# Next Left Notes

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***Next Left Notes*** (***NLN***) was a radical American [weblog](/source/Weblog) and news publication started in 2004 as a successor to *New Left Notes*, which had been the voice of the 1960s [Students for a Democratic Society](/source/Students_for_a_Democratic_Society) (SDS).[1] In 2006, *NLN* became associated with the re-established [SDS](/source/Students_for_a_Democratic_Society_(2006_organization)). Calling itself an independent [New Left](/source/New_Left) journal, *NLN* began publishing print versions in March 2008 to mark its 4th anniversary. The journal featured domestic reporting from a left-wing perspective. It ceased operations in 2015.

## Founding and new SDS

*Next Left Notes* was founded as a radical [weblog](/source/Weblog) in March 2004 by Thomas Altfather Good.[2] He was an organizer with the Direct Action Tendency group of the [Socialist Party USA](/source/Socialist_Party_USA) when he conceived the idea of starting a news publication patterned after *New Left Notes*.[3] He served as *NLN'*s editor and main photojournalist until its demise in 2015.

In January 2006, Good was one of the prime movers in creating a reconstituted SDS.[4][5][6] Unlike its *New Left Notes* predecessor, *Next Left Notes* was never officially connected to the SDS. Instead, there was an informal connection since Good and other *NLN* staff members belonged to the [Movement for a Democratic Society](/source/Movement_for_a_Democratic_Society) (MDS), a sister organization (composed of non-students) that emerged from the 2006 SDS National Convention in [Chicago](/source/Chicago).[7][8]

## Publication and ideology

In its "About" page, *NLN* stated that it "paid close attention to the work of SDS and student activism while covering the Movement in general."[2] It added that its role was to be both reporter and participant in [New Left](/source/New_Left) actions, protests, conferences "and all other aspects of the Struggle. We'll see you in the streets."[2] As an example, in February 2008 at a New York City-based [Army](/source/United_States_Army) recruiting station, *NLN* staff members joined in a protest against the deployment of additional troops to the [Iraq War](/source/Iraq_War), while also writing about the event.[9] *NLN* content consisted of articles, commentary, and photo galleries. On its masthead was the original *New Left Notes* motto, "Let The People Decide".[10]

*Next Left Notes* article contributors included:

- [1960s SDS](/source/Students_for_a_Democratic_Society_(1960_organization)) veterans such as [Bernardine Dohrn](/source/Bernardine_Dohrn), [Bill Ayers](/source/Bill_Ayers), [Paul Buhle](/source/Paul_Buhle),[11] and [Mark Rudd](/source/Mark_Rudd).
- Younger leftists in the new SDS: [Allison Van Doren](/source/Allison_Van_Doren), [Brendan Dunn](/source/Brendan_Dunn), Brian Kelly,[12] and [Pat Korte](/source/Pat_Korte).
- Prominent pacifists such as [David McReynolds](/source/David_McReynolds) and [Frida Berrigan](/source/Frida_Berrigan).
- Labor activists including [Penny Rosemont](/source/Penelope_Rosemont) of [Charles H. Kerr](/source/Charles_H._Kerr), and various members of the [Industrial Workers of the World](/source/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World) (IWW).[13]

### Criticism

Some writers outside the new SDS criticized Good and *NLN* as "militant", "sectarian" and too close to former members of the [Weather Underground](/source/Weather_Underground).[7][14]

### Format

*NLN* content was initially only available on the web. In March 2008, a free print edition was introduced that could be downloaded in [PDF](/source/PDF) format.[15] All *NLN* articles and photographs were released (except where noted) under the [GNU General Public License](/source/GNU_General_Public_License).[16]

## See also

- [Port Militarization Resistance](/source/Port_Militarization_Resistance)
- [March 17, 2007 anti-war protest](/source/March_17,_2007_anti-war_protest)
- [Brian Flanagan](/source/Brian_Flanagan)
- [Jeff Jones (activist)](/source/Jeff_Jones_(activist))

## References

1. Sale, Kirkpatrick (1973). [*SDS*](https://www.sds-1960s.org/books/sds.pdf). Vintage Books. p. 181. ISBN 0-39471-965-4. The chief instrument by which the NO [SDS National Office] tried to maintain contact with the growing number of chapters was *New Left Notes*, a (more or less) weekly newspaper which made its first appearance (with a box on the front-page reading, "SURPRISE!") on January 21, 1966.

1. ["About NLN..."](http://nextleftnotes.org/NLN/?page_id=2). *Next Left Notes*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081009121120/http://nextleftnotes.org/NLN/?page_id=2) October 9, 2008 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["Statement of Principles"](http://www.actiontendency.net/dat.shtml). *Direct Action Tendency*. 2004. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20050207001404/http://www.actiontendency.net/dat.shtml) February 7, 2005 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["Students for a Democratic Society (re)Form National Organization"](http://www.iww.org/en/node/1901). *[Industrial Workers of the World](/source/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World)*. January 19, 2006. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120210202101/http://www.iww.org/en/node/1901) February 10, 2012 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["Students for a Democratic Society Chapters form National Organization"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070704023258/http://www.studentsforademocraticsociety.org/michigan/pdfs/Students%20for%20a%20Democratic%20Society%20-%20Original%20Press%20Release.pdf). Students for a Democratic Society. January 16, 2006. Archived from [the original](http://www.studentsforademocraticsociety.org/michigan/pdfs/Students%20for%20a%20Democratic%20Society%20-%20Original%20Press%20Release.pdf) on July 4, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2007.

1. Shapiro, Gary (July 24, 2006). ["Radicals To Return To Chicago After 37 Years"](http://www.nysun.com/arts/radicals-to-return-to-chicago-after-37-years/36594/). *[New York Sun](/source/New_York_Sun)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110611111316/http://www.nysun.com/arts/radicals-to-return-to-chicago-after-37-years/36594/) June 11, 2011 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Phelps, Christopher (April 2, 2007). ["The New SDS"](https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/new-sds/). *[The Nation](/source/The_Nation)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201216145504/https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/new-sds/) December 16, 2020 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Brown, Jenny (September 2006). ["SDS Meets in Chicago"](http://www.afn.org/~iguana/archives/2006_09/20060901.html). *The Gainesville Iguana*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20061004123608/http://www.afn.org/~iguana/archives/2006_09/20060901.html) October 4, 2006 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["February 15 08 Military Recruiters Protests"](http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4547&Itemid=223). *[The World Can't Wait](/source/The_World_Can't_Wait)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110928151611/http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4547&Itemid=223) September 28, 2011 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Matt Meyer and Sara Steele. "What if They Gave an Empire and Nobody Came?", *Peace & Change*, Volume 32 Issue 1 (January 2007), pp. 89–98. "Good, a founder and editor of the web-based *Next Left Notes* (a reference to the original SDS *New Left Notes*), has been the key publicist of the new SDS."

1. ["SDS: Why Now (Again)?" by Paul Buhle](https://mronline.org/2006/01/15/sds-why-now-again/). *[Monthly Review](/source/Monthly_Review)*, January 15, 2006.

1. Kelly, B. ["'Youthism' and Ageism in Our Movement?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212528/http://antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/current/kelly_ageism.html) *Next Left Notes* (2006).

1. ["Brandworkers Turns on City Bakery, Calls Wild Edibles Boss Racist"](https://www.grubstreet.com/2008/07/brandworkers_turn_on_city_bake.html). *[Grub Street](/source/Grub_Street)*, July 18, 2008.

1. [Jesse Lemisch](/source/Jesse_Lemisch), ["Sectarian Rage in the New SDS"](https://www.hnn.us/article/sectarian-rage-in-the-new-sds), [History News Network](/source/History_News_Network), August 18, 2006.

1. ["Surprise!"](http://nextleftnotes.org/NLN/?p=404). *Next Left Notes*. Vol. 1, no. 1. March 23, 2008. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110823065559/http://nextleftnotes.org/NLN/?p=404) August 23, 2011 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["GNU Free Documentation License (FDL)"](http://antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/?p=174). *Next Left Notes*. March 19, 2004. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120514122604/http://antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/?p=174) May 14, 2012 at the Wayback Machine.

## External links

- [Official website](https://web.archive.org/web/20160326050846/http://www.thomasgood.com/hosted.antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/index.cgi) (archived)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Next Left Notes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Left_Notes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Left_Notes?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.