ABSTRACT

Long an icon of American musical and political life, Pete Seeger has written eloquently in a diverse array of publications but nowhere is his life story more personally chronicled than in these, his private writings, documents and letters stored for decades in his family barn. Pete Seeger: His Life in His Own Words, collects Seeger's letters, notes, published articles, rough drafts, stories and poetry - creating the most intimate picture yet available of Seeger as a musician, an activist and a family man. The book covers the passions, personalities and experiences of a lifetime of struggle - from the pre-WWII labour movement and the Communist Party, to Woody Guthrie, the Civil Rights movement and the struggle against the war in Vietnam. The portrait that emerges is not of a saint, but a flesh-and-blood man, struggling to understand his time and his place.

part 1|62 pages

The Early Years: 1919–1947

chapter 1|8 pages

Growing Up (1919–1934)

chapter 2|30 pages

Becoming a “Folk Singer” (1935–1947)

chapter 3|22 pages

Mentors and Influences

part 2|237 pages

Life as a “Folk Singer”

chapter 1|19 pages

A Framework

chapter 4|18 pages

What Is Folk Music?

chapter 2|89 pages

Social Movements in the United States

chapter 6|14 pages

The Civil Rights Movement

chapter 7|11 pages

The Movement Against the War in Vietnam

chapter 9|17 pages

Reflections on a Life in Movements

chapter 3|68 pages

Beyond the United States

chapter 10|15 pages

Other Struggles of the 20th Century

chapter 11|38 pages

Travels Abroad

chapter 12|14 pages

Musics of Other Countries

chapter 4|59 pages

Issues for Performers

chapter 13|10 pages

A Philosophy of Making Music

chapter 14|6 pages

Participation

chapter 16|11 pages

Reflections on a Life in Music

chapter 17|6 pages

Balancing Work and Family Life

part 3|28 pages

Other Dimensions

chapter 18|13 pages

Other Writings

chapter 19|13 pages

Other Correspondence

part 4|15 pages

Looking Back and Looking Forward

chapter 20|13 pages

Philosophical Musings and Utopian Visions