Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 20:33:26 +0200
Subject: Re: Getting stuck in


I wrote

>>Another excellent way, besides reading Marxist classics, is to read as much
>>of the correspondence between Marx and Engels you can manage.

And Dan Smith came back:

>Any suggestions?

Well, there's a one-volume edition by Progress Publishers, 2nd ed Moscow,
1965, which is a first-class introduction. With a good library it might be
an even better idea to pick some period that interests you, such as the
period round the Manifesto, or the mid-1860s when Marx was working on
Capital, and get into the correspondence volumes of the Collected Works.
Fascinating stuff can be found combining the correspondence and the
relevant journalism (in other volumes by date of the Collected Works) about
such things as the American Civil War, the Indian Mutiny, the Crimean War,
the Paris Commune etc.

>>I don't know if you're subscribed to marxism1, but Hans Ehrbahr there has a
>>recurring e-mail class on Capital which subscribers are invited to listen
>>in on -- tasks are set, the participating students do them, and the answers
>>are circulated for comment that is also circulated.
>
>I am not subscribed to M1. On the off chance that I cannot find my
>"instruction sheet" how would I subscribe?

Here's a copy of the info about subscribing to m1:

>To subscribe to the marxism-list, send the one-line message:
>
>   subscribe marxism
>
>or:
>
>   subscribe marxism-digest
>
>to:
>
>   majordomo-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.EDU
>
>If you subscribe to marxism, you will get all messages individually.
>If you subscribe to marxism-digest, you will get the same messages,
>but packed in handy "digests".  The subscribe command must be in the
>body of the message, the subject header of the message is irrelevant.
>Subscription is also automatic unless you use an address that the
>majordomo software does not recognize, or you are already subscribed
>at another address, in which case the request will be forwarded to the
>"list-owner" for approval.


But be warned that m1 is strong meat and not to everyone's taste. Some of
the polemics are very hardball, and civility is not always very evident --
as flashes of anger between some of us here on m2 who also subscribe to m1
occasionally show. And there's a lot more going on than on m2, so a fast
delete finger is an advantage. You'll find a lot of familiar names there,
but also other very partisan people whose Marxism is channelled through
(and amplified by) a party commitment.

The point about m1 was not so much m1, which you might find useful, but the
fact that Hans Ehrbar is moderator there and runs the off-list e-mail class
I mentioned. He can give you the gen about the class better than me.


>>Anyway, the collective effort makes assimilating what can
>>be daunting new perspectives a lot easier.
>
>
>Sounds really good to me. Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

My pleasure.

Cheers,

Hugh




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