‘Punk Spirit! An Oral History of Punk Rock, Solidarity and Liberation’ is an oral history that brings together well-known and cutting-edge bands including Sex Pistols, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, The Ramones, Gang of Four, Crass, Propagandhi, The Slits, Bad Religion, Shelter, Rebel Riot, Blackfire, and many others. John Malkin ventures into the emotional and personal experiences of punk artists and spiritual teachers
from around the world and highlights intelligent, thoughtful, and humorous discussions on liberation, spirituality, and living freely. Chapters dive deeply into many interconnected realms of punk such as the subgenres of straight edge, Krishnacore and Taqwacore; evangelical punk concerts in southern California churches and illegal punk concerts in East German churches; anti-religious sentiment within punk; and the myriad ways punk has been combined with a variety of traditions to illuminate ideas from atheism, anarchism, science, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other ways of being in the world.
John Malkin is a journalist, musician, activist, photographer and filmmaker. He is the author ofPunk Revolution!: An Oral History of Punk Rock Politics and Activism (Rowman & Littlefield 2023).
“Punk Spirit!, with its unique blend of anarchic counterculture and classic psychoanalytical theory, makes for a most compelling read. From incarnation to oral history, the power of punk compels you!”
—Steven Blush, Author and Filmmaker, American Hardcore
“I devoured Punk Spirit! in two sittings. It was pure enjoyment to read – pure exhilaration! Crack openPunk Spirit! and behold a ‘volatile church’ where the lifeblood of a rich, complex, and passionately punk spirituality surges through every page. Incited by John Malkin’s galvanizing questions, the collective voices of his interlocutors raise up a kaleidoscopic vision of punk spirit that is as vibrantly alive as it is full of surprises.” —Glenn Wallis, Guitarist for Ruin, Author of An Anarchist’s Manifesto
“Punk Spirit! is an affirming and varied testimony to the significance of punk music and spirit in the library of humanity and existence. Explore! The Spirit of Punk reflects how in our extreme punk expression of letting go of societal norms and indoctrination, we find liberation and peace in reaching for and manifesting another state of being and its possibilities.”
—Yaotl Mazahua, Iconoclast, Aztlan Underground (aka Anahuak Underground)
“A skilled interviewer, John Malkin is one of a handful of punk mavens willing to explore its deep, spiritual intimations. This is a monumental collection of conversations, offering anyone with a reasonable curiosity about punk rock and spirituality the opportunity to understand their amorphous, vibrant, and sometimes revolutionary entanglements. If God is dead, punk is not dead, and the anti-establishment postures and rebellious spirit captured in Malkin’s book lives on!”
—Ken Chitwood, Religion Scholar, Journalist, Theologian
“Punk is far from dead; it is getting richer and richer. We are lucky to have John Malkin look at a very specific aspect of that world. With gems from more than 150 interviews conducted over the course of a quarter century,Punk Spirit! is an important contribution to the ever-growing oral history of one of the world’s most compelling subcultures.”
—Gabriel Kuhn, Author of Sober Living for the Revolution: Hardcore Punk, Straight Edge, and Radical Politics
“You need this book if you ever screamed at the sky and wanted it to scream back. Lively and vivid,Punk Spirit! dares you to ask: What does it mean to be free?”
—Antonino D’Ambrosio, Filmmaker, Author, and Visual Artist, Let Fury Have the Hour
“This book tries to make sense of the madness that is punk and to find the meaning in the noise, the spirituality in the energy, and the idealism in the anger.” —John Robb, Bassist and Singer for The Membranes, Author ofPunk Rock: An Oral History and The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth
“For those of us who came up in punk clubs and later found a home in spiritual practice, this book isn’t just interesting—it’s personal.”—Miguel Chen, Bassist for Teenage Bottlerocket; author of I Wanna Be Well and The Death of You
“Captivating. Malkin connects with an amazing array of artists and enlarges the vision of the spirit of punk.”
—Eddie Stern, Bassist for Chop Shop; Yoga and Meditation Teacher for Lou Reed
“Malkin’s decades-long trek takes us dead center into the interior. No bullshit.”
—Gary Gach, Author of The Complete Idiots Guide to Understanding Buddhism
John Malkin is a journalist, musician, activist, photographer and filmmaker. He is the author ofPunk Revolution!: An Oral History of Punk Rock Politics and Activism (Rowman & Littlefield 2023).