About this Event
Join us at Mrs. Dalloway's on Wednesday, April 15 when Oakland author Nancy Kurshan comes to the store to share her new memoir Levitating the Pentagon and Other Uplifting Stories: A Life of Activism. Nancy will be joined by May Boeve for the conversation and will sign copies of her book after the presentation.
to preorder a copy of Levitating the Pentagon and Other Uplifting Stories.
In Levitating the Pentagon and Other Uplifting Stories, longtime activist Nancy Kurshan offers a vivid, woman’s-eye view of seven decades of radical social change. From the founding of the Yippies and the theatrical feminist resistance of W.I.T.C.H., to solidarity work with political prisoners and indigenous liberation movements, Kurshan’s life chronicles the evolution of the U.S. Left—from civil rights to antiwar to feminist, abolitionist, and internationalist struggles.
Kurshan was not just a witness—she was a key player. She marched at the first major Vietnam War protest in D.C., co-organized the 1967 "levitation" of the Pentagon, and ran the streets of Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. She was in court for the Chicago 8 Conspiracy Trial. She traveled to North Vietnam in 1970, and returned four decades later as an honored guest. This insider’s account brings to life a half-century of resistance—from the shadow of McCarthyism to today’s fights for justice. Along the way, Kurshan reflects on the internal tensions of the movements she helped shape—especially the fraught intersection between radical politics and emergent feminist consciousness.
More than a memoir, Levitating the Pentagon is a vital historical document and a passionate call to action, grounded in an ethic of humility and truth. As African revolutionary Amilcar Cabral once said, “Tell no lies and claim no easy victories”—a motto Kurshan lives up to in life, and in this captivating memoir.
Includes a foreword by Bernardine Dohrn (Weather Underground), preface by José López, (Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Chicago), and afterword by Pat Thomas (Jerry Rubin/Yippies biographer).
NANCY KURSHAN is a lifelong activist, writer, and organizer whose work spans civil rights, antiwar, feminist, and criminal justice reform movements. A co-founder of the Youth International Party (Yippies) and the feminist guerrilla theater group W.I.T.C.H., she played a central role in organizing major protests of the 1960s. Later a member of the Weather Underground, Nancy is the author of Out of Control, a foundational text on control unit prisons. Kurshan remains active in climate justice and Indigenous solidarity work through 1,000 Grandmothers for Future Generations.
MAY BOEVE is a next generation climate and social movement leader. For 15 years she served as the founding Executive Director of 350.org, an international climate advocacy organization that she co-founded in 2008. May is host of podcast How We Build This, and co-author of the Oxford Handbook of Climate Action and Fight Global Warming Now. She was featured as a TIME Magazine next generation leader, and is a recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award.
THIS EVENT is free but registration is requested. Registration ends at 6:00 pm on April 15.
BECAUSE SEATING is limited, please register only if you plan to attend.
DUE TO SPACE limitations, we may not be able to accommodate every person at an event, so early registration is encouraged.
WALK-INS will be accommodated only if space allows.
WE ASK that attendees arrive between 6:45 and 7:00 PM for the event.
PLEASE leave your non-support companion animals at home.
OUR shared restrooms are not accessible after 6:30 PM, please plan accordingly.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mrs Dalloway's, 2904 College Avenue, Berkeley, United States
USD 0.00
