I have a very crappy cable package. In some parts of the country, it's called "lifeline cable," and the cable company won't tell you about it unless you ask. Which means I watch a lot of C-SPAN.
This morning, while my coffee was brewing, I tuned in to see Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher of The Nation, introduce author, photographer, and labor reporter David Bacon, who happens to live in Berkeley.
In the middle of her introduction, Katrina suddenly launched into a fairly detailed account of Carey McWilliams's early career, including his labor writing and appointment to the California Division of Immigration and Housing. I almost did a spit-take with my coffee. I think it's the first time I've ever heard Carey's name uttered on television.
I managed to keep the coffee in my mouth, but I regret that I never interviewed Katrina for American Prophet. (Others I missed were Ralph Nader, Studs Terkel, and Hunter S. Thompson.) I understand she helped organize his papers for the UCLA Library, and The Nation ran a favorable review by Mike Davis a month before the book came out. (See the link to the right.)
Many of Carey's fans back east are only vaguely aware of his pre-Nation accomplishments, so I'm glad to see that Katrina is acknowledging them publicly.
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