I got the Dori Seda poster on Telegraph Avenue, and Tim bought an oriental print for his office. After that, the Channing/Durant center. Tim to the Revolutionary Bookstore while I visited The Other Change of Hobbit, where I spent time talking to Tom Whitmore and David Nee. I have reached the stage of Locus employment where everyone asks me, “are you still working there?” I was hired in 1986. It is now 1988. The average span of a Locus employee is two years, with the exception of Rachel Holman (Seven years) and Faren. I pointed out that A) I like Charlie, and I don’t get as upset about being yelled at as other employees and B), Faren and I both work in the back, and have relatively little contact with him. Maybe these facts will keep me at Locus longer than the usual two years.

A new store has opened in that center, an African bookstore. They were having their grand opening, with offers of food, music, etc., but we were in a hurry. Tim commented that the Revolutionary Bookstore seemed to be mainly run by the RCP (Revolutionary Communist Party.) Lots of Bob Avakian writings. I’m a bit biased against the RCP. I didn’t like the literature I saw when they came through Greensboro seven years ago — too bloodthirsty.

The Seda poster may still be around somewhere, rolled up in the back of one of our closets. It was for a long time a favorite of mine, the poster she created for the Les Blank documentary GAP TOOTHED WOMEN.

It’s a little jarring to note back then I was only seven years out of college.

Bob Avakian was a relatively young firebrand when he came through Greensboro in a sort of left-wing blitz, along with the ill-fated Communist Worker’s Party.

Avakian seems to have mellowed somewhat, embracing nonviolence and in 2020 even calling for people to vote Democratic rather than allow Trump to get another term. I can respect him as a serious anti-fascist, even if I am no fan of Mao and think Communism is unworkable.