Recently finished reading a really interesting book - large part of it dealing
with the folk revival, particularly the Greenwich Village folk scene in the
sixties, but also Philadelphia, Miami and Woodstock. The other major elements
deal with growing up in the 1940's/50's as a 'red diaper' baby, and end with
a transition to radical feminism-early 1970's.
A time machine bringing vividly back to mind the late 50's-early 60's - music in the village and visits to the Folklore Center.
The book is an autobiography/memoir by ALIX DOBKIN titled MY RED BLOOD (lovely title, drawn from Dylan Thomas, but having multiple meanings), published last year.
Read it through in a few sittings and thoroughly enjoyed it.
When I first saw the film REDS I got a similar "old home week" feeling - these were events, people, whom I admired and had read about, a time of lively disputation, ideas, energy, creativity, commitment - quite exhilarating!
If anyone has read it, please let me know your feelings about it.
Don't know if anyone knows of ALIX DOBKIN - her fame came AFTER the period covered by this book. About 1974 she published an LP aimed at the radical feminist/lesbian community titled LAVENDER JANE LOVES WOMEN (actually a pretty enjoyable record - always wondered why she didn't make it on the 'folk scene'...). It spawned
the "women's music" industry. But that came AFTER the time of this memoir.
Best wishes, Thomas.