. Attending this event helps to sustain the spirit of a lot of people, Cheeks says.

Also Caring and Sharing

Walton s training at Brown University and the School of Journalism at Columbia, propelled him into a writing career. He would work as reporter at the Providence Journal, , and the New York World Telegram AND SUN. At Voice of America in Washington, DC, he would initially put in time reporting on African issue, ultimately being assigned to cover the United Nations.

Over the years the prolific writer would produce twelve books, nine being written as critical assessments of U.S. foreign policy. In the late 1960s, as a freelance writer Walton would make his living by writing for The Nation, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Village Voice, Newsday, The [old] New Republic, Playboy, Cosmopolitan and many others. He was also the former UN Secretary-General U Thant's personal editor for his memoir, The View from the United Nations.

His writing would give way to activism. Walton would run for political office and was active in the Citizens Party [the predecessor to the Green Party]. He ran as the political group,s vice presidential candidate in 1984 with the radical feminist Sonia Johnson. They did not win.

For over more than 20 years, Walton has taught English to thousands of Rhode Island students at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.

Even though he resides in Warwick, Walton has forged strong-ties to the City of Pawtucket. As a folk music advocate, he brought the regionally-acclaimed Stone Soup Coffee House and served as its president for about fifteen years. Walton also sits on the Boards of Pawtucket- based nonprofits, including the George A. Wiley Center and Slater Mill Historic Site and serves on the Executive Committee of the Pawtucket Arts Festival.

Walton has traveled to over 50 countries, making return trips to many of them.

As Walton mingles at this year’s pot luck, Rudy Cheek voices his hope that Rhode Island’s notable social advocate icon has another 80 years to live. His continued activity and contribution is huge in Rhode Island.,

Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer who covers aging, health care and medical issues. He can be reached at [email protected]. ______Activist Richard J. Walton’s Great Adventure in Life and Death

By Herb Weiss Published January 4, 2013, reprinted courtesy of the Pawtucket Times.

Throughout his 84 years, Richard J. Walton served as a role model for generations of activists, watching out and protecting Rhode Island’s voiceless citizens, showing all that positive societal changes could be made by making sound arguments. With his last breath, he even taught us how to face death. Walton, age 84, died on December 27 at Rhode Island Hospital. He had been treated for leukemia for about six months, says daughter, Cathy Walton Barnard, of Simsbury, Connecticut, who noted his last words, “I’m going on a great adventure.”

Walton Touched Many Lives Even with many in Walton’s vast progressive and activist networks knowing about his illness, people were caught off guard by his sudden passing one week ago, stated Rick Wahlberg, a computer consultant and a former president of Stone Soup Coffee House, who worked closely with Walton on the nonprofit’s Board of Directors for over 20 years and developed close personal ties. “We considered him part of our family just like many others did,” he said. . According to Wahlberg, a Cumberland resident, Walton was part of New York’s intelligentsia scene, [mingling with writers at the Lion’s Head, a bar a few steps down from Christopher Street] in Greenwich Village, where he lived making a living as a writer. Wahlberg viewed Walton as a “great example of morality, humanity and a supporter of nonviolence,” noting that his friend led an amazing life that help shaped his progressive point of view and that of his two daughters. When his oldest daughter, Corinne, heard of Walton’s passing, she remarked, “he did more in one lifetime than most.” Over the years, Wahlberg, 59, and his wife, Barbara, attended Walton’s birthday parties that would raise large sums of money for his favorite charities, attracting the state’s powerful political and media elite right to his family compound, located at Pawtuxet Cove in Warwick. This legendary fundraising event occurred from 1988 to 2011, bringing hundreds of people each year to celebrate his progressive causes. Due to his health in 2012, for the first time, Walton’s birthday was held at the Roots Cultural Center in Providence. Joyce Katzberg, 59, folksinger and a founding organizer of Stone Soup Coffee House, spent decades protesting with Walton at vigils, rallies and picket lines. She remembers him as a kind, honest person. When necessary, he was not afraid of using the “F word,” she quipped, noting that this word stood for fascism. His social advocacy “has left many ripples and impacted many Rhode Island nonprofits,” she adds.

“Richard called things for what they were, said things in ways that were hard to argue with because he had the facts, knew the background stories and did his home work. He cared enough to tell the truth,” said Katzberg, stressing how he excelled at moderating views between people with differing positions. Bruce McCrae (a.k.a. Rudy Cheeks), a co-author of Phillip and Jorge column in the weekly Providence Phoenix, who knew Walton for over 30 years as a social activist, educator and a strong advocate for traditional American Folk music, had his thoughts about his recent passing. “There is no doubt in my mind that Rhode Island would have been a much different and poorer place without his constant presence. He was a mentor to generations of students and social activists and one of the strongest voices for peace and equality that Rhode Island has ever known,” he said. McCrae, 62, says his efforts for social change extended internationally to Africa where, in 1960, he worked on a number of documentary films on the emerging independence movements on that continent and to Latin America, where he started the Sister Cities Project between Providence and Niquinohomo, Nicaragua, helping to build a medical facility and school there. One of the City of Pawtucket’s most visible social advocates, Maggi Burns Rogers, remembers Walton as someone who worked hard to improve the world without forgetting how to enjoy it. “He loved to laugh, eat, drink, was an avid gardener, knew his music, read literature and even traveled the world.” (In between his social activism, teaching and writing, during his long life Walton traveled to over 50 countries, making return trips to many of them.), “Richard won’t be remembered for just one thing because he brought his talent to so many different nonprofits,” says Rogers, including Amos House, the George Wiley Center, Stone Soup Coffee House, Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, and the Pawtucket Arts Festival Executive Committee to name just a few. With his long white beard, President Betsy Florin, of the Pawtucket-based George Wiley Center, viewed Walton as a Santa Claus-like figure. But unlike Santa, he gave every day of the year, all of his life, she said. “His real gift was not something tangible that could be wrapped in a pretty box and placed under a tree, it was, rather a gift of imagination combined with activism.” Walton “imagined a world of decency and fairness and then sought to make that happen,” said Florin. As to Walton’s daughter, Barnard, 52, even in her earliest childhood memories she remembers her father as being an activist, who once marched with his young daughter at a gay pride parade. While not being an activist to “his degree” the Preschool teacher is very politically active in her local community. Today, Barnard is a diehard New York Mets fan. When Barnard and her brother visited their father in New York, he often took them to watch the team play at Shea Stadium. (As noted in an Op Ed penned by Walton in 2000, throughout his life Walton’s favorite baseball player and hero was Hank Greenberg, a Jewish baseball player who played in the major leagues in the 1930s and 1940s, primarily for the Detroit Tigers. He was considered to be one of the premier power

83 hitters of his generation. Walton noted that Greenberg, who experienced anti Semitism, would encourage another player subject to slurs from the sidelines, that was Jackie Robinson.) Six Lifetimes Jammed into One Walton’s life is richly detailed in Wikipedia, a web-based free content encyclopedia. Born in Saratoga Springs, New York, Walton grew up in South Providence in the 1930s, graduating from Classical High School in 1945. After taking a two year break from his studies at Brown University, serving as a journalist mate in the U.S. Navy, he returned to receive a bachelor’s degree in 1951. He whet his appetite for music by working as disc jockey at Providence radio station WICE before enrolling in Columbia School of Journalism where he later earned a masters in journalism degree in 1955. Walton’s training at Brown University and the School of Journalism at Columbia propelled him into a writing career. During his early years he worked as a reporter at the Providence Journal, and the New York World Telegram and Sun. At Voice of America in Washington, D.C., Walton would initially put in time reporting on African issues, ultimately being assigned to cover the United Nations. The prolific writer would eventually publish 12 books, nine being written as critical assessments of U.S. Foreign policy. In the late 1960s, as a freelance writer, he made his living by writing for The Nation, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Village Voice, Newsday, The [old] New Republic, Cosmopolitan, even Playboy. He was also the former UN Secretary-General U Thant’s personal editor for his memoir, “The View from the United Nations.” In 1981, after 26 years of living outside of Rhode Island, he would return, ultimately becoming one of the most recognizable social activists around, fighting against hunger, homelessness and poverty. The journalist would run for political office and was active in the Citizens Party [the predecessor to the Green Party]. He ran as the political group’s vice presidential candidate in 1984 with the radical feminist Sonia Johnson. They did not win. For over 25 years, Walton has taught writing to thousands of students at Rhode Island College (RIC). Walton fought to successfully establish a union at this university, hammering out a contract, ultimately serving as its first president until his death. With his death, RIC President Nancy Carriuolo called for lowering the flags on campus to half-staff in his memory. Walton was married to Margaret Hilton and Mary Una Jones, both marriages ending in divorce. He is survived by his daughter Cathy Walton Barnard and son Richard Walton and three grandchildren.

Big Shoes to Fill Walton, with his long white hair and beard, wearing his trademark blue overalls, bandana and Stone Soup baseball cap, serves as a role model to the younger generations of social activists, those who will take up his worthy causes to fight for justice, to end poverty, hunger, and

84 homelessness. He taught us how to live life to the fullest, exploring the world while not forgetting to help those in need. Walton’s life turned out to be a grand adventure. But even with death approaching he taught us to take that leap of faith into the unknown, recognizing that death, too, can be and even grander adventure. The family is planning a memorial service to be held the first weekend in June. Herb Weiss, LRI ’12, is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer who covers health care, aging and medical issues. He can be reached at [email protected]. ______

Red Bandana Fund Concert to be Walton’s Legacy By Herb Weiss

Published June 7, 2013 and reprinted courtesy of the Pawtucket Times

Richard Walton, who died on Dec. 27, would have loved it. Five months after his death one late Sunday afternoon, over 40 people including the musicians who had just played at The Red Bandana Fund Inaugural Concert (that was attended by hundreds), family members along with the organizers and volunteers of this fundraiser, gathered to drink beer and reminisce about Walton’s extraordinary life at his favorite Pawtucket hangout, Doherty’s East Avenue Irish Pub.

People swapped favorite stories for hours, detailing how the late Walton “touched their lives,” noted one attendee, Richard Wahlberg, one of the organizers. “Everyone had such an interesting story to tell about Richard,” he stated, noting that the Warwick resident, known as a social activist, educator, humanitarian, very prolific writer, and a co-founder of Pawtucket’s Stone Soup Coffee House “had made everyone feel that they themselves had a very special, close relationship with him.”

Seeing so many of Walton’s friends at June 2nd concert, Wahlberg and other attending viewed the event as a “gathering of the clan” since the audience was really Walton’s extended Rhode Island family.

Walton’s Legacy of Supporting the Needy

The idea to organize last weekend’s fundraiser concert to raise money to support the causes of the late Richard Walton and others like him who work to improve the human condition was literally kicked around a few days after Walton’s death by his daughter, Cathy Barnard, his son Richard and a few close friends, noted nationally-acclaimed children’s entertainer and storyteller, Bill Harley.

According to Harley, an annual fundraiser, supporting the newly formed Red Bandana Fund, would replace Walton’s annual birthday bash – usually held the first Sunday in June – to raise money for Amos House & the Providence-Niquinohomo Sister City Project and other progressive causes. Over 24 years, Walton had raised large sums of money for these favorite

85 charities, attracting hundreds of people each year including the state’s powerful political and media elite to celebrate his progressive causes at his family compound located at Pawtuxet Cove in Warwick.

Coming up with a name for Walton’s fundraiser that would ultimately be tied to his unique fashion sense and was the idea of her brother, Richard, states Barnard. Her brother, like most people, had a vivid, visual image of his father, who had long white hair and beard, being known for wearing his trademark worn blue jean overalls, a red bandana and Stone Soup baseball cap.

“When Dad’s closest friends came over to the house after his death they wanted one of his red bandanas to remember him,” Barnard remembered.

It was like a talisman to them,” stated Barnard, that became a great way to create the perfect moniker and recognition for an upcoming fundraiser.

Barnard says that her father didn’t opt for a traditional burial, so there would be no monument of stone over his grave to remember him or a place for family and friends to visit. His cremated remains were scattered the day before the Sunday fundraiser by his family and very close friends in his beloved garden and sent by paper boat from the inlet where his compound was located into Narragansett Bay.

But, there is The Red Bandana Fund now, says Barnard, noting that “we cannot think of a more appropriate memorial.” Over 300 people attended the inaugural Walton fundraiser, bringing in more than $12,000 from ticket sales, silent action and raffle.

At this event, the first recipient of The Red Bandana Fund Award, Amos House, was chosen because of Walton’s very long relationship with the Providence-based nonprofit. He was a founding board member, serving for over 30 years, being board chair for a number of years. For almost three decades, the homeless advocate spent an overnight shift with the men who lived in the 90-Day Shelter Program each Thursday bringing them milk and cookies. Each Friday morning he would make pancakes and eggs in the soup kitchen for hundreds of men and women who came to eat a hot meal.

Putting the Pieces Together

The organizers were gathered by Bill Harley on the advice of Richard’s family and those closest to him from the progressive community and organizations Richard was affiliated with. In true Richard Walton fashion this was a largely self-organizing group built on the complementary strengths of the members, noted Wahlberg. Over five months, this group had planned all the organizational facets, from marketing, pre-selling tickets, booking Shea High School, recruiting volunteers for the day of the event, along with getting items donated to be sold at a silent auction and raffle.

With the decision to host a fundraising concert, “it became incredibly painful to have to limit the list of who we would invite to play,” said Harley, noting that everyone who knew Walton wanted to perform to pay tribute to him.

As Rudy Cheeks, of Phillipe + Jorge’s Cool, Cool, World, would remark in his May 31st column, the two hour concert would be an amazing blend of folk and traditional music, a little bit of classical, along with singer-songwriting greats, all sharing the same stage for the evening. They included: widely recognized singers and song writers, Bill Harley, Kate Katzberg, Atwater- Donnelly, Sally Rogers and Howie Bursen, Christina Tompson, accompanied by Cathy Clasper- Torch on fiddle and Marty Ballou on stand up bass. Consuelo Sherba opened the concert by playing a short classical set.

According to Harley, who served as the event’s musical director, internet files of the selected music (three songs for each performer) went back and forth between those chosen to play, to help them to quickly learn the music to be played at the upcoming concert. He noted that each song had to have simple chord arrangements with words that the audience could easily remember. Most important, “these songs were chosen to reflect who Richard, the person was,” he said. Amazingly, the musicians would gather just two hours before the performance to practice with each other.

Those Who Knew Him

At intermission, I caught up with Andy Smith, former music critic at the Providence Journal who now covers hard news for that daily paper. He knew Walton for years covering Stone Soup Coffee House and sporadically attending his legendary birthday party over the years. “No one could hang out in Rhode Island without knowing about Richard Walton,” he says. That’s true.

The Red Bandana Fund Inaugural Concert was a “very sweet, very nice chance for people who know Richard to come together and celebrate his life,” observed Smith, noting that “the best way to do this was through music.” He would have had a good time if he were here today, says Smith, adding that “May be he is here [in spirit].”

Like many attendees, Jane Falvey, treasurer of Stone Soup Coffee House noted, that Walton touched many lives. “Like stones cast into a pond, the ripples form ever-widening circles that overlap, and so it was at the inaugural Red Bandana Concert – Richard’s many circles embracing each other in remembering and celebrating his wonderful life and the purpose he created in all of us,” she said.

Also in attendance, Dr. Michael Fine, Director of Rhode Island’s Department of Health, who came with his wife, Carol, called Walton his “old friend,” giving him a unique descriptive nickname, the “Prince of Pay it Forward.”

Dr. Fine believes that Walton understood the value of living in a democracy. “He taught us about this value and gave us examples of what we would have to do each and every day to keep it alive,” he said. Walton also taught us how to take care of each other,” stated Dr. Fine.

Linde Rachel, a resident of Maureillas, France, and companion of Walton’s for 9 years who traveled with him throughout Europe, Africa and the Baltic States, sees an important message

87 in the songs sung at last Sunday’s The Red Bandana Fundraiser. “The songs were all about being part of a community, the one that he helped to create and was part of,” stated Rachel.

Days later, Barnard tells me that she is thrilled with the success of The Red Bandana Fund Inaugural Concert. “We were amazed at the large turnout,” she says, noting that she even met people in person she had heard her father talk about over his long years.

“We’re hoping that this will be just the beginning and not the end of it,” says Barnard, the beginning legacy of her father’s long-tradition of giving back to those in need.

Her father would surely nod his head in agreement.

For more information about donating to The Red Bandana Fund, go to http://www.soup.org/page1/RedBandana.html.

Afterword

Although Richard Walton died last December, I am sure it seems just like yesterday to my co-editor, Dr. Nancy Carriuolo, and to Richard’s family and vast network of friends.

Although we can no longer see him in our daily travels, Richard’s essence, observations and thoughts on myriad topics can be found in his e-writings, sent to thousands over the years.

In the Foreword, Co-editor Dr. Carriuolo stated “Over the centuries the correspondence of great men have been published and studied after their deaths.” Sadly, today many have traded in their pen for the key board, to keep in touch. Now, emails, like written correspondence before the advent of the internet, bring instantaneous contact, to those living in the same city or across the globe.

How do you feel going to the basement and pulling out of old cardboard boxes old birthday cards, handwritten correspondence or notes, given to you by family members and friends who gave you love, encouragement, and praise when they were once alive? Long gone, now their words come back to bring joyful memories of earlier years.

Some of our email recipients responded saying that they were not able to pass on their communications with Richard because his emails were deleted. So, value your email correspondence as you would treasure a well-written letter. Instead of quickly deleting your electronically transmitted messages, I suggest file the more meaningful ones for a reading later.

I hope reading Richard’s emails in this e-book brought you back to the days when you saw him in downtown Providence at the Court House protesting the Iraq war, fighting to protect the homeless and poor or even at an open mike at Stone Soup Coffee House.

Over his 28-year career in the Rhode Island College English Department, Richard brought his incredible knowledge and understanding of the English language to thousands of his students. Reading an email to a former student sheds light on his passion and love for teaching: “I still weep in class now and then. I am so lucky to have taught for so many years. Best job in the world!” Rhode Island College was just plain lucky to have Richard as an adjunct professor.

In one of his emails, Richard wrote that baseball is a classic American sport. Several of his messages share his great admiration for the great first baseman, Hank Greenberg, of the Detroit Tigers. His love for this Jewish baseball player began as a child when he grew up listening to the game on the radio, during an era of rampant anti-Semitism and racism. Even at the ripe old age of 72, Richard wrote a powerful Op Ed in the Providence Journal about Greenberg after reading a four-star review of the movie, “The Live and Times of Hank Greenberg.” Richard admitted that he shed tears over “a long-dead baseball player,” giving me a glimpse of how young man who would not accept the bigotry of his generation and who

90 would later turn his attention and energy to fighting against society’s ignorance and indifference to the less fortunate.

In another Op Ed in the Providence Journal, documented in an email, Richard even directly confronted his serious health struggle which he ultimately lost, documenting his heartfelt appreciation of the nurses who took care of him on the eight floor Oncology unit.

Being a brilliant writer and an observer of life, Richard’s emails covered a wide range of his progressive issues on the topic of homelessness (spending Christmas at Amos House), the Rhode Island Governor's race, and national politics, education, and women’s rights. He jumped into giving his two cents about the Lion’s Head, his favorite New York hangout, boxing and baseball, and even his views on religion and the weather.

The emails in our e-book, The Selected E-mail Correspondences of Richard Walton, will magically propel you into the distant past, allowing you to easily remember your own philosophical banters and discussions with Richard, even giving you the opportunity to re- experiencing his sharp wit, humor and his humbleness. Just close your eyes after you read the emails in our e-book. I am sure you will once again feel his energy and essence.

Dr. Carriuolo and I wish to thank Michael Billow for allowing us to reach Richard’s family and his friends, through his email address book. More important, we are indebted to those who took the time to respond to share a little of their Internet conversations with Richard.

While so painful to admit Richard is no longer here, his beautiful and thoughtful and provocative writings to his family and friends make him come alive once again to us.

-Herb Weiss