[lbo-talk] John Ross, 1938-2011

[J Cullen]

I last saw John Ross about 15 years ago, when he passed through 
Austin, and I would have guessed he was in his late 60s then.  But he 
was a great radical journalist, the kind of guy some of us thought we 
wanted to be before we got used to a regular paycheck and room and 
board.  Maybe now that many journalists have lost their regular 
paychecks and homes, we'll see more John Rosses.

-- Jim Cullen


>I hadn't seen John Ross in years - used to talk to him and see him 
>now & then about 15 years ago. Wonderful, fascinating guy. Sad. 72 
>doesn't sound so old to me anymore.
>
>Doug
>---------------
>
>I never met him, but heard of him, forgot the name, but his profile 
>was astonishingly like some art friends of my stepfather in LA and 
>Guadalajara. There is a true grit quality to these guys that is hard 
>to miss in their physical nature, the beatings they took and even 
>gave themselves in their politics, drugs, alcohol, and various 
>tobaccos, their ancient sweaters, goofy hats, the gravel of their 
>voices and the extraordinarily hard beauty of their works and lives.
>
>I was following some of the obits today and musing. Hard to imagine 
>anybody with the full balls and or foolishness to live like that. I 
>sure couldn't and have only vague memories of a very few who did 
>once upon a time. None lasted much after 60 let alone 72 and even 
>some of their kids cashed out before 40.
>
>I was encouraged actually. Hard to say why. You can live to 72 on 
>the fringe of poverty, politics, intellectual edges, and numerous 
>fronts of revolt and do art, music and or poetry. Hell yeah.
>
>CG
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