The iconic American folk singer, Woody Guthrie, was born on July 14th, 1912. Publicly appearing with a guitar labeled “This Machine Kills Fascists” and writing songs about class inequity which responded to the zeitgeist then, Guthrie made a mark both as a musician influencing generations of singer-songwriters, and as a man of political consciousness. The latter, though, has often been overlooked, like his song This Land is Your Land, whose original lyrics question the repercussions of free-market capitalism and private property. A hand-written list publicized last year of Guthrie’s own New Year’s resolutions for 1942 contain hilarious and practical ideas for how to make this year better than the next. You can see them here.
Guthrie was a Firebrand! This illustration for Firebrands: Portraits from the Americas is by Chris Stain, an iconic figure himself. Know a Firebrand, living or historical, that you think should be highlighted? Leave a comment!