Little Red: Three Passionate Lives Through the Sixties and Beyond

Veteran journalist Hampton profiles three alumni of New York’s politically progressive Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School: Angela Davis, the African-American philosopher and radical; Tom Hurwitz, a leader of the 1968 Columbia University student revolt; and Elliot Abrams, the neoconservative thinker. In her whirlwind tour of the era, a chapter on Hurwitz details his involvement in the 1967 “Summer of Love” in San Francisco, contact with anarchists on the Lower East Side, and participation in a documentary on the anti-Vietnam War march on Washington that fall. Hampton writes most about Davis, including accounts of then Gov. Ronald Reagan’s attempt to fire her for her political views shortly after she began teaching in the UC system, and her trial and acquittal for allegedly aiding Soledad Brother George Jackson. Abrams, former assistant secretary of human rights, who supported repressive regimes in Latin America and was indicted for his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, gets the least attention. Though Hampton could have provided more background on educational, social, and political dynamics during these decades, this fast-paced, engaging book provides a fascinating look at how these personalities navigated an era of upheaval. Agent: Dunlow, Carlson & Learner Literary Agency. (Mar.)