Into the Spring - Sad News: Michael Rossman Has Left the Dimension

Michael Rossman, photo by Marc Franklin

Berkeley Free Speech Movement activist, poet, writer, scientist, thinker, teacher, archivist, musician, father, rock hound, human being extraordinaire, Michael Rossman has left the dimension and ventured forth into Spring. I am very sad, sad that our paths crossed so late in life, sad with regret that I didn't spend time with him when I had the opportunity as I feared infecting him with that terrible flu bug I had this past winter.

I'll testify: Michael could change your life with the slightest touch.

You can visit Michael's leukemia blog and leave a comment for friends and family. I just visited this morning and read the the single comment at the end of his last post, an haiku: "MICHAEL HAS LEFT US. May 12, 2008."

Visit Michael Rossman's official website a site where he posted his books, poetry, essays, a science teaching manual, translations, Berkeley Free Speech Movement history, political poster archives and other material in their entireity: a virtual wealth of information and materials which deserve to reach a wider audience. I am hoping to help publicize the website, so if you can, please link to his sites and help to get them into circulation and visible on the search engines. This material is a great gift.

Here's what I wrote on my blog entry regarding Michael's fight with leukemia and my connection to him which was as poet to poet; although I loved him:

"Michael Rossman was one of the founding organizers of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement and was there at the wheels of the patrol car holding Mario Savio (sic: Jack Weinberg) at Sproul Plaza on October 2, 1964 along with 1,200 others--soon to swell to 10,000 plus others. He, along with many others, stood up on the top of the patrol car that day and began to speak truth to power. He is still speaking, and writing, with his shoulder always to the wheel. Please help to keep this history alive as Michael struggles to maintain his own life. His spirit, as always, is strong--and we are the richer for it.

I am a child of the Free Speech Movement which was a movement for Civil Rights for all, and I know I owe my being here to it's legacy. What stopped the war started my life. And I am not alone."

Visit Michael Rossman's Official Website

Michael Rossman's blog where people can visit and leave comments learn about ways to help.

Or visit Michael Rossman's Leukemia Blog where you can just read the individual entries.



Always, Michael, always.