Author Archive
December 30, 2013 by tomdalzell
Gabby in Clark Park
In August 1970, Gabby left Philadelphia to return to California. The grape boycott had been won, and thousands of lettuce workers were on strike in Salinas. In leaving, he left Young Emily, the could-be-dream-lover of his lifetime. They said goodbye in Clark Park, not knowing if they would see each other again. Here is what […]
December 29, 2013 by tomdalzell
More Bus in Culture
I am feeling extremely creative. And I am engaged in major avoidance. So instead of doing what I need to do, I went down the rabbit hole once again and lost myself in the role and depiction of the bus in popular culture. I will start with a quote. When I first read these words […]
December 28, 2013 by tomdalzell
More South Philadelphia Cultural Markers
Well, this is a digression within a digression within a digression. Avoidance behavior? Perhaps. I need to finish a book – deadline in five days, and I’m sick of sitting around here trying to write this book. But – also – feeling the flame of South Philadelphia, and wanting to be near it. So, for […]
December 28, 2013 by tomdalzell
Gabby in South Philly
My friend Gabby spent time in South Philadelphia in late 1969. This was before he discovered West Philadelphia and before we met each other at the Dirty Drug. And before Young Emily. Here is how he described his time in South Philly: But – no matter – with them thinking that I was out […]
December 28, 2013 by tomdalzell
Gabby in Kensington
Gabby lived in Kensington, at 2536 North Mascher Street, from September 1969 until he returned to California in August 1970. I too lived on Mascher Street for June and July 1970, working on the grape boycott. Which we won! Here is what Gabby wrote about his arrival in Philadelphia and his first impressions […]
December 28, 2013 by tomdalzell
Best Cheesesteak in Philadelphia
What, you may ask, does a vegetarian know about cheesesteaks? Valid question What can a vegetarian possibly add to this debate? Yes, valid concern. Well, I was not always a vegetarian. I ate meat, including an occasional steak sandwich, until I was 18. In Philadelphia. That said, I was a picky eater. Lots of […]
December 25, 2013 by tomdalzell
Red Sun Rising Posters
The late 1960s and early 1970s were a Golden Age of posters. Pop art intersected with rock and roll that intersected with protest and social movements. Hundreds, even thousands of posters relating to social change, manifested by political activity or cultural markers such as music, were there for the taking, free or very cheap. […]
December 22, 2013 by tomdalzell
Murals #1 – Struggle
There are dozens of murals in Berkeley. Some are more commissioned-looking than others, some are naive, some are polished and refined. Some are quirky in and of themselves, while all of them add to the overall quirky state of Berkeley. I am starting here with murals that celebrate struggle. “Struggle” is a loaded word. […]
December 22, 2013 by tomdalzell
Black Panther Murals
The Black Panthers, an original product of Berkeley and Oakland, were masters of the image. They dressed and posed for maximum effect. The covers of their newspaper were stunning, both in shocking content and graphics. Their posters evoked rage and determination. Although only a few of the original Panthers made it this far, the party […]
December 2, 2013 by tomdalzell