-Caveat Lector-
I've been asked what I recommend for the first time reader of anarchism?
<Living My Life> by Emma Goldman
<Anarchy> by Maletesta
<Anarchism> by Guerin
<Collectives in the Spanish Revolution> by Leval
<Mutual Aid: A Factor in Evolution> by Kropotkin
<Towards a Citizen's Militia: An Anarchist Alternative to NATO> by Christie
<The Christie File> by Christie
<The Unknown Revolution> by Voline
the <AK Press Catalog> by the AK Press staff
and two pieces of fiction:
<The Free> by Gilliland
<The Dispossessed> by La Guinn
That'll get you started, bookwise.
If you want to learn about us, meet us. Attend the annual San Francisco
Anarchist Book Fair in GG Park this coming April 15. There'll be speakers,
food, books periodicals, t-shirts, free stuff and three or four thousand
people, most of them young and good looking.
We all disagree (of course) but personally I feel Maletesta is the one
author who does the best job of outlining the basics of our outlook on
life. Though an extremely well educated man he was self educated and thus
not prone to speaking academese. He worked as a plumber and and as
electrician. He spoke plainly and got straight to the point. His chapbook,
though obviously a bit dated, is still (IMO) the best summation of what
we're all about.
When you're in San Francisco, check out the fine collection of
contemporary anarchist (and other) periodicals available at Bound Together
Books, 1369 Haight St, SF CA between Masonic and Central.
Books alone give the false impression that we're over and done with. We're
most emphatically not. We're a growing, thriving culture, alive on every
continent. We're among the most heterogeneous bunch of folks on Earth. If
you don't like one of us you WILL like another one. Some of us grew up in
big Spanish or Italian families who have been anarchist for generations.
Others fled the alienation of the American living room of own own
volition, with no clue who anarchists were till we met some.
We work in every trade. We're butchers, bakers, candlestick makers,
soldiers, saliors, tinkers and spies. Some of us are lumberjacks, some of
us are phone whores. Others practice medicine. A few are even lawyers. I
myself am a writer. Before that I was a mechanic. Before that I hung dry
wall. Before that I carried a hod. I'm not typical. None of are typical.
We speak dozens of languages, are all ages, and represent every race,
ethnic group and sexual persuasion you can think of and a few you never
heard of. We include some of the best artists on the planet and not a few
of the wisest pundits. A few of us are thick as bricks, but not freakin
many. Even they are smart enough to know we're better off helping each
other out than we are stabbing backs. Anarchism ain't rocket science. Any
kindergardener knows the basics: share, clean up your mess, don't hit each
other, learning is fun.
Mutual aid is our most central core value, which makes us really good to
have for friends and really bad to have for enemies. We're also the flat
out, hands down, no competition, very best networkers on earth. Any
anarchist who puts any effort into it can find comrades in the most
obscure corners of the world. Even a cursory perusal of our thriving 'zine
scene will give anybody who wants them enough pen pals to give Godzilla
carpal tunnel syndrome.
(BTW, we're also really good in bed. Did I mention that already?)
Check out <spunk.org>'s excellent collection. Or subscribe to
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> for a while and see what we're up to around the world
these days.
And of course there's:
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/Subject=Anarchism/2948-0182966-277254
They have 300+ titles.
But for the real bird's eye lowdown you have to go to the horse's mouth.
Write to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> and ask for a free catalog. Mark your email
"attn. Ramsay" and tell him I sent you. Or you can (usually) pick up a
free catalog at Bound Together. They're just to the right of the front
door on the free stuff rack next to the bulletin board. Or ask at the
counter. BTW, I use a different name there.
Read my history of Ukrainian anarchists in the Russian Civil War, <Panic
at Peregonovka>, at :<http://www.sfbg.com/nessie/panic.html>
The part in the New Testament Book of Acts about the apostle Stephan and
the early Christians in general is pretty relevant, too, especially Acts
2:44. So is any competent anthro text on Inuit or Son culture (among
many others). There's a great anthro text called <People Without
Government> whose author's name slips my mind. If you can find a copy of
<Quotations from the Anarchists> start with it. It's excellent, but it's
out of print and hard to find these days.
Avoid <The Anarchist Cookbook>; it's COINTELPRO disinfo. The drug recipes
will poison you and the bomb recipes blow up in your face. Leave it alone.
I hope I've been of some assistance. Lemme know if you have any questions.
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