punk: "it's a state of mind—a way of life.”
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I am here to say hello! And well wishes.
How have you been surviving (and/or thriving) in this past month? Oh, me? Baby, I been doing my very best. I am proud to say things are a skösh easier these days as I learn—more and more—to care less when necessary. There’s an art to this, I fear!
Anyway, I’ve got a few thoughts and things to share. I hope you enjoy!
Dyke (geology)
I’ve been blessed enough lately to be busy in the ways capitalism requires, which means I’ve had very little time to read. This fact has been mildly devastating.
My saving grace? Essays and short books. I’ll begin with Dyke (geology) by Sabrina Imbler.
Recommended by my A1, who I’ll call L, this chapbook packs the existentialism of a novel three times its size.
Dyke (geology) is 28 pages of earthly queerness, in that it subverts this natural world to reshape how we all think of dykes and gayness/otherness. Intertwining scientific facts about this earth with honest and raw retellings of Sabrina Imbler’s dykey misadventures, this little book somehow finds a way to speak to white supremacy, fetishization, and humanity in a way that feels whole.
Now. Let’s talk about Afropunk
Of my enjoyable reads lately is
’s most recent post, jumping off Queerthology Book Club’s discussion on the new anthology Black Punk Now, curated by Chris L. Terry & Afropunk founder James Spooner.James Spooner’s Afro-Punk documentary came out over 20 years ago, in 2003. It was a scrappy, indie film project highlighting the lives of four Black people within punk rock scenes, featuring over 80 other interviews of Black punks from all over the United States.
So much has changed since 2003.
For one, I noticed in recently watching this doc that language around internalized anti-Blackness in majority white punk spaces had a long way to go.
But also, many of the folks featured in Afro-Punk (2003)—like artists Tamar-Kali and Maurice “Mo” Mitchell of the hardcore band Cipher—did have the language. Even then.
To be punk is so many things. It is to demand freedom and wholeness for yourself and all others, at all costs. And with Black Punk Now, we see those truths live on, further affirming my belief, as a punk rock bitch myself, that punk and afrofuturism are of the same family—at their purest, they are timeless ways of being, ageless frames of thought.
I’ll leave you all with this quote from Afro-Punk (2003) by Tamar-Kali:
“I think one of the most punk-angst people I can think of in history in a lot of ways is Nina Simone. Sometimes people think [punk] is a sort of thing you can put in a box. But it is a feeling, and so many people can encompass it….It’s a state of mind—a way of life.”
A few more things:
Come to my class! I’ll be teaching a virtual class on Friday, April 26th, about overcoming writer’s block. There are scholarships too, if you’re unable to cover the cost. Come through!
Huge congratulations to
for their just femme & dandy issue out now! And on their forthcoming chapbook, GOOD GRIEF, coming January 2025!I had the pleasure of taking part in
this past week. It’s a weekly writing session for Substack's Black, Indigenous, and Writers of Color. Thank you to the organizers for facilitating such an affirming experience! Excited to jump in again when I start my next essay, real soon.Hello, new subscribers! Thank you for being here. I have a book coming out, PANSY: A BLACK AMERICAN MEMOIR (OCT 2024). Feel free to check out its intro chapter here.
As always, you can read (or listen) to any of my other newsletter posts here:
Thank you all. See you again in May,
- Jasper
aw thank you for the shout out friend! dyke (geology) is a FAVE, can't wait to look into all these other readings
Thanks for the mention and thank you for reading! Not surprised at all to hear you're a punk, honestly ;) I am really loving this anthology and the documentary is so solid. I've learned so much and felt affirmed in so many ways. I can't wait to finish and discuss.