Joshwald Martinez
HONS 2011J
Final Essay
Professor Hernández-Ojeda
Archie Brown
Personal Statement
It was quite daunting to begin writing this paper. A voice of fear told me that I had better make this perfect. Having studied the Spanish Civil War this semester, I have come to realize that the way one tells a story impacts memory in long-lasting ways. Through the device of emplotment, the historian—the storyteller—assumes the role of a narrative architect whom the reader implicitly trusts to build the tale with the foundational bricks of chronicles. I urge the reader to experience this paper through the critical lens of metahistory and challenge my choice of narrative building blocks, asking such questions as: “why only a handful of letters—why not the whole lot?” I will tell you now that I write about what interests me as a theatre lover, as a student living in a time of increasing authoritarianism in the United States and as a writer seeking his own voice. Archie Brown’s letters to his wife Esther (more…)
Haley Trunkett
HONS 2011
Hunter College-CUNY
Professor María Hernández-Ojeda
May Levine Hartzman
Personal Statement
I came across May Levine-Hartzman while searching online at the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. Before this course, I knew nothing about the Spanish Civil War nor anyone that volunteered. I even visited Madrid for a summer and still did not know the impact that this war had and still has on modern day society. However I am very thankful for the fact that this course brought me to May Levine. Given that she was born in New York City and eventually moved to Los Angeles, I felt an instant connection but I could have never anticipated how inspirational her life experiences (more…)
Olivia Pawlowski
HONS 2011J
Hunter College-CUNY
Professor María Hernández-Ojeda
The Narrative of Jack Bjoze by Olivia Pawlowski
Personal Statement
While Jack Bjoze’s service as a soldier in the Spanish Civil War amounted to ten months and eleven days, his commitment to the war effort, its cause, and its veterans lasted a lifetime. Throughout his life, Bjoze fought for his beliefs despite scrutiny from the FBI, backlash from the American government, and discrimination from those who opposed his beliefs. He faced injuries in both the Spanish Civil War and World War II that cut his active duty short but he remained a soldier at heart long after. He brought his courage from the war front to the home front and used the same charisma to combat anti-fascism as a leader of the VALB, Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Although Bjoze’s integrity and resilience were present in his actions before, during, and after the war, many of his personal interviews showed a side of him that was demure and humble. His complexities as an individual are what ultimately drew me to him and, as I delved deeper into his files at the Tamiment (more…)
Danielle Dimmler
HONS 2011J
Final Essay
Professor Hernández-Ojeda
James Neugass
Personal Statement
To most (including me), the Abraham Lincoln Brigade was simply a group of nearly 3,000 men and women who traveled to Spain to fight the war against Fascism from 1936-1939. It was not until I randomly came across James Neugass – a volunteer who lived a little over one mile from where I currently reside while he lived in New York City – did this assignment become real. After digging through documents at the Tamiment Library, this connection I felt with Neugass grew exponentially. His slight humor towards his time in Spain made researching even more enjoyable. I would occasionally laugh at his descriptions of the volunteers he served with and the experiences that were described in his novel. In discovering more about who James Neugass was and his personal experience while overseas, he became more than just a name on a database with thousands of other individuals. He became a poet, novelist, ambulance driver, a father and most importantly, a volunteer in the Abraham Lincoln Brigades.
Imani Springer
Hons2011J
Final Essay
Professor María Hernández-Ojeda
Reviving the Legacy of Virginia Malbin
Personal Statement
While looking through the list of the members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, I took notice of Virginia Malbin’s work mainly because of my desire to become a social worker. As a future social worker for children, I was very inspired by Mrs. Malbin’s dedication and service to helping the Spanish Social Services. Combating conditions at home is one thing, but fighting for what you believe in in other country shows true heroism. Not only did she go against the US non-intervention policy, she went against the gender norms of the period. Virginia Malbin exemplifies one of the many people who assisted the Republicans in the Spanish Civil. She proved that one does not have to physically fight to make a difference. At the Taminement Archives, I found many boxes containing the records and reasoning of Mrs. Malbin’s stay in Spain. Like many of the other volunteers, she went (more…)
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