Report the Back, on the Seattle Anarchist Bookfair, annum 2023

Report the Back, wherein our heras brave the unknown, discover new and familiar faces, and dispense and receive tomes and witticisms

This report back is very partial as your guide did not themself attend any of the workshops, content to lurk behind books and zines, occasionally emerging only enough to thrust a text at someone who lingered too long or looked too inquisitive. Perhaps workshop goers will add their efforts in the comments below, so that we may all gain from their perspicacity.

First, a possible disappointment.
Despite the easy access to and open provocation of a known irritant (or two), there was no table-flipping, fisticuffs, bull-whipping, bust-stealing, or other such infamous anarchist responses. The entire bookfair was an unseemly example of disagreement that was calm and verbal, when it even occurred. People were masked and unmasked, Hakim Bey and Atassa were tabled, transhumanists were present, lofi music was played, and yet no one was bruised, much less bloodied. Woe for the anarchist future!

On the other hand, there were good new voices present, including a brand new publication called Tinderbox, which argues for combative anarchism. Look for it in pink near you. There were many people who named themselves new to anarchist thinking, one person who was looking specifically for anarchist solar punk texts, just when copies of bolo’bolo had all been dispensed. (Of course bolo’bolo is NOT solar punk, but merely the closest thing to it that would be allowed). One person who revealed themselves as a friend of the notorious and charming Frank Brand/Errico Arrigoni (long deceased, sadly). Meeting this friend was a definite highlight for some of us. (Steve, we’re waiting to hear from you about that transcription project!)

There was some very nice art, some of it even for free, and I challenge anyone to better the selection of tattoos and teeshirts one gets to peruse at the Seattle bookfairs. Honorable mention must go to a couple, including a home-modified teeshirt that changed “Fast. Eat. Live” to “Fart. Eat. Live” and a “vaultdweller” one. But those are just the two one can remember after a tiring trip home breathing smoke and sweat, surrounded by flags of the “blue lives matter” type.

The organizers thoughtfully provided free snacks and drinks and even tamales for the closing hours of the event. There was a map of the tablers available for all, which is not something this participant had seen at previous bookfairs. A notable innovation! And someone was privy to a loud conversation with an anarchist elder who questioned whether another anarchist elder was still alive, and then informed whoever was near that the two of them had, a few years prior, almost been kicked out of another anarchist event for having sex in the bathroom. A charming anecdote of Delany-esque proportions, and another highlight of the weekend. Yay for raucous and unapologetic elder-on-elder sex. For some tablers there was apparently quite a bit of appreciation, as someone was heard to declare more than once that people must not be so kind, or they risked a deluge of tears and other unseemly demonstrations of sensibility. And there was much clasping of hands and embracing and exclamations of "so good to finally meet you!" A possible bookmobile project was suggested and pondered (fingers crossed), and so forth. In other words, it was a scene rife with projects, relationships, information, and clear potential. Just as one would desire for such an event.

So, as you perceive, this is NOT the very model of a modern major write up, but such things are always best as collaborations, so add your reflections below!

There are 21 Comments

>> Hakim Bey and Atassa were tabled

Are people really Very Concerned about distros tabling Hakim Bey in the same way they're Very Concerned about the Atassa journal? What's the story?

in certain Circles. Bey's death and the event(s) remembering him have gotten some people riled up. Someone has been banned from the 2023 Victoria bookfair for announcing such an event at it last year.

I suppose the Victorian Bookfair crowd just supposed anyone liking Bey's writings is obviously a pedo...

No word about Epstein's close buddy Chomsky still being tabled, tho! :-/

>>> banned from the 2023 Victoria bookfair for announcing such an event [remembering hakim bey]

did this really happen? tell more

I can assure you, the proclaimation has been issued. Whether it will be respected is another questions. Anarchists do not always respect authority.

Great people, decent snacks, cool space, plenty of cash-strapped punks, almost all the tables I would have hoped for, more than a few interesting attendees, one small gas leak, and a partridge in a pear tree

9/10

BraAah, didn't you read it, there was freEee fOOd there, it's an AnarChist evEnt, sheEesh!

I WAS AN 90 YEAR OLD ADVANCED ALZHEIMER'S SUFFERER THAT READ HAKIM BEY AT THE VICTORIA ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR BEFORE CRASHING MY FORD F150 INTO THE PUGET SOUND TO SPEND MY REMAINING HOURS TRAVELING TO AREA BANKS TO SHIT ON THEIR FLOORS WHILE PERFORMING WILD DANCING ALL NIGHT UNDER THE BLACK BANNERS OF CHAOS

My dog walker got sick so I didnt make the drive up. Dogs are the new atassa so I couldnt take her.

My superduty truck was under warranty repair (they needed a special motorized tiny crane to change the wipers) as I'm a White normie suurban redneck and that's the only anarchist lifestyle I know. So I couldn't drive all the way this weekend. Cars and hydrocarbons are really the new Atassa... but my spiritual belonging depends on them in my daily quests for dominating public spaces.

shes old and will shit on the floor and cry so my friend's daughter watches her for what i assume is vape money. sorry i didnt smoke crack with her on a double stack up to seattle like a real anarchist. i just wish book fairs were more dog friendly.

Do you realize you read "shit on the floor" a few comments up and it somehow leaked into your brain for your comment? Were you inspired and riffing off of it like a game of tag or ???

I really am curious if you noticed or if it was unconscious.

Please be honest this could be important in your road back to mental health.

Thank you. Sorry to hear about your "dog."

Oh and also your "truck"... (Ford F150 was also mentioned above).

You are a fascinating person. I would like to study you and perhaps publish a book on my findings. Please provide contact information, Calvin.

Hey brah, it's normal for normies to take a cue from something, like appropriate an idea, it's called plagiarism, it's a behavioral instinct amongst herd animals brah, read about >>popular pastimes, sayings and instinctual jerk reactions amongst conformists<< fascinating personal stories about normality which would amuse you.

No lies detected. It was definitely fun and friendly, like the tag says.

One t-shirt that stood out to me read:

The eternal grave of man
is the gender neutral bathroom.

Sounds delightful. I'm glad this is still going on. Cheers for celebrating an anarchist tradition.

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