Everyday Anarchism

Joan Slonczewski joins me to discuss their novel A Door Into Ocean, a science fiction novel about an all-female society of "sharers" on an ocean planet, Shora. Joan's sharers are one of the best speculative depictions of what an anarchist society would look like, so Joan and I discuss the inspirations for the world, including Gene Sharp, Ursula Le Guin, and Gandhi, and what we can draw on from those figures in our current struggles.You can find Joan at https://biology.kenyon.edu/slonc/slonc.htmBuy the book: https://flyleafbooks.com/book/9780312876524

Amit Chaudhuri joins me to discuss his new collection of essays, Incompleteness. In these essays and his novels, Amit is constantly searching for new language that will acknowledge the instability and flux of the world around us. It is intellectual anarchy of the highest order, as well as artistically breathtaking.You can find all of Amit's books published by NYRB here: https://www.nyrb.com/collections/amit-chaudhuri

Kim Stanley Robinson comes back to discuss Aurora, his novel of a generational starship, in which generations of humans are born, live, and die onboard without ever seeing a planet. We discuss the generational starship as a science fiction genre, whether humans will ever be able to travel to the stars, and what it would mean for science fiction if we can't. We also take a detour into the question of "hard," scientific science fiction vs. "soft," humanist science fiction.Here's a link to Stan's article for Boing Boing, arguing that we won't ever reach the stars:https://boingboing.net/2015/11/16/our-generation-ships-will-sink.htmlThanks to Nick Gaskill for suggesting an episode on Aurora!

Dan Chiasson joins me to discuss his combined Bernie and Burlington biography, Bernie for Burlington, and the connections between Bernie's socialism and Mamdani's socialism.You can purchase Dan's book here: https://flyleafbooks.com/book/9780593317495Here's Dan's article about Mamdani: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2025/11/06/have-you-met-z-zohran-mamdani/And we discuss Corey Robin's piece on socialist excellence: https://coreyrobin.com/2025/11/15/excellence-over-mediocrity-from-mamdani-to-marx-to-food/

For almost 20 years, PM Press has been publishing brilliant anarchist books, including many covered on this podcast. Co-Founder Ramsey Kanaan joins me to discuss what PM Press does, how it works on anarchist lines, and why they need to own their own building to secure their future.If you'd like to contribute to that future, here's the fundraising link for the merch page, which also has the GoFundMe link: https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_list&c=255

Leonard Williams, a retired political scientist and author, tackles the implications of Trump's presidency in this thought-provoking discussion. He highlights the escalation of executive power through Project 2025 and predicts early authoritarian measures. Williams critiques institutional capitulation and debates the significance of political labels. He proposes reforms for democratic restoration, endorsing left populism as a viable alternative. The conversation emphasizes a two-track strategy of resistance and reconstruction, alongside diverse activist efforts.

Ray Dorsey, a neurologist and co-author of The Parkinson's Plan, dives deep into the environmental roots of Parkinson's disease. He argues that man-made chemicals are significant, preventable culprits behind rising rates of the illness. Dorsey connects the dots between industrialization and public health, revealing links between pesticides and Parkinson's risk. He emphasizes the need for radical changes and prevention strategies, offering practical actions to mitigate risks and improve lives. A compelling call for a healthier future!

D.W. Gibson, an author and journalist known for his work on the 1999 Seattle WTO protests, shares insights from his book, One Week to Change the World. He discusses how the Seattle protests catalyzed modern anarchism and the role of diverse coalitions—from farmers to punks—in shaping grassroots movements. Gibson contrasts the effectiveness of playful tactics with the challenges of police militarization and reflects on the changing perceptions of civil disobedience. He emphasizes the importance of local organizing and building relationships for impactful activism.

Jay Dragon, a queer disabled game designer and editorial director at Possum Creek Games, dives into the fascinating intersection of games and societal structures. They explore how tabletop RPGs can serve as a lens to examine oppressive systems, discussing Wanderhome's almost ruleless design as an example. Jay highlights the playful tension created by rules, likening them to pleasurable constraints, and argues for a design ethos that encourages cooperative gameplay and challenges traditional power dynamics. Their insights connect gaming with broader conversations on justice and community.

Robin Schuldenfrei rejoins me to talk more Bauhaus! In this episode, we discuss her book Luxury and Modernism, covering the complexities of the Bauhaus, which had a leftwing ethos but produced luxury objects, and made them by hand to appear machine made. Robin talks us through how the contradiction between luxury and egalitarianism ran from Morris's arts and crafts movement to the Bauhaus, and modernism only became a truly "everyday" part of life during the colossal expansion of middle-class wealth in the midcentury, as celebrated by Life magazine and recreated in the show Mad Men