Paul Krassner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Krassner
|
|
|---|---|
Krassner at City Lights Bookstore in 2009
|
|
| Born | April 9, 1932 New York City, U.S.
|
| Died | July 21, 2019 (aged 87) |
| Occupation | Author, journalist, comedian |
Paul Krassner (born April 9, 1932 – died July 21, 2019) was an American author, journalist, and comedian. He started and edited The Realist, a magazine that encouraged people to think freely. It was first published in 1958. Krassner became an important person in the counterculture of the 1960s, a time when many young people questioned traditional ways. He also helped start the Yippies, and he even helped create the name "Yippie." He passed away on July 21, 2019, in Desert Hot Springs, California.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Paul Krassner was a very talented child who played the violin. He even performed at Carnegie Hall in 1939 when he was just six years old. His parents followed the Jewish faith, but Paul decided not to follow any religion. He studied journalism at Baruch College. He also began performing as a comedian, using the funny stage name Paul Maul.
Humor and Activism
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Krassner used humor and satire to talk about politics. Satire is a way of making fun of something to show its flaws. In 1967, he helped create the Youth International Party (Yippies). This group used humor and protests to share their political ideas.
Krassner was also a close friend and student of the famous comedian Lenny Bruce. With Bruce's encouragement, Krassner started doing stand-up comedy in 1961. He performed at the Village Gate in New York. Years later, in 1971, another famous comedian, Groucho Marx, said that Paul Krassner would become like a living version of Lenny Bruce.
The Realist Magazine
The Realist was a magazine founded by Paul Krassner. It was published regularly during the 1960s. After the early 1970s, it came out less often.
Krassner brought The Realist back as a smaller newsletter in the mid-1980s. Some of the best articles from the magazine were put into a book called The Best of the Realist. The very last issue of The Realist was published in the spring of 2001.
Books by Paul Krassner
Krassner wrote many books. In 1971, he published a collection of his favorite writings from The Realist. This book was called How A Satirical Editor Became A Yippie Conspirator In Ten Easy Years.
In 1981, he wrote a funny story called Tales of Tongue Fu. This book mixed the silly adventures of a character named Tongue Fu with smart comments about society. In 1994, he shared his own life story in his autobiography. It was titled Confessions of a Raving, Unconfined Nut: Misadventures in Counter-Culture.
Other Activities and Contributions
In 1968, Krassner joined the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest." He promised not to pay certain taxes to show his disagreement with the Vietnam War.
In 1971, Krassner worked as a radio host in San Francisco. He used the funny name "Rumpelforeskin." On the radio, he made jokes about culture and politics. He also shared his views on not believing in religion. Krassner also wrote for early issues of Mad magazine, a popular humor magazine.
He often performed as a stand-up comedian. He was even featured in a 2005 movie called The Aristocrats, which was about comedians. Krassner also gave many talks and was a frequent speaker at events like the Starwood Festival. In 1998, he was honored at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Wavy Gravy. He wrote columns for The Nation magazine and also wrote for The Huffington Post.
Awards and Recognition
Paul Krassner was the first living person to be included in the Counterculture Hall of Fame. This honor recognized his important role in the counterculture movement.
He also received an American Civil Liberties Union Uppie (Upton Sinclair) Award. This award recognized his strong support for freedom of expression. In 2005, he was nominated for a Grammy Award. This was for his excellent notes in a music package about Lenny Bruce.
Personal Life and Passing
In 1985, Paul Krassner moved to Venice, California. There, he met Nancy Cain, an artist and videographer. They were married for 32 years. Nancy was one of the original Videofreex and started Camnet. In 2002, they moved to Desert Hot Springs, California.
Paul Krassner had a neurological disease for several years. He passed away on July 21, 2019, at the age of 87. He had one daughter, Holly Krassner Dawson, from an earlier marriage.
See also
In Spanish: Paul Krassner para niños
- Camp Summerlane
- List of peace activists
