Across Oceans and Revolution: A Principled Life

Tentative Book Outline

Forward by Lincoln Cushing
Preface by Ann Tompkins
Introduction by Susan Lamont

Part One: Family History and Ann’s Life Before China (1900-1965)
Chapter One: The lives of Ann’s parent’s up until their marriage
Chapter Two: The lives of Ann’s parents from their marriage, including buying and restoring the Wander Bird, up until Ann’s birth
Chapter Three: Ann’s life on the Wander Bird, including sailing around Cape Horn
Chapter Four: Ann’s life in California and her growing political awareness
Chapter Five: School and marriage in the Northeast, work as a social worker and the commitment to communism
Chapter Six: The Helsinki Peace Congress in 1965

Part Two: Life in the People’s Republic of China (1965-1970)
Chapter Seven: Ann’s life in China as told through letters home
Chapter Eight: Writing the Dazibao
Chapter Nine: The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and Ann’s reflections on it

Part Three: Return from China and Back Again (1970-1983)
Not yet divided into chapters – will include Ann’s time traveling around the U.S. speaking and writing about China; creating a course on Criticism/Self-Criticism; second marriage; living and working in China again; becoming a mother.

Part Four: Back in the U.S. as a Single Mother and Activist (1983-2009)
Not yet divided into chapters – Single motherhood; time with her own mother; working life’ activist life; searching for a group to work with/or to create a group.

Acknowledgement