Assignment #2 – Encyclopedic Entries

Free Spaghetti Dinner (1969-1970) – Sarah Bae

The Free Spaghetti Dinner was a biweekly newspaper published in Santa Cruz, CA[4] from October 1969 to October 1970. It got its name from the staff cooking a big pot of spaghetti with the motto “all the news that’s fit to eat.” This politically radical underground newspaper covered a diverse range of subjects such as community initiatives and ecological perspectives, as well as politics such as the women’s movement.

War Resister (1974-1975) – Jiahao Huang

War Resister is an Anti-war GI underground newspaper produced by the Western Region War Resister League. The newspaper, as a representation of war resisting in the west part of the United States, was published in San Francisco during the mid-1970s.1

The Student Mobilizer (1967-1972) – Francis Wang

The Student Mobilizer was an underground anti-Vietnam War newspaper published by the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (SMC). It first appeared on January 17, 1967 (Vol. 1, No. 1)i and was published irregularly through about 1972. The paper was produced out of SMC’s national offices, with editions associated with New York City, Washington D.C., and Chicago. Syd Stapleton served as a key editor throughout the publication’s run. Stapleton, along with SMC organizer Kipp Dawson, was affiliated with the Young Socialist Alliance and had been an active builder of SMC since its founding. Contributions to The Student Mobilizer came from student activists on campuses and high schools nationwide, SMC staff, and allied organizers (for example, articles were often penned by local SMC chapter leaders, antiwar GIs, and movement figures). Each issue was distributed nationally, primarily on college campuses and at antiwar events, to galvanize student and youth opposition to the Vietnam War.

Black Belt Woman (1975-1976) – Sasha Ratner

Black Belt Women was a magazine based in Medford, Massachusetts, on the topic of martial arts and self-defense, particularly as a means of empowerment for women. It ran from 1975- 1976, and was published six times a year in September, November, January, March, May and July. Its content reflects many of the ideals of the second wave of feminism, and called attention to violence against women and challenged stereotypes that women are inherently incapable of fighting.

Black Belt Woman (1975-1976) – Vivi Gui

Black Belt Woman was an underground newspaper published in Medford, Massachusetts from 1975 to 1976. The paper focused on feminist issues often overlooked by mainstream media, with particular emphasis on raising awareness about women’s self-defense. Regular features included self-defense philosophy, martial arts philosophy, and training aids for students. The newspaper also provided directories of schools and classes for women across the United States and Canada, as well as information on martial arts conferences, summer karate camps, and events such as the Meechee Dojo Olympics. These resources encouraged women to engage in physical training for both safety and health.

The Chelsea (1958-2007) – Arden Mandell

The Chelsea is best known as a small literary magazine/ journal created by the non-profit Chelsea Associates Foundation from New York City. It was published twice a year; in December and June. It was founded in 1958 by Ursule Molinaro; a Parisian woman best known for her poems, plays, and translations of European writing, George Economou, a Greek poet and translator, and poets and professors Robert & Joan Kelly. Editors included Alfredo De Palchi; an Italian poet and translator, and Sonia Raiziss, a German poet and translator. The magazine comprises many different topics including art, poetry, book reviews, photographs, social and political topics, etc so it is made for a wide range audience.

Leviathan (1969-1970) – Alex Mateo

Leviathan was a radical underground newspaper associated with the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and broader New Left movement published from 1969 to 1970 in the United States. It incorporated the “size and informality of a news tabloid with the durability and intensiveness of a journal of opinion”

Prisoners’ Digest International (1971-1973) – Madi Olivier

Prisoners’ Digest International was an alternative newspaper that served as one of the first prison-focused publications to uplift the voices of formerly and currently incarcerated individuals. Printing monthly from 1971 to 1973 in Iowa City, Prisoners’ Digest International’s lifespan overlapped with the latter end of the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. Prisoners’ Digest International published content that highlighted injustices in the U.S. prison system and advocated for change in how prisoners were treated.

The Street Journal (1969-1970) – Sarah Wang

The Street Journal was a radical underground newspaper that emerged from the San Diego Free Press in 1969, serving as a platform for countercultural expression and political activism. Although it ceased publication just a year later, in 19701, it played a critical role in the underground press landscape, giving voice to individuals and communities marginalized by mainstream media. The paper’s editorial stance was firmly aligned with the New Left, emphasizing anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and pro-liberation stances. Its content addressed a broad range of issues, from local political corruption to national debates on the Vietnam War, civil rights, and systemic inequalities, all while promoting direct action and revolutionary change.

The UCONN Free Press (1969-Present) – Thomas Winning

The UConn Free Press is a student-run publication at the University of Connecticut that has continuously evolved since its founding in 1969 and still publishes today1. Functioning as an alternative press, it has provided a platform for students to express radical, underground, and creative ideas. The UConn Free Press has undergone multiple revivals and transformations since its inception, shifting from a traditional newspaper format to a zine. It’s continued revival speaks to the need for an alternative press to communicate radical ideas at educational institutions.

Borrowed Times (1970-1978) – Justin Wu

Borrowed Times was an underground newspaper based in Missoula, Montana during the 1970s. It offered a grassroots alternative to traditional, mainstream journalism and gave a voice to people and ideas that were often overlooked. The paper covered a wide range of topics important to the counterculture movement, including environmental issues, labor rights, Native American concerns, and community activism.

Ain’t I A Woman (1970-1974) – Addison Xu

Ain’t I a Woman? was an underground feminist newspaper produced by a collective of women in Iowa City, Iowa. The newspaper is a platform for radical voices often excluded from both mainstream media and liberal feminist outlets. Unlike larger alternative presses, Ain’t I a Woman spoke directly from and to the experiences of Midwestern women, especially working-class women, lesbians, mothers, and activists. It covered issues like child care, self-defense, labor, and lesbian feminism.

Young Spartacus (1973-1986) – Chris Zhang

Young Spartacus was the official publication of the Spartacus Youth League (SYL), a Marxist-Leninist-Trotskyist youth organization active in the United States from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. The newspaper served as a platform for disseminating revolutionary socialist ideas, engaging youth in political activism, and critiquing contemporary socio-political issues from a Marxist perspective. Its pages reflected the fervent ideological battles of the time, providing a voice to a segment of the youth committed to radical social transformation. As a Trotskyist publication, Young Spartacus framed all forms of oppression—racial, gendered, economic, and sexual— as rooted in capitalism, advocating for international proletarian revolution as the path to liberation.