Louder than Bombs

The Progressive Interviews

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Edited by David Barsamian

South End Press

Due/Published May 2004, 170 pages, paper

ISBN 0896087255

Media activist David Barsamian has been broadcasting voices of dissent from around the world for over a quarter of a century. Barsamian's radical weekly radio program, "Alternative Radio" has been attracting listeners across the country since 1986. Ralph Nader calls it "a ray of light in the media darkness, featuring voices of proposals to strengthen our democracy."

Barsamian's latest volume brings together over 20 interviews culled from The Progressive magazine. Here, he talks with luminaries of the left-activists, academics and progressive celebrities-about their areas of expertise, their hopes for the future and the biggest obstacles facing movements for radical change. With his well-informed questions and engaging manner, Barsamian encourages his subjects to reflect on their lives and the world. In turn, they open their hearts and minds to him, offering nuggets of both personal and political insight. Barsamian invites readers to listen in as he converses with some of the best minds of our time, and skillfully weaves their analyses and wisdom into a digest of the world's most pressing issues. The lively and accessible conversations highlight the urgency of globalizing dissent, and remind readers of the power of dialog to inform and inspire.

While the people interviewed for this book are a diverse group, they share a common understanding that political change must be fundamental, not cosmetic. All of these thinkers have dedicated their lives to organizing for progressive change. None has lost faith in the capacity of working and poor people to change society, even in the face of the rapidly expanding corporatization of the world. Perhaps this is the book's most inspiring message; there's still reason enough to hope.

Interviewees include prison abolitionist Angela Davis; foreign policy critic Noam Chomsky: Nobel-Prize winning economist Amartya Sen; media critic Ben Bagdikian; novelist Edwidge Danticat; radical historian Howard Zinn; actor Danny Glover; novelist Kurt Vonnegut; consumer advocate Ralph Nader; and ecowarrior Vandana Shiva. Conversations with Arundhati Roy, Tariq Ali, the late Edward Said, Taylor Branch, Eduardo Galeano, Juan Gonzalez, John Pilger, Ahmed Rashid, Haunani-Kay Trask, and the late Eqbal Ahmad are also featured.