Some great new titles just in
by v/a
We're kind of in shock at how graphicaly wonderful our last book order turned out - with many new radical (or merely awesome) new titles on the shelves that are really some of the most visually-appealing books we've ever carried. For instance, we've finally gotten around to picking up Graphic Witness: Four Wordless Graphic Novels,which reprints some amazing early-20th century work from artists like Franz Masereel and Lynd Ward, some of which is the direct inspiration for a lot of contemporary anarchist graphic art like Seth Tobocman or Eric Drooker. Check out this image from Masereel's Passion of Man:  Of course, no collection of radical graphic art would be complete without the work of Jose Guadalupe Posada, the intensely political Mexican engraver. While we've carried Posada books in the store before, none really compare to Posada: Mexican Engraver, a beautifully printed, oversized compendium of Posada's work. With all the skeletons, it'd make a great Day of the Dead present: 
We've also got a local Baltimore entry in this order of eye-candy: Bruce Willen's and Nolen Straals' amazing Lettering & Type: Creating Letters and Designing Typefaces. Bruce and Nolen, besides running Post-Typography, one of the best design studios in Baltimore, are also the core of Double Dagger, the band that brought us the anti-gentrification anthem "Luxury Condos for the Poor". While Lettering & Type isn't a politically radical book, it can't hurt for us all to start stepping up our font game: 
We've also, thanks to a tip from the amazing avant-blog A Journey Round My Skull , picked up Dino Buzzati's 1969 book Poem Strip , freshly translated and reprinted by the good folks at the New York Review of Books. We'll let the image speak for itsef on this one: 
And finally, speaking of essential internet resources, we did get in one or two books this week that don't include pictures, including The Great Anger: Ultra-Revolutionary Writing in France from the Atheist Priest to the Bonnot Gang, published by a new project spinning off of the Marxist Internet Archive, one of the finest collections of free texts on the Internet (and there's a lot more in there than just Marxists - their Anarchism section, for instance, is more comprehensive than many anarchist-run online collections!) This book, with texts from Marat, Babeuf, Emile Henry, and many many more, is a pretty amazing slice of radical history. Oh and did we mention Fredric Jameson's new Valences of the Dialectic? Zizek's First as Tragedy, then as Farce? Crumb's Genesis? Seriously, there's so much to read that you'd need some sort of organizer to keep track of it all - luckily we've got those too - the 2010 Slingshot organizer is in, in both pocket sized and large sprial bound versions: 
Some new books...
by v/a
We've fallen a little behind on our reading here, so we don't have detailed comments on any of these yet, other than that they all look totally fantastic and the first three things we're going to get to as soon as we make it through this weekend's Radical Bookfair Pavilion.....  First up is James C. Scott's The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Southeast Asia. Now we were under the impression, what with their summary dismissal of our favorite anarchist anthropologist, David Graeber, that Yale University wasn't the best place to explore critiques of the state. So we were more than a little surprised to see this book coming out, from Yale professor James Scott, who specializes in the historical sociology of agriculture in Asia. The thesis of this new book, echoing Pierre Clastres claims about anarchy in the Amazon, is that we can point to significant populations of the world that have no interest in being governed by a state --- in this case, "Zomia", Scott's neologistic designation of Europe-sized chunk of uplands Southeast Asia, which Scott understands a two-thousand year old autonomou s zone fighting off state formation and state encroachment.
Next is another impressive tome-sized book now gracing our shelves, from Werner Sollors and Greil Marcus (of Lipstick Traces fame), A New Literary History of America. We're honestly surprised that we've never seen a book like this before --- esentially it's a literary anthology that also serves as a kind of madcap American history text. With over 1110 pages of essays, stories, and other bits of literary ephemera, this is definitely on our list of things we want someone to buy for us as a gift. And last up is another somewhat improbable title from the depths of academia --- what do you get when you cross Giorgio Agamben's primary translator and collaborator Daniel Heller-Roazen with the current (and entirely deserved) popular fascination with pirates? Answer: The new Zone books title The Enemy of All: Piracy and the Law of Nations, which is a fascinating exploration of the development of international law with an eye towards those people who are precisely and totally excluded from this law and its protections --- pirates, hostis humani generis (the enemy of all mankind) as Ancient Roman law put it.. Probably the most theory heavy book on pirates we've ever seen, and a nice complement to more straightforward "pirates are pretty awesome" titles like Marcus Rediker's similiarly named Villains of All Nations.
PLANNING TO CHANGE THE WORLD: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers
by the New York Collective of Radical Educators and the Education for Liberation Network
Back to school time: "PLANNING TO CHANGE THE WORLD: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers" is not just a blank lesson planner book. It's designed to help teachers translate their vision of a just education into concrete classroom activities." The calendar includes historical dates of interest with references to relevant teaching resources related to historical dates such as online lesson plans, videos, and books -- along with provocative discussion questions, inspirational quotes to share with students, tips from other social justice educators, and plenty of space to plan out your teaching. Think of it like the famous Slingshot planner but for teachers! Spiral bound, 8.5x11", $18, proceeds benefit the New York Collective of Radical Educators and the Education for Liberation Network.
Direct Action: An Ethnography
by David Graeber
In the best tradition of participant-observation, anthropologist David Graeber undertakes the first detailed ethnographic study of the global justice movement. Starting from the assumption that, when dealing with possibilities of global transformation and emerging political forms, a disinterested, "objective" perspective is impossible, he writes as both scholar and activist. At the same time, his experiment in the application of ethnographic methods to important ongoing political events is a serious and unique contribution to the field of anthropology, as well as an inquiry into anthropology's political implications. The case study at the center of Direct Action is the organizing and events that led to the dramatic protest against the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in 2001. Written in a clear, accessible style (with a minimum of academic jargon), this study brings readers behind the scenes of a movement that has changed the terms of debate about world power relations. From informal conversations in coffee shops to large "spokescouncil" planning meetings and teargas-drenched street actions, Graeber paints a vivid and fascinating picture. Along the way, he addresses matters of deep interest to anthropologists: meeting structure and process, language, symbolism, representation, the specific rituals of activist culture, and much more.
At a hefty 592 pages, Graeber's Direct Action gives new meaning to an old saying: this is a book that should be read by anyone who cares about the future of the world and is large enough to throw at anyone who doesn't!
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UPDATE: Performance of "Voices of a People's History of the United States"
UPDATE w/ Cast List, Participating organizations and Ticket Information! Peoples History of the United States Sat Nov 21st Creative Alliance at The Patterson (3314 Eastern Avenue) 6pm & 9pm $20, $!8 students and members Adv.tixs sug. 410-276-1651 Proceeds benefit ACLU-Maryland www.creativealliance.org Red Emma´s and the Creative Alliance are sponsoring a perofrmance of Howard Zinn and Anothony Arnove's Voices of a People's History of the United States, November 21st 6pm & 9pm at the Patterson Theatre (3314 Eastern Avenue). Voices of a People’s History of the United States seeks to bring to light little known voices from U.S. history, including those of women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and laborers. By giving public expression to rebels, dissenters, and visionaries from our past — and present — it seeks to educate and inspire a new generation of people working for social justice. Voices works to remind people of the eloquence of ordinary people, as well as extraordinary and well-known figures from our history. By involving well-known actors and public figures in readings as well as students and community members, Voices works to inspire audiences to delve more deeply into historical texts and to see history as a lively, relevant, and contemporary subject, not just a matter of books sitting on the library shelf. Red Emma´s will be tabling the evening with a collection of books that are from those lesser known voices: women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and laborers. We will also have available Howard Zinn´s now infamous People´s History of the United States as well as Voices. For Cast list and participating organizations please click "read more"
The Radical Bookfair Pavilion!
Get ready - in less than a week, the Radical Bookfair Pavilion is once again pitching two giant tents full of radical awesomeness in the middle of the Baltimore Book Festival (right around the corner from Red Emma's in Mt. Vernon Place). On Friday September 25th we've got a zine bazaar running all day from 12 to 6, followed by a special appearance from former Angola 3 political prisoner Robert Hilary King! Saturday the 26th features book presentations from Steve Early, Eileen Myles, Vikki Law, Amiri Baraka, Ralph Nader, and Andrej Grubacic. On Sunday the 27th we've got Dave Zirin, Molefi Asante, Bill Ayers, Margaret Killjoy, Peter Kuper and Jon Jeter lined up to present --- it's going to be an amazing weekend, and all our favorite radical publishers (including AK Press, Haymarket, Microcosm, PM Press, and Monthly Review) will be tabling for all three days, making it even better. Check out the Radical Bookfair Pavilion site for more info and a complete schedule. We're also figuring that some of these speakers (especially Amiri Baraka and Ralph Nader) are going to have a lot of people excited about getting a copy of their latest book signed - if you want to be clever, swing by Red Emma's any time to grab a copy beforehand, or stop by the Red Emma's tent at any point during the weekend to grab your books before the rest of the crowd.
Angela Davis and Amy Goodman at MICA this Saturday (9/12)!
We've always been impressed with MICA's Constitution Day event --- in an interesting twist on the way educational institutions are supposed to celebrate "Constitution Day" (a brand new federal holiday cooked up in 2004), MICA tends to put together a packed line-up of amazing speakers with the goal of exposing threats to the Constitution (and civil liberties more broadly). This year's no exception --- the free event on Saturday, September 12th, from 5-7 in the Brown Center, is focusing on women's rights, and features Amy Goodman and Angela Davis. More info on the event is on the MICA site. Red Emma's will be at the event selling books --- both Amy Goodman and Angela Davis will be signing books after the panel.
Baltimore Free School has a space!
We're very happy that our latest spin-off project down here at Red Emma's, the Baltimore Free School , has found a space and will be opening its doors in mid-September. We need teachers, learners, people to spread the word, people to help us pay the rent, people to help us scrounge up furniture, and lots more --- you can find out all the news about the new space and how you can get involved to help us out over on the freeschool website. There's already a half-dozen or so courses proposed for the fall, and we're hoping for lots more to be lined up soon --- maybe even yours!
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Tuesday Nov 24, 7PM @ 2640
Beehive Collective Swarms Again!
The Beehive Collective--possibly the biggest name in the business of making the biggest banners--will be coming to Baltimore this Tuesday! The Beehive Design Collective is a non-profit, volunteer driven, political arts organization based in eastern Maine. The group’s mission is to “cross pollinate the grassroots” through the creation of images as an effective medium for deconstructing and educating the public about complex geopolitical issues.
Saturday Nov 28, 7PM @ 2640
STEW #1
STEW is a new joint project spearheaded by the Baltimore Development Cooperative and Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse. The basic idea is simple: once a month, we'll be hosting a dinner at 2640, featuring high-end, locally-sourced, maximally organic and expertely prepared food (including a vegan option). The price for the multi-course dinner will be $10, less than you'd pay for a sandwich elsewhere. Interspersed with the food courses will be presentations of projects and ongoing social justice struggles—and the profits from the dinner will go towards funding these iniatives. This is an open-ended experiment—how can we use food to build a culture of solidarity here in Baltimore? How can we rethink the way we fund our projects? Can we build urban democracy over a collective dinner table? The first dinner is taking place on Saturday, November 28th --- head over to the STEW website for details of the menu --- there's 4 courses of food and two of project and campaign presentations lined up. Reservations are encouraged!
Tuesday Dec 1, 7PM @ Red Emma's
"The Great Anger" - French Ultra-Revolutionary Writing, presented by Mitchell Abidor
Published for the first time, Mitchell Abidor presents the key writings of a series of revolutionaries from the late 17th-early 18th century priest Jean Meslier and the Enlightenment radical Baron d’Holbach, to the leaders of the left wing of the Great French Revolution, Jean-Paul Marat, Jacques Hébert, Anacharsis Cloots, Jacques Roux, Gracchus Babeuf, and Sylvain Maréchal; and continuing with the tireless revolutionary Louis Auguste Blanqui and the voices of the Paris Commune. There follow the Propagandists of the Deed such as Ravachol and Emile Henry; the unclassifiable Zo d’Axa, and the uncompromising Albert Libertad. The collection continues with the philosophy of the individualist Georges Palante and concludes with Victor Serge, who wrote the last chapter of this school of anarchism and joined the Communist International. In the epilogue, Abidor reflects on the significance of the events of May 1968 in Paris and their connection to the tradition. These texts, the words of the “men of action” themselves, Les Enragés, give a unique insight into the thinking of that social layer which cannot and will not reconcile itself to inequality, normality, conformity, and injustice. Men for whom the slogan “ni dieu ni maître,” neither God nor master, were words to live by.
Friday Dec 11, 7PM @ Red Emma's
Coal Country
COAL COUNTRY
Tells of the dramatic struggle around the use of coal, which provides
over half the electricity in America. In Appalachia, miners and residents are locked in conflict: is mining
and processing coal essential to providing good jobs, or is it destroying the land,
water and air? What does this mean for the rest of America and the world? ANOTHER CIVIL WAR Passions are running high in the mountains of Appalachia. Families and communities are deeply split over what is being done to their land. At issue is the latest form of strip mining called ‘mountaintop removal’, or MTR. Coal companies blast the tops off mountains, and run the debris into valleys and streams. Then they mine the exposed seams of coal and transport it to processing plants. Coal is mined more cheaply than ever, and America needs coal. But the air and water are filled with chemicals, and an ancient mountain range is disappearing forever.
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