It Starts with Anger (Hardcover)

Hardcover. From the award-winning filmmaker and graphic novelist comes the untold origin story of the multimillion-dollar AFROPUNK Festivalbeginning not with big stages or brand sponsorship, but with one Black kids search for belonging in the nineties New York City punk sceneA memoir that belongs in the canon of punk history. . . . Thrilling. Kathleen Hanna, author of Rebel GirlVital. . . . Should live in the archives as both a corrective to misunderstood history, and a manifesto for a path forward. Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in AmericaIn 1991, fifteen-year-old James Spooner arrives in the West Village, hopeful that hes finally escaped the extremist racism of his Southern California desert town, yet unsure what New York City will make of a tartan-plaid-and-leather-clad biracial kid with a mohawk. In the citys legendary rock clubs, squats, and DIY art spaces, he finds his way to creating zines, starting a record label, and promoting parties, while falling further in love with punk rocks distorted guitars and politically progressive lyrics. Still, he must navigate the hostile bigotry of mainstream society, as well as a largely white underground conspicuously silent on issues of race.Intent on carving out a space for young, Black, politically radical punk rockers like himself, Spooner undertakes a whirlwind tour of the country, collecting the stories that will become his acclaimed documentary, Afro-Punk, and eventually lead to the wildly successful music festival of the same name. But what begins as a way to chronicle the joys and heartaches of being Black and punk rock soon spirals into a multimillion-dollar corporate endeavor. Spooner is forced to ask himself: In setting out to galvanize an underground movement, has he in fact given rise to the least punk rock thing of alla brand?Illustrated with a vibrant mix of comics, spot art, and punk ephemera throughout, It Starts with Anger is at once a coming-of-age story about found family, a compelling capitalist cautionary tale, and a raucous celebration of the indelible, rebellious spirit of Black punks. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.…