Ten Fun Facts about Gandhi
Mohandas Gandhi is well-known for being the father of Indian independence and for showing the world the power of nonviolent civil disobedience. However, I learned some lesser-known facts about Gandhi while researching my book about his 1930 Salt March (The Force Born of Truth: Mohandas Gandhi and the Salt March, India, 1930).
Here, then, are Ten Fun Facts You Might Not Know about Mohandas Gandhi:
1. He was not born a courageous, outspoken leader. In fact, in his autobiography, he says that, as a boy, he was so shy that he would run home from school “because I could not bear to talk to anybody.” 1
2. He was a lawyer, but what a lawyer! He said, “I realized the true function of a lawyer was to unite parties riven asunder.” Thus, he spent his twenty years in practice “bringing about private compromises of hundreds of cases. I lost nothing thereby—not even money, certainly not my soul.”2
3. He was a walking enthusiast. Walking, he said, “is justly called the prince of exercises.”3 He began enjoying long walks in high school, preferring lengthy rambles to organized sports. As a law student in London, he saved money by walking as many as eight to ten miles a day. It was primarily those long walks, he said, that “kept me practically free from illness throughout my stay in England and gave me a fairly strong body.”4 All those years of walking served him well during the Salt March of 1930 when, at the age of 60, he walked 241 miles from his ashram to the sea at Dandi.
4. The year that Gandhi arrived in London to study law was 1888, the same year that Jack the Ripper and his horrific murders dominated the British headlines.
5. Gandhi was funny! One example: When asked by a reporter what he thought of Western civilization, Gandhi replied, “I think it would be a very good idea.”
6. In 1931, Gandhi traveled to London for the Second Round Table Conference to discuss India’s future. He brought very little luggage, but he did pack a copy of Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience.
7. He corresponded regularly with Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy.
8. While in England in 1931, Gandhi made his first radio broadcast for the United States. The first thing the people of the United States heard the Mahatma say was, “Do I have to speak into this thing?”5
9. Gandhi was extremely punctual. One of his very few possessions was a dollar watch. Just before he was assassinated, on January 30, 1948, Gandhi was upset because he was ten minutes late getting to a regular prayer meeting.
10. The same caisson, or gun carriage, that bore Gandhi’s body during his funeral in 1948 was used in 1997 for Mother Teresa’s funeral.
Sources:
1 Mohandas K. Gandhi, An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Boston: Beacon Press, 1957), p. 6.
2 Ibid., p. 134.
3 Thomas Weber, On the Salt March: The Historiography of Gandhi’s March to Dandi (New Delhi, India: HarperCollins India, 1997), p. 288.
4 Gandhi, p. 53.
5 “Landing Gandhi,” TIME, September 21, 1931.
Mohandas Gandhi is well-known for being the father of Indian independence and for showing the world the power of nonviolent civil disobedience. However, I learned some lesser-known facts about Gandhi while researching my book about his 1930 Salt March (The Force Born of Truth: Mohandas Gandhi and the Salt March, India, 1930).
Here, then, are Ten Fun Facts You Might Not Know about Mohandas Gandhi:
1. He was not born a courageous, outspoken leader. In fact, in his autobiography, he says that, as a boy, he was so shy that he would run home from school “because I could not bear to talk to anybody.” 1
2. He was a lawyer, but what a lawyer! He said, “I realized the true function of a lawyer was to unite parties riven asunder.” Thus, he spent his twenty years in practice “bringing about private compromises of hundreds of cases. I lost nothing thereby—not even money, certainly not my soul.”2
3. He was a walking enthusiast. Walking, he said, “is justly called the prince of exercises.”3 He began enjoying long walks in high school, preferring lengthy rambles to organized sports. As a law student in London, he saved money by walking as many as eight to ten miles a day. It was primarily those long walks, he said, that “kept me practically free from illness throughout my stay in England and gave me a fairly strong body.”4 All those years of walking served him well during the Salt March of 1930 when, at the age of 60, he walked 241 miles from his ashram to the sea at Dandi.
4. The year that Gandhi arrived in London to study law was 1888, the same year that Jack the Ripper and his horrific murders dominated the British headlines.
5. Gandhi was funny! One example: When asked by a reporter what he thought of Western civilization, Gandhi replied, “I think it would be a very good idea.”
6. In 1931, Gandhi traveled to London for the Second Round Table Conference to discuss India’s future. He brought very little luggage, but he did pack a copy of Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience.
7. He corresponded regularly with Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy.
8. While in England in 1931, Gandhi made his first radio broadcast for the United States. The first thing the people of the United States heard the Mahatma say was, “Do I have to speak into this thing?”5
9. Gandhi was extremely punctual. One of his very few possessions was a dollar watch. Just before he was assassinated, on January 30, 1948, Gandhi was upset because he was ten minutes late getting to a regular prayer meeting.
10. The same caisson, or gun carriage, that bore Gandhi’s body during his funeral in 1948 was used in 1997 for Mother Teresa’s funeral.
Sources:
1 Mohandas K. Gandhi, An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Boston: Beacon Press, 1957), p. 6.
2 Ibid., p. 134.
3 Thomas Weber, On the Salt March: The Historiography of Gandhi’s March to Dandi (New Delhi, India: HarperCollins India, 1997), p. 288.
4 Gandhi, p. 53.
5 “Landing Gandhi,” TIME, September 21, 1931.
Nancy Garden and the Whitehall Picket, 1964
While researching my book, Gay Power: The Stonewall Riots and the Gay Rights Movement, I learned that children’s author Nancy Garden participated in the very first public gay rights picket, in New York City, at Whitehall Induction Center, on September 19, 1964. Garden, who died in 2014, was best known for her young adult novel, Annie on My Mind. Published in 1982, Annie tells of the love between two teen-age lesbians, a story Garden very deliberately ended on a positive note.
In 1964, it took a person of unusual courage to make any public display of either being gay or supporting gay rights. But there Garden was, part of the picket. I emailed her to ask if she’d be willing to answer some questions about the event, and she sent back a wonderfully friendly response. Certainly she would answer some questions about the Whitehall picket. I quoted from her responses in my book, but here is the full email interview: my questions and her answers, about the picket, Craig Rodwell, and more.
Hi, Betsy,
Here are my answers to your questions:
What were you doing in New York at the time of the picket? Was that when you were working in the theater?
I don't really remember what I was doing in theater at that time, but I'd been living in New York ever since I'd started college at Columbia University's School of Dramatic Arts in the late 50s. By the time of the picket, I'd been a member of the Mattachine Society (and the Daughters of Bilitis) for a while; I worked on the newsletter and on writing a pamphlet for distribution to gays who went to the bars; the pamphlet explained how to behave and what to say--and not say--if one was arrested.
How did you learn about the picket? Did you immediately agree to participate, or did you have to think about it?
I don't remember exactly how I heard about the Whitehall picket, which I think was instigated by Randy Wicker. Yes, I agreed immediately, or almost immediately; it's possible I thought about it a little before deciding to participate.
Describe the picket at Whitehall: what do you remember? What did you wear and did you select your clothing deliberately? What was the response from passersby? Were you scared? Did you feel any different afterwards?
It was a nasty, rainy day. There were only a few of us--Randy and a couple of people he knew--as I remember, there was a straight couple there, or a straight individual--along with three of us from Mattachine: me, Renee Cafiero, and Craig Rodwell. We were very nervous--okay, scared--for we had no idea what to expect. I don't remember what I wore, but I suspect Renee and I both wore skirts, for the idea, both then and in demonstrations and pickets for some years afterward, was to look as "normal" as possible. We all must have been wearing a certain amount of raingear as well! I don't remember passersby--not too many people were outside, given the weather, and Whitehall Street on a weekend wasn't exactly a hive of activity anyway.
When we broke up afterward, as I remember Criag and Renee and I--or maybe just Renee and I--went to a nearby Bickford's or some such place to warm up. We felt a little let down because it had been so uneventful, but also triumphant, since we'd actually done it! And it was, after all, the first gay picket.
Is there anything you’d like to share about Craig Rodwell and/or Randy Wicker? Was the picket the first time you’d met them?
No, I'd met and worked with Craig before and I'm pretty sure I'd at least met Randy; I certainly knew he was active in the movement, often working on his own. I don't remember his having a great deal to do with NY Mattachine; I remember that he was one of the first to appear on television as a gay man, which was an enormously courageous thing to do in those days--another first or near-first.
I got to know Craig well during my years in Mattachine, and I was very fond of him. He was a very kind, friendly person, and had a neat sense of humor. Renee and I were part of the work crew helping him prepare the space for his Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop--another first. I didn't know much about the rivalry between Craig and Dick Leitsch, but I couldn't help but observe some signs of it, and it saddened me, for I was fond of Dick, too. Both of them contributed greatly to the pre-Stonewall gay revolution.
Do you remember your first visit to the Oscar Wilde Bookshop? What do you remember about the visit and/or the bookshop?
My first "visit" to the bookshop was before it opened, as I said above. It was a goldmine--what heaven to be able to browse in a shop that specialized in gay books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Suddenly to have "our" classics and new works available in one friendly, safe place was a terrific gift. I loved that store, and ordered books from it for a while after I'd left New York. Craig stocked my first lesbian novel, Annie on My Mind, and was very supportive of it and of me as a writer. I remember he let me put a notice in the shop--perhaps he even suggested to me that I write one--about an unauthorized play version of the book that I was trying to curtail. Craig was also one of the few gay adults who in those early days was very supportive of gay and lesbian kids and their struggles with coming out.
Our community, especially those of us who love the written word, suffered a great loss when Craig died, and again many years later, when the shop finally had to close.
How did you first learn about the Stonewall riots? What was your initial response? Did Craig share his firsthand impressions with you?
I think I first heard of the Stonewall riots on the radio. I was still in New York then, but not as active in Mattachine. I have a vague memory of trying to get in touch with Dick or Craig, but I'm not sure that's accurate--in any case, I didn't reach them, and, to my lasting embarrassment and regret, I didn't go down to the Village to see what was happening and to take part in it. My "excuse" was that my first love and I, who'd had an on-again, off-again relationship for a few years, had just gotten together again and realized that this time it was probably permanent (it was; we're still together--legally married, in fact, since we live in Massachusetts).
My response to the riots, though, was, I'm pretty sure, tremendous excitement and enthusiasm! At last!
Re: Annie on My Mind, how have the letters you’ve received from adolescent readers changed over the years?
The letters have changed and not changed. I still get occasional letters from straight people who tell me that the book works as a love story for both straight and gay people, and from adult lesbians who say they wish they'd seen the book when they were growing up. Most of my letters come (and always have come) from young lesbians. A few come from straight or bi girls, and once in a while I get one from a gay or straight boy. Most of them thank me for the book and tell me that it has helped them, given them hope, led them to accept themselves, etc. That hasn't changed; despite the fact that we adults tend to think things are a lot better now than they used to be, there are still many, many kids who feel confused and lonely and scared when they first realize they're gay. The difference is largely that more kids do find some degree of acceptance, and just about all kids know at least a little about homosexuality--some know a lot.
What's also changed are some of the specifics. I hear about understanding parents as well as rigid, homophobic parents. I hear about schools with GSAs, schools where kids are trying to start GSAs but are meeting tremendous resistance, schools with understanding teachers and/or librarians. I hear about kids who are scared to buy a gay book -- but do it anyway; but I still hear from kids who can't find gay books either in stores or in libraries. Kids ask me for the titles of other gay books; that didn't happen much in the old days. Young lesbians tell me about the girls they like, and the problems they have in relationships--sometimes I feel like a dyke "dear Abby"! That's been the case for a while, much more often than it used to be. Many kids ask me for pointers about writing. And they ask me about my personal life.
Email has made a huge difference in the volume of letters I receive.
I love answering these letters, and corresponding with readers (often individual letters do become a real correspondence). I feel a tremendous responsibility to respond carefully. Unfortunately, I'm often so busy I have to delay answering--but I always do answer.
Feel free to contact me again if you need clarification or more information.
Best of luck with your book!
Nancy
While researching my book, Gay Power: The Stonewall Riots and the Gay Rights Movement, I learned that children’s author Nancy Garden participated in the very first public gay rights picket, in New York City, at Whitehall Induction Center, on September 19, 1964. Garden, who died in 2014, was best known for her young adult novel, Annie on My Mind. Published in 1982, Annie tells of the love between two teen-age lesbians, a story Garden very deliberately ended on a positive note.
In 1964, it took a person of unusual courage to make any public display of either being gay or supporting gay rights. But there Garden was, part of the picket. I emailed her to ask if she’d be willing to answer some questions about the event, and she sent back a wonderfully friendly response. Certainly she would answer some questions about the Whitehall picket. I quoted from her responses in my book, but here is the full email interview: my questions and her answers, about the picket, Craig Rodwell, and more.
Hi, Betsy,
Here are my answers to your questions:
What were you doing in New York at the time of the picket? Was that when you were working in the theater?
I don't really remember what I was doing in theater at that time, but I'd been living in New York ever since I'd started college at Columbia University's School of Dramatic Arts in the late 50s. By the time of the picket, I'd been a member of the Mattachine Society (and the Daughters of Bilitis) for a while; I worked on the newsletter and on writing a pamphlet for distribution to gays who went to the bars; the pamphlet explained how to behave and what to say--and not say--if one was arrested.
How did you learn about the picket? Did you immediately agree to participate, or did you have to think about it?
I don't remember exactly how I heard about the Whitehall picket, which I think was instigated by Randy Wicker. Yes, I agreed immediately, or almost immediately; it's possible I thought about it a little before deciding to participate.
Describe the picket at Whitehall: what do you remember? What did you wear and did you select your clothing deliberately? What was the response from passersby? Were you scared? Did you feel any different afterwards?
It was a nasty, rainy day. There were only a few of us--Randy and a couple of people he knew--as I remember, there was a straight couple there, or a straight individual--along with three of us from Mattachine: me, Renee Cafiero, and Craig Rodwell. We were very nervous--okay, scared--for we had no idea what to expect. I don't remember what I wore, but I suspect Renee and I both wore skirts, for the idea, both then and in demonstrations and pickets for some years afterward, was to look as "normal" as possible. We all must have been wearing a certain amount of raingear as well! I don't remember passersby--not too many people were outside, given the weather, and Whitehall Street on a weekend wasn't exactly a hive of activity anyway.
When we broke up afterward, as I remember Criag and Renee and I--or maybe just Renee and I--went to a nearby Bickford's or some such place to warm up. We felt a little let down because it had been so uneventful, but also triumphant, since we'd actually done it! And it was, after all, the first gay picket.
Is there anything you’d like to share about Craig Rodwell and/or Randy Wicker? Was the picket the first time you’d met them?
No, I'd met and worked with Craig before and I'm pretty sure I'd at least met Randy; I certainly knew he was active in the movement, often working on his own. I don't remember his having a great deal to do with NY Mattachine; I remember that he was one of the first to appear on television as a gay man, which was an enormously courageous thing to do in those days--another first or near-first.
I got to know Craig well during my years in Mattachine, and I was very fond of him. He was a very kind, friendly person, and had a neat sense of humor. Renee and I were part of the work crew helping him prepare the space for his Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop--another first. I didn't know much about the rivalry between Craig and Dick Leitsch, but I couldn't help but observe some signs of it, and it saddened me, for I was fond of Dick, too. Both of them contributed greatly to the pre-Stonewall gay revolution.
Do you remember your first visit to the Oscar Wilde Bookshop? What do you remember about the visit and/or the bookshop?
My first "visit" to the bookshop was before it opened, as I said above. It was a goldmine--what heaven to be able to browse in a shop that specialized in gay books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Suddenly to have "our" classics and new works available in one friendly, safe place was a terrific gift. I loved that store, and ordered books from it for a while after I'd left New York. Craig stocked my first lesbian novel, Annie on My Mind, and was very supportive of it and of me as a writer. I remember he let me put a notice in the shop--perhaps he even suggested to me that I write one--about an unauthorized play version of the book that I was trying to curtail. Craig was also one of the few gay adults who in those early days was very supportive of gay and lesbian kids and their struggles with coming out.
Our community, especially those of us who love the written word, suffered a great loss when Craig died, and again many years later, when the shop finally had to close.
How did you first learn about the Stonewall riots? What was your initial response? Did Craig share his firsthand impressions with you?
I think I first heard of the Stonewall riots on the radio. I was still in New York then, but not as active in Mattachine. I have a vague memory of trying to get in touch with Dick or Craig, but I'm not sure that's accurate--in any case, I didn't reach them, and, to my lasting embarrassment and regret, I didn't go down to the Village to see what was happening and to take part in it. My "excuse" was that my first love and I, who'd had an on-again, off-again relationship for a few years, had just gotten together again and realized that this time it was probably permanent (it was; we're still together--legally married, in fact, since we live in Massachusetts).
My response to the riots, though, was, I'm pretty sure, tremendous excitement and enthusiasm! At last!
Re: Annie on My Mind, how have the letters you’ve received from adolescent readers changed over the years?
The letters have changed and not changed. I still get occasional letters from straight people who tell me that the book works as a love story for both straight and gay people, and from adult lesbians who say they wish they'd seen the book when they were growing up. Most of my letters come (and always have come) from young lesbians. A few come from straight or bi girls, and once in a while I get one from a gay or straight boy. Most of them thank me for the book and tell me that it has helped them, given them hope, led them to accept themselves, etc. That hasn't changed; despite the fact that we adults tend to think things are a lot better now than they used to be, there are still many, many kids who feel confused and lonely and scared when they first realize they're gay. The difference is largely that more kids do find some degree of acceptance, and just about all kids know at least a little about homosexuality--some know a lot.
What's also changed are some of the specifics. I hear about understanding parents as well as rigid, homophobic parents. I hear about schools with GSAs, schools where kids are trying to start GSAs but are meeting tremendous resistance, schools with understanding teachers and/or librarians. I hear about kids who are scared to buy a gay book -- but do it anyway; but I still hear from kids who can't find gay books either in stores or in libraries. Kids ask me for the titles of other gay books; that didn't happen much in the old days. Young lesbians tell me about the girls they like, and the problems they have in relationships--sometimes I feel like a dyke "dear Abby"! That's been the case for a while, much more often than it used to be. Many kids ask me for pointers about writing. And they ask me about my personal life.
Email has made a huge difference in the volume of letters I receive.
I love answering these letters, and corresponding with readers (often individual letters do become a real correspondence). I feel a tremendous responsibility to respond carefully. Unfortunately, I'm often so busy I have to delay answering--but I always do answer.
Feel free to contact me again if you need clarification or more information.
Best of luck with your book!
Nancy