"It's a Strange World—Some Get Rich and Others Eat Shit and Die": Bill Ayers and the Art of Entering Our Contradictions

• In Event: 33.047 - Diving In: Bill Ayers and the Art of Writing Into the Contradiction

Abstract

Titled in honor of Hunter S. Thompson (1988), himself a man of contradictions, this essay is a personal reflection on two instances when Bill helped his younger colleague to learn from his own contradictions. The paper uses narrative inquiry methods, presenting both the stories as they were experienced and the analyses of what transpired. It is a powerful testament to the value of embracing and exploring the contradictions in our lives. As the author explains:
For him, these are the spaces that allow us to see our truest selves, no matter how fraught with mistakes and missteps. In my own life and work, these messy, unfinished, tattered, and frayed spaces allow me to understand a critically important aspect of the human condition.

The process of interrogating how others and myself have made mistakes and recovered from them allows for others to understand the possibility of victory in struggle. Because movements can be co-opted, and individuals can be compromised, the reminder of our human-ness provides the opportunity to reflect and move forward, remaining steadfast in the commitment to build and defend spaces for young people and families to think and create. However, as students, parents, community members, teachers, organizers, activists, and critical pedagogues, the responsibility to reflection remains imperative. Without our reflection, we risk the chance of rationalizing the disposability of certain students, families and neighborhoods. If we’re not careful, we can provide the rationales for others to “eat shit and die.”

In the spirit of Bill’s challenge, the two offerings are lessons I’ve learned from my interactions with him. Both are reflective of contradictions I’ve grappled with. In the end, hopefully my experiences are able to provide some encouragement for those like myself who sometimes struggle to make informed decisions.

References
Thompson, H. S. (1988). Generation of swine (gonzo papers, volume 2): Tales of shame and degradation in the 80s. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Author

• David O. Stovall, University of Illinois at Chicago