In the Company of Rebels: A Generational Memoir of Bohemians, Deep Heads, and History Makers

American social change movements of the 1960s and 1970s were dominated by ordinary people who cared, rather than celebrity activists. This book creates a collective portrait of these rebels, artists, radicals, and thinkers, exploring their issues of justice, the environment, feminism, and colonialism. It connects to the present moment, as many people find themselves protesting for the first time.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 14 May 2019
Publisher: New Village Press

Since the 1960s, meetings with remarkable activists have been a hallmark of American social change movements. These movements, which dominated the 1960s and 1970s, were not led by a handful of celebrity activists but by ordinary people who cared deeply about the issues they were fighting for. These history makers, together, transformed the political and spiritual landscape of America and laid the foundation for many of the social movements that exist today.

Through a series of 43 vignettes, the author creates a collective portrait of the rebels, artists, radicals, and thinkers who raised many of the issues of justice, the environment, feminism, and colonialism that we are now familiar with. These vignettes, which are tight biographical sketches of the characters and intimate memories of the author's personal encounters with them, showcase the diverse range of individuals who played a role in shaping the radical history of America.

The stories and lives of these characters take us from Berkeley to Bolivia, from New York to New Mexico, revealing a complex and multi-layered radical history. From Marty Schiffenhauer, who fought through the first rent-control law in the United States, to Ponderosa Pine, who started the All-Species Parade and never wore shoes, to Dan and Patricia Ellsberg, who released the Pentagon Papers and became lifelong anti-war and antinuclear activists, the portraits bring out some of the vibrant, irreverent energy, unwavering commitment, and passion for life of these generations of activists.

In our present moment, as many people find themselves in the streets protesting for the first time in their lives, In the Company of Rebels makes the connection to this relatively recent rebellious era. As the author comments on her own twenty-year-old self, sitting at the counter of Codys Books in Berkeley in the early 1970s, thrilled about the times but oblivious of the work that came before: "I didn't know anything about this courageous and colorful past. I was just excited to be part of it."

Through her vivid storytelling and personal anecdotes, the author invites us to reflect on the legacy of these activists and the ongoing struggle for social justice and equality. In the Company of Rebels serves as a reminder that history is not just about the past but about the present and the future, and that the work of activists and thinkers continues to shape the world we live in today.

Weight: 650g
Dimension: 159 x 237 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781613320969