In which this becomes a literary blog (sorry)

Q: Do you have/can you make for substack a list of books to recommend to “wannabe/baby anarchists” or something?

A: I have been waiting my whole life for this question. Here goes. I’ll sort these into a couple categories for your convenience…

Books for people who are excited about anarchist theory

Of everyone you’ll talk to about anarchism, these people are by far the easiest and chillest. Maybe they already have a critical theory interest and want to expand it to anarchist writing, maybe they’re coming at anarchism from another theory-heavy political space (ML, democratic socialism, or similar), maybe they’re interested in something adjacent (like political history in general) and that’s why they’re curious. What follows are texts that are intimidating for baby anarchists most of the time, but perfect for the I-want-to-read-theory-and-that’s-why-I’m-getting-into-anarchism-and-have-I-mentioned-this-is-my-special-interest crowd.

1. Anarchism and Other Essays (Emma Goldman)

2. “Toward The Creative Nothing” (Renzo Novatore)

3. Armed Joy (Alfredo Bonnano)

4. Blessed Is The Flame (warning: this is a heavy read with talk of fascism, genocide, war, death, torture, and other traumatic topics; do not suggest this for folx who aren’t okay with that)

5. Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries anthology (Untorelli Press)

Books for people who are put off by the idea of reading theory, but still want to learn about anarchism

Hats off to the friend of mine who, when I asked her about her interest in anarchism, asked me to suggest a picture book. This is an understandable desire—many people need recommendations for the fun stuff. No historical pieces, no deeply effusive egoist talking points, no primary sources, no books with a million content warnings; just vibes.

1. Queer Ultraviolence and anything else by the Mary Nardini Gang

2. Our Lady Of The Flowers (Jean Genet)

3. No Future (Lee Edelman)

4. Baedan

5. Days Of War Nights Of Love (CrimethInc.)

6. Try Anarchism For Life (Cindy Milstein)

7. BOY APPARITION (my explicitly anarchist chapbook on Vinegar Press)

8. Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture (Arthur Evans)

9. Revolutionary Letters (Diane Di Prima)

10. Close To The Knives (David Wojnarowicz)

Books for people you’re trying to radicalize, who don’t know that yet

We’ve all hung out with someone who would absolutely be an anarchist if they weren’t so afraid of the anarchist label; they endorse mutual aid efforts until they find out what said efforts are about, they think all violence is anarchist and don’t believe you that anarchists did not cause January 6th and are not causing the Trump administration, and yet they have done jail support before and distributed food and still don’t get that it’s anarchist. So they need suggestions for things that will subtly radicalize them without using the anarchist label. Without further ado, some lit that totally isn’t anarchist, totally:

1. Milk Sickness (David Greenspan)

2. We Won’t Be Here Tomorrow (Margaret Killjoy)

3. DIFFERENT WITH HIM (my less explicitly anarchist chapbook)

4. The Faggots And Their Friends In Between Revolutions (Larry Mitchell)

5. Principia Discordia (a bit of a stretch, but there’s plenty of egoist-anarchist subtext in there)

6. Failure to Comply (Cavar)

7. The Dispossessed (Ursula Le Guin)

8. hold me (Jade Vine)

9. Cosmic Trigger (Daisy Eris Campbell)

10. MIASAMAMIST (tommy wyatt blake)

Do yall have books that have helped you radicalize people in your lives? Tell me about it in the comments!