The Genius of 10th St. Robert Roth. Carletta Joy Walker

Brother Robert mosoq  librunmanta, allinmi

The Genius of 10th St. Robert Roth, And Then Press, 2026

The Genius of 10th St. is truly genius! Genius concept, genius memoir with social commentary, genius fiction coming from the tutelary spirit or spirits—Robert Roth—writing of times and places and beyond confines of time and space. Robert allows, invites readers to join in very serious explorations of the actions and efforts for freedom, countering nation-states and ruling elites who exploit, bomb, starve everyday people in the effort to own dominate and control everything. Robert does this while subtly and cleverly examining the contradictions and pretense of people and movements doing important and life positive change in the world. He includes looking at himself, his actions and postures, unflinchingly and humorously.

Robert Roth's writing has been discovered years into the future by someone who eagerly engages with the events and ideas in the written work, as the definitive Robert Roth would have loved. The concept is at play immediately as it flows the reader into the future time with the reader of Robert's work and its references to articles and comments about the many Robert Roths. Some may have been one and the same as the one in the discovered writings others not—who can know? Did Robert fight for preservation of landmark buildings, was he a gay movie critic, was he born in 1966, was he an artist, was he an SDS member born in 1950?

This person in the future writes about the depiction of Robert as "a visionary poet as well as a shy somewhat clueless heartthrob." And how, "uncovered evidence shows that Robert was instrumental in creating this perception of himself."

The person in this future time, the reader, a researcher also writes, "I have been pouring over recent discovered folders of random Roth fragments which without attribution also include an occasional work of a friend.

          You have to immerse yourself in the weeds of various periods in his life to understand them."  

The discovered writing recounts people, political movements, arts movement of the 20 and 21^st century from Robert's vantage point at the center and the periphery. Collaboration spanned the globe—writers, visual and performance artists, activists, sports players, store persons—everyday beings living in cities and villages. Political figures and events from the history books—Daniel Berrigan, Bayard Rustin, Shulamith Firestone, Henry Kissinger, Robert Mugabe, Irving Wexler, in rooms with him or a doorway away. The Peace Movement, Black Power Feminism, Culture, Christopher Street, Zimbabwe. And Then Arnie Sachar, Marguerite Bunyan, Shelley Haven—vehicle to transport ideas and words, images, musical notes—Pete Wilson, Myrna Nieves, Bob Perron and so many.

The Genius of 10^th St has immersed himself in himself, the lives and actions of his era and for me it is a deeply thoughtful and seriously fun journey.

Carletta Joy Walker