An excerpt from Chapter 7, a compilation of some of the letters Ann wrote to her family while in China during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. The photo is of her eventual roommate, a student. Rather unexpectedly, Ann found herself in the People’s Republic of China as an honored guest. Because of her principled stance … More Ann’s Letters Home from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution

It is clear from Ann’s letters home that it wasn’t long before the luxury of the Friendship Hotel caused her to question her role in the evolving story of China. She lived alone, while her Chinese co-workers lived four or five to a room. Her room had a rug, bedspread and curtains, hot and cold … More Excerpt from Chapter Eight: Writing the Dazibao

The papers have been organized, the interviews transcribed and the first few chapters have been written. Before her death, Ann left instructions that she wanted work on the book to continue. Now we need to raise funds to bring the book to completion. You can now read some excerpts from the book at the new … More Crowdfunding Campaign Details

Ann Draper Tompkins died peacefully, at home, on Sunday, March 24th – after her personal “long march” and more than 10 years with Parkinson’s Disease. Work on her book “Across Oceans and Revolution” will continue. It will be a more personal book than the one she envisioned decades ago. She also wanted to write a … More R.I.P. Ann – Work on “the book” continues

Conference, October 1-2, 2016 Sonoma State University, Student Center, 1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Sponsors: School of Social science, Department of Sociology, Social Justice and Activism Club, Media Freedom Foundation/Project Censored To live stream this conference, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=bB3JUWOLao Vision statement: This conference offers a critical evaluation of the Great Proletarian Cultural … More AFTER 50 YEARS: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GREAT PROLETARIAN CULTURAL REVOLUTION

Ann and Pao-yu Ching discussing the dazibao and answering questions. Fred Engst joins them via internet from Bejing. Eric Boehm was also a guest through the internet. In August of 1966, Ann and three other Americans wrote a dazibao. In the People’s Republic of China that is a wall poster written in large characters, expressing … More Ann Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the 4 American Dazibao

Teacher Who Was There Praises China’s Cultural Revolution Mn. Daily, 11/4/75 By Martin J. Waters Ann Tompkins is one of just a handful of Americans who lived in the People’s Republic of China during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution – “you could count them by tens,” she said. And Tompkins was there to see the … More Teacher Who Was There Praises China’s Cultural Revolution

In 1938, “Better Homes & Gardens” magazine ran a feature on Ann’s family. Here’s a second excerpt from that article written by Doris Hudson Moss: On a wind-ship there’s a small room for non-essentials. I felt that the Tompkins had achieved an atmosphere of very great charm by their adherence to the sincere values of … More Raising children on a schooner

In 1938, “Better Homes & Gardens” magazine ran a feature on Ann’s family. Here’s the first excerpt from that article written by Doris Hudson Moss: Timidly I crossed the tipping gangplank to the apparently deserted ship I knocked on the hatch that to my landlubbery eyes seemed to be the “front door.” “Come down,” a … More The Tompkins family in “Better Homes & Gardens”