In the Camp of Angels of Freedom

"I’ve long admired Arlene Goldbard’s work on culture and democracy. Her latest book touches on those topics, but it’s driven by another passion, her outrage at the way education, which should be a social good, has become a profit center, and at the disrespect meted out to those with lived knowledge rather than formal credentials. She begins with entertaining and provocative stories of her own self-education, each chapter linked to a portrait she has painted of one of her 'angels of freedom,' individuals whose work inspired and guided her path as an autodidact. The writing is clear and accessible, her challenges to social assumptions well worth considering. I highly recommend her insightful, refreshing perspective on values and systems that influence all our lives." —Judith Marcuse, LL.D. (Hon.) Artistic Producer, Judith Marcuse Projects; Founder/Co-Director, International Centre of Art for Social Change

"I now know what it means to be educated in Arlene Goldbard’s In the Camp of Angels of Freedom. It is a story circle of gentle radical thinking that celebrates clear sight and truth-based compassion. I discovered more of my own story in its embrace, and my courage grew on every page. This book inspires and empowers with the forthrightness of the telling and the beauty of the stories told. Arlene is a master artist in the medium of the possible." —Eric Booth, Founder, International Teaching Artist Collaborative, author of Tending the Perennials: The Art and Spirit of a Personal Religion and six other books

"I thought often as I was reading about how much I would have liked using this book in a course I was teaching on the sociology of art, on families, or just generally introducing students to thinking about how private lives are structured by institutions, history, politics, and social class. I learned a lot from reading this book; it’s beautifully written, carefully argued, truly a gift to the reader. I think it’s a rare book that sticks in your mind for a long time after getting to the last page. That’s my definition of compelling." —Betty Farrell, former Executive Director, Cultural Policy Center, University of Chicago

"Arlene Goldbard has trusted her curiosity, creativity, and character through a lifetime of self-education, always in the service of the common good. In words and paintings, she honours her guiding angels with love and insight, defending the human spirit that labours for a shared emancipation. I’m filled with admiration for its originality and her courage in creating something unlike anything else. Her story of a woman’s path to wisdom is a training in fearlessness and a joy to read." —François Matarasso, community artist and author of A Restless Art