Jeff Nall on "Activism in the Face of Futility"

Jeff will discuss the philosophy behind his new book, both of which share the same name: "Perpetual Revolt," at the Buckman Bridge UU Society, in Jacksonville, FL

Jeff Nall is a writer, speaker, and activist. His writing has appeared in select journals and a range of independent magazines including Z magazine, Toward Freedom, and the Humanist. Two of his essays appear in the activist anthology, Cost of Freedom. Nall earned a Master of Liberal Studies degree from Rollins College and has done work toward a PhD in comparative studies at Florida Atlantic University.

About the Book:
Perpetual Revolt is the work of a writer, academic, and activist determined to bring people together for the causes of pluralism, compassion, and peace and justice. Perpetual Revolt is comprised of essays, interviews, speeches, art and photos that collectively call for spiritual, religious, and secular progressives to unite against war, intolerance, and fundamentalism of all kinds.

Nall’s daughter Charlotte was born two months after the United States invaded Iraq. Driven by an empathy that imagined, what if it was his child beneath American bombs or at the barrel of American good intentions, Nall refused to sit silently while bombs burst over Baghdad. A college student and journalist at the time, Nall helped create and lead one of the most vibrant anti-war organizations, Brevard Patriots for Peace, in the state of Florida, leading to two mass marches in a notoriously conservative area, Brevard County. Though his efforts failed to stop the war, Nall continued to revolt as a writer, speaker, academic, and dedicated activist.

Through Patriots for Peace, he continued to organize rallies, vigils, and marches against the war. Eventually he helped found the Space Coast Progressive Alliance and reorganize the Brevard County chapter of the National Organization for Women. His efforts not only helped revitalize progressivism in his community, but he directly helped reform Brevard’s abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum, bolster church-state separation, and bring about changes to local law enforcement surveillance policy.

Perpetual Revolt moves from journalistic accounts of peace protests; to interviews with noted independent journalist, Amy Goodman, and folk legend, Jesse Collin Young; to well-researched analysis of the largely unknown history of Christian support for church-state separation; to Nall’s own poetic, forceful speeches calling for perpetual peace and justice activism in the face of a daunting futility.

Included in the first part of the book, “Fighting for Peace and Justice,” are first-hand accounts (and photographs) of inspiring anti-war marches, routinely ignored by the mainstream media, and a revealing look at Rev. Martin Luther King’s opposition to American foreign and economic policy. Part two, “Heading off the Culture War,” features a critical look at what Nall calls “antagonistic atheism” as well as interviews with respected Christians and atheists who find common ground as they discuss a range of issues including church-state separation, war and peace, poverty, and religion and science.

Praise for Perpetual Revolt
“While leaders in Washington prepare to wage perpetual war, Jeff Nall's eloquent and inspiring book calls for waging perpetual revolt; a revolt against war, corporate greed, narrow mindedness and apathy. Full of exciting street reports and interviews from anti-war protests across the country, Perpetual Revolt is a timely account of peace activism in the Bush years and beyond. With thought-provoking analysis and refreshing insight, Nall writes from the left wing of the church, invoking Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy in nearly every page, and seeking common ground for much needed
unity across religious and cultural lines. This call for social change beyond
electoral politics is at once a portrait and field guide of a peace movement in the belly of the beast. Perpetual Revolt is an important document in a time of war, full of critiques as well as hope. This book should be widely read as it inspires people to take action beyond just voting in the next election.”
—Benjamin Dangl, author of "The Price of Fire: Resource Wars and Social
Movements in Bolivia" (AK Press); editor of TowardFreedom.com,
a progressive perspective on world events. Dangl is the recipient of two
Project Censored Awards for his reporting from Latin America.