I've organized a panel for the Left Forum, titled "Neurotic? Can't Organize? What the fuck is wrong with us?"
The entire conference will be held from Friday May 20 thru Sunday May 22 at John Jay College, entrance on 11th Avenue between 58th and 59th St. in Manhattan (near Columbus Circle). Register <http://www.leftforum.org/civicrm/event/info?id=897&reset=1>HERE. If you register before May 16, you can get 10%-40% off. And if you volunteer for the conference (talk to them, not me!), you can get in for free. *
Our workshop will occur on Saturday, May 21, at 12 noon thru 1:50 pm, in Room 1.129 . (Unfortunately, there will be a march against Monsanto at the same time, downtown.)
Here's the abstract:
"Raising others' consciousness"? "Sending a message"? "Issuing demands"? -- all doom the Left in the U.S. to oblivion. This panel looks at the social psychology of Leftists (and others), the ways we deceive ourselves, where it comes from, what to do about it, and other ways to look at politics than the usual Left canon!
Ann Snitow, Author, "The Feminism of Uncertainty: A Gender Diary" Irene Javors, Psychotherapist; Author, "Culture Notes: Essays on Sane Living" Sister Dragonfly, Church of Stop Shopping Choir Jack Shalom, WBAI Radio 99.5 FM NYC Margaret Stevens, Historian, Veterans for Peace advisory board Mitchel Cohen, Red Balloon Poetry Conspiracy; Author, "What Is Direct Action?" Debbie Despina Sophia Stamos, Missile-Dick Chicks
Papers by several of our speakers can be downloaded <http://www.leftforum.org/content/neurotic-unable-organize-what-fuck-wrong-us>HERE. You might also look up each speaker's background at that link.
Funny thing about that. After I'd submitted all the names, I realized that five of the seven speakers are in one way or another involved with WBAI radio. Jack, Irene, Dragonfly and I each are unpaid staff on three of the art shows, and Jack and I are also volunteers at WBAI. (Just the other day Jack loaned the use of his credit card to purchase a printer for mailing labels and for stamps so we could finally get those old premiums mailed out. Thank you, Jack!) Ann Snitow, it turns out, used to host (40 years ago!) one of the first feminist shows on WBAI. I'm still trying (for two years now) to get Essex County College (Newark) Professor and Iraq veteran (against the war) Margaret Stevens onto the air. We all have a lot of unusual & different! things to say, so come to our panel!
Hope to see you at the Left Forum. It starts earlier this year, with pre-conference activities on Friday afternoon.
- Mitchel Cohen
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* <http://www.mitchelcohen.com/>REMEMBERING FR. DAN <http://www.mitchelcohen.com/>BERRIGAN
* <http://www.mitchelcohen.com/?P=3221>NEW YORKERS PROTEST STOLEN ELECTION AT THE NYC BOARD OF <http://www.mitchelcohen.com/?P=3221>ELECTIONS Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything, That's how the light gets in. ~ Leonard Cohen