Howard Zinn has written a brilliant and moving history of the American people from the point of view of those who have been exploited politically and economically and whose plight has been largely omitted from most histories. This book is an excellent antidote to establishment history, especially high school textbooks. Seldom have quotations been so effectively used; the stories of people of color, women, native Americans, and working class laborers of all nationalities are told in their own words. While the book is precise enough to please specialists, it should satisfy any adult reader.
The New Press has created a new series of books with Howard Zinn as the series editor! An incisive, class-conscious account of the war America lost, from the perspective of those who opposed it on both sides of the battlefront and homefront.
The protagonists in the “American War” (as the Vietnamese refer to it) are common people struggling to shape the outcome of events unfolding on an international stage—American foot soldiers who increasingly opposed American military policy on the ground in Vietnam, local Vietnamese activists and guerrillas fighting to build a just society, and the American civilians who mobilized to bring the war to a halt. The narrative includes vivid, first-person commentary from the ordinary men and women whose collective actions resulted in the defeat of the world’s most powerful military machine.
A collection of portraits and stories about people Fly met from all over the world. This idea emerged from sketchbooks she kept while on tour with God Is My Co-Pilot. The drawings and conversations reveal a hidden history - the people, ideas and events that are not usually covered by popular media, the surprisingly deep and beautiful way in which people can communicate with one another. Everyone has an incredible story to tell and deserves to be listened to. Fly has been squatting in the Lower East Side of Manhattan since 1990 where she paints and draws for the New York Press, Village Voice, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Raygun, Bikini, World War III Illustrated, Punk Planet, Maximumrocknroll, Slug & Lettuce and numerous other publications. Fly has also produced countless zines & comics over the past 2 decades.
Alec has gone and turned the first four issues of his comic zine "Phase 7" into a book. For those who weren't there at the beginning, issue one is a collection of shorts instead of one continuous story. Alec travels to Philly, has re-occurring nightmares, and tries to save the worms. Number two is Alec's trip to New York, plus Alec gets abducted by aliens. Number three is an epic road trip across the united states, which accurately captures what roadtrips are mostly like. It's hot, there's traffic, and sometimes you have to sleep in the car. Of course it captures the exciting parts too. Number four is the most developed of course, and most closely resembles the Phase 7 we know and love today. It's story line of a young man so captivated by other people's graffiti that he strikes out and begins doing it himself. Until "the man" brings him down. It's good to have these back issues available again!
A book giving an inside look at the thriving subculture as an important present day movement and a way of life. Covers such topics as DIY, skinheads, fanzines, anarchism, homosexuality and, ethics! Includes over 70 photos of names you might know and others you might not, new layout, graphics and text for those curious about the background, meaning, and true intentions of punk.
Traditional political activism and protesting are boring. The Biotic Baking Brigade has been breathing new life into such activities for years now - by throwing pies at their political enemies! What do Bill Gates, Milton Freidman, William F. Buckley, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Sylvester Stallone, Canadian Premier Jean Chretien, Swedish King Carl Gustaf, Ronald McDonald, Timothy Leary, Eldridge Cleaver, Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, World Trade Organization Director Renato Ruggiero and Andy Warhol have in common? They've all been pied by the Biotic Baking Brigade or its cohorts around the world. The fine art of landing a freshly-baked delicacy in the face of the reactionary, pompous, and otherwise deserving has a long and venerable tradition. As a way of highlighting a particular cause, gaining often spectacular media attention, or merely bringing the lofty down a crust or two, there is nothing quite so fine as a cream pie. We learn that humor makes activism much more interesting and involved for spectators.
In the vein of the classic Soy Not Oi cookbook, Please Don’t Feed The Bears compiles three issues of the previously self-published vegan cook zine with a range of tasty and simple animal-free dishes. The collection finally makes available these long-obscure fanzines originally published in the mid 1990s. Here you’ll find incredible recipes for stews, soups, sauces, noodle & bean dishes, baked entrees, deserts and more! There is also a fair smattering of new material bringing this to a whopping 160 pages of deliciousness!
In the spirit of Soy Not Oi, these recipes are written to be simple, straightforward, and perfect for the newest convert to the vegan revolution!
But far from bring just a vegan cookbook, Please Don’t Feed The Bears reads as a look into vegan lifestyle and underground culture. The book is thoroughly illustrated with eye-catching drawings and clearly laid-out graphics. In addition, the book also includes assorted rantings about music and the politics of leading a vegan lifestyle. Together the book provides easy-to-make and delectable recipies while reflecting the DIY punk rock sensibility of zine culture. ISBN 0-9770557-1-X
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Comprising over 150 vegan recipes and anecdotes from some of the bands that played at the over 200 shows booked by Ireland's Hope Collective from 1987-1999. This wonderful document is three things in one. First and foremost, it is a book of tasty recipes compiled by all your favorite punk rock stars - Neurosis' Tomato & Orange Soup; NOFX's salsa; Bikini Kill's chili non carne; Fugazi Chocolate Cake etc. etc. Secondly, its a tour diary of sorts, filled with the highs and lows, as presented by MDC, Chumbawamba, Green Day, No Means No, Jawbreaker, The Ex, Therapy? etc. etc. And finally, it's a great testament to the DIY, underground punk scene, and what a small group of folks can do when they put their minds to it! Plus, of course, lots of photos of all your favorites live in action. Truly a feast for the eyes, mind, and palate.
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A term, once used accurately to describe the most virulent evil, has become a charge flung at the mildest critic of Israel, particularly concerning its atrocious treatment of Palestinians. Considering Israel, Palestine, the Israel lobby in the US, the current Middle East crisis, and the ramifications at home and abroad, this book has recurring relevance!. Herein you'll find 18 of the finest essays and articles (from nine Jews and nine Gentiles!). A lot of the names will be familiar—Edward Said, Robert Fisk, Norman Finkelstein, Lenni Brenner, Uri Avnery, plus the editors. Then, there's former CIA analysts Bill and Kathy Christison, the trenchant and witty philosopher Michael Neumann, seasoned Capitol Hill staffer "George Sutherland," Will Yeoman's path-breaking essay on Israel and divestment, Shaheed Alam—who became a target of the fanatical Daniel Pipes—and Israeli journalist Yigal Bronner. Plus Kurt Nimmo, Bruce Jackson, Jeffrey Blankfort, and more. The first of the Counterpunch series from AK Press, is a timely anthology on how silence and complicity in crimes against a betrayed people has been enforced. Now part of our "holy shit, is it really $2 retail?!?!?" department!
Pound the Pavement's new binding technique helps to hold its wealth of content--Approximately 200 protest images of George Bush's face, or slanderous spray-paint scrawl invoking his name. The extensive cataloging within this zine had been 7 years in the making, or since that dark day Bush became president. Josh Macphee has captured images from all over the U.S as well as included photo's from other countries to document people's widespread resistance to the Bush Regime! In a brief introduction, Josh challenges us to consider whether these images give us control, or whether they have control over us. Issue 10 is a thorough and important documentation of our version of American history.
Before Chris discovered writing he was a junkie living on the street. He had a daughter and it sort of caused him to reevaluate his life. He's been involved in punk culture for almost 20 years and these are his stories that he's picked up along the way. He's been able to get back on track, kick the habit, and support his daughter all thanks to his writing. This is his first book with many more to come on the way. It's the story of a few friends and their adventures. Chris would say it's fiction but I'd say it was "creative nonfiction".
In the last forty years, we've watched unions lose leverage in the workplace as jobs are downsized and eliminated. Between numerous big defeats, Ravenswood recounts the largest union victory in an aluminum plant of the last 20 years or more. In a battle waged in West Virginia, it was shown labor can still win--even against a company controlled by one of the world's richest and most powerful international criminals!
Seventeen hundred employees were locked out and replaced permanently. Despite deteriorating conditions resulting 5 deaths the previous year, the company had refused to discuss safety and health issues. The workers faced an industry in turmoil, a plant manager with a grudge against the union, and a business controlled by a billionaire fugitive from justice.
The commitment of the workers and their families really won the battle between community meal feedings and grocery store donations, direct action tactics, organized Christmas parties for the children, radical puppeteering, and traditional picketing coupled with one of the most innovative contract campaigns ever waged by an American union. It's a truly heroic and epic story that reads almost like a Lord of the Rings novel in its twists and turns. One of my favorite books that I've read this year. (Joe Biel)
Inspiring, informative, and diverse, this book is a rare look at the intersection of art and anarchism. It touches on a broad range of topics not just pertaining to Anarchism, but also more broadly to anti-authoritarianism and the way these social movements have shaped their own art movement. And who better than current anarchist artists/authors to write the history of those that came before them?! Icky A. interviews "Anarchy: A Graphic Guide's" Clifford Harper. Erick Lyle takes a walk through the stenciled streets of Argentina. Meredith Stern contributes a wonderful series of interviews with over a dozen contemporary political artists, unfortunately cut down from the original 60 pages she collected. (hopefully, those will appear elsewhere before too long.) And there's more! And more and more! Each section is jam-packed with graphics. The result is not just a handy reference guide, but also a beautiful book.
"How to [pioneer] your own indie bookstore and beat back the chains!"
A document of how chain bookstores wrecked the industry for everyone, especially readers and book lovers, by the man who nearly invented in-store events, community outreach, and store mailings.
In the 1980s independent bookstores controlled the realm. They had retaken it because many new owners had been former employees at chains and knew the ins and outs of the system and what needed fine tuning. They got frustrated and started their own businesses, creating new bookstores with kitsch and character. By the early '90s the chains had lost their control and were quickly losing market share. Barnes and Nobles and Borders were new upstarts merged with B.Dalton and Waldenbooks; two dying chains. They slashed prices on books and undercut all the indies. Suddenly, indies were going out of business left and right. Legal monopoly legislation was enacted because of elicit deals between publishers and chains. The chains were using financial leverage to get absurdly low price discounts and fucking these publishers by over-ordering so they could create displays built out of books. They were taking far more books than they could ever hope to sell. This caused suggested retail prices to rise in order to cover these deep discounts and high returns.
Andrew has been in the trenches of bookselling and community organizing for the last 20 years. In addition to this history, you'll find a masked how-to guide to start, and succeed, in your own bookselling endeavors, in the face of the competition from the chains and big conglomerate jerks. Andrew is not afraid to shame the chains as is quite blunt and open at times. A welcome change for this subject matter. There is a lot of great opinion and passion here, as well as practical tips for effective independent bookselling. It's a big inspirational tip.
Listen to a chapter from the book!
A serious, thoughtful, and thought-provoking comprehensive introduction to, and examination of, a much misunderstood and misused practice. But more than that, it is a witty, provocative, damn fine read, with as much to offer to the faithfully monogamous as to those looking for something different out of life, love and relationships. Go on. Dive in. "Wendy-O tackles a touchy subject with clarity and creativity. She is wise beyond her years. This guide teaches you how you can have it all. I gave the jealousy tips to my lover immediately." [Annie Sprinkle]
Like Phoebe Gloeckner's Diary of a Teenage Girl, Michelle Tea's Rent Girl is an illustrated novel about a young dyke's adventures in and out of the sex industry on both the East and West Coasts. A side story to Tea's other novels, this book explores in depth her ambivalence to the sex industry, which she found to be an exciting outlaw occupation one minute and a traumatic existential nightmare the next. She cleverly avoids the stereotypes of victim or suprehero. Illustrated by Laurenn McCubbin; two-color art throughout. "I dealt with a lot of prostitutes when I was young... I always felt like a commodity in reverse, like a sucker. When I experienced the joy of reading Rent Girl that old feeling of physical indifference came back." -Robert Williams
You may have seen the White Rose poster or read an issue of Mylxine about resistance to the Holocaust, but have you checked out this huge collection of scholarly essays investigating the myriad of ways that Jews actively resisted, via a variety of actions and movements? Passively and actively, they performed as individuals, groups, and nations. Contributions include: Primo Levi and Survival in Auschwitz; The Auschwitz Children's Camp; The Warsaw Ghetto Youth Movement; Intermarriage in Nazi Germany; Jewish Women In The French Resistance, and Foundations Of Resistance In German-Occupied Denmark.
Sandor Ellix Katz profiles grassroots activists who take on Big Food, create meaningful alternatives, and challeng the way many Americans think about food. From community-supported local farmers, gardeners, and seed savers, to underground distribution networks of contraband foods and food resources rescued from the trash, this book shows how ordinary people can resist the dominant system, revive community-based food production, and take direct responsibility for their own health and nutrition. Topics include: Local and Seasonal Food versus Constant Convenience Consumerism; Holding Our Ground: Land and Labor Struggles; Slow Food for Cultural Survival; The Raw Underground; Beware the Nutraceutical: Food and Healing; Plant Prohibitions: Laws Against Nature; Vegetarian Ethics and Humane Meat; Feral Foragers: Scavenging and Recycling Food Resources; and Water: The Source of All Life
"This revolution will not be genetically engineered, pumped up with hormones, covered in pesticides, individually wrapped, or microwaved.... This revolution is wholesome, nurturing, and sensual. This revolution reinvigorates local economies. This revolution rescues traditional foods that are in danger of extinction and revives skills that will enable people to survive the inevitable collapse of the unsustainable, globalized, industrial food system."
What do Lucy Parsons, Clarence Darrow, Carl Sandburg, Mary MacLane, Lawrence Lipton, Elizabeth Davis (Queen of the Hoboes), Jun Fujita, Sherwood Anderson, Ralph Chaplin, Katherine Dunham, Djuna Barnes, Kenneth Rexroth, Sam Dolgoff, and Slim Brundage have in common? They were all Dil Picklers! Founded in 1914 by former Wobbly Jack Jones, Irish revolutionist Jim Larkin, and a group of fantastic IWW-oriented Bughouse Square hobos and soapboxers, the Dil Pickle in just a few years was widely recognized as the wildest, most playful, most creative, and most radical nightspot in the known universe—especially after Dr. Ben Reitman joined the club in 1917. In this book, Rosemont has collected 41 reminiscences of the Dil Pickle by poets, artists, journalists, novelists, hobos, scholars, anarchist, wobblies, and other assorted radicals and oddballs. Among them are accounts by the club's founders, habitués, visitors, and critics. Rosemont's introduction provides the fullest account so far of the Dil Pickle's chaotic history, and goes on to explore the role of the Picklers in the arts and the "Chicago Renaissance," along with its meaning(s) for our own troubled times.
Debut novel about the underground in L.A., as well as a search for a road (hence the title) from filmmaker and the zinester, Bill Brown, the genius that brings us Dream Whip. There are human characters in Saugus to the Sea, but they play the barest of supporting roles; the primary focus being the relationship between the narrator and the American urban complex of underground Los Angeles. Less of a novel and more of a collection of short stories or personal essays linked by consistent themes. Additionally it's a madcap mystery about an introverted underground-sprinkler repairman who discovers pieces of a grand conspiracy involving Arbor Day insurrectionists, underground irrigation systems, earthquakes and the flashing light on top of the Capitol Records building.
Its elements don't demand to be taken too literally; as metaphors, they form an elegant network of signification. Water, fault lines, maps, flora and architecture are symbols that present urban life and urban history as an interplay of tensions between order and disorder, deliberateness and chance. This is a mystery story (kind of) but the riddle at hand is the whole, vast life of a city. Brown got his start in travel zines and it shows: His genuine love for and knowledge of his subject saves this book from the cynicism and archness that characterize many other chronicles of alienation in the surreal City of Quartz. Illustrations from Brad Young, the cartoonist who draws and writes the comic strip Stay As You Are. (Willamette Week Review)
The first book to document and emphasize the myriad voices of the free radio movement, from Black Liberation Radio in Springfield, Illinois, to Free Radio Berkeley in Berkeley, California. The first section, "Media Monopoly And The Rise Of The Free Radio Movement" includes contributions from Robert McChesney on the political economy of radio in North America and a history and analysis of the burgeoning pirate radio movement. The second section, "On The Air," includes interviews with and commentary by some of the key grassroots participants in micropower broadcasting worldwide—from Canada, Holland, Haiti, and Mexico, as well as America. The final section of the book consists of a comprehensive technical guide and how-to manual for going on the air, complete with schematics and "sound" advice.
The title is the phrase that Percy Shelley used to describe the revolutionary quest of his circle of Romantic poets and writers. A perfect title for this marvelous a cappella of writing on art, music, culture, and sex.
A big part of being radical in the best sense of that word lies in enjoying, promoting, and defending art and the spirit of freedom, along with the craft skills embodied by the arts. By the quality of life, art, and freedom that radicals commend, so will radicalism prevail. Subversive perspectives on life and politics should be fun.
Sex therapist Dr. Susan Block diagnoses John Ashcroft's breast fetish; Marsha Cusic gets to the absolute heart of Motown, on the line. The assassination attempts of Paul Robeson are discussed. Daniel Wolff charts how the great Sam Cooke became so great; Lenni Brenner eats peyote with a young Bob Dylan in the Village, and Bruce Jackson unearths stage tapes proving that the crowd didn't boo Dylan when he went electric at Newport; Vicente Navarro exposes the fascist life of Salvador Dali; St. Clair explains why Ken Burns hates music, while Cockburn explores Angelina Jolie's links to the French Revolution; Peter Linebaugh recounts the wonderful history of May Day; and Susan Davis tours the inner vaults of the Kinsey Institute, the luscious warehouse of erotica hidden in the American heartland. A beautiful foray delving into art and culture.
The newest book in the "this book is so cheap we must be insane" category. Reap the rewards of overprinting!
A bunch of Portland drunks are on a mission... and this time it's war. Their dark and perilous campaign ceaselessly picks up speed until it takes on a runaway life of its own, transformed by a desperate momentum: once paralyzed rage burns down a bookstore (Powells) and hijacks a commuter train; isolation and fear forces bloody encounters with skinheads, crips, and postal workers. A history of long-disappointed desire becomes a symphony of lurid and hilarious catharsis, building relentlessly to a dizzying conclusion. A good companion to Brains zine!
Since Predator came is the newest from Ward Chuchill, the famous Colorado Professor who was fired for his remarks about 9/11. In this book of essays, he addresses a wide range of topics relevant to Native American existence today. From the landing of Columbus up through the case of Leonard Peltier, on to current perceptions of the indigenous rights movement from both the right and the left. This is a hefty and informative book at 1/2 off the original price!
The story of Boxcar Bertha! A raging slab of real American history you're not likely to find in the textbooks. It's a window into a wildly under-appreciated dropout culture that gets left out of the stultifying fairytales that pass for history books—a much more rowdy and messily interesting tradition than the guardians of propriety, steeped in those other great American traditions of Puritanism and hypocrisy, let on.
Hobo jungles, bughouses, whorehouses, Chicago's Main Stem, IWW meeting halls, skid rows, and open freight cars—these were the haunts of the free thinking and free loving Bertha Thompson. This vivid biography of a fictional woman (an amalgamation of several hobos that Reitman knew - male and female) recounts one hell of a rugged woman's hard-living depression-era saga of misadventures with pimps, hopheads, murderers, yeggs, wobblies, and anarchists.
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