Customer Reviews

Tales of a Punk Rock Nothing

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a fast-paced, gripping story; fun and true. As a member of the Seattle anarcho-punk scene during the same years (early-mid 1990s), I can say that the authors got it right. And they take you along on the ride, in the back of dirty vans, in punk shared houses, in trips to steal from K-mart. Yeah--it does read like a zine, but (A) that's a good thing and (B) it reads like a really good zine. But Schweser and Himelstein give us more than just a novel about DC punk life, they also critique it from within; showing its weaknesses and hypocrisies. They give particular attention to challenging a rabid, angst-ridden riot grrl, who's breed of feminism is uncomfortable with the world. The critique is weakened in its caricature, but it does raise some interesting questions about one narrow type of feminism, political intolerance, and fun in the punk scene. Hopefully some good discussions will be inspired by this book, which tells a lively tale, states its beefs, and celebrates the creativity and autonomy of anarcho-punk.

This is a fairly cute and telling fictional journal/scrapbook of a New Orleans punk who, instead of going to college, decides to move to Washington, D.C. and live a more "punk" life. Elliot's two years in D.C. unfold in a series of letters to his former girlfriend, letters to his little sister back home, journal entries, and three issues of "Mindcleaner" a 'zine he starts. Elliot's punk experience runs the gamut, from living in the Positive Force house, a hazy relationship with a riot grrrrl, working in a health food store at Dupont Circle, trying to organize a collective, moving to Mt. Pleasant, and of course, being in a band and putting out a record. I believe the book is pretty much based on the co-author's experiences in moving to D.C. and I suppose it captures/satirizes a lot of the D.C. "scene" pretty accurately. Although the names have been changed, plenty of D.C. bands (Fugazi, Nation of Ulysses) and scenesters will be recognizable to people in the know. The book works better as a rabid cry to "do something" instead of posing--an aim that is always laudable. It's critique/satire of the D.C. scene gets a little stale by the end, it seems to me like a lot of Elliot's disillusionment stems from idealized expectations about D.C.

Anyone can play punk rock - well not everyone can OFF tune their guitars quite so - but anyone can play it. But only geniuses like these two authors can write punk rock.

In some sense punk is about reinventing oneself and the medium of one's expression. (Is Dylan the ultimate punk?) This story is about a young boy from a small town who reinvents himself - expresses his true self - by going to the big city (Washington, DC) and immersing himself in a sociogroup with ideals/goals he shares. The brilliant insights come when he realizes that being Jewish and from a small town are as much a part of who he is as his ideals. We see real insight into the human condition where the hero wrestles with his mixed inner voices, peeling away the layers to what is truly important about us, and what defines who each of us is.

We wait for more books from these obviously talented writers. I hope their angst continues, and they produce more fodder for all of us wrestling with these essential questions of identity and self.

This memoir-style independent press novel is a bittersweet and hilarious capsule of the 90's punk lifestyle with all its pretensions, good intentions, and occasional hypocrisies (as are encountered with any movement). It's also a very quick, quirky, and fun read.

Elliot is from a small town in Tennessee, and having just graduated from high school and partaken in his first punk-like activity of busting out the windows of his local Wal-Mart, is eager for a change. He moves to Washington DC to a straight-edge vegan co-op, and begins his new struggle of trying to fit in while doing the right things as he sees them, and also trying hard to look like he's NOT trying to fit in. If that sounds complicated, it is, as anyone who has been in or on the fringe of any punk-type movement since the early 90's knows.

This book contains letters, journal entries, fliers, and three issues of Elliot's zine, which have a very authentic feel. Elliot's joys in his new life (working for Food Not Bombs, stenciling "KISS" over nazi graffiti, being in a band, and a vigilante-style operation against a K-Mart store) are wonderful to read, and his frustrations (being a "feminist" male while in a relationship with a Riot Grrrl; putting together rock shows when bands are feuding and the thin line between selling out and not selling out comes into question; the calculated non-fashionable "fashion" of punk; infighting with his house and scene mates) are familiar and easy to relate to. With its ironic ending and Elliot's refreshing voice all the way through, this book is a must-read for anyone knowledgeable or curious about the evolving punk movement.

This book manages to criticize the dominant culture without being self-righteous because it is also a sensitive story of a young man from a small town as he develops and refines his social conscience. As he gets his counter-cultural education in the big city punk rock scene, he manages to maintain his perspective and sense of humor. This is a great book with a truly unique style and voice.

Having worked in a number of health food stores over the years with riot grrrl feminists and more-vegan-than-thou punk rockers, I found this novel both fun and very realistic. (I also worked with many New Age hippy characters unfortunately absent from this book). Besides being a highly entertaining novel, it is also very creative. Rather than being structured around a traditional linear narrative, this novel is a collage of journal entries, letters, and zines. So if you're looking for a fun little novel about the punk subculture, activism, and granola, pour yourself a nice cold glass of carob soymilk, sit back, and enjoy.

I thought this was a good book. It was very realistic. I liked how Elliot decides what he is going to do with his life. He sticks by his decision and does what he wants even though everyone around him does not support it. He learns to deal with hard issues and his family. He still keeps in contact with his family and old friends from Tennessee. He also makes new friends and starts a whole new life in D.C. This book goes to show that just because you do not go to college, does not mean that you are going to be a failure in life. Elliot learns a lot of new things and he sticks by what he believes in. I thought that he was a very realistic character and is someone to look to for inspiration.

When I ordered this book about a jewish punk, I was expecting something a bit more exciting than a tale about a whiney midwestern boy moving to a big city. The concept of this book had so much potential, I can't understand why the author didn't do a better job of conveying the adventures of a punk across to the reader. Eliot, the main character, was active in the DC punk scene, but there was only a terse interaction within that scene. Overall, the book reads like one giant zine. If it's a zine you want, buy a zine. If you want a book, don't buy Tales of a Punk Rock Nothing.

I actually bought this book from one of the authors at the Pearl Jam concert at the Superdome in Louisiana, then watched him get warned to not sell books, then watched him get arrested for just standing around. I wasn't expecting that much from a book on the street, but it is honestly awesome. There are a lot of viewpoints in this book, and a lot that I don't agree with, but it was a fun read and gave me lots of new stuff to think about.

Unorthodox writing making it a zine category in its self if that's at all possible.
Story will grow on you.