The Man Who Never Died

America has the bloodiest labor history in the industrialized world, along with the lowest level of unionization. THE MAN WHO NEVER DIED tells the story of Joe Hill, an IWW organizer and songwriter, who was convicted of murder (probably wrongly) and executed by a Utah firing squad. What most inspired me was the courage and sacrifices ordinary men and women made in order to create a better world for the masses--many who didn't appreciate it. It is also a sad reminder that the more things change, the more they remain the same. A continued war against organized labor--now at its… show more.

I devoured this book on the recommendation of my friend Otis Gibbs, a songwriter with a particular interest in the great tradition of songs of, by, and for the working class. “Educate – Agitate – Organize,” reads the Joe Hill mural painted on the side of a rare books store in Salt Lake City, where the Wobbly songwriter was sentenced to death by firing squad in 1915. In The Man Who Never Died (2011), journalist William M. Adler contextualizes the vital importance of songs like Hill’s to the union movement, and he uncovers new details about the activist’s controversial conviction.