P r a c t i c a l @ n a r c h y O N L I N E Issue 2.3, August 1993 A monthly electronic zine concerning anarchy from a practical point of view, to help you put some anarchy in your everyday life. The anarchy scene is covered through reviews and reports from people in the living anarchy. Editors: Chuck Munson Internet ctmunson@macc.wisc.edu Bitnet ctmunson@wiscmacc.bitnet Postal address Practical Anarchy PO Box 173 Madison, WI 53701-0173 USA *NOTE* Mikael Cardell has temporarily stepped down as co-editor of this zine. Hopefully he might be involved with it again in the future. He will be spending more time with Spunk Press and other projects. If you are interested in becoming a co-editor of this project, please drop me a missive. -Chuck0 Subscription of PA Online is free in it's electronic format and each issue is anti-copyright and may be distributed freely as long as the source is credited. Please direct subscription matters to cardell at the above address. We encourage our readers to submit articles and to send in bits of news from everywhere. Local or worldwide doesn't matter -- we publish it. Send mail to the editors. =@= EDITORIALS =@= edimatorial from sweden Why publish? (A sort of tribute to Factsheet 5) by Miekael Argh, I always get in a very peculiar mood when I'm about to try to explain the reasons of my behaviour. This is going to be a rant with no specific ideas behind apart from it vaguely having something to do with the publishing of zines and underground literature. Well, what was it I was going to be ranting about? Oh, yes, just recently I came by a posting on ZINE-L about a permanent section in the late Factsheet 5 called 'Why publish?'. Apparantly the section was open for any zine editor who wanted to get rid of a lot of reasons for publishing a zine. A great idea. I need a wastebasket of some sort as well, so I'm going to try and write something about why I'm still hanging on to this e-zine instead of just jumping around in the room shivering of frustration for lack of time to finish project #4711 in my list. I can sometimes be caught saying something about this being fun and that I love to write and force my opinions on other people, but that's not the primary reason for me to write and compile articles for a zine like this. Not at all. You see, in real life, not this poor excuse of an illusion, I'm an orange secret agent. The oranges wants to be aware of what we people think and why they act like they do, eating oranges and drinking orange juice for breakfast. I bet you would be somewhat suspicious too if your friends had been squezed to juice for someone's breakfast. The best way the oranges have come up with so far to get to know these things is to eavesdrop on that odd collection of people called zine publishers. They get to know a great deal using the method, but I just wonder if they get to know what they're really after... Bah! Who cares what an orange thinks anyway? I'm just doing my job or whatever I could call it. I don't really like writing. I just say so sometimes. I don't know why, really. It's more having written that is fun, not the actual punching of keys. Who said that writing was an intellectual labour anyhow? They should feel the feedback of my keyboard. All this doesn't mean I don't like having the oppurtunity to make you read this. I like the very idea that people use up their time on earth reading shit like this. On the other hand, I spent more time writing it than they will be spending reading it. Ah. There's no justice. Timothy Leary has written something about control in the 21st century. He babbled something about the people of the world watching cathode ray tubes more than the eyes of their own family. He's right, you know. I've been stuck here with my poor beast of writing equipment for ages and haven't even looked in my son's eyes for about a century. Ok, a couple of hours at least. And now it's too late. I'm losing time, my son's gone to bed and I want to be finished with this about minus four hours ago. Mr. Leary also wrote something about people in control of their own mind edits their own CRT, the others are being programmed as they watch a CRT they have no control over. Ha! Guess who's editing and who's being programmed? This is what zines are all about; control. Who's got the control over media? Try examining the megacorporations controlling the media in different countries and you'll see a pattern, a common pattern. All newspapers, magazines, major TV channels and radio stations are owned by a small group of people. These are the controllers of your mind! No, I guess they're not the Illuminatus, but it *is* a bloody conspiracy. Look around you. Everywhere there are messages from these media giants. And you just take it all in. Everyone just take it all in. Some believe what they digest as well. These people are in great trouble. The oranges are not taking over, the media giants are! Don't drink orange juice tomorrow morning -- seize the media! Ok, not all media is propaganda machines a la Goebbels. The alternative media scene truly exists. It's not just a Robert Crumb fantasy that there are alternative comics & zines & pirate radio stations & community TV channels & the alt.hierarchy & mailing lists & spunk press & loompanics unlimited & a lot of people taking things less seriously than Springer Verlag. We're here! Not a lot of oranges, but real people with a relaxed attitude... Zines are a lot like punk music. In the punk scene the audience at one concert are very often on stage at the next and vice versa. The same thing is here, within the zine scene; people mix a lot, zine editors and zine readers are the same people. You can't see any walls between your Random J. Zine-Reader and your Random J. Zine-Editor as you can see between the journalists of the mainstream press and it's readers. Zines are about banging a lot of heads, while still on the stiff body of the reader, against the wall of professional journalism and commercialism. And I'm going to continue to bang my head, both as a reader and an editor (perhaps not in P@ Online, but elsewhere), until there's a hole in the wall. If it's big enough for an issue of P@ Online that's enough. Then I'll pick up a box of matches, light the issue (the special fuse issue, coming soon), and await the BLAST! Editorial from the U.S.A. by Chuck This e-zine will now be moving to a monthly schedule. We need you to make sure that you tell us when your e-address changes. We also need news from your area, accounts of practical projects, letters, news of new resources, zine and media reviews, and articles. In other news, I'm reassured that my expectations of Clinton's presidency have been exceeded by his desire to be just like George Bush. I'm also constantly horrified by Democrats who urge us to support him "because at least he isn't George Bush" or "at least he hasn't executed anybody yet." He may not have yet approved the state murder of anybody in the U.S. but he has already killed an artist and other people in Iraq. Let's see, we can also count the Americans killed in Somalia as well as Somalis killed. News reports today say that this CIA guy killed in Georgia was part of a covert operation. Covert ops already? Are the Democrats really that different from the Republicans? I guess I don't get it. The pope is supposed to arrive in Denver today. Pope, go home! =@= LETTERS TO THE EDITORS =@= Please send us your comments and letters and we'll print them here. =@= CULTURE SCENE =@= =ZINES= The following zine reviews appeared in Practical Anarchy #7 (print version). All were reviewed by Chuck. Alternative Index vol.97 , Issue 2 / 1993 o An excellent small town alternative magazine. An irreverent alternative voice for rural Kansas. One article deals with the passage of a nuke train through the area near Westmoreland. Ads from local businesses. A great mix of traditional radical concerns with a touch of small town sensibility. [PO Box 326, Westmoreland, KS 66549-0326. $20/24 issues] Alternative Press Review o A forthcoming new publication to be published by the folks at Anarchy. This will focus more on the alternative press and will include articles and book and zine reviews. Contact them at their address listed below for more info. Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed #37 / Summer 93 o This issue includes a reprint of Fredy Perlman's essay "The Continuing Appeal of Nationalism". Be sure to read the interesting piece by John Zerzan titled "Rank-and-file Radicalism within the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s." The usual excellent letters section, reviews, and the On Gogol Boulevard section (news from Eastern Europe). See sidebox for info on the new Anarchy spinoff, Alternative Press Review. [C.A.L, PO Box 1446, Columbia, MO 65205-1446. Quarterly. $12 / 6 issues] Animadverse #6 o A small anarchist zine with articles on the Animal Liberation Front, Queer liberation, as well as reprints from other zines. {POB 57464, Jackson Station. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8P 3X4. $5/12 issues] Artflux o Music, art, and cartoons grace this graphics-oriented anarcho-punk zine. Interview with the band Cop Shoot Cop. [c/o P.E., PO Box 8722, Minneapolis, MN 55408] Bayou La Rose #41 o A fine anarchist newspaper which is always a good source for news on native issues, prisoner support, labor, and the environment. Lots of North American and international radical and anarchist news. Also, a good source for recent news on Leonard Peltier, Big Mountain, and other native support projects. [Left Bank Distribution (bulk issues) /4142 Brooklyn Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98105 or PO Box 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415-0464 ($7.50 U.S. or $15 overseas / 4 issues)] Bicycle Threat "The revolution will not be motorized" o The name of this zine changes with each issue. This one devoted to things that begin with "B". A tabloid-style zine that's full of little rants and funny graphics. Lot of the anarchy spirit here. Reminds me of the defunct zine "Popular Reality." [3018 J St. #140, Sacramento, CA 95816] Blue Ryder various issues 1993 o A newspaper zine devoted to reprinting articles and graphics from other zines. Improving with each issue. A good place to get your zine reviewed. Looks like a shorter version of the old Factsheet Five. Recommended. [Box 587, Olean, NY 14760. tabloid / Monthly / $8/12 issues / 12pp] Crash January 1993 o The zine for folks involved in the Crash Network. The network is a group of people from around the world who agree to house other members of the network if they should happen to drop by. This issue includes an account of a journey undertaken by some members to see how well the network works. 519 Castro St. #7, San Francisco, CA 94114. dreamtime talkingmail Number 3 / Spring 1993 o The newsletter of the folks up at Dreamtime Village. This is one of the more visually interesting alternative publications around. A calendar of events, a wrap-up of last year's Corroboree, and stuff on bioregions, permaculture, and temporary autonomous zones. Highly recommended. [Dreamtime Village, Rt.2 Box 242W, Viola, WI 54664. $3] Factsheet Five #47 / 1993 o The famous zine of zines, a regular compendium of zine reviews and other stuff. This resurrection of the original zine of the same title is still looking good. A good place to get your zine reviewed. [R. Seth Friedman. Factsheet Five. PO Box 170099, San Francisco, CA 94117-00999. $3.95 / $20/six issues] Fifth Estate vol.28, no.1 /Spring 1993 o Detroit's long-running voice of anarchy. This issue has an excellent analysis of the ongoing situation in Somalia. Other articles include "Love & Anarchy" and "Grounds for decolonizing". [4632 Second Ave., Detroit, MI 48201. $1.50 / $6/year. Quarterly] FIRE First issue o A shaky first effort devoted to opinions on racism, Native Americans, and coverage of the Milwaukee scene. [Yaben. 2863 N. 38th St. Milwaukee, WI 53210] Frontier Report vol.1:no.9 March 1993 o A rather decent alternative newspaper serving the Kansas City area. A mix of news, opinion, and culture. [POB 8481, Kansas City, Missouri 64114. $10/year. Monthly] Global Mail Issue 4 / January 1993 o A handy little zine which has extensive listings of many mail art shows and calls for entries. Includes things for the next few years and for events worldwide. Electronic version also available. Soapbox Junc. PO Box 597996, Chicago, IL 60659. Send stamps. They also do some distro. Incite Information various issues 1993 o An excellent little libertarian zine. Always has great commentary on current events. [1507 E. Franklin St. #530, Chapel Hill, NC 27514] Indianarchy #1 April 1993 PO Box 3207 Bloomington, IN 47402-3207 Send a few bucks or some stamps. A collaborative effort of a bunch of anarchists in Indiana. Some of these folks have put out other zines. Book reviews, cartoons, essays, collages--it looks like each contributor had control over their own sections. Pieces on women's health collectives, queers, conspiracy films, a little known Italian anarchist, and much more... Industrial Worker vol.90, no.1560 / June 1993 o The monthly newspaper of the IWW. This one includes a directory of IWW organizations, an article titled "Fighting against shut-down," and an insert titled "Wage Slave World News." [1095 market St. Suite 204, San Francisco, CA 94103. $15/ year. $1 for one issue] tion devoted to "anarchosyndicalist ideas and discussion." These folks are the traditional left-libertarians. The leadoff editorial is titled "The Scourge of nationalism" which deals with contemporary nationalism in a manner similar to Goldman's writings earlier in the century. Also: editorials, articles, and book reviews. Recommended. Love and Rage Vol.4, no.2, April/May 1993 o The monthly publication of the Love and Rage Network. News, articles, and scene news. Includes a section on the Anarchist Black Cross. The feature article in this issue deals with abortion in the East Bloc. Great cover that shows two women kissing. [PO Box 3, Prince Street Station, NY, NY 10012. $1 / $13/six issues (First Class)] Masonia Roundup Winter Edition / January 1993 o You may have heard of personal zines--this is a "family" zine. A mix of news about the Mason clan as well as their opinions. [POB 915, Mountain View, WY 82939 / $2.50/2 issues. Semiannual] The Match! Number 88 / Summer 1993 o An uncompromising traditional anarchist journal. A great editorial on why they will no longer review books with ISBN numbers. Excellent book reviews including one that takes several swipes at the zine phenomenon. Several serialized fiction pieces continue in this issue. [Fred Woodworth, ed., PO Box 3488, Tucson, AZ 85722. Four mailings for $10] Maximumrocknroll various issues / 1993 o I get every issue and there is always something interesting inside. An excellent place to find out what's going on in the alternative music scenes. Mostly music-oriented, but occasionally you can find some anarchist political stuff. [PO Box 460760, San Francisco, CA 94146-0760] MSRRT Newsletter v.6, no.1 / February 1993 o A great newsletter put out by some cool librarians. Periodical reviews, news tidbits, book reviews, and resource listings are featured. An essential resource for the serious anarchist. [Chris Dodge / Jan DeSirey, 4645 Columbus Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55407] Meander Quarterly: Newsletter of Evolutionary Anarchists vol.5, no.1 / May 1993 o Published currently by my friend Ed (editorship revolves). This has been around for several years now. This issue has lots of news--usually it's mostly letters. Always something interesting here. An alternative to the run-of-the-mill anarchist rhetoric about "revolution." [Ed Stamm. PO Box 1402, Lawrence, KS 66044. Send stamps or a few bucks. Send letters!] The New Hampshire Gazette February 1992 o This is one of those great small town alternative rags that are always a joy to come across. These publications continue the long muckraking tradition of alternative community-based presses. They are usually put out by one person--in this case Steven Fowle. The Gazette includes a daily log of commentary on contemporary news. This issue also has short pieces on the native Hawaiian sovereignty movement, Project Censored, and the hazardous waste incinerator in Ohio that Clinto is allowing to be built. [37 Skunk Farm Road, Hillsborough, NH 03244. Monthly. $10/year] The Next Progressive o Ugh! I won't bother giving you the address of this atrocity, brought to you by a bunch of 20-something up-and-coming liberal "leaders" (people who hope to be able to tell you someday how to live your life) who have been media darlings of late. out of step #6 / February 1993 o "A journal of heresies, polemics, and manifestos..." A four page zine with lots of news of the weird as well as Wally's opinions. [Wally Conger. 146-A N. Canyon Blvd., Monrovia, CA 91016. Monthly. Sample $3 / $10/year] Persona #1 o A new personal/punk zine published in Madison. Articles on animal rights, nuclear power, and computer crime, as well as coverage of the local music scene. The layout is pretty good and the cover has a funky picture. [PO Box 339, Madison, Wi 53701-0339. $1] Profane Existence #19/20 / Summer 1993 o Profane is back with this outstanding double issue! Excellent section devoted to anarchist news in the Twin Cities area as well as around the world. Also includes a section devoted to On Gogol Bolevard. Stories on practical anarchist projects. Unforgettable centerfold aimed at the anti-choice forces. Also band, record, and zine reviews. This publication continues to be an inspiration to me! If you only request one issue of Profane, get this one! PO Box 8722, Minneapolis, MN 55408. $3 or $9.00 for six issues sent Third Class / $10.50 for First Class. Queer Intercourse 5 o A really cool queer zine. Also calls itself a guerilla press and cultural collective. Includes a comprehensive listing of other queer zines. [PO Box 90043, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. $3.50] Republican Liberty Winter 1992-93 o A newsletter for libertarian Republicans. I don't have much in common with these folks, but this may be of interest to the anarcho-capitalist crowd. [Republican Liberty Caucus. 1717 Apalachee Parkway, Suite 434, Tallahassee, FL 32301] Second Guess #6 / Spring 93 o A good punk zine with an anarchist flavor (scams section). Interview with Jerod Pore, who puts out Factsheet Five Electric. Also interviews with the bands MDC and Naked Agression. Zine, music and book reviews. [PO Box 9382, Reno, NV 89507. $2] Shelf Life #1 1631 Santa Rosa Ave. Santa Barbara, CA 93109 $1 or trade Hand-lettered and illustrated zines usually get a bad rap in reviews, sometimes justifiably so, but this is a coherent, intelligent, readable first effort. Most of Sheryl's pub is a personalzine, with a guide to her hometown, concert reviews, and autobiographical pieces. The rest is a collage of her written and illustrated thoughts on anarchy and life. Highly recommended. SLAM #2 February/MArch 1993 o Another good place to get your zine reviewed. They also have several band interviews in each issue, as well as fiction, articles and rants. [PO Box 22861, Alexandria, VA 22304, $2. $10/six issues] Slingshot #48 Spring 1993 o An excellent and informative anarchist newspaper out of central California. They have news like other anarcho-publications, but I like the practical emphasis found in many of the articles. I want less rhetoric and more how-to! Fans of Practical Anarchy might like this one too. 700 Eshlecreature Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720. Squat or Rot 3 o A newspaper about the squatting scene in New York City. Part of it doubles as liner notes for the 7" that came with it. The record has songs from five hardcore bands. [PO Box 20691, New York, NY 10009] The Struggle v.2 / July 1992 o A punk zine covering the Chicago scene. [CS Productions. POB 29556. Chicago, IL 60629. $1] These are Revolutionary Times Issues 1 & 2 o A new anarchist newspaper that shows a lot of promise. A collective effort that celebrates the DIY ethic in Rhode Island. [T.A.R.T., Wayland Square, Box 3146, Providence, RI 02906. $1] The Thistle various April 1993 issues o A good alternative college newspaper. Wish my schools had something that looked like this and came out on a regualr basis. [Alternative News Collective. MIT W20-413, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139-0901 (thistle@athena.mit.edu)] Turning The Tide: anti-racism newsletter Vol. 5: #6 / November-December 1992. o An eight page newspaper devoted to fighting racism, the Klan, hate, and skinheads. Also reviews of videos, letters, and an article on the Shawnee maximum control unit for women prisoners. [P.A.R.T., PO Box 1990, Burbank, CA 91507 /$1] The Web: a Bay area anarchist newsletter Winter 1993 o The publication of those involved in the Bay area anarcho-network. Details on their Direct Action Manual project. [The Web Collective. PO Box 40890. San Francisco, CA 94110] West Coast Libertarian v.13, no.2 / May 1993 o Libertarian party news and opinion from the Canadian Pacific northwest. Several pieces on tax protests and government excesses. These folks aren't left libertarians, but this newsletter should interest anarcho-capitalists. [Greater Vancouver Libertarian Association, 922 Cloverly St., North Vancouver, BC V7L 1N3, Canada / $15 for a year] Other cool publications Adbusters: Journal of the Mental Environment The Media Foundation, 1243 West 7th Ave., Vancouver, B.C., V6H 1B7 Canada. Imminent Strike 504 W. 24th #81, Austin, TX 78705 Impulse A Wisconsin Anarchist Journal Jon George, Route 1, Red Wing, MN 55066 The Infinite Onion PO Box 263, Colorado Springs, CO 80901 Instead of A Magazine PO Box 76 o Shingletown, CA 96088 ($8 / 4 issues) Iron Feather Journal PO Box 1905, Boulder, CO 80306 Kick It Over PO Box 5811, Station A, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5W 1P2 Ship of Fools PO Box 2062, Westminster, MD 21158 Venus Envy PO Box 3642, Terre Haute, IN 47803 Vomit Blood PO Box 65072, St. Paul, MN 55165-0072 =@= ANNOUNCEMENTS =@= Call for submissions To a Book of Essays on the Topic of PRACTICAL ANARCHY Forthcoming for the Summer of 1994 We are an editorial collective dedicated to elaborating the fullest range of possibilities under anarchy, and to investigating new ways to invigorate the anarchist presence in North America. We hope to collect essays, bibliographies, addresses and other resources which detail an array of practical strategies and tac- tics and sensibilities that include but are not limited to: o Food production and Consumption (horticulture, community spon- sored agriculture, communal farming, gardening collectives, &c) o Housing (Squatting, Urban and Rural Co-ops, &c) o Neighborhood and campus organizing, integrated strategies for local political organization o DIY art, music, and beautification (stenciling, wheatpasting, alteration, zine production, publication, &c) o How-to ideas on putting together a People's Bank of Goods & Services, Pirate Radio Stations, Anarchist hostles, reading rooms, study groups, bicycle repair collectives, a Free Universi- ty, an anti-racist action network, &c) o Women's Health and defense, Menstrual Extraction and other is- sues of specific concern to women Send Submissions, Ideas, Graphics, Hate Mail To: joseph average c/o B A U po box 3207 bloomington in 47402-3207 OR chuck munson c/o Practical Anarchy po box 173 madison wi 53701-0173 =@= PRACTICAL ANARCHY =@= Tools Collective "Alternative" by definition means something which stands in opposition to a set order. To honestly define our community as such, we must actively oppose the commercialism, prejudice, and hierarchy of the world around us through our actions and lifestyles. Simply consuming different music and clothes, while continuing the bankrupt traditions of mainstream society ultimately makes us no better than those we claim to despise. We are all responsible for the state of our communities, and every day we work towards either the continuation or the elimination of the emptiness and the stagnation in our society. As a group, Tools Collective hopes to provide a means by which our community as a whole can begin to realize its tremendous potential for real, progressive change, while fostering a fun atmosphere. We are working to eliminate the forces of racism, sexism, homophobia, and elitism which have been so successful in disrupting efforts of positive growth in the past. To achieve these goals, we are providing an open forum to serve as both an exchange for information and a point of organization. Topics of discussion at our weekly meetings and activities which the group has participated in consist of: self-education, direct social and political action, distribution of literature, organization of benefit shows, and the maintenance of a space in which to build a community center. Our space is located in the Allston Mall at 107 Brighton Avenue, Allton. Please stop by. [editor's note--near Boston Massachusetts] Practical Anarchy Suggestions @ Take a nap @ Distribute condoms to the needy @ Create your own local currency for barter @ Write a letter to a prisoner @ Build your own house, or, do it with some friends @ Create a community land trust with your friends @ Take your watch off and throw it away @ Expand the wildlife areas IN your town--we are part of nature! =@= CALENDAR =@= San Francisco Womyn's Gathering: Riot Bytch '93 There's a women's gathering coming up September 4,5, and 6th! Put together by the Epicenter Women's Coalition, it's going to be fun, informative, and hopefully inspiring. Not Riot Grrrl, more like Riot Bytch, we're going to have a wide variety of workshops, speakers, and literature available for anyone who waltzes into the Epicenter Zone not-for-profit record store/community center/library that weekend. The first day will be "Women in the scene" focusing on women who run record labels, distributions, and 'zines within the underground music (PUNK!) subculture, but for all the non-punk women out there, we hope to inspire them with the "Do-it-yourself" ethic of punk to motivate other women outside our scene to do their own projects.... The second day will be Women and Politics, featuring women and animals rights/liberation, the environment, poverty, etc. The third day will be Women Only due to the fact that it's women's health care and sexuality day and how many men really want to sit around and hear about menstruation? Anyway, workshops on sexual abuse and rape will take place, so due to the sensitive nature of the subjects, men are not allowed. Don't whine about it either--if you can't understand why a woman would want to be with other women exclusively when she's revealing for the first time that was raped or molested, then you're an asshole. Anyway, I'll be on the informal panel of speakers on women and zines the first day because of the zine I do called AIM YOUR DICK, an anarcha-feminist journal...but e-mil me for more infoHon both the zine and the gathering! Gee, it seems I forgot to mention the location of the Women's Gathering...duh. Well, the Women's Gathering--as it's called in the interim until we can think of a clever name--that's happening in San Francisco will take place all three days--September 4, 5, and 6th--at the Epicenter Zone, 475 Valencia off of 16th Street, in the Mission District. The Epicenter is a not-for-profit, collectively-run community center, library, and punk fucking rock record store (no, we do NOT carry anything on a major label: it's called Do-It-Yourself!) and we are a wonderful bunch of folks. Really. So the Epicenter Women's Coalition is organizing the event, come, send your 'zines if you'd like for us to sell them if you do a women's/grrrl's zine, and tell everyone. And don't any of you macho shits decide that it'll be funny to crash our gathering, because we're angry, we're feminists, and we wear combat boots! (Vegan ones, of course...) Riot Bytch '93, Mimi Send zines and etc. to Mimi A.Y.D./pobox 4655/Berkeley, CA 94704-0655 VIVA LA VULVA! =@= NEXT MONTH =@= @ Anarchy and economics @ Stelarc performance art @ News from this summer's anarchist gatherings THE END - This e-zine is published on 100% recycled electrons