Marty Jezer (1940–2005)

This is an excellent biography. It has everything required: it is written by someone who knew Hoffman, it is a good Cromwellian, warts and all tale but compiled with love.

Hoffman is a complex character; he is driven by civic duty but is not always kind to those closest to him. In his defence, he is clearly bi-polar. He was, however, the truest of the early Hippie leaders. Jerry Rubin famously split to the Yippies and became a founder of the Yuppie movement - Hoffman never deviates: he matures but, retains the idealism.

A really good introduction to the man and his philosophy.… (mere)

4 stars: Very good

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Biography of always (not just 60s) activist Abbie Hoffman. I found this biography to be very well balanced, which is a "must" for me. Its thoughtful, solidly researched, and an interesting read. I decided to pick this book up at this time because of the current ""Occupy Wall Street" protests. I found some of Abbie's messages about activism, what works and what doesn't, to be very prescient. I am sure he would have been out there with OWS, but also perhaps taught them some things as well. I also found his influence by Psychologist Abraham Maslow in his time at Brandeis to be very intriguing.

I remember when he committed suicide. My mom talked about him and his life. It was a loss. He truly believed and lived his entire life, not just a certain few years, in making change in his surroundings.

Some excerpts I liked:

"Even more seductive was [Maslow's] belief that social rebellion was not necessarily a manifestation of maladjustment and that conformity did not necessarily represent healthy or moral behavior."

"Abbie spoke on the need to create a coalition of blacks, Puerto Ricans and "poor white trash" to fight for economic rights. ..."The time has come to say its not because you're black that you're getting a raw deal, its because you're poor". ... the struggle for civil rights was first and foremost one of social and economic rights.

What impressed [future wife Anita] was his passionate belief that hunger was not God-given, that people could change the world, and that political leaders could write poetry.

[Prior to the '68 Chicago convention} The two Yippies argued what was their responsibility as leaders. Jerry argued that having gotten the demonstration off the ground, the leaders should obey their own rhetoric and disappear into the crowd. Despite all he said about the virtues of leaderlessness, Abbie now argued that leadership was needed. Whatever happened in the coming week would be a form of guerilla theater, and they had to take responsibility for doing it right. [This section reminded me very much of the "leaderless" OWS protests going on now].

In such a power vacuum the initiative for action easily passed to those groups...who came to Chicago determined to create their own theater. They were intent, as usual, on provoking the police, on the assumption that police brutality would radicalize the demonstrators and propel the movement in a more leftward and revolutionary direction.

[Co defendant] David Dellinger was the one defendant who believed that it was sometimes necessary to go to jail for one's principles. He believed in the Quaker principle of speaking truth to power, and letting the chips fall where they may.

He admired assertive women. He was secure enough in his own identity that feminist ideas did not threaten him. Being a Maslovian, he readily grasped one of femininism's basic arguments, that "our culture does not permit women to grow and fulfill their potentialities as human beings" [Betty Friedan].

Above all else, Abbie valued positive, self motivated people who, when challenged with a difficult problem, set out to solve it.

People with strong self identities, who were not intimidated by him and who could speak their mind, generally got along with Abbie, no matter what their views.

It was Giordano's view that if you wanted to organize people for political change, you had to accept and become part of their culture.

When people feel they have an important role that appeals to their self esteem, they are usually willing to abide by the rules of a popular movement. But in order to get their cooperation, they also have to feel that the goals of the movement are their own.

Don't waste time attacking the press. Learn how to use the media. Don't attack leaders, but insist that they be accountable. Impatience is a virtue, but you also have to be responsible and business like; show up on time for meetings, do what you say you are going to do. Politics should be fun, but people are also moved by moral persuasion.… (mere)