Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: Saramago was a member of the Portuguese Communist Party from 1969 , until his death as well as an atheist and self-described pessimist .
Simplified: He became a member of the Portuguese Communist Party in 1969 and remained so until the end of his life . Saramago was also an atheist and self-described pessimist .