Ron Kurtenbach
Encyclopedia
Ron Kurtenbach is a Lincoln
, Nebraska
communist
born January 6, 1943. An enthusiastic community activist, he is one of the original group which founded local Lincoln radio station KZUM
and the local grocery co-op Open Harvest. He is also one of the group which founded the short-lived Lincoln Communist music venue, The Red and Black Café, in the early 1990s, a spin off to another talk program he produced with Sally Herrin, noted Lincoln author, and a number of others called "Zero Street" (from the Allen Ginsberg poem "Wichita Vortex Sutra" in which AG called Lincoln's main drag, O Street, "Zero Street"). Many Lincoln bands, including Plastik Trumpet and Hour Slave played at the Red and Black.
He was a long-time custodian at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his Ph.D. in English
in May 2000, and taught briefly at both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and at Kearney.
Kurtenbach is most well known for his long-running controversial Public-access television
call-in show, Ron's World, that was seen nightly on local Lincoln cable TV
. On the program, he explained the basics of Marxist
thinking, read poetry
and spent most of the time discussing his politics
with the general public.
Prior to cable television, Kurtenbach was the editor/publisher of the Lincoln Gazette. His "free or donation" weekly paper featured everything from political perspectives to poetry to the cartoons of the talented, local cartoonist Scott Stewart (most notable among Stewart's creations was "Telegram Sam," the bomb-toting anarchist). By the late '70s, the Lincoln Gazette was available in Lincoln, Omaha and communities across Nebraska. A group dissatisfied with Kurtenbach left the Gazette to form the short-lived Nebraska Dispatch.
Kurtenbach's stature as a local cult figure grew to the point that he once was the host of a public school "celebrity" basketball charity event.
Kurtenbach is currently in a long term relationship and moved to China
, to teach English, as well as living part time in Portugal. Kurtenbach is the father of two sons, and grandfather of three.
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
born January 6, 1943. An enthusiastic community activist, he is one of the original group which founded local Lincoln radio station KZUM
KZUM
KZUM is a radio station licensed in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. The station serves the Lincoln area and is currently owned by Sunrise Communications, Inc.. It features a variety of programming, including jazz, blues, folk music, and bluegrass.-History:...
and the local grocery co-op Open Harvest. He is also one of the group which founded the short-lived Lincoln Communist music venue, The Red and Black Café, in the early 1990s, a spin off to another talk program he produced with Sally Herrin, noted Lincoln author, and a number of others called "Zero Street" (from the Allen Ginsberg poem "Wichita Vortex Sutra" in which AG called Lincoln's main drag, O Street, "Zero Street"). Many Lincoln bands, including Plastik Trumpet and Hour Slave played at the Red and Black.
He was a long-time custodian at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his Ph.D. in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in May 2000, and taught briefly at both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and at Kearney.
Kurtenbach is most well known for his long-running controversial Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
call-in show, Ron's World, that was seen nightly on local Lincoln cable TV
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
. On the program, he explained the basics of Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
thinking, read poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and spent most of the time discussing his 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...
with the general public.
Prior to cable television, Kurtenbach was the editor/publisher of the Lincoln Gazette. His "free or donation" weekly paper featured everything from political perspectives to poetry to the cartoons of the talented, local cartoonist Scott Stewart (most notable among Stewart's creations was "Telegram Sam," the bomb-toting anarchist). By the late '70s, the Lincoln Gazette was available in Lincoln, Omaha and communities across Nebraska. A group dissatisfied with Kurtenbach left the Gazette to form the short-lived Nebraska Dispatch.
Kurtenbach's stature as a local cult figure grew to the point that he once was the host of a public school "celebrity" basketball charity event.
Kurtenbach is currently in a long term relationship and moved to China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, to teach English, as well as living part time in Portugal. Kurtenbach is the father of two sons, and grandfather of three.