CAM podcast

Episode 40: Interview with Jim Forest

April 17, 2020 Season 1 Episode 40
CAM podcast
Episode 40: Interview with Jim Forest
Show Notes Chapter Markers

In his recently published memoir "Writing Straight With Crooked Lines" (2020), Jim Forest writes about growing up during the Cold War the child of two Communists, his struggles with marriage, and his spiritual quest, which led him to working with Dorothy Day at the Catholic Worker in the early sixties and to befriending some of the twentieth century's most famous spiritual leaders, including Thomas Merton, Phil and Daniel Berrigan, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Jim spent over a year in jail for protesting the Vietnam War, and he co-founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship with Tom Cornell (still in operation today), which helped thousands of Catholics to register their dissent as conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War. But that's just the beginning. This interview wasn't nearly long enough, but Nancy had made dinner, and well, it was growing cold, so we covered what we could! He joins us from his home in Alkmaar, The Netherlands.

Find Jim Forest and his wife Nancy here:
https://jimandnancyforest.com

Find CAM here: 
https://www.catholicsagainstmilitarism.com
RSS feed: http://www.buzzsprout.com/296171

Also mentioned on this podcast:
"Writing Straight with Crooked Lines" by Jim Forest (2020)
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Straig...

"The Ladder of the Beatitudes" by Jim Forest
https://www.amazon.com/Ladder-Beatitu...

"Catholics and Conscientious Objection" (1966) by Jim Forest
https://jimandnancyforest.com/2015/08...

"The Root of War is Fear," by Jim Forest
https://www.amazon.com/Root-War-Fear-...

"The Root of War is Fear," article by Thomas Merton can be found in "The New Seeds of Contemplation"

Find CAM here:
https://catholicsagainstmilitarism.com
RSS feed: http://www.buzzsprout.com/296171​
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/CAMpodcast

Background on Jim
Childhood, parents, living under surveillance
Writing a memoir
Disinviting Bob Dylan
Rediscovering religion while in the Navy
Going to the Catholic Worker
"Be careful of Thomas Merton."
Catholic Peace Fellowship
The American conscience: Has it withered?
Some frank discussion of peace movements and "the Left"
Jim's thoughts on the book "The Martyrdom of Thomas Merton"
Rethinking priorities