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Ian F. Svenonius Talks The Psychic Soviet: New Expanded Edition in Conversation with Matt Sweeney, ONLINE Event, Thurs, July 23rd
THE PSYCHIC SOVIET
essays by IAN F. SVENONIUS
A reissue of Ian F. Svenonius’s cult-classic debut essay collection, including brand-new writing in this expanded edition.ABOUT THE PSYCHIC SOVIET
A new, expanded 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.
** Zoom info ** We want to make sure that this online event is a safe space, so we won’t be releasing the Zoom link and password publicly. If you’d like to attend, please email info@quimbys.com to RSVP by 5 pm Thursday, July 23rd. We’ll email you the Zoom link and password one hour before the event begins.
Quimby’s has limited SIGNED copies of this new edition of The Psychic Soviet. Purchase yours here at quimbys.com.
Ian Svenonius will be in conversation with musician Matt Sweeney for this event.
Matt Sweeney is a rock guitarist, songwriter, and producer. His work can be heard on albums by Adele, Current 93, Johnny Cash, Endless Boogie, Neil Diamond, Superwolf, and Chavez. He saw Nation of Ulysses perform back when Ian Svenonius would play with his shoes on fire.
ABOUT IAN F. SVENONIUS
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 and roll combos (Chain & the Gang, Weird War, The Make-Up, The Nation of Ulysses, etc.). He lives in Washington, DC.
“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.”
—New York Times
“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.”
—Washington Post
“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.”
—Village Voice
More info:
Twitter @CHAINANDTHEGANG
Instagram @ian_f_svenonius
Bandcamp toomuchdc.bandcamp.com
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New Stuff This Week
View this post on InstagramNow that’s some shit. 2 new zines about poo. That’s what we call bathroom reading! ? ? ? ? #quimbys
Zines
Behind the Zines #10 A Zine About Zines by Bully McCall and friends $3
Mini Drag Marathon Drag 201 by Anna Jo Beck $2
I’ve Worn All the Shirts In the Drawer: 64 Days of T-Shirts During COVID-19 by AJ Michael $5
Listening to the Ending of Fossil Fuel Based Civilization by Brett Bloom $4
More Microcosm Stuff:
Shit Talk: What Happens After It Goes Down the Drain by Nick Kawa $3.95
It’s Going to be Anarchy: Anarchist Analyses of the Coronavirus Pandemic by Jim Donaghey $4.95
Essential Oils to Destroy the Patriarchy: Remedies Formulated for Modern Women (& 1000-Year-Old Witches) by Eryn Nicole O’Neal $4.95
Speaking of Trains: A Glossary of Modern-Day Hobo and Railroad Worker Slang by Brakeshoe $7.95
What the Ladies Have to Say: Activists in Palestine, Indonesia, and the Philippines $3.95
Wherever We May Roam: Tour Stories & Other Tales by Greg Simmons $6
Anarchist Survival Guide for Understanding Gestapo Swine Interrogation Mind Games: Stay Free by Shutting the Fuck Up! by Harold H. Thompson $2.95
Against Prisons by Catherine Baker $2.95
Queer Attachment: An Anti-Oppression Toolkit for Relational Healing by Fizz Perkal and Leah Jo Carnine $5.95
My Personal History of Race: Parts 1 + 2 by Lauren Hage $4-$6
Obsessed with Bass: The Essential History of Miami Bass, 1985-1993 by Aaron Nemec $4.95
Bread of the Resistance by Tessalyn Morrison $9.95Mis Merch’d #2 by Heather Link-Bergman (is PRESS) $6.99
Alternative Incite #1 spring 2020 $3
Posthumous #1 Love and Horror by Joseph Findeiss (Posthumous Publishing) $15
Comics & Minis
Cat Friends, Bird Acquaintances, and Their Human Furniture by Kriota Willberg $6
Graphic Novels
Drifting Classroom vol 3 by Kazuo Umezz $34.99
Art Books
Fucked Up + Photocopied: Instant Art of the Punk Rock Movement: 20th Anniversary Edition by Bryan Ray Turcotte and Christopher T. Miller (Gingko Press) $45
Punkouture: Fashioning a Revolt: 1976 to 1986 by Matteo Torcinovich (Gingko Press) $39.95
Skateboard Museum Zine Collection by Jurgen Blumlein (Gingko Press) $34.95
Politics & Revolution
Strike!: Revised, Expanded and Updated 50th Anniversary Edition by Jeremy Brecher (PM Press) $28.95
Revolution at Point Zero: Housework, Reproduction, and Feminist Struggle by Silvia Federici (PM Press) $17.95
Ritual Healing Books
The Witch’s Book of Shadows: The Craft, Lore & Magick of the Witch’s Grimoire (The Witch’s Tools Series) by Jason Mankey $15.99
The Devil’s Dozen: Thirteen Craft Rites of the Old One by Gemma Gary $16.99
The Sacred Art of Brujeria: A Path of Healing & Magic by Katrina Rasbold $17.99
Wake, Bake & Meditate: Take Your Spiritual Practice to a Higher Level with Cannabis by Kerri Connor $17.99
Treading the Mill: Workings in Traditional Witchcraft by Nigel G. Pearson $17.99
Essays
Big Girl by Meg Elison (PM Press) $14
Criminal Child by Jean Genet (Contagion Press) $8
Outer Limits
Religious Delusions, American Style: Manipulations of the Public’s Mind by Blair Alan Gadsby (Trine Day) $19.95
SPARKY: Surviving Sex Magick by Juliette M. Engel (Trine Day) $24.95
Games
The Gamesmaster: My Life in the ’80s Geek Culture Trenches with G.I. Joe, Dungeons & Dragons, and The Transformers by by Flint Dille (Rare Bird) $27
Lit Journals
Sinister Wisdom #117 A Multicultural Lesbian Literary and Art Journal $25
Brick #105 summer $19
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New Stuff This Week
Pandemic Movie Watchlist by Johnny Misfit $3
Mutations by Corinne Halbert $8
Zines
Communicating Vessels #30 summer $3.50
Comics
Vacuum Decay by Harry Nordlinger & friends $10
Sleepless Sights by Dane Georges $4
Dog and Pony: Baby Fever by Allie Trigoso (Really Easy Press) $10
Crackle vol 2 by Phillip Maira & friends $4
Graphic Novels
Wendy, Master of Art by Walter Scott (Drawn and Quarterly) $24.95
The Day the Rats Vetoed Congress by Ralph Nader, illustrated by Mr. Fish (Fantagraphics) $21.99
Long Story Short: Turning Famous Books into Cartoons by Mr. Fish & friends (Akashic) $17.95
Nobody Left: Conversations with Famous Radicals, Progressives and Cultural Icons about the End of Dissent, Revolution and Liberalism in America by Fish (Fantagraphics) $24.99
Old Growth by Michael Olivo and Niv Bavarsky (Fantagraphics Underground) $35
Streets of Paris, Streets of Murder: The Complete Graphic Noir of Manchette and Tardi (Fantagraphics) $29.99
Cankor by Matthew Allison (Adhouse) $19.99
Fuzzy Princess vol 2 Full Color Edition by Charles Brubaker $15.99
Art Books
The Stencil Graffiti Handbook by Tristan Manco $29.95
Perramus: The City and Oblivion by Alberto Breccia and Juan Sasturain (Fantagraphics) $49.99
Great Crump Presents His Magic: The Art of Rolly Crump by Rolly Crump (Baby Tattoo) $30
Outer Limits
Antarctica and the Secret Space Program: From WWII to the Current Space Race by David Hatcher Childress (Adventures Unlimited) $22
Film & Music Books
More Sex, Better Zen, Faster Bullets: The Encyclopedia of Hong Kong Film by Stefan Hammond and Mike Wilkins (Headpress) $28.95
Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Phuc Tran $27.99
Magazines
In These Times july $4.95
Harpers Magazine july $7.99
Mother Jones july / august $8.99
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New Stuff This Week
We live-streamed some new stuff this morning so people could see stuff and then come in and get it — because now it’s Day 3 of us being open. Wanna order the zine pack we talk about in it? It’s this.
Zines
Notes From Boying: A Pressing Concern Book Mark by Lu Heintz $7
Wonder of It All #3 Empty Eyes $3
Amygdala by Dirty Art Press $12
Ode to My IUD by Heather Andhercats $3
Comics & Minis
Ginseng Roots #4 by Craig Thompson (Uncivilized) $6
Gaslight Babylon #1 One Last Day by Adam Yeater $4
Psychodrama Illustrated #1 by Gilbert Hernandez (Fantagraphics) $4.99
Graphic Novels
Dancing After TEN by Vivian Chong and Georgia Webber (Fantagraphics) $24.99
Windows On the World by by Robert Mailer Anderson, Zack Anderson and Jon Sack (Fantagraphics) $24.99
Lottery by Adam Yeater $12
Art Books
Punk Shirts: A Personal Collection by Bryan Ray Turcotte (Gingko Press / Kill Your Idols) $39.95
Magazines
The Monthly Review vol 72 #2 june COVID-19 and Catastrophe Capitalism $6
Taproot #39 Tides $12
The Progressive june / july What Comes Next $5.95
Lit Journals
Granta #151 Membranes $19.99
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June Quimby's Newsletter Out Now!
The June Quimby’s Bookstore Newsletter available for online viewing now!
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New Stuff This Week and Cautious Reopening on Thursday!
That’s right! We’re excited to announce that we are going to be open on Thursday at noon! For real this time. We’re nervous and cautious, like a little fawn leaving the nest for the first time. (That made no sense. We’re hyperventilating behind these masks in Fort Quimby, hunkered down.) We will be open five days a week Thursday through Monday 12 to 6 & closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the time being. Eight people can come in at once and you must be wearing a mask. We look forward to seeing you!
Beyond Heaven: Chicago House Party Flyers volume II 1981-1992 by Brandon Johnson and Mario “Liv It Up” Luna (Almighty & Insane Books) $20
I Know You Rider: A Memoir by Leslie Stein (Drawn and Quarterly) $24.95
Strange Tapes #6 by Scott R. Miller $5
Vintage Hand Lettering: Create Beautiful Fonts with Old Time Flourish by Lisa Quine (Page Street) $21.99
Nori by Rumi Hara (Drawn and Quarterly) $24.95
Swamp by Yoshiharu Tsuge (Drawn and Quarterly) $24.95
Sweet Time and Other Stories by Weng Pixin (Drawn and Quarterly) $24.95
The Paris Review #233 summer $20
GenderFail Reader vol 2 by Noah LeBien and Be Oakley (GenderFail) $18
Escapist Artist #61 May 2020 by Jolie Ruin (Riot Grrrl Press) $2
Slutcake #8 Feb 20 by Jolie Ruin (Riot Grrrl Press) $2
Skurt Cobain #1 A Zine About the 90s April 2020 by Jolie Ruin (Riot Grrrl Press) $2
Trumpet This #1 by Mark Otto and Walid Atshe $4
Pothead: My Life as a Marijuana Addict in the Age of Legal Weed by Neal Pollack $18.95
Smut Peddler Presents: Silver by Andrea Purcell (Iron Circus) $30
Soviet Signs and Street Relics by Jason Guilbeau (Fuel) $34.95
zines Klon Waldrip about VHS culture, various titles and prices
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Zine Club Chicago ONLINE: Fun Size(s) Edition, Tues, June 30th
When many folks think of zines, they conjure up the classic image of sheets of copy paper folded in half and stapled down the center. But there are so many more ways to fold, cut, assemble, and bind a zine! This month at Zine Club Chicago Online: Fun Size(s) Edition, we’ll be discussing self-published works that come in non-standard sizes and shapes, from mini zines and accordion-style booklets to one-of-a-kind configurations. Grab your favorite titles, BYOS(nacks), and join us on Zoom for a fun conversation!
** Zoom info ** We want to make sure that our online Zine Club events are a safe space, so we won’t be releasing the Zoom link and password publicly. If you’d like to attend, please email zineclubchicago@gmail.com to RSVP by 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 30. We’ll email you the Zoom link and password one hour before the event begins.
Zine newbies and longtime enthusiasts alike are always welcome at Zine Club Chicago, the city’s only book club-style event for people who read zines. This free monthly series is produced by Chicago Zine Fest/Midwest Perzine Fest organizer Cynthia Hanifin and hosted by Quimby’s Bookstore. Anna Jo Beck designs our monthly flyers and created our logo.
More info:
Instagram: @zineclubchicagopssst hey want a jpg o’ this? here ya go!
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Staying Safe
Quimby’s is concerned about the safety of our customers, employees and neighbors. Therefore we are not going to open Wed, June 3rd as previously announced. We ARE going to open but we don’t know when.
We stand with the black lives in our communities. Stay safe, keep your voices heard. Black Lives Matter.
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Big Announcement & New Stuff This Week
Copy one bravo! We’ll be open to the public starting Wednesday, June 3rd. Noon to 6pm every day. Can’t wait to see you (from behind a mask). Until then, we’re still providing curbside pickup and shipping mail orders.
New Stuff This Week:
Wanna see a video where we preview some of the new stuff? Click here!
Wanna skip this list and go straight to ordering this stuff? Click here!
Zines
Epic Names: A Short History of Famous Flames by Billy McCall $3
Sex Work Spell Work by Madison Murray $5.50
Transvestia #9 Queering the Media $10
Highgate Eye #4 by Dean Squishman $3
On Alchemy and the Symbolics of Color by Brian Cotnoir $15
Comics & Minis
Tears of the Leather Bound Saints by Casanova Frankenstein (Fantagraphics Underground) $10
Rimeski Comics #6 May 20 by Lucius Wisniewski & friends $3
Minor Leagues #10 by Simon Moreton $6
PYXIS #11 & #12 by Jonas Campe $8 each
Stuff from Plot Twist Publishing:
Pushover by Jean Marie Pilario Jean Munson $5
Tome of Terror #1 by Greg Boucher $5
Queens #1 Rulers of Feminist Comedy by Jean Munson $10
Heavens Bastards #1 by Pierce Elliott & friends $5Graphic Novels
Art Young’s Inferno (Original Art Edition) (Fantagraphics) $29.99
Magazines
Juxtapoz #214 summer $9.99
Bust #121 summer $7.99
Lit Journals
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New Stuff This Week
Wanna see a video where we preview some of the new stuff? Click here!
Wanna skip this list and go straight to ordering this stuff? Click here!
Zines
Vivian Girls Forever #1 An Ode to Henry Darger by Lindsey J. Bryan $7
I’ve Been Crying the Last Few Days and Drawing Strange Men by Tavi Veraldi $10
Rozine #1 $3
Chicago Gets 4 Stars History Zine #1 by Joe Mason $3
Plaid Skirts and Converse #3 the Mental Hospital #8 $4
Fucktoy #1 $4
I Think I’ll Make a Snappy New Day #1 $4
Comics & Minis
Stripburger #74 $10
You Don’t Get There From Here #53 by Carrie McNinch $4
Kaki by Dan Kittaka $3
Comics from Shawn Granton: Ten Foot Rule Inktober 2019 $3, New Old Stock #S5 The Illustrated Journal of a Civilized Cyclist $4
Invasion on Aisle Two #1 by Erik Jasek $8
Graphic Novels
Unknown by Anna Sommer (Conundrum) $17
Naked Body: An Anthology of Chinese Comics by Yan Cong, Jason Li and R. Orion Martin (Paradise Systems) $21.95
Music & Film Books
Cheap Shots: A Photographic Look at Underground Bands Through the 80s and Beyond by Chris Barrows (Rare Bird Books) $35
Super 8: An Illustrated History by Danny Plotnick (Rare Bird Books) $40
Magazines
Bitch #87 summer $9.95
The Believer #131 june / july $12
Tape Op #137 june / july $5.99
In These Times june $4.95
Jacobin #37 spring $12.95
Harpers Magazine june $7.99
Yes! #94 summer $6.50
Chap Books
Misery Can Be Bad by Harmon Butcher and Lale Westvind $7