You are cordially invited to celebrate the launch of my new book!

The View from Third Street

Saturday, October 1, 3:00—4:30 PM EST
ON ZOOM OR IN PERSON
Tarbell Room  Lincoln Public Library
3 Bedford Rd, Lincoln, MA

And on ZOOM
For a zoom link please register at
https://lincolnpl.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/author-anita-harris-on-the-view-from-third-street/

                                                       
As a fledgling reporter in the early 1970s, author Anita M. Harris and college friends helped found a small newspaper on Third Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Harrisburg Independent Press (AKA “HIP”) was first conceived to report on the Trial of the Harrisburg Seven– in which anti-Vietnam War nuns and priests were accused of conspiring to kidnap Presidential Advisor Henry Kissinger and blow up underground heating tunnels in Washington, DC,. True story!) Like the many other underground and alternative newspapers of the day, HIP covered civic, consumer, national and international issues–many with parallels in the unrest we are experiencing today.

In this unconventional memoir, Harris traces, from the point of view of Ani, her 23-year-old self, the founding of the newspaper, the trial, and the devastating Flood of 1972, which left 124 people dead. Interwoven, with humor and puzzlement, are stories of Ani’s love relationship, her coverage of poverty and social injustice, and HIP”s reporting on topics ranging from dirty movies to slave labor, heroin sales, racial discrimination; a burgeoning feminist movement, abortion rights and opposition to the Vietnam War.

The book also includes many images and cartoons–giving readers a sense of what it was like to live in those amazing times.

Anita M. Harris is an award-winning journalist, author and communications consultant who resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

The View From Third Street is available from Amazon and at the Cornell University Store.

I’m ecstatic to report that my new book, The View From Third Street, is, at long last, available on Amazon. It’s an unconventional memoir of my experiences as a cofounder of a weekly alternative newspaper called the Harrisburg Independent Press (AKA HIP) in conjunction with the 1972 trial of the Harrisburg Seven. Long story, but in that iconic trial, a group of anti-war nuns and priests were among those accused of conspiring to kidnap Henry Kissinger and blow up underground heating tunnels in Washington, DC.

The book has three main sections: the first starts with the founding and (often) muckraking reportage of the paper, the second focuses on the trial, and the third ends with a massive flood. It’s all tied together with the personal story of a young woman (moi) named Ani (the first three letters of my first name, conveniently, mean “I” in Hebrew). A member of my writers group urged me to use a different name because Ani is also a breed of “cuckoobird” but what the heck.

Anyway, at this point, I’d like to thank the friends, family members, librarians, historians– and the team at Henrietta’s Cafe in Harvard Square– who helped me research and edit the book–and who put up with me–er, I mean, encouraged me over the years it took me to write it.

I started working on The View From Third Street just as DJT was coming into office–thinking that there might be some parallels between his divisive reign and Nixon’s. Little did I know how tumultuous things would eventually become. I spent several years time-travelling–which was great, during the pandemic. I’d occasionally come up for air, look around, ask, “Is this still going on?” and head back to the 1970s. Now I seem to be pretty much living in the present, and hoping our nation will get back on track.

In the meantime, I’ll be posting here, writing articles, and letting you know about the book’s progress. And about the next one’s …and about the one after that.

If you’d like to receive email updates, please sign up to the left of this chunk–or email me at anita.m.harris at comcast dot net. Oh, and if you want to buy the book–click here!

–Anita M. Harris

Anita M. Harris is a writer, photographer and communications consultant based in Cambridge, Mass. More information about her, her work and her books is available at http://anitamharris.com.

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, also in Cambridge, Mass.