Stuart Hall 1932 - 2014 Social Theorist

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Graun news

Graun Obituary

New Statesman; an excellent interview in 2012

In The Politics of Thatcherism (1983), he insisted that the left's traditional statism was in part responsible for creating the conditions that had allowed the Thatcherites to win ascendancy, pointing to the degree to which Thatcherism had rooted itself in authentically popular sentiment – something he believed the left had failed to do. This generated fierce controversy among those who might otherwise have been among his political allies. His conviction that Thatcherism would define the politically possible, long after Thatcher herself had departed, proved enormously prescient, providing a key to understanding the politics not only of New Labour, but also of the subsequent coalition.

and on Desert Island Discs

[french frank]

I must say, I did a double-take on the headline...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Always an acute analyst of the social & political environment - a great loss.

[jean]

This wonderful film about his life and work was made in 2012 by John Akomfrah.

See it if you get the chance.

.

[Serial_Apologist]

I've got a tape of that DID - he liked jazz: must've got up the Stalinists' noses then!

[amateur51]

This wonderful film about his life and work was made in 2012 by John Akomfrah.

See it if you get the chance.

.

A remarkable man and a wonderful legacy.

The film that jean mentions is on display free at Tate Britain in London until 23 March 2014

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/display/bp-spotlight-john-akomfrah-unfinished-conversation

[jean]

At four o'clock this afternoon.

[Serial_Apologist]

At four o'clock this afternoon.

THANKS Jean, bless you!

(The original programme for broadcast was to have been on Hurricane Katrina and small-scale technology in India).

[jean]

I only knew cos I heard a trailer...

[Serial_Apologist]

I only knew cos I heard a trailer...

Well I wouldn't have missed that for anything, down to your good self!

I associate Stuart Hall with people like EP Thompson; would they have, like me, become Trots in the late 60s when it seemed the right time, or was there still in the bowdlerized Marxist tradition they were a part of until '56 a drawable upon residue of untrammelled theory sufficiently firm to save one from that particular diversion? Age had something to do with the answer I guess. An acquaintance of mine, 73 years of age - five years older than me - who attends a lot of the same jazz I go to, announced last night that he had lost a good friend, with whom he'd been writing a document for Compass, the Labour Party left organisation. I knew my mate was involved in Compass, but not that he knew Stuart at all. He says whatever it was they were working on got completed, so I guess I should ask if he minds my publicising whatever it is on here, at the appropriate time,.