Part of the Solution: Portrait of a Revolutionary

by Margaret Randall

Book by Randall, Margaret

Paperback

First published January 17, 1973

About the author

Margaret Randall is a feminist poet, writer, photographer and social activist. She has lived for extended periods in Albuquerque, New York, Seville, Mexico City, Havana, and Managua. Shorter stays in Peru and North Vietnam were also formative. In the turbulent 1960s she co-founded and co-edited EL CORNO EMPLUMADO / THE PLUMED HORN, a bilingual literary journal which for eight years published some of the most dynamic and meaningful writing of an era. From 1984 through 1994 she taught at a number of U.S. universities.

Margaret was privileged to live among New York’s abstract expressionists in the 1950s and early ’60s, participate in the Mexican student movement of 1968, share important years of the Cuban revolution (1969-1980), the first four years of Nicaragua’s Sandinista project (1980-1984), and visit North Vietnam during the heroic last months of the U.S. American war in that country (1974). Her four children—Gregory, Sarah, Ximena and Ana—have given her ten grandchildren: Lia, Martin, Daniel, Richi, Sebastian, Juan, Luis Rodrigo, Mariana, Eli, and Tolo. She has lived with her life companion, the painter and teacher Barbara Byers, for almost a quarter century.

Reviews

[D.R.O · Rating 5 out of 5]

part memoir part poetry book party journal of a radical? *chefs kiss*

a quick yet deep read ~

[Merrikay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Randall is an American woman who lived in and was active in revolutionary activities in Mexico, Cuba, and Nicaragua among other countries. One of Randall's previous partners, Robert Cohen, wrote about a 50 page biography of Randall as an introduction to this book.  I have read her autobiography and found this partner's perspective helpful and refreshing. Initially I disliked Cohen, who sounded patronizing and arrogant to me, but as I continued his introduction, his attitude changed as he progressed in the story telling about how they both grew and matured.  That was fascinating, especially their struggles taking the revolutionary ideas into their relationship and making the political personal, e.g. he found it easy to treat Randall the woman as an equal in public and at work activities, but at home his habitual and socialized misogyny was difficult to overcome, although well worth the work.

The following 30 or so pages were excerpts from Randall's journals, which I very much enjoyed.  The remaining 100 pages consist of Randall's poetry.  It is a rather interesting combination and format.  It is certainly worth a read if you are interested in Randall, although I would recommend reading the autobiography of her years in Cuba, [To Change the World], first.

[R.K. Cowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars