Facing Reality – Andre Gorz’s copy gifted from C.L.R. James

Facing Reality: The New Society…Where to Look for It. How to Bring it Closer. A Statement for Our Time is the preeminent document of the Correspondence and Facing Reality groups. The book was written by C.L.R James, Grace Lee, and Cornelius Castoriadis, each using pen names at the time. Initially begun as pamphlet on the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (Ward 2016, pp. 239-242), the authors expanded its drastically and ended up penning a groundbreaking global analysis of struggle against and beyond bureaucracy and capitalism. It was published by the Correspondence group in 1958 and was the first book project they took on.

Andre Gorz was an important thinker in the French New Left and radical ecology.

This example of the Facing Reality pamphlet was gifted from C.L.R. James to Gorz. It carries a stamp on the cover noting James’s authorship and a small inscription from James to Gorz inside. The address on the inside front page has a sticker laid-over it with the Facing Reality address in Detroit. James has crossed over ‘J.R. Johnson’ and placed his name in pen. A beautiful and unique copy.