Doug Henwood
Encyclopedia
Doug Henwood is an American
journalist who writes frequently about economic affairs. He publishes a newsletter, Left Business Observer, that analyzes economics
and politics
from a left-wing
perspective, and is a contributing editor at The Nation.
, and grew up in Westwood, New Jersey
. He received a B.A.
in English from Yale University
in 1975. Late in high school and while at Yale, Henwood identified as a conservative, briefly joining the Party of the Right, which Henwood wrote about in an article in The Nation
entitled "Partying on the Right":
From 1976-9, Henwood did graduate work in English at the University of Virginia
, concentrating on British and American poetry and critical theory
but left before obtaining his doctorate. He then worked for two years as a copywriter and assistant to a medical publisher in New York.
Henwood has written three books. His first, The State of the USA Atlas (1994), is a social atlas of the U.S. in the Pluto
atlas series. This was followed in 1997 by Wall Street (Verso Books), in which Henwood described the workings of high finance. His most recent work is After the New Economy (New Press, 2003), an analysis of the 1990s boom and bust.
His writing has also appeared in The Nation, Grand Street, Village Voice, Newsday
, Los Angeles Times
, and The Guardian
(UK).
and, formerly, WBAI
. The show features interviews with activists, intellectuals and academics, preceded by a summary of recent economic headlines. Notable former guests include Noam Chomsky
, James K. Galbraith
, Christopher Hitchens
, Lewis Lapham
, George McGovern
, Joseph Stiglitz, Gore Vidal
, and Slavoj Žižek
.
On November 11, 2010, Henwood announced that he would be retiring Behind the News in its current form, instead broadcasting from another venue as well as on his website. This change arose from an interim producer's decision to reschedule Henwood's show to Saturdays and reduce its airtime to twice a month despite Henwood's having raised substantial funds during the network's previous fund drive, conditions that the host found unacceptable.
. They live in Brooklyn
with their young son.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist who writes frequently about economic affairs. He publishes a newsletter, Left Business Observer, that analyzes economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
from a left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
perspective, and is a contributing editor at The Nation.
Early years
Henwood was born in Teaneck, New JerseyTeaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
, and grew up in Westwood, New Jersey
Westwood, New Jersey
Westwood is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 10,908....
. He received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1975. Late in high school and while at Yale, Henwood identified as a conservative, briefly joining the Party of the Right, which Henwood wrote about in an article in The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
entitled "Partying on the Right":
Sometime late in high school, I fell under the spell of Milton FriedmanMilton FriedmanMilton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, academic, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades...
and Bill BuckleyWilliam F. Buckley, Jr.William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
, and about the first thing I did when I got to college was join the Party of the Right (POR).
From 1976-9, Henwood did graduate work in English at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, concentrating on British and American poetry and critical theory
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
but left before obtaining his doctorate. He then worked for two years as a copywriter and assistant to a medical publisher in New York.
Writing
In September 1986, Henwood launched Left Business Observer. Topics to which he has devoted coverage include:- Income distributionIncome distributionIn economics, income distribution is how a nation’s total economy is distributed amongst its population.Income distribution has always been a central concern of economic theory and economic policy...
and poverty in the U.S. and elsewhere in the First World - the globalization of finance and production
- the worldwide attack on pensions
- Third World debt and development
- the International Monetary FundInternational Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty... - the media business
- the influence of foundations on politics and culture
- what it means to be a leftist in a world that seems to have forgotten what that means
Henwood has written three books. His first, The State of the USA Atlas (1994), is a social atlas of the U.S. in the Pluto
Pluto Press
Pluto Press is a radical, progressive, independent publisher based in London. Pluto Press specialises in "progressive, critical perspectives in politics and the social sciences", and describes itself as "one of the world’s leading radical publishers". It has published authors such as Noam Chomsky,...
atlas series. This was followed in 1997 by Wall Street (Verso Books), in which Henwood described the workings of high finance. His most recent work is After the New Economy (New Press, 2003), an analysis of the 1990s boom and bust.
His writing has also appeared in The Nation, Grand Street, Village Voice, Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, and The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
(UK).
Radio
Henwood began hosting Behind the News in 1996, a weekly radio show and podcast produced at KPFAKPFA
KPFA is a listener-funded progressive talk radio and music radio station located in Berkeley, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KPFA airs public news, public affairs, talk, and music programming. The station signed on-the-air April 15 1949, as the first Pacifica Station...
and, formerly, WBAI
WBAI
WBAI, a part of the Pacifica Radio Network, is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station, broadcasting at 99.5 FM in New York City.Its programming is leftist/progressive, and a mixture of political news and opinion from a leftist perspective, tinged with aspects of its complex and varied...
. The show features interviews with activists, intellectuals and academics, preceded by a summary of recent economic headlines. Notable former guests include Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
, James K. Galbraith
James K. Galbraith
James Kenneth Galbraith is an American economist who writes frequently for mainstream and liberal publications on economic topics. He is currently a professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and at the Department of Government, University of Texas at Austin. He is also a Senior...
, Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens is an Anglo-American author and journalist whose books, essays, and journalistic career span more than four decades. He has been a columnist and literary critic at The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, World Affairs, The Nation, Free Inquiry, and became a media fellow at the...
, Lewis Lapham
Lewis H. Lapham
Lewis H. Lapham is an American writer. He was the editor of the American monthly Harper's Magazine from 1976 until 1981, and from 1983 until 2006. He also is the founder of the eponymous publication about history and literature entitled Lapham's Quarterly. He has written numerous books on...
, George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
, Joseph Stiglitz, Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
, and Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, critical theorist working in the traditions of Hegelianism, Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. He has made contributions to political theory, film theory, and theoretical psychoanalysis....
.
On November 11, 2010, Henwood announced that he would be retiring Behind the News in its current form, instead broadcasting from another venue as well as on his website. This change arose from an interim producer's decision to reschedule Henwood's show to Saturdays and reduce its airtime to twice a month despite Henwood's having raised substantial funds during the network's previous fund drive, conditions that the host found unacceptable.
Family
He is married to journalist Liza FeatherstoneLiza Featherstone
Liza Featherstone is an American journalist and journalism professor who writes frequently on labor and student activism for The Nation....
. They live in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
with their young son.
External links
- Left Business Observer with brief bio
- LBO News ("blog")
- Free downloadable version of Wall Street
- "Unconventional Wisdom: An Interview with Doug Henwood" by Bhaskar Sunkara (The Activist, 21 February 2010)
- "Interview with Doug Henwood" by Joel Schalit (Tikkun, Jan-Feb 2005)
- "Economic Unorthodoxy: An Interview with Doug Henwood" (24 April 2004)
- "The Invisible Recovery: An Interview with Doug Henwood" (Minneapolis/St. Paul City Pages, 26 November 2003)
- "The 'New Economy' and the Speculative Bubble: An Interview with Doug Henwood" (Monthly ReviewMonthly ReviewMonthly Review is an independent Marxist journal published 11 times per year in New York City.-History:The publication was founded by Harvard University economics instructor Paul Sweezy, who became the first editor...
, April 2001) - "Bubbles: An Interview with Doug Henwood", by Christian ParentiChristian ParentiChristian Parenti is an American investigative journalist and author. His books include: Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis , a survey of the rise of the prison industrial complex from the Nixon through Reagan Eras and into the present; The Soft Cage: Surveillance in America...
(Alternative Press ReviewAlternative Press ReviewAlternative Press Review is a libertarian American magazine established in 1994 as a sister periodical to Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed. As of 2002, its editorial collective consisted of Jason McQuinn , Chuck Munson and Thomas Wheeler...
, Spring 2001) - "The Marxist Wall Street Couldn't Ignore", by Annalee NewitzAnnalee NewitzAnnalee Newitz is an American journalist who covers the cultural impact of science and technology. She received a PhD in English and American Studies from UC Berkeley, and in 1997 published the widely cited book, White Trash: Race and Class in America. From 2004–2005 she was a policy analyst...
, Salon.comSalon.comSalon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, December 1998