If you missed it last week, please also check out the Top 10 New AK Press Titles of 2010!
Top 10 New AK Distribution Titles of 2010:
1. 2011 Slingshot Organizers [Slingshot Collective]Don’t believe anyone who tells you the printed calendar is obsolete! Every year, Slingshot organizers (in two convenient sizes) are one of our bestselling items at tables, on our website, and through our bookstore customers. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, never fear—we’ve still got both sizes and plenty of colors in stock, and you still have 50 weeks left in 2011 to organize in style.
2. Henry & Glenn Forever [Igloo Tornado / Cantankerous Titles]This one’s a bit of a guilty pleasure. But what it lacks in revolutionary politics, it makes up for in punk-rock hilarity. A terrifyingly cute comic love story starring Henry Rollins and Glenn Danzig, whose next-door neighbors are the Satanic Hall and Oates. What more can we say, really? Besides making it onto our Top 10 list, this one also got attention from Vice, the LA Weekly, and Bitch (among others) this year, and just made it to the top of this 2010 bestseller list from our friends at Atomic
Books.
3. Zinester’s Guide to NYC [ed. Ayun Halliday / Microcosm]From the editor of the East Village Inky (plus a handful of good books!) and the publisher of the popular Zinester’s Guide to Portland, this one is already a hit just two months after its release! Everyone makes it to NYC eventually, right? So get ahold of this book and start studying up on the good eats, the secret spots, and the cheap thrills.
4. How and Why: A Do-It-Yourself Guide [Matte Resist / Microcosm]Following in the footsteps of the perpetual bestseller Making Stuff & Doing Things, this brand-new, heavily illustrated guide gives you step-by-step instructions for such projects as fixing up your bike, gardening and seed saving, simple home repairs, and even building musical instruments! With a focus on sustainability to complement its DIY appeal, we think it’ll also be a hit with anyone who liked The Urban Homestead and Toolbox for Sustainable City Living.
5. Firebrands: Portraits from the Americas [Justseeds Artists' Cooperative, ed. Shaun Slifer & Bec Young / Microcosm]Every bookstore should have a stack of this book out on the table. It’s the perfect bookstore-browser’s book. Any page you open to, you’ll see a gorgeously-rendered portrait of some radical historical figure, from Emma Goldman to Fred Hampton, along with a one-page bio. And it’s a perfect (and affordable!) companion to the new Celebrate People’s History book we’ve all been raving about.
6. Against Equality: Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage [ed. Ryan Conrad / Against Equality Collective]Why should marriage and inclusion be the goal of queer movements? Is it even desirable to be “equal”? This essential intervention into queer politics goes beyond a critique of gay marriage to offer real alternative visions for a radical queer future. We’ve almost sold through the first printing thanks to a national tour, some good press, and a few reading groups—but we have some copies left, get ‘em while they’re hot! And if you’re interested in the topic, also check out Smash the Church, Smash the State for a more historical perspective on radical queer movements.
7. In Every Town: An All-Ages Music Manualfesto [ed. Shannon Stewart / All Ages Movement Project]The All Ages Movement Project (AMP) is a coalition of organizations nationwide who are committed to making sure young people have access to music scenes in their communities. To this end they maintain a directory, a listing of resources, and… now they’ve published a book! Drawing on the lessons learned by a variety of projects and spaces (such as 924 Gilman!), this book is a valuable toolkit for anyone interested in creating or supporting a homegrown all-ages music community. With a free downloadable soundtrack for inspiration!
8. Critical Strategies in Art and Media [Jim Fleming & Conrad Becker / Autonomedia]From Jim Fleming (of the Autonomedia collective) and Conrad Becker (author, recently, of the Strategic Reality Dictionary and Tactical Reality Dictionary), comes this critical examination of the big questions facing cultural workers today: What is the future of collaborative process? What doors are being opened up by virtual spaces and new media? What new practices can keep art out of the grasp of capitalism? What insurrectional or liberatory opportunities exist for art, today or in the future? (Lots of) inquiring minds want to know!
9. Toward Climate Justice: Perspectives on the Climate Crisis and Social Change [Brian Tokar / Communalism Press]From Brian Tokar (social ecologist and author of Gene Traders) comes this timely new book, a call for a renewed grassroots response to climate crisis. Rather than dwelling on Copenhagen, though he does offer critiques, Tokar highlights the social justice and human rights dimensions of climate crisis and urges creative direct action to press for real, systemic changes. Check out his appearance on The Progressive‘s podcast, read this book, and then be sure to pick up Sparking a Worldwide Energy Revolution and the latest issue of Perspectives on Anarchist Theory for more on the topic.
10. SCAM: The First Four Issues [Erick Lyle / Microcosm]The long-awaited zine compilation from the artist formerly known as Iggy Scam (who’s also, incidentally, a contributor to the excellent Realizing the Impossible, and the author of On the Lower Frequencies). The Scam zine was part urban punk memoir, part guide to getting things for free (think Steal This Book for young punks). The original issues are collected here, repackaged as a nice-looking oversized book, and ready to inspire a new generation.
Honorable mention:Dynamite and Roses: Lucy and Albert Parsons and the Haymarket Bombing [Robert Benedetti / Charles H. Kerr]
Although this one didn’t quite make it onto the list, it’s worth noting—partially just because it’s the year’s bestselling new release from Charles H. Kerr Co., who deserve some recognition for consistently putting out solid books that should be on everyone’s shelves. The events of Haymarket naturally lend themselves to dramatic retelling, and this book focuses specifically on Albert and Lucy Parsons’ story, which is fascinating to say the least. And why not also check out Kerr’s excellent Lucy Parsons book while you’re at it?
