Levitating the Pentagon and Other Uplifting Stories: A Life of Activism

Activist Kurshan (Out of Control) recounts her involvement in social and political movements from the 1960s to the present in this fascinating memoir. A cofounder of the Youth International Party, or “Yippies,” Kurshan was a key organizer of anti-war demonstrators in the 1967 march on the Pentagon and at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Her advocacy continued when she visited North Vietnam as part of an all-women’s delegation in 1970, then joined various women’s rights groups in the U.S. and rallied for causes including Black liberation and Puerto Rican independence. As Kurshan highlights the often unglamorous daily work of activism, she wades into the tensions that emerged in her circles, stressing how her desire to leave her comfort zone and lack of defensiveness about “my monogamous heterosexual relationship” were keys to her longevity in activism. Kurshan writes in a conspiratorial, friendly register, roping readers in while buttressing her account with photos, photocopied documents, and sections written by her friends and associates, which offer greater perspective on her accomplishments and philosophies. The result is equal parts revealing memoir, valuable historical document, and galvanizing guide to following one’s beliefs. (Mar.)