Episode 40: Interview with Jim Forest

In his recently published memoir "Writing Straight With Crooked Lines" (2020), Jim Forest writes about growing up during the Cold War the child of two Communists, his struggles with marriage, and his spiritual quest, which led him to working with Dorothy Day at the Catholic Worker in the early 60s and eventually befriending some of the twentieth century's most famous spiritual leaders, including Thomas Merton, Phil and Daniel Berrigan, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Jim spent over a year in jail for protesting the Vietnam War, and he co-founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship with Tom Cornell (still in operation today), which helped thousands of Catholics to register their dissent as conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War. But that's just the beginning. This interview wasn't nearly long enough, but Nancy had made dinner, and well, it was growing cold, so we covered what we could! He joins us from his home in Alkmaar, The Netherlands.

0:00 Background on Jim
4:04 Childhood, parents, living under surveillance
12:14 Writing a memoir
14:01 Disinviting Bob Dylan
15:26 Rediscovering religion while in the Navy
20:06 Going to the Catholic Worker
24:26 "Be careful of Thomas Merton!"
32:30 Catholic Peace Fellowship
36:05 The American conscience: Has it withered?
38:50 Some frank discussion of peace movements and "the Left"
42:56 Jim's thoughts on the book "The Martyrdom of Thomas Merton"
46:60 Rethinking priorities

Find Jim Forest here:

Find CAM here:

Also mentioned on this podcast:
"Writing Straight with Crooked Lines" by Jim Forest (2020)

"The Ladder of the Beatitudes" by Jim Forest

"Catholics and Conscientious Objection" (1966) by Jim Forest --[This was first published as a booklet by the Catholic Peace Fellowship in April 1966, updated two years later; more than 300,000 copies were printed between 1966 and the end of the Vietnam War nine years later. The booklet had the imprimatur of the Archbishop of New York.]

"The Root of War is Fear," by Jim Forest

"The Root of War is Fear," article by Thomas Merton can be found in "The New Seeds of Contemplation"

"Chant to Be Used in Processions around a Site with Furnaces," by Thomas Merton

[catholicsagainstmilitarism]

May Jim's soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

[pretty-white-lamb]

Your face is much brighter Ellen when you discuss these topics you enjoy.
"For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline: think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

[DramaQueen-imqm]

This guy led an interesting life. Wish I led an interesting life.

[collettewhitney]

Another amazing podcast
Do you think that mankind
Will have everlasting peace
And that war will be distant memory
Or is that wishful thinking
That my question
God bless
Stay safe
Be well
Look after yourself and your loved ones in these unsettling times 💕💖❤️✝️🙏

[patrickw]

Why do i get the feeling that you are waffling?