imo fiction is the best anarchist literature. octavia butler and ursula leguin were critical in growing my imagination. nonfiction feels like dead information, imagining futures feels positive and purposeful, and has more of an effect on my life than the facts and figures of history.
I largely agree with this, but Substack only gives me 5 options per poll! which I find really hard. I would put at least... 22 options on a poll. But then no one would take it.
also, non"anarchist" authors like ray bradbury's short stories provide so much more interesting critique of the ways we go about living and what is "normal" than most dry anarchist writings
yes! as an artist myself, though not dabbling in majority fiction writing, i think the space that the best art holds is the high point of the logical-emotional — whether fictionalized or not, it is grounded in having a body-brain, and being. the connective tissue of the emotional-social life that colors our individual lives and others. living a thousand other lives through various artforms has proven to increase empathetic capacity. its granting us the gift of a glimpse of impossible knowledge— being and feeling the Other.
I was shouting "Klee Benally!!!" and then saw it in the poll at the very end. For me this book is an essential read for how it blends anarchist thought with Earth-centred spirituality, illuminating that ecocentric thinking is our only way forward.
I wish everyone would read it, especially those living on Turtle Island. Chapter 12 titled "Voting is not harm reduction" is so essential in this very moment when there's a widespread push to vote for the so-called "lesser evil" and pandering to a violent system.
I'd also add John Zerzan to my list, particularly "Elements of Refusal" (1988) and "Future Primitive and Other Essays" (1994).
It's well worth the wait! Where are you ordering from? If it's the UK, seditionist.uk has it in stock. I was writing about Benally's thoughts and quoting him quite a bit in my latest essay, so you're more than welcome to take a look.
Turtle Island is the name many Indigenous Peoples and activists use for America. It comes from the creation myth of the northwestern tribes.
Without question the most inspiring was “The Dawn of Everything” because knowing humans have organized in many ways gives hope that it doesn’t have to be this way.
And I would not overlook “The Dispossessed” by LeGuin, as stories matter as much as tracts
My classical favorite isn't strictly anarchist but it is a life changer, 'Walden Pond' by H.D. Thoreau. I guess you have to add 'Civil Disobedience' to that.
Post war might be Peter Linebaugh 'Stop Thief'
I also enjoyed his co authorship with Marcus Reniker 'The Multi-Headed Hydra'
And I have just read 'The Dispossessed' Ursula Le Guin for the fiction section when you get around to it.
I should add 'How Non-violence Protects the State', light bulb moment for me.
having read half of these books is impressive, and it's fully possible to be a smart, involved anarchist without reading any of these books! There's no canon!
I clicked too quickly for the first question, so i would like to change it to: Emma Goldman, Living My Life.
And also It's not an anarchist book per se, but i found The dispossessed by Ursula le Guin very useful for thinking about avoiding the traps of bureaucracy, even in my nowadays collective. I keep offering it to my younger friends.
For the first pole, you write "had the most impact" but not all of us started with the classics. For example "A Project of Liberation" by Insurrectionary Anarchists of the Coast Salish Territories probably "had" the most influnce on me early on. And really only a skimming of Bakunin.
I think that's normal! I decided I was an anarchist after reading two prison memoirs by non-anarchists, I hadn't read any anarchists at all, of any school (well, I guess Thoreau and Lao-tzi are often claimed as anarchists)
I just remembered some earlier ones. Harsha Walia’s Undoing Border Imperialism and Taking Sides ed Cindy Milstein. After that, it was mainly Twitter. Following amazing people like Kelly Hayes and disability activists, Black anarchists etc etc I will forever be grateful to Twitter for this. I could see anarchist etc takes on current issues and that had a huge impact on my integration oh the principles and ideas.
I guess I would add that most of my understanding of anarchist ideas hasn't come from books. I read mostly philosophy because that's something it's hard to get at from other avenues (i.e. there aren't as many straight up philosophy zines kicking around as there are political history zines in my experience and not too many real people will talk about it with me).
I learned about anarchist ideas and practices mostly from being with people and doing things together and usually find a disjuncture between how things are theorized vs. how they are enacted. ... Often for the better.
imo fiction is the best anarchist literature. octavia butler and ursula leguin were critical in growing my imagination. nonfiction feels like dead information, imagining futures feels positive and purposeful, and has more of an effect on my life than the facts and figures of history.
I largely agree with this, but Substack only gives me 5 options per poll! which I find really hard. I would put at least... 22 options on a poll. But then no one would take it.
that being said, klee's last book has had a phenomenal in changing how I think about action.
I’m currently reading Klee’s book. It’s very good.
also, non"anarchist" authors like ray bradbury's short stories provide so much more interesting critique of the ways we go about living and what is "normal" than most dry anarchist writings
yes! as an artist myself, though not dabbling in majority fiction writing, i think the space that the best art holds is the high point of the logical-emotional — whether fictionalized or not, it is grounded in having a body-brain, and being. the connective tissue of the emotional-social life that colors our individual lives and others. living a thousand other lives through various artforms has proven to increase empathetic capacity. its granting us the gift of a glimpse of impossible knowledge— being and feeling the Other.
god is change (and if anyone feels like getting stuck on the use of God here, they can buzz off) is SUCH a transformative prefiguring tool.
I was shouting "Klee Benally!!!" and then saw it in the poll at the very end. For me this book is an essential read for how it blends anarchist thought with Earth-centred spirituality, illuminating that ecocentric thinking is our only way forward.
I wish everyone would read it, especially those living on Turtle Island. Chapter 12 titled "Voting is not harm reduction" is so essential in this very moment when there's a widespread push to vote for the so-called "lesser evil" and pandering to a violent system.
I'd also add John Zerzan to my list, particularly "Elements of Refusal" (1988) and "Future Primitive and Other Essays" (1994).
You were so exuberant in your comment that I immediately ordered the book!
Of course, it is on back order … ;)
It's well worth the wait! Where are you ordering from? If it's the UK, seditionist.uk has it in stock. I was writing about Benally's thoughts and quoting him quite a bit in my latest essay, so you're more than welcome to take a look.
Turtle Island is the name many Indigenous Peoples and activists use for America. It comes from the creation myth of the northwestern tribes.
There is a great book of poetry from the 60s by Gary Snyder called Turtle Island. Turns out it was a reference to what you mentioned above. Thanks!
What is the turtle island reference - the poetry book from the 60s?
Without question the most inspiring was “The Dawn of Everything” because knowing humans have organized in many ways gives hope that it doesn’t have to be this way.
And I would not overlook “The Dispossessed” by LeGuin, as stories matter as much as tracts
No book by you? That's impossible.
Here's my top ten (sorry about this, i am a sad list geek, and this list does often change):
Louise Michel - Red Virgin
Peter Kropotkin - The Conquest of Bread
Fredy Perlman - Against His-story Against Leviathan
p.m. - bolo’bolo
Hakim Bey - TAZ
David Graeber - Direct Action
Peter Gelderloos - Worshipping Power
Comitee invisible - L’insurrection que vient
Peter Gelderloos - The Solutions Are Already Here
Graeber/Wengrow - The Dawn Of Everything
Aww thanks
My classical favorite isn't strictly anarchist but it is a life changer, 'Walden Pond' by H.D. Thoreau. I guess you have to add 'Civil Disobedience' to that.
Post war might be Peter Linebaugh 'Stop Thief'
I also enjoyed his co authorship with Marcus Reniker 'The Multi-Headed Hydra'
And I have just read 'The Dispossessed' Ursula Le Guin for the fiction section when you get around to it.
I should add 'How Non-violence Protects the State', light bulb moment for me.
Also The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia by James C. Scott.
Is this what anarchists mean by democracy?
In the third pollster down, "How about books in the second half of the 20th century?"
Currently in first is Bookchin with Ecology of Freedom. THE ICK!!!
why is Fredy and Lorraine Perlman not an option for each poll? that is my official vote for each one, thank you anarchist pollster :)
Hah. I am totally unschooled in anarchism as I have read about half of one of the books listed. I still describe myself an anarchist though.
having read half of these books is impressive, and it's fully possible to be a smart, involved anarchist without reading any of these books! There's no canon!
Thanks. I've read half of one of the books (Perlman) I have one of yours waiting on the shelf.
But yes 😀🙏
I clicked too quickly for the first question, so i would like to change it to: Emma Goldman, Living My Life.
And also It's not an anarchist book per se, but i found The dispossessed by Ursula le Guin very useful for thinking about avoiding the traps of bureaucracy, even in my nowadays collective. I keep offering it to my younger friends.
Definitely!
For the first pole, you write "had the most impact" but not all of us started with the classics. For example "A Project of Liberation" by Insurrectionary Anarchists of the Coast Salish Territories probably "had" the most influnce on me early on. And really only a skimming of Bakunin.
That's a good one!
Anarchy and order - Read; What is property - Proudhon
This was really fun! A few of the books on the polls are actually on my shelf and haven’t been read yet, so I’m excited to get to them.
Less full on books but for me:
Childhood and the psychological dimension of revolution and Refocusing on the plague in Political relations by Ashanti Alston
Lines in Sand by you
Nihilist Animism, Anarchy without roadmaps or adjectives and a Non European Anarchism by A! (Well, all of A!'s stuff really)
All of Tawinikay's stuff
I haven’t read any of those. 😅I’ve read yours plus John P Clark’s. Plus Let This Radicalise You. And I consider myself a communitarian anarchist.
I think that's normal! I decided I was an anarchist after reading two prison memoirs by non-anarchists, I hadn't read any anarchists at all, of any school (well, I guess Thoreau and Lao-tzi are often claimed as anarchists)
I just remembered some earlier ones. Harsha Walia’s Undoing Border Imperialism and Taking Sides ed Cindy Milstein. After that, it was mainly Twitter. Following amazing people like Kelly Hayes and disability activists, Black anarchists etc etc I will forever be grateful to Twitter for this. I could see anarchist etc takes on current issues and that had a huge impact on my integration oh the principles and ideas.
I guess I would add that most of my understanding of anarchist ideas hasn't come from books. I read mostly philosophy because that's something it's hard to get at from other avenues (i.e. there aren't as many straight up philosophy zines kicking around as there are political history zines in my experience and not too many real people will talk about it with me).
I learned about anarchist ideas and practices mostly from being with people and doing things together and usually find a disjuncture between how things are theorized vs. how they are enacted. ... Often for the better.
Black Flame, History of the Makhnovist movement, Facing the enemy, Spanish anarchism