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:
Here’s the Facebook invite.
Akashic Books Author Site
Twitter @CHAINANDTHEGANG
Instagram @ian_f_svenonius
Bandcamp toomuchdc.bandcamp.com
