Marxism and the Problems of the 21st Century

In this print edition...

• The Work of Karl Marx in the 21st Century, By Ricardo Alarcón
• Bolivar's Second Coming? Inside Venezuela's Controversial Revolution, by Brian Fitzpatrick
• Primary Sources: The Politics, Poetry and Prose of Marge Piercy
• Current Letters (updated 12-21-06)
• Current Poetry (updated 12-21-06)

I will not attempt to delineate here the ample and rich intellectual production of Karl Marx, his deep analysis of capitalism or the principal events of his era, nor will I touch upon his exemplary life as a social fighter and revolutionary leader. I know that these themes are familiar to you all.

Maria raised a gangster. She didn't plan on it, but Venezuela's slums tempted her son Mauricio with the drugs he needed to numb his anger. By age 14, he had fallen into a life of theft and violence, trying to pry himself out of the squalor and hopelessness in which he was trapped.

I remember a great many family stories. I remember my mother's brother Danny coming to stay with us as he was out of work. I remember living with another family in a little apartment – Lucy and Lon up from Appalachia where the pigeons cooed right outside the window by my crib.