Marilyn Buck

Marilyn Buck On Tuesday, August 3, 2010, long-time U.S. political prisoner and acclaimed poet Marilyn Buck, 62, passed peacefully at her home in Brooklyn. On July 15th, several weeks before the date originally set for her release, Marilyn had been released from the federal Bureau of Prisons medical facility in Carswell, Texas and paroled to New York. Marilyn served 25 years of an 80-year prison sentence for politically motivated actions undertaken in support of self-determination and national liberation and in opposition to racial injustice and U.S. imperialism. Throughout her years in prison, Marilyn remained a steadfast supporter of fellow political prisoners and an advocate for the women with whom she was imprisoned. Marilyn became involved in the civil rights and anti-war movements and joined the Students for a Democratic Society during her college years and became an active supporter of the Puerto Rican, Native American and Black liberation struggles in this country. She was a consistent and outspoken advocate for the liberation of women and gay liberation. Marilyn was incarcerated in Dublin, California for 15 years, during which time she earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Master of Arts in poetics. Her poetry and essays have been printed in a wide variety of journals and books. A new collection of her poetry will be published next year under the title "Inside Shadows." In 2009, Marilyn was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer; treatment came too late to save her life. Marilyn is survived by three brothers, three sisters-in-law; cousins, nieces and nephews; her friend and attorney Soffiyah Elijah, and other loving friends worldwide. A memorial gathering will be held on November 7th from 4-7 at the First Unitarian Church, 685 14th St., Oakland. Additional ones will be held in Texas, New York City, and Puerto Rico; details will be posted on www.marilynbuck.com.