Remembering Mahatma Zinn

Howard Zinn was above all a gentleman of unflagging grace, humility and compassion.

No
American historian has left a more lasting positive legacy on our
understanding of the true nature of our country, mainly because his
books reflect a soul possessed of limitless depth.

Howard's People's History of the United States will not be
surpassed. As time goes on new chapters will be written in its spirit
to extend its reach.

But his timeless masterpiece broke
astonishing new ground both in its point of view and its comprehensive
nature. The very idea of presenting the American story from the point
of view of the common citizen was itself revolutionary. That he pulled
it off with such apparent ease and readability borders on the
miraculous. That at least a million Americans have bought and read it
means that its ongoing influence is immense. It is truly a history
book that has and will continue to change history for the better.

But that doesn't begin to account for Howard's personal influence.
He was a warm, unfailingly friendly compadre. He shared a beautiful
partnership with his wonderful wife, Roz, a brilliant, thoroughly
committed social worker about whom he once said: "You and I just talk
about changing the world. She actually does it."

But Howard was no ivory tower academic. His lectures were engaging,
exciting and inspirational. But they took on an added dimension because
he was personally engaged, committed and effective. He chose to write
books and articles in ways that could impact the world in which they
were published. He showed up when he was needed, and always had a sixth
sense about exactly what to say, and how.

Perhaps the most meaningful tribute to pay this amazing man is to
say how he affected us directly. Here are two stories I know
intimately:

In 1974, my organic commune-mate Sam Lovejoy
toppled a weather tower as a protest against the coming of a nuclear
power plant. When Sam needed someone to testify on how this act of
civil disobedience fit into the fabric of our nation's history, Howard
did not hesitate. His testimony in that Springfield, Massachusetts
courtroom (see "Lovejoy's Nuclear War" via www.gmpfilms.com)
remains a classic discourse on the sanctity of non-violent direct
action and its place in our national soul. (Sam was acquitted, and we
stopped that nuke!)

Three years earlier I sent Howard a rambling 300-page manuscript
under the absurdly presumptuous title A People's History of the United States, 1860-1920. Written in a drafty communal garage in the
Massachusetts hills by a long-haired 20-something graduate school
dropout, the manuscript had been rejected by virtually every publisher
in America, often accompanied with nasty notes to the tune of: "NEVER
send us anything like this again."

But I sent a copy to Howard, whom I had never met. He replied with
a cordial note typed on a single sheet of yellow paper, which I still
treasure. I showed it to Hugh Van Dusen at Harper & Row, who
basically said Harper had no idea why anyone would ever read such a
book, but that if Howard Zinn would write an introduction, they'd
publish it (though under a more appropriate title).

He did, and they did...and my life was changed forever.

Thankfully,
Hugh then had the good sense to ask Howard to write a real people's
history by someone--the only one--who could handle the job. He
did....and all our lives have been changed forever.

Howard labored long and hard on his masterpiece, always retaining
that astonishing mixture of humor and humility that made him such a
unique and irreplaceable treasure. No one ever wrote or spoke with a
greater instinct for the True and Vital. His unfailing instinct for
what is just and important never failed him--or us. The gentle,
lilting sound of his voice put it all to unforgettable music that will
resonate through the ages.

A few days ago I wrote Howard asking if he'd consider working on a
film about the great Socialist labor leader Eugene V. Debs, whose story
Howard's books have uniquely illuminated.

Eugene V. Debs was
beloved by millions of Americans who treasured not only his clarity of
a shared vision for this nation, but his unshakeable honesty and
unquestioned integrity.

Debs ran five times for president. He conducted his last campaign
from a federal prison cell in Atlanta, where he was locked up by
Woodrow Wilson. He got a million votes (that we know of). "While there
is a soul in prison," he said, unforgettably, "I am not free."

Debs had deeply shaken Wilson with his brilliant, immeasurably
powerful opposition to America's foolish and unjust entry into World
War I, and his demands for a society in which all fairly shared. In the
course of his magnificent decades as our pre-eminent labor leader, Debs
established a clear vision of where this nation could and should go for
a just, sustainable future. Enshrined in Howard's histories, it remains
a shining beacon of what remains to be done.

Through his decades as our pre-eminent people's historian, through
his activism, his clarity and his warm genius, Howard Zinn was also an
American Mahatma, a truly great soul, capable of affecting us all.

Like
Eugene V. Debs, it is no cliche to say that Howard Zinn truly lives
uniquely on at the core of our national soul. His People's History and
the gift of his being just who he was, remains an immeasurable,
irreplaceable treasure.

Thanks, Howard, for more than we can begin to say.