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Vendor
Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English

THE PSYCHIC SOVIET

Ian F. Svenonius

Essays

A reissue of Ian F. Svenonius's cult-classic debut essay collection, including brand-new writing in this expanded edition.
A collection of essays and articles from one of the mainstays of the Washington, DC, underground rock-and-roll scene, The Psychic Soviet is Ian F. Svenonius's groundbreaking first book of writings. The selections are written in a lettered yet engaging style, filled with parody and biting humor that subvert capitalist culture, and cover such topics as the ascent of the DJ as a star, the "cosmic depression" that followed the defeat of the USSR, how Seinfeld caused the bankruptcy of modern pop culture, and the status of rock and roll as a religion. The pocket-sized book is bound with a durable bright-pink plastic cover, recalling the aesthetics of Mao's Little Red Book, and perfect for carrying into the fray of street battle, classroom, or lunch-counter argument.

IAN F. SVENONIUS is the author of the underground best sellers Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group and Censorship Now!! He was also the host of VBS.tv's Soft Focus, where he interviewed Mark E. Smith, Genesis P. Orridge, Chan Marshall, Ian MacKaye, and others. As a musician he has created more than twenty albums and countless singles in various rock 'n' roll combos (Chain & the Gang, Weird War, The Make-Up, The Nation of Ulysses, etc.). He lives in Washington, DC.
Available products
Book

Published 2019-11-05 by Akashic Books - Brooklyn (USA)

Book

Published 2019-11-05 by Akashic Books - Brooklyn (USA)

Comments

The pocket-sized book - given Svenonius's communism infatuation, the parallel to Mao's Little Red Book is no mistake - contains well-thought-out arguments on a variety of subjects, from vampires to the origins of punk rock. It's often funny, but never in a self-consciously ironic way.

In a sense the book is Mr. Svenonius's love letter to the good old days of do-it-yourself punk concerts, though it's cleverly disguised as a series of Marxian essays.

Ian Svenonius has come a long way since Sassy Magazine first dubbed him the 'Sassiest Boy in America' in 1991. The DC singer has never been anything less than political to the extreme.

French: Au Diable Vauvert