|
Book Review Archive - Spring 2005 - Newsletter |
|
||||
|
Email Newsletter 
Welcome It has been a momentous year for those of us associated with the Institute for Anarchist Studies. In a North American political context that seemed to allow less and less space for a radical yet nuanced critique of the structures of domination that organize the globe, we watched with excitement as projects like the Renewing the Anarchist Tradition conference and the Perspectives on Anarchist Theory magazine flourished and achieved new levels of dynamism. The IAS seemed to come into its own, surrounded by a growing community of anarchists committed to rigorous theoretical reflection and practice. Even as our projects extended themselves in positive ways, and in spite of the ongoing generosity of our donors, the IAS has had to face the financial reality of a $10,000 shortfall in our 2004 fund-raising campaign. The shortfall was in large part due to the inability of one major donor to contribute as in previous years, despite a desire to do so. At the same time, though, more individuals donated to the IAS in 2004 than ever before, and our donor base has expanded significantly and steadily over the past several years. This leads us to believe that it is possible to continue to build this donor base in order to maintain the longer-term viability of the IAS and further enhance our various projects. The IAS has been active for nearly a decade, and our February 2005 meeting provided board members with a chance to take stock of past successes and future possibilities. We tried to discern how we could most effectively continue to support the development of anarchist theory with the resources available to us. As a result of our discussions, we have decided to make substantial changes to our grant program, and continue to develop Perspectives on Anarchist Theory. It is with a great deal of enthusiasm and optimism that we tell you about those positive changes in this e-newsletter (see below). First, however, we want to take the opportunity to congratulate Daniel Burton-Rose and Heather Villalobos, the recipients of the IAS's winter 2005 grants. You can read more about their projects, as well as updates about past IAS grantees' work, below. As we make changes to our core programs, the IAS will continue to sponsor the Renewing the Anarchist Tradition conference - already set for September 23-25, 2005, in Plainfield, Vermont - and support the Latin American Archives Project, which we expect to be online in the next six months. We also look forward to extending our activities further, such as sponsoring forums and seminar series in New York City, central Vermont, and Montreal. Additionally, the IAS will be participating in two special events this spring. We will have a table at Montreal's Sixth Anarchist Bookfair on May 21, 2005, and IAS board members Ashanti Alston and Cindy Milstein will be presenting workshops and participating in panel discussions during the Festival of Anarchy. (For more information about Montreal's Anarchist Bookfair and the Festival of Anarchy, check out http://anarchistbookfair.taktic.org.) Then, on May 23, the education and fun of the bookfair will continue in Montpelier, Vermont. "Anarchy in Montpelier," a day of events and socializing by and for anarchists and anti-authoritarians, will be held at 4 Langdon Street, Montpelier, Vermont (see http://www.blacksheepbooks.org for details, but the day will include a panel with three members of NEFAC, talks by Erika Biddle of May Day Books and Ashanti Alston of the IAS, and a one-woman performance on Argentina by Graciela Monteagudo). If you are traveling through the Northeast in May, and can make it to either of these events, do stop by the IAS table and say hello. The IAS is thankful for the continued support of a generous community of people. We hope you are as optimistic as we are about the changes to our programs and the potentialities that this period of transition affords us. As we reorganize and grow over the coming six months, we welcome any additional support you can offer, whether it is organizing events for IAS speakers, volunteering publication-related expertise, or providing further financial assistance. Don't hesitate to get in touch. For the IAS, Andréa Schmidt Winter 2005 IAS Grant Recipients Congratulations to the recipients of the winter 2005 IAS grant awards! Daniel Burton-Rose was awarded $1,500 for Listening to an Enforced Silence: Ba Jin in Communist China. The project will collect the insights of Li Feigan--an anarchist organizer who employs the pen name "Ba Jin" and has become a central figure in twentieth-century Chinese literature. Ba Jin's vision of a cooperative, egalitarian society, and his critique of both communism and capitalism, continue to be valuable sources of insight and inspiration for people working for justice. Listening to an Enforced Silence will focus on the least documented period of Ba Jin's life, from 1949 to the present, and will provide a valuable addition to the extremely small body of English-language scholarship available on Ba Jin. It will allow English-speaking anarchists to learn about and engage with a dissident force in a state that is rapidly ascending as a global political and economic superpower. Heather Villalobos was awarded $500 for Black Star Rising: People of Color and Radical Resistance, an exploration of how radical and anarchist politics affect the lives of people of color. A selection of oral history interviews with people of color involved in community struggles will be published in an anthology, and used to examine aspects of the experience of oppression as well as the possibilities for movements for self-determination and freedom. A broader collection of oral histories will be transcribed and published online. We wish both authors well as they pursue their projects. Black Star Rising Online: http://www.blackstarrising.org Grant Updates Kolya Abramsky has completed the translation of Global Finance Capital and the Permanent War: The Dollar, Wall Street, and the War against Iraq by Ramon Fernandez Duran. In this book, the author shows how financial institutions force global capitalism into a permanent state of war to maintain its hegemonic control of international markets. The English translation includes updates to the original text and a new epilogue by the author. The translation will be published by Autonomedia and Pluto Press, and was listed in the Pluto Press fall 2005 catalog. Abramsky was awarded $1,000 in July 2003. Robert Graham has completed a 500-page manuscript of the first volume of Anarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas. The two-volume project assembles the definitive texts of the anarchist tradition, organizing them chronologically and thematically. Graham has acquired English translations of classical anarchist essays for inclusion in the first volume of the project that have never before been published. These include substantial selections from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Latin American texts as well as essays by Otto Gross, Gustav Landauer, and Diego Abad de Sántillan. Anarchism: A Documentary History will be published by Black Rose Books. Graham, who was awarded $2,500 in January 2004, is currently reviewing the galleys. Melissa Forbis and Cale Layton are in the midst of translating Anarchist Trade Unions in Bolivia: 1920-1950 from the original Spanish-language book Los artesanos libertarios y la ética del trabajo by Zulema Lehm and Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui (1988). The book presents the history of anarchism in Bolivia and includes numerous interviews with trade union participants from the 1920-1950 period. Because the trade unions organized sectors of the working class neglected by traditional industrial unions, and brought together mestizos and indigenous peoples, men and women, along libertarian lines, they were perceived as a significant social threat by the state. Forbis and Layton plan to travel to Bolivia in summer 2005 to discuss the translation with the authors, and collect archival photographs and materials for the English edition. The English translation includes updates to the original text, and a new introduction that links this history of anarchist organizing to the recent uprising and continued resistance in Bolivia. Forbis and Layton were awarded $2,275 in July 2004. Nate Holdren has completed his translation of the Colectivo Situaciones's 19 and 20: Notes for the New Social Protagonism. The translation of the radical Buenos Aires collective's account of the social movements that exploded in Argentina on December 19 and 20, 2001, will make the book available to an English-speaking audience for the first time when it is published by Rowman and Littlefield later this year. Holdren hopes to bring members of the Colectivo Situaciones to North America to coincide with the release of the book. He is devoting his spare time to Notas Rojas, a collective that aims to translate Spanish-language political theory and social movement history into English. People interested in getting involved are invited to contact him at: nateholdren at gmail dot com. Holdren was awarded $1,000 in July 2003. Sandra Jeppesen has completed the first draft of her book-length project Toward an Anti-Authoritarian Cultural Logic: Resistant Discourses in Postanarchist Culture. Jeppesen examines mainstream and explicitly anarchist representations of revolution to arrive at an understanding of anarchist culture and develop a way of theorizing it that is significantly different from Marxian cultural studies. Jeppesen was awarded $800 in July 2003. Trevor Paglen is progressing with his project Recording Carceral Landscapes. He has completed all the interviews required for the book, a collection of images and texts that make visible the social, political, and economic relationships that constitute California's massive prison system. Carceral Landscapes will be used by the prison-abolition organization Critical Resistance for outreach and education. Paglen was awarded $1,600 in July 2004. Ramor Ryan's book will be published in Ireland later this year under the title Clandestines: The Pirate Journals of an Irish Exile. Ryan shares stories of revolution, resistance, and freedom as he writes about his political travels. He is still looking for a U.S. publisher. Anyone able to help in this respect is welcome to contact the author at ramorx at hotmail dot com. Ryan was awarded $2,000 in July 2002. Stevphen Shukaitis is researching and writing early drafts of his project Between Sisyphus and Self-Management. He spent the summer in Amsterdam editing the Greenpepper magazine issue on "Life beyond the Market," and delivered presentations outlining the beginning of his project at the conferences Life after Capitalism (New York City, August 2004) and Renewing the Anarchist Tradition (Plainfield, Vermont, September 2004). This past fall, Shukaitis moved to the United Kingdom to take up a PhD research fellowship at the University of Leicester in political economy and philosophy. Shukaitis was awarded $1,000 in July 2004. Marina Sitrin has published Horizontalidad: Voces de Poder Popular en Argentina. The book includes over 100 interviews and 30 photos, and represents dozens of different groups, collectives, and autonomous social movements in Argentina. The Spanish-language edition of the book was printed in Chilavert, a recuperated printing factory that has been under worker control since the popular rebellion of December 2001. In Argentina, Horizontalidad is being distributed by members of the autonomous movements, and is being used as a popular education tool by neighborhood assemblies and unemployed workers' movements. Two hundred copies of the book are now available in the United States, and are being sold for $20 to cover the cost of printing. People interested in buying a copy are invited to e-mail marina.sitrin at nyu dot edu. Sitrin is currently working on the English translation of the book, Horizontalism: Voices of Popular Power in Argentina, which she hopes to complete in fall 2005. Sitrin was awarded $2,000 in July 2003. IAS Supported Work: http://www.anarchist-studies.org/grants/projects Changes to the IAS Grant Program The grant program has been central to the IAS since its inception. By awarding grants to radical writers and translators around the world - many of whom work without the support of academic institutions, and are connected in important ways to the movements about which and for which they write - the IAS has tried to support the development of the theoretical tools necessary for critiquing the systems of domination in which we are enmeshed as well as for proliferating resistances and alternatives to these systems in order to maximize freedom, justice, and dignity. We have attempted to nurture the emergence of a global community of anarchist scholars and public intellectuals, and we believe that we have been successful in these efforts. In February, we decided that the grant program could more effectively achieve the same goals if it were reconceived to allow the IAS to provide more editorial and publishing help to the authors and translators we support than we have in the past. So we have decided to make radical changes to the grant program. In the future, the IAS will grant $2,000 annually to essay writers treating themes of importance to the development of contemporary anarchist theory and practice. Two to four essays will be awarded $250 to $500 in each of our two funding rounds. The IAS will provide editorial assistance to essay writers, who will commit to completing their projects in the six months following the award. Moreover, we look forward to publishing many of the finished essays in Perspectives on Anarchist Theory or a proposed new book series published in collaboration with AK Press. In light of these changes, a new application form and new application guidelines will be posted on the IAS Web site by April 15. The application deadline for the summer 2005 round of granting will remain June 15, 2005, and the deadline for winter will remain January 15, 2006. Thank You IAS 2004 Supporters We gratefully acknowledge all the IAS supporters who contributed to our 2004 fund-raising campaign: Anonymous I, II, III, IV, V, and IV * Harry and Dorly Abman * Bert Altena * Ashanti Alston * Rob Augman * Jeremy Behreandt * Lex Bhagat * Ben Bolen * Jack Bratich * Paul Bundy * James Michael Byrnes * Shushana Caplan * Michael Caplan * Manuel Caro * Dan and Betsy Chodorkoff * Noam Chomsky * Richard Clark * Charlie Clements * Mark Cohen * Jesse Cohn * Tom Copeland * Sean Damon * Maura Dillon * Chris Dodge * Peggy Dye * Miranda Edison * Paula Emery * George Uri Fischer * David Freedman * Larry Gambone * Roger de Garis and Carolyn Francis * Louis Frédéric Gaudet * Frank Gerould * Paul Glavin * Audrey Goodfriend * Dara Greenwald * Luz Guerra * Gregory Hall * Jamie Heckert * Walter Hergt * Julie Herrada * Nate Holdren * Fernando Janer * Jerry Kaplan * Kristen Keyes * David Koven * Mark Lance * Eric Laursen * Brooke Lehman * Susan Lieber * Frank Lindenfeld * Robin Lloyd * Joe Lowndes and Priscilla Yamin * Richard MacGurn * Todd May * Ace McArleton * Duncan McGregor * Peter McGregor * Luke Millar * Cindy Milstein * Akinori Mitachi * Joseph Morris * Caroline Morse * Charles Morse * George Moyer * Darini Nicholas * Lynn Olson * Joel Olson * Payal Parekh * John Petrovato * David Porter * Travis Record * Robert David Reilly * Rachel Rinaldo * Alan Ritter * Eugene Rodriguez * Stanley Rosebud Rosen * Bruno Ruhland * Annie Sartor * Anthony Schaeve * Jon Thoreau Scott * Michael Seidman * Marcel Sévigny * Chris Sloan * Mary Staudenmaier in honor of Peter Staudenmaier * Rose Sterling * Peter Stone * Gabe Metcalf and Elizabeth Sullivan * Spencer Sunshine * Brian Tokar * Kevin Van Meter * Josh Warren-White * Diva Agostinelli Wieck * Andrew Willis * Peter L. Wilson * Alexander Zimmerman * AK Press * Bound Together Books * Pacific Street Films * See Sharp Press Thank you! (If we inadvertently left your name off our donor list, our apologies, our gratitude, and please let us know so we can add your name!) New Great Books for IAS Donors Once again this year, Raven Books of Amherst, Massachusetts has generously made an exciting array of books available to IAS donors. The list includes Noam Chomsky's Rogue States: The Rule of Force in World Affairs, bell hooks' Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black, Frank Fernandez' Cuban Anarchism: The History of a Movement, and Howard Zinn's Postwar America: 1945 - 1971. * For a $25 USD donation to the IAS, we will mail you any one of the following books and a one-year subscription to Perspectives on Anarchist Theory. * For a $50 USD donation, we will send you any two and a one-year subscription to Perspectives. * For $100 USD, you will receive five of these great books and a one-year subscription to Perspectives. * For $500 USD, you will receive all of them and a one-year subscription to Perspectives. Books will be delivered to U.S. and Canadian destinations free of charge. Other destinations will require that the donor pay for shipping expenses. Great Books for IAS Donors: http://www.anarchist-studies.org/support/books Perspectives on Anarchist Theory Over the past year, the biannual IAS newsletter, Perspectives on Anarchist Theory, has grown into a full-fledged magazine, which has in turn met an enthusiastic response from its readers. As a complement to our decision to begin giving grants to essay writers, members of the IAS are looking forward to developing Perspectives as an even more substantial and polished theoretical journal. To this end, we are going to take several months to expand the editorial collective, conceptualize the journal, increase its distribution, and make it more financially independent. Supporters and subscribers can look forward to receiving the next issue of Perspectives on Anarchist Theory by mail in September 2005. Renewing the Anarchist Tradition (RAT) 2005 The Renewing the Anarchist Tradition (RAT) conference will take place September 23-25, 2005, in Plainfield, Vermont. Registration will be open soon. (Check the link below for current registration information.) Conference organizers are now accepting proposals for individual presentations and/or panelists and panels. Proposals are due June 1, and should be sent to John Petrovato (jpetrovato@hotmail.com) and Cindy Milstein (cbmilstein@yahoo.com). If you would like to be added to RAT's e-announcement list to receive occasional RAT updates, please e-mail cbmilstein@yahoo.com. RAT Web Site: http://www.homemadejam.org/renew
Welcome Belated May Day greetings! As summer approaches, so does the June 15 deadline for the summer round of IAS grants. In our last e-newsletter, we announced significant changes to the IAS grant program. In brief, we have reduced the amount that the IAS will grant each year, and now direct our financial and editorial support uniquely toward writers and translators of essay-length works. You can learn more about those changes and the new grant application guidelines below. Of particular note for people considering applying for a grant in the summer round is our new online application procedure. We are strongly encouraging all applicants to apply online, which we hope will be convenient for many people, and will definitely help cut our postage and administrative costs. Since we announced the changes to our programs at the beginning of April, we have been relieved, delighted, and sometimes surprised by the encouraging responses we have received from our supporters. A number of you have offered positive feedback, skilled assistance, and generous donations, kick-starting the 2005 fund-raising campaign somewhat earlier than planned! Some of those people are named below, but we want to take this opportunity to thank all our supporters for your moral and financial support, as we continue trying to sustain and expand the IAS as an organization that supports the development of anarchism through theoretical work connected in meaningful ways to social struggle. Most of this issue of the e-newsletter is devoted to informing you of a number of upcoming events that are being hosted by, sponsored by, or organized with the participation of IAS board members. Looking forward to running into some of you in the flurry of May festivities, Andréa Schmidt for the Institute for Anarchist Studies New Online Grant Applications In February, the IAS made substantial changes to our grant program. In the future, the IAS will grant $2,000 total annually to writers and translators treating themes of importance to the development of contemporary anarchist theory and practice. Two to four essay-length works will be awarded $250 to $500 in each of our two funding rounds. The IAS will also provide editorial assistance to those essay writers and translators who receive an IAS grant, and we look forward to publishing many of the finished essays in Perspectives on Anarchist Theory or a proposed new book series published in collaboration with AK Press. Grant recipients will be expected to complete their project within six months of receiving the award (usually August 30 or January 31 of a given year). The new grant application form is online now! We strongly encourage all applicants applying for the summer 2005 round of granting to complete the application form online. Applications for the next round of granting are due on June 15, 2005. If you are unable to apply online, please write us to request a paper copy of the application (and include an international reply coupon), or download and print the application form. Requests and completed applications should be mailed to: Institute for Anarchist Studies 6057 Monk Blvd. Montreal, QC Canada H4E 3H5 The grant program has been central to the IAS since its inception. By awarding grants to radical writers and translators around the world, the IAS supports the development of the theoretical tools necessary for critiquing systems of domination and for proliferating resistances and alternatives to these systems in order to maximize freedom, justice, and dignity. If you have questions about the IAS grant program or the grant application process, please take a look at the "Frequently Asked Questions" (http://www.anarchist-studies.org/grants/faq) page on our Web site, or get in touch by e-mail or phone. Online Grant Application Form: http://apply.anarchist-studies.org/apply/form IAS 2005 Supporters While our 2005 fund-raising campaign has yet to begin in earnest, we want to thank those supporters who have already contributed to the IAS this year. They include: * Anonymous I * Melissa Forbis and Cale Layton * Larry Gambone * Gregory Hall * John Petrovato * Marina Sitrin * Chris Sloan * OPIRG Guelph Thank you! Each supporter who contributes $25.00 or more is entitled to a free subscription to Perspectives on Anarchist Theory, and one or more great books (http://www.anarchist-studies.org/support/books), thanks to the marvelous people at Raven Books (http://www.ravenusedbooks.com). Donate to the IAS: http://www.anarchist-studies.org/support/donate Sustaining the Struggle: Anarchists Reflect on Building Lasting Cultures of Resistance ----------------------------------------------------------- Presented by the Institute for Anarchist Studies as part of Montreal's Festival of Anarchy. Date: Thursday, May 19, 2005 Time: 7 p.m. Place: Café la Petite Gaule, 2525 Centre Street, Montreal Métro: Charlevoix Panelists include: ASHANTI ALSTON, New York-based organizer, former member of the Black Panther Party and political prisoner for over twelve years (BLA), author of the zine "Anarchist Panther" and an IAS board member. MARINA SITRIN, New York-based organizer, involved in Woomera a No Borders network in NYC and editor of Horizontalidad: Voces de Poder Popular en Argentina. SARITA AHOOJA, Montreal-based organizer, involved in the Solidarity across Borders campaign, No One Is Illegal, and the Montreal-Mexico solidarity committee. What sustains social struggle in the moments when movements seem to fade, organizations disintegrate and lose focus, and individuals grow increasingly inactive as a result of state repression or burnout? Active in local movements and international solidarity efforts for long enough to have watched movements come and go, our panelists will reflect on these moments of relative demobilization. They will share ideas about the sorts of movements, institutions, and practices anarchists and anti-authoritarians might nurture in order to contribute to the creation of lasting cultures of resistance able to sustain the struggle for freedom and justice over many years. ++ The panel will be followed by celebration and music with DJ Tashish and guests. ++ FREE, donations appreciated Translation from English to French available Café la Petite Gaule is a wheelchair accessible space. More info: info@anarchist-studies.org OR (514) 813-1968 Montreal's Sixth @ Bookfair & Festival of Anarchy: http://anarchistbookfair.taktic.org Anarchy in Montpelier: A Day of Talks, Panels, Performances, and Socializing Presented by Black Sheep Books 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at 4 Langdon Street in Montpelier, Vermont 1:00 p.m. Born to Lose, Fight to Win! Working-Class Experience and Anarchism A panel with Mark Laskey, Sean, and Kristin 2:30 p.m. "Anarchism Revisited" Showing of this new film by Pacific Street Films; for more info, see http://www.psfp.com/anarchims.htm 4:30 p.m. Revulsion, Violence, Trauma: Repetitions and Ruptures from the Avant-Garde (1917-1935) to Theneo-Avant-Garde(late 1950s-1960s) to Now A talk by Erika Biddle 6:30 p.m. The Anarchism That Is Full of Possibilities A talk by Ashanti Alston 8:00 p.m. Women in the Argentine Social Movements A multimedia presentation based on recent interviews by Graciela Monteagudo in Argentina Everyone welcome; spread the word! Black Sheep Books: http://www.blacksheepbooks.org RAT 2005: Call for Proposals and Registration Update Renewing the Anarchist Tradition Conference September 23-25, 2005, at Goddard College The Renewing the Anarchist Tradition (RAT) conference, sponsored by the Institute for Anarchist Studies, aims to provide a scholarly space in which to both reexamine and reinvigorate the social and political tradition of anarchism. RAT is meant as one contribution to the project of developing a more rigorous as well as contemporary theoretical framework for anarchism, and to assist in nurturing new generations of anti-authoritarian public intellectuals. Thus, as opposed to conferences that attempt to create anarchist organizations, statements of purpose, or focus on "lifestyle anarchism" or how-to workshops, RAT brings together anarchist and libertarian left scholars, activists, educators, writers, organizers, students, and others to explore how we make sense of our own tradition; how we understand anarchism in the context of our lives, movements, and present-day social conditions; and how the conceptual tools that the anarchist tradition provides can and need to be rethought. Anarchism has tended to be a dynamic theory and practice, and its influence in anti-capitalist struggles around the world has become keenly apparent of late. We are, as it were, inside history, and if anarchism is to continue to be relevant to this moment of global transformations, it must not only understand the present but also scrutinize its own internal taboos and tensions; it must not only be able to describe contemporary forms of hierarchy and oppression but also articulate openings for a radical reshaping of social relations and material conditions along ethical lines. The work that all of us attempt to do now, the ideas and values we struggle to put into words and practice, will have profound implications for how this historical moment structures the future. RAT is a modest addition to the grand anarchist project of the present to ensure a freer tomorrow for all. As in the past, we hope that RAT continues to raise difficult questions - questions ranging from the character of social change to the ongoing relevance of categories such as class, community, and labor; from the changing shape of the state and capital to emergent forms of both domination and resistance in a globalizing world; from anarchism's relation to geopolitical concerns such as terrorism and war to its ability to grapple with issues of identity such as race, gender, and sexuality; to a host of other controversial, contested, or even uncharted subjects. Alongside a participatory weekend of presentations, panels, and debates in a supportive atmosphere, the beautiful rural Vermont setting affords the opportunity to meet other anarchists and radicals, relax around a campfire, or enjoy the fall foliage. RAT will also include a mini-bookfair, free literature tables, and possible film screenings. Call for Proposals (due June 15, 2005) We are now accepting proposals for individual presentations and panels/panelists for the 2005 Renewing the Anarchist Tradition conference (RAT), sponsored by the Institute for Anarchist Studies. For more on RAT, including past presentations and panels, see http://www.homemadejam.org/renew. People of color, women, those outside academia, and others often excluded from scholarly life - due to gender, sexuality, class, and so forth - are especially encouraged to send in proposals. And please feel free to forward this e-mail to others who may be interested in participating in and/or attending RAT. We're looking for individual presentations that attempt to analyze and/or critique current social relations and dilemmas; share work and ideas on anarchism's relevance and potential as a political/social theory as well as a practice; grapple with and constructively challenge as well as build on standard anarchist notions in light of a radically changing world; and cover a wide variety of perspectives and scholarly disciplines. While you can also propose a full panel, including all panelists, please consider simply proposing yourself for a panel topic or two and we will put the panel together based on a diversity of viewpoints. Specifically, we would like to see panel/panelist proposals that explore the following concerns through an anarchist lens: specific written works and/or major theorists; contemporary social phenomena, especially those undergoing dramatic transformations; movements and/or movement building, especially in light of present-day geopolitical events; various forms of identity, particularly race, gender, and sexuality; the rise of fundamentalisms and their implications; ecology; imperialism and anti-imperialism; like-minded as well as divergent strains of radical social thought/praxis, from autonomous Marxism to various horizontalist movements; the new anarchism; past historical examples of anti-authoritarian theories and/or practices; and the changing character of such standard categories as "the state," "capitalism," "class," "hierarchy," and so on. These are just a sampling of our ideas; please feel free to propose others, of course! Individual presentation and panel proposals should be no more than one typed page each; remember, you can also propose yourself as a panelist and let us set up the panel itself. Please include a presentation or panel title and one-paragraph description, two to three sentences about yourself and/or other proposed panelists, and complete contact information (address, phone, and e-mail). Indicate if you feel comfortable having your presentation/panel audiotaped, and if so, if you would be amendable to postconference "publication" of such audio on a Web site or CD. Keep in mind that presenters are asked to limit individual presentations to about 30 to 40 minutes, and end by framing a question or two for the participants in order to facilitate another 30 to 40 minutes of discussion. Panelists should each prepare about 10 to 15 minutes of material, leaving time for discussion as well. Our intent with the panels is to stimulate lively, but friendly debate, so again, a variety of perspectives on each panel is encouraged. Proposals are due by June 15, 2005, and should be e-mailed to both coorganizers: * John Petrovato (jpetrovato@hotmail.com) * and Cindy Milstein (cbmilstein@yahoo.com) If you have further questions about proposals, please contact John, our proposal coordinator. We will inform you about the outcome of your proposal(s) soon after our deadline date. Please note: all presenters must also register and pay for the conference (see below). Getting to RAT RAT takes place on the Goddard College campus in Plainfield, Vermont, about nine miles east of the state capital, Montpelier, and easily accessible by car off I-89 North or South. Both Amtrak and Greyhound/Vermont Transit offer train and bus service, respectively, to Montpelier. Limited pick-ups and drop-offs will be available, or you can call a taxi during the daytime hours. Please check with us about your travel arrangements before assuming that a pick-up or drop-off is possible. There is an airport in Burlington, Vermont, about an hour's drive from Plainfield. We will, however, be unable to do any airport pick-ups or drop-offs. If you fly to Burlington, please arrange your own ground transportation (limited bus service to Montpelier or rental cars). Mini-Bookfair A number of bookstores and publishers be present at RAT as part of our annual mini-bookfair. Tables are available for bookstores, publishers, and infoshops throughout the weekend for $35, but you must reserve and pay for a table in advance. Tables will also be available at no charge for free literature. Registration and Cost You must register and pay in advance, as the conference space is limited to 200 people. This year, everyone will be able to eat meals and sleep in the dorms at Goddard College. Please specify whether you're a vegan or vegetarian, or if you prefer a meat option; the registration includes six meals (Friday dinner; Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Sunday breakfast and lunch). Rooms are single or shared dorm space, and include linens and towels. Singles are on a first-come, first-serve basis; if you request a shared dorm room, please indicate any roommate preferences such as a specific person or gender. We're offering a sliding-scale registration for the following three options: 1. Reg fee and six meals (for locals and others not requiring housing): $40-50 2. Reg fee, six meals, and shared dorm room: $55-75 3. Reg fee, six meals, and single dorm room: $80-100 If you have additional questions about RAT registration, please contact Cindy, our registration coordinator, at cbmilstein (at) yahoo (dot) com. Please note that we cannot custom-tailor registration fees to include, say, only four meals. Scholarships A limited number of partial scholarships are available to subsidize RAT conference fees for those with limited resources. Please inquiry early and we will do our best to offer assistance. These scholarships are made possible because of the generosity of other RAT participants. If you can afford to pay the higher end of our sliding-scale registration fee or want to donate more beyond that, we will pass along the extra funds to those needing financial aid to attend RAT. Child Care Kadd has kindly offered to once again coordinate child care volunteers during RAT. Please contact him (kadd (at) mutualaid (dot) org) if you need to arrange for child care and/or can help out with child care during the conference. Register and Pay in Advance Space is again limited for RAT, so please register and pay in advance to ensure your participation. Send a check, made out to Cindy Milstein (unofficial RAT treasurer), to: Cindy Milstein, 19 French Street, Barre, Vermont 05641. Include your name, address, e-mail, what option the check covers (1, 2, or 3 above, plus any donation beyond registration toward scholarships for others and/or a mini-bookfair table), your meal and/or roommate preferences, and any special needs (which we'll do our best to accommodate, if at all possible). Still have questions? Want to be added to the RAT e-mail list? Feel free to contact either of the co-organizers: John Petrovato (jpetrovato@hotmail.com) and Cindy Milstein (cbmilstein@yahoo.com) RAT Web Site: http://www.homemadejam.org/renew
|
||||
| BLUE is looking for short fiction, extracts of novels, poetry, lyrics, polemics, opinions, eyewitness accounts, reportage, features, information and arts in any form relating to eco cultural- social- spiritual issues, events and activites (creative and political). Send to Newsdesk. |