Michael Dunn (Author of Anywhere but Schuylkill)

Michael Dunn wrote a new blog post Dashiell Hammett Hard-boiled detective writer Dashiell Hammett was born on May 27, 1894. From the age of 21-23, he worked as a Pinkerton detective and then joined the Read more of this blog post »
Jul 01, 2024 03:14PM · 1 like · like
Michael Dunn rated a book it was amazing NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History by Jason Lamb	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Today I’m reviewing “NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History,” by Jason Lamb, with Paul Prescott, published this past January, by PM Press. Definitely one of the best band histories I’ve ever read. It is told through short interview cl ...more
Jul 01, 2024 12:30PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of NoMeansNo by Jason Lamb. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — NoMeansNo by Jason Lamb <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Dunn rated a book it was amazing The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band by Michelle Cruz Gonzales	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Michelle Cruz Gonzales’s “The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band,” is one of the best rock memoirs I have ever read. It honestly portrays much of what made the 1990s punk scene beautiful, and much of what made it ugly, too. But wha ...more
Jul 01, 2024 12:05PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Spitboy Rule by Michelle Cruz Gonzales. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Spitboy Rule by Michelle Cruz Gonzales <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Dunn rated a book it was amazing Tales of an Inland Empire Girl by Juanita E. Mantz (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
“Tales of an Inland Empire Girl” is a beautifully written, edgy memoir by Juanita E. Mantz Pelaez. It’s the story of good girl’s downward spiral, from a studious bookworm into an angry, drinking, trouble-making punk rock teen, and her redemption that ...more
Jun 15, 2024 04:49PM · 1 like · like · see review
Michael Dunn rated a book it was amazing Zig Zag Woman by Roberta Tracy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wow, what a wonderful historical mystery novel! Roberta Tracy’s Zig Zag Woman hit all the right chords for me. First, it’s an exciting, fun story, well-written, with numerous exciting twists and misdirections. And her historical research is impeccabl ...more
Jun 07, 2024 01:23PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Zig Zag Woman by Roberta Tracy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Zig Zag Woman by Roberta Tracy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Dunn is now following G.A. Matiasz Author of Dusted by Stars
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Michael Dunn is now following Shwa Laytart Author of Oh, the A**holes You'll Meet!
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Michael Dunn wrote a new blog post

Dashiell Hammett

Hard-boiled detective writer Dashiell Hammett was born on May 27, 1894. From the age of 21-23, he worked as a Pinkerton detective and then joined the Read more of this blog post »

Michael Dunn rated a book it was amazing

NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History
by Jason Lamb

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Today I’m reviewing “NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History,” by Jason Lamb, with Paul Prescott, published this past January, by PM Press. Definitely one of the best band histories I’ve ever read. It is told through short interview cl Today I’m reviewing “NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History,” by Jason Lamb, with Paul Prescott, published this past January, by PM Press. Definitely one of the best band histories I’ve ever read. It is told through short interview clips of band members, friends, associates, and fans, interspersed with tons of beautiful album art, posters, and photographs. It’s raw, and honest, and incredibly funny, and will leave you with a new appreciation for this influential band.

This book is so good that I had to put it down after the first couple of pages so that I could turn on my stereo. And then I continued reading while blasting “Wrong,” and “Why Do They Call Me Mr. Happy,” and didn’t put it down again until “The Day Everything Became Isolated and Destroyed” had played through twice.

Brendan Canty (Fugazi) said NoMeansNo reminded him of the Minutemen. I like this comparison. Both bands were characterized by hard thumping basslines, intricate guitar work, super tight musicianship, with a jazzy, funky, but entirely punk sound. And with lyrics much more sophisticated and intelligent than many of their contemporaries. Mike Watt, bassist for the Minutemen, said he loved NoMeansNo.

Of course, being a fan, I already knew what great musicians they were. What I didn’t know (but probably should have guessed) was that the Wright brothers, John (Drums) and Rob (Bass) were trained on classical music and jazz. And that they were fans of an eclectic mix of different genres. It warmed my heart to read how they would set aside special time on every tour, usually during a night drive, to listen reverently to the Residents' “Mark of the Mole” in its entirety. That is dedication and good taste!

On the 10th anniversary of the Alternative Tentacles record label, Jello Biafra put out a compilation called Virus 100, featuring cover versions of Dead Kennedys songs performed by various artists. Everyone thought NoMeansNo would choose one of the edgier DK anthems and blast the hell out of it. Instead, they did an a cappella version of “Forward To Death.” I had totally forgotten about that cover until I read this book. Had to go back and listen to it again. It was awesome! They each did a different instrument with their voice. A real testament to their musical talent and quirky sense of humor.

I also really loved the story about when they were in the San Francisco Bay Area and crashed at the home of Kamala Parks (Gilman Street, Maximum Rock and Roll, and Kamala & the Karnivores). Instead of ogling her extensive collection of punk records, they went to straight to her dad’s collection, getting really excited by all his Mahler records. It reminded me of the first time I met the parents of a girl I was dating in high school. Instead of grilling me about my intentions with his daughter, her father asked me if I liked jazz, and promptly started playing me a selection of his favorite free jazz artists, Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler. Perhaps one reason NoMeansNo always resonated so much with me is our shared appreciation for jazz, classical, and weird stuff, like the Residents.

Another thing I liked about this book was hearing so many people saying what nice and decent guys they were. When touring, and crashing at other people’s homes, they had a reputation for leaving the house cleaner than they found it. No matter where they stayed. They always did the dishes, too. And sometimes vacuumed. They never trashed the place, or acted like brats, as so many other punks routinely did. They were real mensches in a scene where so many other guys thought that being punk meant fucking shit up and being a dick.

They were super nice, but real pranksters, too. And this book is chock full of anecdotes about their various practical jokes. I found it particularly amusing to read about the tricks they played on some of the more hard-edged punks of the era, like Jello Biafra and Henry Rollins. Indeed, when Jason Lamb read some of these stories aloud at Punks With Books, May 26, 2024, he had the audience, and other panelists, in stitches. I feel blessed to have been part of this event, along with Paul Prescott, Michelle Cruz Gonzales, Juanita Mantz, Billy Bragg, and James Tracy. If interested, you can see a clip of that event here: https://youtu.be/9_dbfJZlPTo

I highly recommend “NoMeansNo: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History.” It’s a fun read. You’ll probably learn something interesting from it. And, with its large format and color images, it’ll look great on your coffee table. Unless, of course, you’re still living a punk lifestyle and don’t have a coffee table. In which case, it’ll look great on your floor. Or on your milk crate. Or, as in my case, on my bed with the pile of other books I’m reading. ...more

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The Spitboy Rule by Michelle Cruz Gonzales

The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band
by Michelle Cruz Gonzales

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Michelle Cruz Gonzales’s “The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band,” is one of the best rock memoirs I have ever read. It honestly portrays much of what made the 1990s punk scene beautiful, and much of what made it ugly, too. But wha Michelle Cruz Gonzales’s “The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band,” is one of the best rock memoirs I have ever read. It honestly portrays much of what made the 1990s punk scene beautiful, and much of what made it ugly, too. But what really makes this book great is how eloquently, and passionately, Gonzales writes about how it shaped her own personal growth and identity as a working-class woman of color.

First, some of that beauty. $5 live shows. DIY performance spaces and organizations like Gillman Street, Klub Komotion and Epicenter Zone. The political activism. And, of course, the raw energy of bands like Spitboy. Mimi Thi Nguyen’s preface does a great job of anchoring the book in its historical context (e.g., Gulf War, Rodney King, and the rarity, even in the San Francisco Bay Area, of an all-women, anarchist feminist band). Which brings us to some of the ugliness. In spite of the leftwing politics of so many of the bands, and fans, it was still a straight, white, male-dominated scene. Sexism, racism, and homophobia were always present, sometimes overtly, and other times subtly, in the form of “colorblindness,” or the uncritical exercise of privilege.

Many of us were, in fact, very self-critical. But we were also young and inexperienced. Sometimes we came up with good analyses and effective solutions. Other times, well… Let me share one of my favorite parts of the book, when Spitboy is playing in Washington, D.C., with members of Bikini Kill in the audience. Before their set, a tall guy comes up to Gonzales and asks if the men have to stand in the back of the room, like they were told to do during a Bikini Kill set. Irate, Gonzales announces to the audience that men do not have to stand in the back. “We’re not a riot grrrl band.” The room goes silent. So, Spitboy’s lead singer, Adrienne, follows with “Please don’t block a woman’s view; don’t stand in front of someone who is shorter than you are. Just use common sense.”

The first time I experienced the men-in-the-back rule, I willingly complied. The mosh pit was notoriously dominated by big, aggressive dudes, and sometimes outright bullies. And even though I considered myself a feminist, I am tall and probably quite often blocked the view of shorter people without even realizing it. So, it seemed a fair and reasonable compromise to me. However, Spitboy’s less authoritarian message would have really resonated with me, and would have been a much more effective reminder for well-meaning big guys to pay better attention to our oversized footprint.

One of the most powerful chapters in the book is titled Race, Class and Spitboy. It highlights how easily a person from a marginalized group can become invisible to those around them, even when those people are friends, and even when they, themselves, have leftist politics. In one scene, Gonzales introduces her bandmates to her working-class abuela, in East Los Angeles. The band is uncharacteristically quiet and awkward. No one asks her grandmother any questions or tries to get to know her. One of the bandmember’s has a bemused expression similar to the expression she had when Gonzales explained that her two siblings have two different dads, both different from her own dad. Reading this now, I think, what’s so hard to get? Her mom was poor. They lived on welfare. Her dad was abusive. They had to leave him. Tragic and traumatic, but not uncommon, especially for working-class women. Yet somehow this was perplexing to her middle-class bandmates who hadn't experienced such things. I saw some of this same kind of perplexion, or obliviousness, growing up, when many of my middle-class peers assumed my best friend, who was working-class and Xicana, was actually middle-class and white, like them, somehow overlooking the clue in her surname.

This invisibility becomes even more glaring, and ironic, when a white riot grrrl accuses Spitboy of cultural appropriation for naming their 3rd album “Mi Cuerpo Es Mio.” But reflecting back on this incident, Gonzales gains some important insight, too. That her own anger at being accused of racism by a riot grrrl “who couldn't tell a person of color when she was looking right at one,” was actually a mask for the sadness she felt because people didn’t see who she really was, and that she had allowed that to happen.

There are many other moments like this in the book, but you’ll have to pick up a copy and read those for yourself. Likewise, if you want to know why they called themselves Spitboy, or what the Spitboy rule is. You won’t be disappointed. It’s a great book, with lots of rare fliers and posters, as well as stories of touring and performing that range from humorous to frightening. But one last thing I’d like to say in closing is that it’s tragic that Spitboy didn’t get to open for Fugazi, at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center, on May Day, 1993—a regret that was referenced twice in the book, once in the preface, and again toward the end. The significance is that Fugazi was a band that meant a lot to Spitboy, and to so many of us in the DIY punk scene. Also, because it was such a seminal show. I was there. I was the guy doling out free condoms to anyone who asked, doing my DIY part to stop the spread of HIV. I also gave a speech at the beginning of the show about the Haymarket martyrs, and the anarchist history of May Day. It was a fantastic show, and a great moment in my life. But if Spitboy had played, it would have been one of the greatest punk shows ever. ...more

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Tales of an Inland Empire Girl
by Juanita E. Mantz (Goodreads Author)

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“Tales of an Inland Empire Girl” is a beautifully written, edgy memoir by Juanita E. Mantz Pelaez. It’s the story of good girl’s downward spiral, from a studious bookworm into an angry, drinking, trouble-making punk rock teen, and her redemption that “Tales of an Inland Empire Girl” is a beautifully written, edgy memoir by Juanita E. Mantz Pelaez. It’s the story of good girl’s downward spiral, from a studious bookworm into an angry, drinking, trouble-making punk rock teen, and her redemption that follows. It’s the story of a working-class family, struggling to make ends meet. Of a Mexican-American mother, stressed-out and emotionally volatile, working two jobs to support her family. And an alcoholic father (el gringo boracho, as her mother’s family refers to him), disabled from years of demanding physical labor, with a head full of unfulfilled and broken dreams. It’s the story of Juanita’s life, unraveling as she and her two sisters navigate growing up amidst the trauma of their parents’ constant fighting, and their mother’s frightening outbursts.

The book opens with a scene of their father dying on the crapper, after almost choking to death on fried fish that Juanita buys him on her way home from the airport. It sounds horrifying and sad, and it is. But it is written with so much humor, tenderness, and love, that I can’t stop reading. In fact, the only thing that keeps me from finishing the entire book in one sitting is my need to get some sleep before I have to proctor final exams to my high school students the next day. Yes, this scene is an ending of sorts, but it is also a masterful opening to Mantz’s story, written from her perspective as an adult who has become a successful lawyer in spite of her troubled childhood. It lets us know there’s a happy ending for the author, and it sets up perfectly the rest of the story, portrayed through her eyes as a child.

One of the things I love about this book is how, in spite of her parents constant fighting, she still sees their beauty, like her mom's bee hive hairdo, or her dad pulling out his false teeth to make the kids smile. And how, in spite of her mother’s explosive rage, she knows there is a “nice mom” in there who comes out from time to time. I remember having feelings just like this from my own childhood, my fear of my father’s explosive rage and how, like with Mantz’s mom, it was like walking on eggshells trying to avoid the numerous triggers that could set him off, but also knowing that underneath it all there was a loving, sweet, and even nurturing parent who cared deeply for me. This comes out brilliantly when her mother rips the principal a new orifice for allowing one of her teachers to use corporal punishment on her. And it leads to my favorite line from the book: “I may not be the good girl anymore, but at least I'm the bad girl with a bad ass mom."

The scene from the book that resonated most with me was when Juanita arrives at her Honors English class after a sleepless night listening to her parents fight with each other. She arrives too late to get a front row seat, like she prefers, and is forced to sit in the back, with her poor vision and ratty back pack, and an illicit copy of Judy Blume to distract her. So many times, as a high school teacher, I’ve had the quiet kid who hid in the back and tried to become invisible because the horrors at home were too overwhelming and they were too tired, stressed, and traumatized to be able to interact with me or their classmates. How many times I wondered what those horrors were. If there was something I could do to help. Or, if the most helpful and merciful thing I could do was to let that student continue to be invisible and at least have an hour of peace. Sadly, Mantz does not even get to enjoy peace in this scene, but you'll have to read the book to find out why.

“Tales of an Inland Empire Girl” is about much more than growing up with an abusive parent. It’s also about sibling rivalries and jealousies. It’s about class, and race, from the point of view of kids, who feel it, even if they don't have the precise words to describe it. Her youngest sister, Annie, for example, is light-skinned, with straight hair, like their dad. Strangers think she's a white girl. And her parents treat her as if she is the “good” daughter. Juanita is dark-skinned and curly-haired, clearly Chicana, and she regularly feels the disdain and racism of neighbors, strangers, and even teachers.

The book is also about Mantz’s close relationships with her twin sister, Jacky. I really enjoy how they always fist-bump and say “Wonder Twin powers, activate!” like Zan and Jayna, from the Hanna-Barbera television show, “The All-New Super Friends.” I had completely forgotten about this show until I read this book, which was filled with so much other nostalgia from my own 1970s-80s Southern California childhood, like Shasta cola, the notorious D.J. Wolfman Jack, and the oh-so-trendy dittos pants the girls liked to wear in those days. Her close friendship with Jacky, and with her girlfriends, help her make it through the difficult times. So does reading. There are always piles of books on her floor, and constant references to her favorite childhood stories.

As she gets older, and finds herself spiraling into ever more rebellious and risky behavior, music becomes another savior. Her favorite bands are The Smiths and The Cure and she writes beautifully of what they mean to her growing up. I was fortunate enough to be able to share the stage with Mantz at the Punks With Books book-reading event at Avantpop Books in Las Vegas on Memorial Day Weekend this year (along with Michelle Cruz-Gonzales, James Tracy, Jason Lamb, Paul Prescott, and Billy Bragg), and hang out with her at the Punk Rock Bowling music festival. I asked her why The Smiths were so popular among Mexican teens of our generation. She thought it was because Morrissey’s brooding ballads seem so familiar to them, like Mexican corridos, a connection that makes perfect sense to me, but that I doubt I would have been able to identify on my own.

I highly recommend “Tales of an Inland Empire Girl.” It is funny, clever, sad, and full of insight. And the poems at the end are really good, too. “Father O' Mine” (parts I and II) and “Dad's Eulogy” really struck a chord with me, in part because I lost my own father recently. But mostly because Mantz does such a great job portraying her father in this book that I really felt like I knew him, missed him, and needed the closure these poems provided. ...more

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Zig Zag Woman
by Roberta Tracy

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Wow, what a wonderful historical mystery novel! Roberta Tracy’s Zig Zag Woman hit all the right chords for me. First, it’s an exciting, fun story, well-written, with numerous exciting twists and misdirections. And her historical research is impeccabl Wow, what a wonderful historical mystery novel! Roberta Tracy’s Zig Zag Woman hit all the right chords for me. First, it’s an exciting, fun story, well-written, with numerous exciting twists and misdirections. And her historical research is impeccable and artfully utilized to make the characters and events pop out of the book. But what really did it for me were all the social justice themes she subtly wove into her narrative in a way that felt authentic and natural, without disrupting the flow of the story, or my immersion in it.

The setting is Los Angeles, 1910. The protagonist, Margaret Morehouse, is LAPD’s second woman officer. Alice Stebbins Wells, the department’s first female officer, had been hired earlier that same year. So, right off the bat we have a strong woman character, a trailblazer in a misogynistic world. But make no mistake, LAPD was no bastion of progressive thinking. It was a department under fire from the public for its excessive use of force and brutality, and for sexual harassment of women in its jails. Captain Clarke believed the best way to avoid further accusations was to have women officers with “unassailable reputations” be the ones to question female suspects. So, he hired Wells and Morehouse to avoid further scandal.

Margaret Morehouse is no paper cutout of a first-wave feminist. In fact, she probably wouldn’t even have described herself as one, though she does take inspiration from the work of Jane Addams. Margaret is married to a minister and is fairly strait-laced and socially conservative by today’s standards (e.g., concerned with “keeping up appearances”). Yet she is also independent and capable, with a desire for excitement and passion, which is lacking in her marriage. And she is also more than willing to bend social norms in order to achieve her goals. For example, in order to solve a murder case, she goes undercover as an actress at the famous Pantages Theatre, in spite of the dishonor it would create for a woman of her standing to dress as provocatively as she must for this job. Her husband, who is forward-thinking, gives his consent, but only if she has a male chaperone to keep an eye on her. This escort is their family servant, Cushman, whose fascinating backstory slowly unfolds over the course of the novel. Cushman’s special talents, and his discretion, become indispensable to Margaret as she carries out her investigation, which take her from Los Angeles to Chicago, and to the boom town of San Bernardino, California, and even more so when she discovers another murder mystery within in her own family.

All this is set against a backdrop of labor unrest, and the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building. In reference to contemporary media coverage of the bombing, which was universally blamed on labor activists, Cushman says, “Twenty-one people lost their lives and mark my words, no matter who is responsible, it'll be union men who pay." This was precisely what happened repeatedly throughout that era, including IWW organizers Thomas Mooney and Warren Billings, falsely convicted for San Francisco’s 1916 Preparedness Day Bombing; the anarchists falsely convicted for the 1886 Haymarket Bombing; and Western Federation of Miners organizer Big Bill Haywood, who was falsely accused of assassinating former Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg in 1905.

Overall, Roberta Tracy’s Zig Zag Woman is a gem. A fantastic first novel. I can’t wait to see what comes next! ...more