James Shrybman; Henry Tarbi (illus.)
The Boston Housing Primer or By the Hand through Slumlord Land, 1972
Boston: Boston University Student Union
Second edition.
2769
Small quarto. 152pp. Tarbi (who here goes by 'Uncle Honka') here applies cartoonish illustrations next to photographs to add wry commentary to the serious situation of housing exploitation. Shrybman ('Mister...
Small quarto. 152pp. Tarbi (who here goes by "Uncle Honka") here applies cartoonish illustrations next to photographs to add wry commentary to the serious situation of housing exploitation. Shrybman ("Mister Shribbles") add the necessary guidance on how, where, and when to look for rentals and how to address the various confrontations with landlords over rent hikes, poor maintenance, evictions, and the like. These are grouped under such subtitles as "Why is the Boston House Situation So Bad," "A Collective Bargaining Contract," and "Housing - The War and You." Born out of a contentious moment in the history of Boston University, when then-President John R. Silber enacted a number of unilateral cost-cutting measures against express faculty and student preference, especially those expressed by various collective organizations. Tensions would eventually erupt in 1979, with BU faculty, librarians, and other striking work for several weeks and calling repeatedly then and thereafter for Silber's resignation. Shrybman maintained his frustrated opinion of Silber, describing him in BU's Daily Free Press as a "bully" and likening him to a CEO of a major corporation. Shrybman eventually became an adoption lawyer, while Tarbi became a professor of Business - complicated results, given the strident ant-establishmentarianism on display here. Bound in illustrated wrappers. Some rubs to edges, some toning, else very good. Both this and the first edition are rare.


