[AGL] Pete, Mike and Peggy

[Gerry]

Mike,
We all have our own heroes and standards for awarding the prize. For a poor
boy growing up in backward, racist Centex, a man who had Seeger's balls is a
hero.
G

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Eisenstadt" <michaele at hotpop.com>
To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s"
<austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 11:42 AM
Subject: Re: [AGL] Pete, Mike and Peggy


> Gerry,
>
> May I submit a friendly response to your letter?
>
>
> > Thumbed his nose at the HUAC and became an indicted "criminal".
>
> Unlike Elia Kazan who named names to keep from being blacklisted in his
> profession, Seeger who was self-employed was in a position to do the right
> thing. I applaud it but it doesnt make him a genuine hero except in a
quite
> devalued sense of the word.
>
> > Dedicated himself to uplifting the working class, not just the CPUSA.
>
> "uplifting the working class", how did he do that? Or rather what did you
do
> that uplifted them? You are mouthing an empty slogan
>
> > A tireless campaigner for peace all his life (even today at age 86.)
> Meaning what precisely?
>
> > Eschewed a life of comfort to work with his hands and do his own thing
> > against the grain.
>
> He bought property at the perfect time in the depression. Wise move,
hardly
> heroic.
>
> > Born into the upper class but never joined it.
>
> Au contraire. One cannot unjoin the class one was born into. On this
point,
> Stalin was right. Seeger has lived the alternative lifesyle of a
gentleman.
> A good choice but one only open to the well bred.
>
>
> > Both father and son "...stood amid peril for his beliefs. He had
typified
> > the principles of all the brave people he had sung about."
>
> Empty phrases. You are just mouthing cliches.
>
> Best,
>
> Mike
>
> -- Original Message -----
> > From: "Michael Eisenstadt" <michaele at hotpop.com>
> > To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s"
> > <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 8:52 AM
> > Subject: Re: [AGL] Pete, Mike and Peggy
> >
> >
> >> Gerry,
> >>
> >> How is a hero? Or, better, a genuine American hero?
> >> Because he moved to the country? He was not a criminal,
> >> a good guy, and he built his own place in the country.
> >> And sang hard to advance the program of the CPUSA
> >> but didn't join. Does that make him a hero?
> >>
> >> Mike Seegar whether or not he is mentioned in the New
> >> Yorker piece, remains Pete Seeger's half-brother. Peggy
> >> Seegar is Mike's sister. They spell their last name differently
> >> than Pete Seeger does.
> >>
> >> Mike
> >>
> >> "Born in the UUUUesAY, born in the UUUUesAY" - Bruce
> >> Springsteen
> >>
> >>  ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Gerry" <mesmo at gilanet.com>
> >> To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s"
> >> <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
> >> Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 9:29 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [AGL] technicolor fallout
> >>
> >>
> >> > The wife, Toshi, is an American who is half Japanese. (Toshi is short
> > for
> >> > Toshiko, a popular Japanese name.) They (Seegers) lived most of their
> >> > lives
> >> > in a house they built on the cheap in the country in 1949, still live
> >> > there.
> >> > He is 86.
> >> >
> >> > His style developed by singing to large groups, mostly outdoors with
no
> >> > P/A
> >> > with groups like the Almanac Singers (with Woodie Guthrie) and the
> >> > Weavers.
> >> > The idea was to get the audience to sing along, lift their spirits,
to
> >> > have
> >> > fun. He liked to sing for children. The studio was an alien
environment
> > to
> >> > him.
> >> >
> >> > The father was an eccentric communist who quit lucrative teaching
jobs
> > (he
> >> > founded the music department at Berkeley) to travel in a homebuilt
> > camper
> >> > (with family in tow) bringing music to the hinterlands. He was
> > apparently
> >> > a
> >> > gifted composer and hung out with the likes of Aaron Copeland, worked
> > for
> >> > the WPA, etc.
> >> >
> >> > Pete went to Harvard on scholarship, was quite poor and didn't fit
in,
> >> > waited on tables.
> >> >
> >> > The NY'er article makes no mention of Mike.
> >> >
> >> > In the '50's Pete was indicted for contempt of congress for refusing
to
> >> > answer questions before the HUAC. Found guilty but avoided jail time
on
> > a
> >> > technicality.
> >> >
> >> > Too bad he couldn't sing well, might have been a star...Instead he
> > was/is
> >> > only a genuine American hero.
> >> > G
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: "Michael Eisenstadt" <michaele at hotpop.com>
> >> > To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s"
> >> > <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
> >> > Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 7:32 AM
> >> > Subject: Re: [AGL] technicolor fallout
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> susi,
> >> >>
> >> >> I think the thing I disliked most about Pete Seeger's way of singing
> >> >> was the relentless upbeat rollicky delivery. Also, after I ceased
> >> >> being
> >> >> pro communist, i began to recognize and resent the relentless
leftwing
> >> >> activism that propelled him (and others). Recently i read an
interview
> >> >> with him in the Sunday NYTimes magazine which filled in on what I
> >> >> thought I knew about the man. I knew he lived in Beacon and had a
> >> >> Japanese wife and in person was very tall and knobly. And that Mike
> >> >> Seegar, who is short and dark, was his half-brother and that his
> >> >> family
> >> >> had a maid in Washington DC who wrote Freight train, freight train
go
> >> >> so slow who grew up in Asheville, NC
> >> >>
> >> >> For me, the big insight in the interview was that Pete Seeger's
father
> >> >> convinced him that the singing of a song was an existential act that
> >> >> trumped the song considered in itself. This may be good social
> >> >> psycholology, but it is conducive to bad performance.
> >> >>
> >> >> so it was quite a shock to hear Bruce Springsteen take one of the
> >> >> songs Pete used to sing, and not being a tall, red-cheeked
rollicking
> >> >> folk singer, instead scream the lyrics into the mike in his usual
> >> >> style
> >> >> of alienated Jersey shore bluecollar youth in full whine mode.
> >> >>
> >> >> mike
> >> >>
> >> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> >> From: "susan gilbert" <ssg at efn.org>
> >> >> To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s"
> >> >> <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
> >> >> Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 4:01 PM
> >> >> Subject: Re: [AGL] technicolor fallout
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> > michael, i agree with you about pete seeger, he did introduce us
to
> >> >> > music from other aspects of our society, where would we be without
> >> >> > elizabeth cotton's (the seeger family maid) "freight train" , so
> >> >> > hopefully bruce will do the same for today's uneducated youth, but
i
> >> >> > doubt they will be interested; anyway, as a measure of who got the
> >> >> > money right now, i bet mr.springsteen  appeals to those folks and
> >> >> > maybe it will help the future of  new orleans
> >> >> > susi
> >> >> >
> >> >> > On May 1, 2006, at 11:38 AM, Michael Eisenstadt wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> >> Connie,
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> I wish I had been on your birding adventure. Just to see the
> > American
> >> >> >> Redstarts a favorite warbler. Of course the painted buntings are
so
> >> >> >> cool.
> >> >> >> And Black & white warblers are totally neat.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> I would like to have heard the concerts. One of our subscribers
> >> >> >> went to
> >> >> >> San Antonio for the Dylan tour. I heard a cut from Springsteen's
> > Pete
> >> >> >> Seager covers album on KUT. It sounded absolute the lamest: just
> >> >> >> screaming out the lyrics. Nothing like the original in sound or
> >> >> >> soul. Not
> >> >> >> that Seager in the original sang much more than a white bread
> >> >> >> version of
> >> >> >> folk songs from real folk. But at least he was rollicking in
> >> >> >> spirit. Not so
> >> >> >> Bruce. At least on the one cut I heard from the album.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Mike
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> >> >> From: "Connie Clark" <connie_3c at yahoo.com>
> >> >> >> To: "BJ's List Ghetto 2" <ghetto2 at listserv.whathelps.com>;
"Ghetto
> >> >> >> List"
> >> >> >> <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
> >> >> >> Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 12:36 PM
> >> >> >> Subject: [AGL] technicolor fallout
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>> It was quite convenient for us to get a storm through the area
> >> >> >>> Saturday
> >> >> >>> morning, at the end of Spring Migration.  Birders call it a
> >> >> >>> 'fallout' when
> >> >> >>> the migrating birds take refuge in the first sight of land and
> >> >> >>> food source
> >> >> >>> on Texas beaches.  Around noon Saturday I drove the one hour
from
> >> >> >>> Houston
> >> >> >>> to the Quintana bird sanctuary to see what was there.  The
> >> >> >>> sanctuary is
> >> >> >>> about a square block or more, has trees, thick undergrowth and
> >> >> >>> water.  A
> >> >> >>> trail runs through it.
> >> >> >>>
> >> >> >>>  About 20 or so other birders where already there, and as soon
as
> >> >> >>> I walked
> >> >> >>> into the woods it was clear, this was going to be a good day for
> >> >> >>> birding.
> >> >> >>> There were so many birds, I didn't have time to check my
guidebook
> >> >> >>> for
> >> >> >>> identification- I wanted to just keep looking.  So, as my usual
> >> >> >>> practice,
> >> >> >>> I sidled up to a group of likely experts, and pointed my
> >> >> >>> binoculars in
> >> >> >>> unison with them, overhearing what we were all looking out.
Quick
> >> >> >>> identification that way. Birdwatchers are always nice about such
> >> >> >>> things.
> >> >> >>> They love to share a look-see.
> >> >> >>>
> >> >> >>>  These birds were in their most brilliant color, feathered
finery
> >> >> >>> and were
> >> >> >>> quite perky considering they had just flown over the Gulf of
> > Mexico.
> >> >> >>> Hungry there were too.  I saw the yellow, common yellow throat,
> > blue
> >> >> >>> winged, black and white, black-throated green, chestnut sided,
> >> >> >>> Blackburnian and Magnolia warblers; American Redstarts,
> > Philadelphia
> >> >> >>> Vireos and big orange and black Baltimore Orioles, just to name
a
> >> >> >>> few.  It
> >> >> >>> is always a treat to see one, but I saw three, Three painted
> >> >> >>> buntings (1
> >> >> >>> F, 2 M).  I, with three very helpful birdwatchers left the scene
> >> >> >>> right
> >> >> >>> about dusk, all of us exclaiming how good the day had been. When
> >> >> >>> we
> >> >> >>> stepped out of the woods, we saw a huge coastal sunset of pink,
> >> >> >>> blue and
> >> >> >>> gold.
> >> >> >>>
> >> >> >>>  -----------------------
> >> >> >>>  The storm blew across New Orleans late Saturday and left the
> >> >> >>> festival
> >> >> >>> grounds a bit muddy. Not a big problem, as The Boss did an
> >> >> >>> outstanding
> >> >> >>> performance with his Seeger Session band.  Protest songs,
> > anti-Bush,
> >> >> >>> anti-war had the very large crowd responding approvingly.  He
was
> > all
> >> >> >>> acoustic except for a pedal steel.  That must be a hip new
> >> >> >>> instrument for
> >> >> >>> bands these days.  Bobby Dylan had a pedal steel on Friday night
> >> >> >>> Randy
> >> >> >>> reported, that gave his set a bit of a Bob Wills sound - and
> >> >> >>> Dylans' white
> >> >> >>> suit and cowboy hat made quite a swing band impression. I guess
> >> >> >>> for
> >> >> >>> contrast, his band wore grey suits with black Bolers.
> >> >> >>>
> >> >> >>>  Saturday night Dr. John must have felt like he was home at
last.
> >> >> >>> His
> >> >> >>> final song of his set was from Sly and the Family Stone, "Thank
> >> >> >>> you for
> >> >> >>> letting me be myself, again."
> >> >> >>>
> >> >> >>>  Attendance at this year's JazzFest are big, big, big, with long
> >> >> >>> lines for
> >> >> >>> tickets, cabs, restaurant tables.  The Crescent City must really
> >> >> >>> be happy
> >> >> >>> about all those folks coming back for the best party New Orleans
> >> >> >>> puts on.
> >> >> >>>
> >> >> >>>  Connie
> >> >> >>>
> >> >> >>>
> >> >> >>> ---------------------------------
> >> >> >>> How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low
PC-to-Phone
> >> >> >>> call
> >> >> >>> rates.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> >> >> ----------
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
>