Part of the Global Perspectives on War and Peace Collection.
A portrait of Eddie Balchowsky, who volunteered in the Spanish Civil War as part of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. A singer, pianist, and artist, he tells of the political awakening that led him to join the fight against Franco. However, after only a week as a soldier, Balchowsky’s right arm was blown off, which led to a decades-long fight with depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Interwoven throughout the piece are Balchowsky’s paintings and collages, featuring dark and splintered imagery, and his more enthusiastic piano-playing and singing.
1 Comment
Thanks for posting this. Puts a face and a name to a song I’ve loved for many of my 69 years. “Losing his hearing [but it’s alright because] he doesn’t care what most people say.”