Michael Parenti ¡Presente! Michael Parenti was a wonderful writer for his work was peppered with wit, insight, and a deep well of learning. Years ago, I received one of his books that I found particularly interesting, on the Roman Empire. His thinking was original and groundbreaking and made you think of Rome and its empire in a brand new way.
I got a letter from Michael, and he remarked that he had heard from a bunch of writers and interested persons that he hadn’t heard from before. As I said, his writing was quite brilliant, for he didn’t hesitate to question the ideals and perspectives of more traditional scholars, especially as regards pro-imperial thinkers and writers.
As a Marxist and a son of the working class, Parenti always looked at princes and kings with disquiet and kept his eye on the rich and the powerful. He taught at at least a half a dozen universities all across the country, and I know that he thrilled them as much as he thrilled me when I read his writing. We welcome his coming, his signal brilliance, and mourn his passing after 92 springtimes in America. Thank you. With love, not fear. This is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
