Most Recent Additions

“It’s getting better all the time. I admit it’s getting better.”

—The Beatles

Things are getting better at the Fifth Estate, although you’d never know it by looking at our office windows. Last week we lost them to a fire bomb at 3:00 in the morning. The front part of the reception area was gutted and bundles of old issues were destroyed.

...

WASHINGTON, October 3 (Liberation News Service ) — Something’s happening, and you won’t know what it is, General Jones, because you think that only Angry Mothers and bearded students march and that hippies stay in Haight — Ashbury and the East Village. Look out your window on October 21 and freak out at what will be marching towards the Pentagon:

...

On October 19 to 21, Wayne State University will sponsor a conference titled “New Perspectives on Race and the City.” Featured speakers include G. Mennen Williams, Jerome P. Cavanagh, Hubert Locke, Roger Wilkins of the U.S. Justice Department, Community Relations Service and John Spiegal, head of the Center for the Study of Violence at Brandeis University.

...

The latest newspaper to make the UPS scene is Ann Arbor’s LOOKING GLASS. Editor and publisher Jeffrey Hoff, hoping to stress the political more than the psychedelic in his paper, predicts that “the white hippy scene, the black revolt, everyone who feels that a great many young people in Ann Arbor who do not bother to read regular papers such as The DAILY simply because it does not relate to them, will now create a substantial following for the underground press”. “White liberals read The DAILY, black and white radicals read the underground press,” explains Hoff.

...

</strong> Sunday, December 11, 2022

The Joseph Déjacque Bicentennial Conference is being held in recognition of the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of this major nineteenth-century communist anarchist political theorist and visionary utopian writer. It is sponsored by La Terre Institute for Community and Ecology and Yes We Cannibal, with the support of the Anarchist Political Ecology Group and the Dialectical Social Ecology Group.

...

As WSU enters her centennial year, the big word is “changes.” The time for a change has been reflected in two areas, the student newspaper, and the Student-Faculty Council. The first editorial in the South End, formerly the Daily Collegian, paralleled the changes with the Beatles. The cover of the most recent Beatles album, shows the group declaring themselves to be ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’—standing over their own casket, with the name ‘Beatles’ arranged in flowers over the casket. They are announcing their conversion from a mechanical fixation trivia (I want to Hold your Hand) to a vital concern with real—even if unpopular or taboo—issues. The Beatles, so to speak, are ‘turned on’ to the issues of our generation. This newspaper, so to speak, is ‘turned on’.”

...

“Confront the Warmakers” is no idle phrase. Coming together from throughout the nation on October 21 and 22, war opponents will march, demonstrate, petition and culminate the activities by mass acts of civil disobedience inside the Pentagon.

The confrontation will be real and physical. Of the 200,000 plus participants, 10,000 are expected to sit-in to block the doorways of the Pentagon, says the National Mobilizing Committee, “preventing people from entering to work but permitting them to leave. If they are able to enter the building the direct actionists will also block the hallways and staircases.”

...

The Detroit Provos are ready to march in their second annual Halloween Night parade.

Led by the strange and mysterious figure, Jacob Odaryan, the festive group will meet at the Mall on the Wayne University campus October 31 at 7:30 p.m. and walk to the New Centre area up Cass Avenue.

Led by musicians and dancers the parade will stop by several Detroit landmarks: the GM building headquarters of international imperialism; Hotel St. Regis, owned by notorious slumlord Al Goodman; WJBK — TV, sponsors of the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. fictionalized accounts of the news and then passing to the Algiers Motel scene of the police executions and ending at Northern High School.

...

The calendar is prepared by Fifth Estate calendar girls Karen Kovac and Naiomi Epil with cooperation from Detroit Adventure. Copy deadline is the 6^th and 22^nd of each month and should be sent to the Fifth Estate Calendar, 1107 W. Warren, Detroit, Michigan 98201.

Thurs the 15^th

Muhamed Ali-Lewis Fight. Exhibition. Cobo Hall at 8:00 p.m. Adm. 6/15

...

a review of

Night Games

Mai Zetterling strings out her Freudian implications to paper thinness, but then “Night Games,” in plot anyway, is not unlike tissue paper.

It suffices to say that Miss Zetterling’s pen clears a magnificent swath through the intricate Oedipal fantasies of adolesence. Unfortunately this directress is so plagued by Composition and form, her narrative reins up and the two never reach a comparable peak.

...

Both TIME and NEWSWEEK have picked up the word that the “largest demonstration in the history of Los Angeles” will greet Lyndon Johnson when he arrives to kick off the 1968 Presidential campaign with a gala $1000 a plate dinner in the Century Plaza Hotel on June 23^rd.

The Peace Action Council is coordinating the efforts of over 60 peace groups, all of which plan to participate in a massive protest march, which, since permits have so far been witheld, may be in violation of the law.

...

Editor’s Note: The following letter was sent to us by a subscriber presently incarcerated in Southern Michigan Prison at Jackson.

Mr. Brown is known to the FIFTH ESTATE staff as one who contributed generously to the paper while he was on the “outside.” He has expressed an interest in receiving letters from other readers. Those interested In doing so may write him at the address below.

...

Rep. John Conyers, Jr. cast, as he promised, the only dissenting vote in a House judiciary subcommittee against that idiotic, probably unconstitutional, law which would make it a Federal crime to burn, deface, etc. the American flag. (The “offense” is now only covered by individual state laws.)

He predicts that only about 23 congressmen will have the guts to vote against the bill when it hits the floor of the House.

...

“Like nineteenth century capitalism, Mass Culture is a dynamic, revolutionary force, breaking down the old barriers of class, tradition, taste, and dissolving all cultural distinctions.”

—Dwight Macdonald

The tribal psychedelic rock culture is today the ripest fruit on the tree of the popular arts, and its roots grope deeply into the much-plowed soil of mass culture. In the Beginning (almost), there was folk art, oral, inconographic, mythic. Industrialism and its inevitably mechanistic culture trampled down the past, creating an urban atmosphere in which the folk arts could not survive.

...

I had this idea the other day that it would be cool and utilitarian at the same time to ‘drop’ 250 micrograms of acid just before going to take my army physical. I would just take enough to get a mellow and unreachable high so I would be convincing when I copped out as a dope addict-nut, etc.

The physical was due to start at 7:00 o’clock a.m. I stumbled in at 7:45 just after popping the acid. At 8:30 the tests were just beginning and I was pissed because I figures the stuff was not going to work.

...

SAN FRANCISCO — The Bay Area Regional Office of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was raided in the early hours last month by unknown parties. The office at 449 14^th Street houses the SNCC office and the national office of THE MOVEMENT, the West Coast monthly newspaper affiliated with SNCC.

...

The Fifth Estate

1107 W. Warren

Detroit, Mich. 48201

831–6800

UNCLASSIFIED costs 50 cents per line per week. Figure 5 words per line. (A word Is a word, including 1 and 2 letter words. A phone number Is a word. Street numbers are words. Abbreviations should be sensible.) (no limit on number of lines.)

...

There is, even though you may not have noticed it lately, still a war going on in Vietnam.

More than forty people, representing virtually every white peace group in the city, met on Monday, June 5 to try to do something about it.

Despite the wide divergence of political viewpoints represented the group tenuously agreed to combine their efforts over the summer. Committees were established to probe programs in four areas including community organization; anti-draft action; marches, demonstrations, and mobilizations and political action. A fifth committee will make proposals for structure, coordination, the name of the group, the setting up of a central office and the like.

...

a review of

Abortion by Lawrence Lader. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill. 211 pp. 1966. $5.95.

Illegal abortion is the leading health problem in the United States.

There is one abortion for every 3.6 births and half of all childbearing deaths are attributed to illegal abortions. A hospital abortion is one of the simplest and safest of all operations, less dangerous than a tonsillectomy.

...

Chicago (UNS)—A meeting called to rename a southside Chicago park in honor of slain leader Malcolm X Shabazz was turned into a scene of police violence, complete with billy clubs and riot guns, Sunday, May 21.

The occasion started out on a joyous note, with speeches, Afro-American music and dance, but friction developed when two young women attempted to join the crowd of between 250 and 300 black people. When the women were asked to leave and refused to do so, they were set upon by two young women from the group, who pushed and shoved them away.

...

Talk to almost any parent with “teen aged” children and you can hear the same litany endlessly chanted: rock is tasteless (American society being so notable for its good taste!), rock is loud, the only thing that counts is the beat, why can’t they listen to good music (meaning Montovani), and more, always more, of that.

...

A recently formed organization set up to oppose West German militarism has complained of that country’s territorial demands on its European neighbors.

The group, the Ad Hoc Citizens Council Against West German Militarism, stated in a letter to this newspaper that the Bonn regime officially claims not only all of East Germany, but large parts of Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, territories that were taken from Germany by the Potsdam Agreement at the close of World War II.

...

(UNDERGROUND PRESS SYNDICATE) The three-year-old kid, as the story goes, answered the door, took a cool look at the policeman standing there, raised his full blue eyes and declared: ‘Fuck off, cop.”

“Where’s your folks, son?”

The kid brushed his white cotton-hair out of his eyes. It fell in swirling puffs down his shoulders. “Fuck off,” he repeated, without blinking.

...

The Grande Ballroom, Grande River and Joy will be host to Detroit’s first psychedelic prom at 8:00 p. m. on Tuesday, June 20.

The dance will be Cass Tech’s underground Prom and is being produced by Bob Serling, Cass senior and editor of the school’s underground newspaper, YELLOW.

The SPIKEDRIVERS will lead the entertainment and graduating seniors from all of Detroit’s schools are invited.

...

The Hate-In was staged by the Nightriders Motorcycle Club June 3 & 4 in Detroit’s Rouge Park, to protest a proposed city ordinance which would ban motorcycles from the city parks without a special permit.

A secondary purpose of the Hate-In was to demonstrate to straight people and the police that the different clubs could get together and not cause trouble. In this aspect they were quite successful as there was only one scuffle, and you can get more than that at an average family get together or wedding.

...

The coming of summer has meant a great increase in activity in the Warren Forest area near Wayne State University.

Trans-Love Energies Unlimited, the Detroit hippie cooperative with offices located in the center of The Forest, at John Lodge and Warren, has reorganized its facilities in order to better serve the community and the Fifth Estate has moved its offices to 1107 W. Warren in Warren Forest. A cooperative store and trading post recently opened in the Artists’ Workshop under the direction of Dennis and Janet Smith and Pun the sandal-maker, and, in the biggest move, Trans-Love agents will open a huge concert-house, THE SEE, on the outskirts of The Forest, at 3929 Woodward just south of Alexandrine.

...

The Guerrilla Roofreadings started May 28 at Guerrilla: Sector North, on Allen Van Newkirk’s roof, above the Artist’s Workshop with Andrei Codrescu reading from his forthcoming book: Insane People With Beautiful Sidewalks.

Andrei Codrescue was born in Romania and has lived throughout Europe. His book (in English) is a reflection of this multi-language trip. His convulsive fights with language make the structure of this poetry.

...

Fifth Estate

1107 West Warren

831–6800

Editors

Harvey Ovshinsky

Peter Werbe

News Editor

Frank Joyce

Editorial Assistant

Cathy West

Art

Gary Grimshaw

Music & Literary Editor

John Sinclair

Calendar Girls

Karen Kovach

Naiomi Epel

Advertising

Leon Brenner

Joe Drozdowski

Tom Yates

Circulation

...

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tick—Greatest Hits (Fontana)...this freaky looking and even more strange sounding group has made its first album a landmark. The sounds on this LP were all written by some character called H. Blaikley with the exception of HERE’S A HEART written by Tubbs Segal. Instrumental and vocally it’s a good effort, and the LP is well produced.

...

The Jefferson Airplane concert will be in Ford Auditorium Friday, June 30, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets run from $3.00 to $4.50 and can be got at Grinnells, Discount Records, the Ford Auditorium box office, and other places, including probably the Grande Ballroom. Featured with the Airplane will be the MC-5, the Rationals, the Apostles, and Ourselves though I’m not sure why all of those bands are Necessary.

...

You should have seen Louie’s face. He was beaming like the hero they were trying to make him out to be.

Boy, were they laying it on him. The Detroit News (which pitches: “If You Read The News, You Know” ) had named him Policeman of the Month crediting him with having broken up “a dope ring.’

...

in Cooperation with Detroit Adventure

Thurs., May 14

FROM THE WAYNE CINEMA GUILD... Picnic on the Grass and Le Bonheur, both in color. Upper DeRoy Auditorium. 7:00 p.m. 75 cents.

OPEN CITY FREE MEDICAL CLINIC. Come get cured of your ills and aches and pains and anything else that hurts. 6:30–8:30 p.m. 4225 Second at Canfield.

...

[caption id=“attachment_13485” align=“alignleft” width=“243”] Dr. Eugene Schoenfeld speaking at Community Arts Auditorium, May 28, 1969 at a benefit for Open City. Photo: Alan Gotkin.[/caption]

Dear Dr. Schoenfeld:

To be blunt, I’m scared. I was smoking some grass about 3 weeks ago and I started to feel dizzy. Next thing I remember is waking up on the floor and being told I’d been unconscious about 7 minutes.

...

KENT, Ohio (LNS)—William Schroeder, Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandy Schcur.

Four brothers and sisters were murdered by the Ohio National Guard on the Kent State University campus May 4. At least 15 others were wounded. Three are on the critical list. Injuries to police officers were minimal.

...

I have read your newspaper many times and for the most part, found it very enlightening. You have helped answer many of my questions, and set me on the right foot on some important issues. Now, I’m asking another favor. Your acceptance and backing of minority groups is what has prompted me to write to you.

...

The Detroit community is getting together. Although militant demonstrations and spreading the movements’ rap are important functions, community people have initiated a number of programs needed to deal with the different levels of the People’s oppression.

To strengthen these programs, community organizations have gotten together to form the SERVE THE PEOPLE COALITION. STP was born out of an awareness of these groups that the common denominator of serving the People takes priority over minor political disagreements.

...

UNCLASSIFIEDS cost 50 cents per line per issue. Figure four words per line. (A word is a word including one and two letter words. A phone number is a word. Street numbers are words. Abbreviations should be sensible. DISCOUNT RATES: Five runs cost 35 cents per line, per issue. (i.e. 2 lines in 5 issues cost $3.50)

...

NOTE: Costa-Gavras, the director of “Z,” was born in Athens, Greece in 1933. In 1964 he made his first film, “The Sleeping Car Murders” and since has completed “One Man Too Many” and “The Avowal.” While in New York for the opening of “Z,” he was interviewed by Dan Georgakas, a writer who is active in the anti-junta movement, a past contributor to the Fifth Estate who was in Greece in 1963 during the Lambrakis affair, and Gary Crowdus, editor of Cineaste Magazine.

...

OCEANSIDE, Cal. (LNS)—A little after mid-night on April 29 about 25 active duty Marines from Camp Pendleton and civilian GI organizers were gathered in the staff house of the Movement for a Democratic Military (MDM) here. They talked in small groups about two successful meetings that had been held earlier that evening.

...

LIBERATION NEWS SERVICE—As the unexpectedly early monsoon rains fell on War Zone “C” by the Cambodian-South Vietnamese border, a U.S. divisional planning officer said, “The people who advised President Nixon to start something like this at this time of year must be the same ones who advised him on candidates for the Supreme Court.”

...

In 1943, Eastwood Amusement Park was literally the end of the line. Streetcars, packed with servicemen and factory workers, would cut sharply across Gratiot at Eight Mile, screech around a tight loop at the park’s entrance, and head back downtown.

Located in the then semi-rural town of East Detroit, Eastwood seemed removed from the bleak realities of the early Forties—if not from reality itself. In fact, even today, a list of the park’s attractions produces a mild sensory overload.

...

Fred Chase was wearing an “I am Tom Sincavitch” button pinned to his Levi jacket. Fred was waiting for the FBI to take him from his sanctuary at Sacred Heart Church in much the same way that Tom had waited for the same thing almost a year before in St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church.

Fred was supposed to begin trial on May 4 for destroying the draft records of some 34 draft boards in Chicago last May, but was refusing to cooperate with the court system. “I didn’t show up for the trial because I don’t think they have a legitimate right to try me,” he told the Fifth Estate the day he and his supporters and family moved into the church.

...

“What the fuck are we going to do about those crazy White Panthers?” “I don’t know, man....I’m too wasted to even think about it.”

“Me too, man, shit, how are we gonna have a legislative session this afternoon?”

“Look, go wash your face with cold water and drink some coffee,” the fat one said, “I’ll call Schweigert and tell him what’s happening. If we can’t get it together, we’ll call the State Police and have everyone thrown out. It’ll be rough for those junior high kids from Petoskey, but we sure can’t let them see us like this.”

...

(Women’s News Co-op) As women step out of their passive housewife role and become more active outside of the home they are discovering the need for child care centers. Many women are interested in starting their own, collectively run centers, because the present day care centers are run as money making ventures and glorified baby sitting services.

...

Reprinted from Off Our Backs (February 27, 1970), a Woman’s News Journal.

“My doctor told me that if using a diaphragm were a test of mental ability I’d be given a moron rating.”

That quote is unique to one woman’s experience with one strange gynecologist but it is, unfortunately, revealing. Most women don’t receive adequate instruction or encouragement from their doctor and leave his office insecure about their ability to use it.

...

Reprinted from The Seed / UPS

YES FOLKS! NOW YOU CAN BE THE FIRST ON YOUR BLOCK TO EXPERIENCE THE ECOLOGICAL DISASTER.

WHY WAIT TILL 1980? DON’T LET THE FUTURE TAKE YOU BY SURPRISE.

PREPARE NOW FOR THE END OF CIVILIZATION.

REHEARSE FOR THE APOCALYPSE.

HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS:

Better start preparing your palette and stomach for the fare of the ‘80s:

...

We were walking down Forest near the freeway after buying some smokes when a carload of Wayne State cops were breaking away from the light and saw us. They cruised up and junior pig sitting shotgun pulls us over.

“Let’s see some I.D.,” the two-year college grad stated.

“Hell, man, that’s bullshit. We’re just walkin’ down the street and you ain’t got no right stopping us from doin’ just that.”

...

Reprinted from Off Our Backs (February 27, 1970), a Woman’s News Journal.

This article is the second in a series on birth control, compiled and presented with the aid of the Women’s News Co-op. The first article, which dealt with “the pill” and the recent unsettling facts brought to light surrounding its use, clearly indicates the necessity for information on other birth control means. Because of the capitalist media’s big push for the pill over the last few years, little information has been readily available on other birth control methods. We will endeavor, in this series, to rectify this situation.

...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Nixon’s public relations men are calling it an “economic readjustment,” but in English it’s a full blown economic recession.

U.S. Labor Dept. unemployment figures show joblessness for April at 4.8%, the highest since 1965, when U.S. “escalation” of the Vietnam war began.

Lines at unemployment compensation offices in Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Birmingham, Ala. are spilling out onto the sidewalks. 3,700,000 Americans can’t find jobs—and that’s one million more than a year ago.

...

A good cigarette is like a woman—the best ones are thin and rich.

If there ever was a time to be a woman, Woman it’s now!

You’ve come a long way Baby—now you’ve even got your own cigarette!

The capitalist media has copped all the rhetoric and jumped on the Women’s Liberation bandwagon. Woman’s newfound freedom has opened up a vast new market of products and ad campaigns-everything from vaginal deodorant sprays to her very own cigarette.

...