Oral history interview with Karl Bissinger,
Karl Bissinger starts the interview discussing his family, particularly his father's alcoholism and his admiration for his strong-willed grandmother. He talks about his short involvement with the Communist Party and subsequent years of apoliticism. Bissinger credits the trials of Julius and Et...
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| Format: | Audio |
| Language: | English |
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| Summary: | Karl Bissinger starts the interview discussing his family, particularly his father's alcoholism and his admiration for his strong-willed grandmother. He talks about his short involvement with the Communist Party and subsequent years of apoliticism. Bissinger credits the trials of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg as the catalyst for his political activity. He explains his activism in the anti-war movement and his own experience with the draft. Bissinger discusses the Greenwich Village Peace Center, his roles and experiences as a draft counselor, the American public's perception of war, how people reacted to returning soldiers, and drug addiction in the army. Bissinger also shares his perceptions of Bayard Rustin within a wider discussion of sexuality, and Dorothy Day, within a wider discussion of religion. Bissinger returns to discussions of family. He explains why he married, his relationships with his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Also discussed is the death of his longtime partner. Bissinger also returns to memories of early life, analyzing challenges with his grandmother, his troubled father, and his family's experience with anti-Irish discrimination. Bissinger talks at length about class distinctions and how his perception of them contributed to his radicalization. Other topics discussed include the anti-war activist group Women Against Daddy Warbucks, life in New York during the war, his experience working at Lord and Taylor, and traveling to Europe for Vanity Fair in 1947. This interview is audio-only; it was not transcribed due to issues with audio quality |
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| Item Description: | Interviewed by Sheila Michaels on April 25, 2000 |
| Physical Description: | digital preservation master, WAV files (96 kHz, 24 bit) |
| Related Items: | Forms part of: Sheila Michaels civil rights organization oral history collection |
| Access: | Access: Open Due to copyright or contractual restrictions, this electronic resource is not accessible online. Please contact the Oral History Archives at Columbia, Rare Book and Manuscript Library for information about onsite access in the reading room |