The Mumpsimus

executed August 23, 1927 It's a day after the death of Grace Paley , who lived a great life, and who I was certain would live forever. I'm sure Paley would be happy we have such respect for her, but I suspect she'd want us to think less about her death than about the eightieth anniversary of the deaths of Sacco & Vanzetti . Alright then. I'm still too stunned at the idea of a world without Grace Paley to offer any coherent thoughts on her or her work, but I can fire up some Woody Guthrie and reflect on the executed men. The Sacco & Vanzetti case was, after all, a lightning rod for controversy and passion in the 1920s, eventually gaining attention from around the world. It inspired writers and artists and contributed to many people's radicalization , at least for a little while. Here's what Time , in a curious journalistic prose-poem , said afterward: Editor Waldo Cook of the much-venerated Springfield, (Mass.) Republican, was among those who ...