Tales of a Punk Rock Nothing

Rating:
Summary: Suprisingly Good!
Review: Awesome! When I first picked up the book I thought reading it was going to be like listening to punk itself, having to look past the grating, unpolished style in order hear the message. Because the book does present itself as being a little ametuerish. But I found both the writing style and the message of this book to be powerful. The writing is witty and draws you into the story.

Rating:
Summary: All about real life.
Review: Of course, I do come from a higher middle class town in Ohio, not much of a scene here to speak of... I read through the reviews and I have to say that some of the entries here are just as uptight as the jerkwads that punk is trying to fight. You people need to go sit on something that vibrates and calm the hell down. As for the rest of you considering purchasing this book, ignore those morons. This book is a book, not a zine, although some of the best writing is done in zine form (so screw that criticism) and portrays life as it is: sometimes boring, sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating. Do you live your life day to day with all kinds of great Hollywood action? No! You know why? Because we all don't live in Hollywood and that's why they don't make movies about us. But once in a while, someone does write a book on people like me and you and here's a great example. Buy it, read it, love it. If you don't, go screw yourself. You're already lost and there's no hope in you trying to change this world.

Rating:
Summary: boring
Review: this book was extremely boring. i bought it expecting a nonfiction point of view about the historic punk scene, but what i got was a boring tale about a vegetarian who moves into a city and lives with others like him. I have just sumed up the entire book for you in one sentence. If you like a boring read then buy it, but if not don't waste your money

Rating:
Summary: DIY Success
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining yes, and also an engaging critique of punk
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining yes, and also an engaging critique of punk
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: judy blume for punkers
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: an okay read...
Review: what i liked and disliked most about this book is that it felt like i was reading someone's lost misplaced journal. this is odviously exactly what the authors were going for, but at times it felt like all whinning and no winning- no progression. i'm happy to have read this book because it reminded me of everything i love about d.c. adams morgan etc. i could visualize the places in my head and wish that i was there too. this book is a must read for anyone who has interest in punk/feminist -remember the 90's, wish i was still there lifestyle (like myself).

Rating:
Summary: Hey, This is good
Review: 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.