Recently, I have been interested in the punk genre on Pinterest. It’s originally centred around a music style of loud and in-your-face music, but has since evolved into a distinct lifestyle. I found the DIY aesthetic and “I will be heard” attitude fascinating, but I wanted to understand the background behind the overall drive. This led me to finding many books about people raising their voices and prevailing over struggles. While not all of these books are ‘punk,’ per se, they all carry a larger message increasingly relevant in today’s world. What that message is up to you to decide!
The first book, or series rather, is “March,” written by John Lewis and Andrey Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell. It is a first-hand account of the Civil Rights Movement as told by one of the college students who participated in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins. “March” is a fantastic introduction or addition to your Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movements knowledge. It’s also a series of three, and followed up by “Run,” a continuation of John Lewis’ story that will never be finished due to his death before the series could be completed. All three books of “March” are located at the RCHS Library in the Graphic Novel section and the Rockbridge Regional Library in the Juv 741.5 Lew. “Run” is also in the RCHS Library in the Graphic Novel section and the regional library with the call number YA 741.5 Lew.
The next book is “Slaughterhouse-5, or the Children’s Crusade: A Graphic Novel Adaption” by Kurt Vonnegut and illustrated by Ryan North and Albert Monteys. Vonnegut’s most famous novel is illustrated equally beautiful and haunting. An anti-war telling of the World War II firebombing of Dresden (so it goes), the morbid humor and underlying answer to life is a critical read. “Slaughterhouse-5” can be read with no background knowledge; you’ll pick it up and more along the way. It’s located in the RCHS Library in the Graphic Novel section under GNO VON. The original novel is also located at the Regional library in the Adult Section under Fic Von and the RCHS library in the classics section.
Continuing on with the “March” series, “Save It For Later: Promises, Parenthood, and the Urgency of Protest” is written by the illustrator of all “March” and “Run” books. Nate Powell, author and illustrator, shares his personal story about rasing his daughter and younger son in a world where silence is golden. He talks about his close friendship with John Lewis and his constant drive to make signs, protest, and march to demand everyone’s voice be heard. For those of you looking for purpose in the face of a tumultuous world, “Save It For Later” gives you an idea of what to do. While this book isn’t currently available at either library, I’ve put in a purchase request at the Rockbridge Regional Library, but until they get the copy, you can use this Loan Request form to ask for a copy from another library.
If any of you had Eric Wilson as your 8th grade English teacher, then you’re already familiar with “Maus” by Art Spiegelman. While not entirely related to punk, except through many anti-nazi punk sentiments, “Maus” ties into the “Slaughterhouse-5” theme and is an undoubtedly necessary read. A non-fiction illustrated retelling of a family’s escape from nazi Germany and concentration camps, Spiegelman writes about struggling to connect with a father who went through something he might never understand. If you’ve already read “Maus,” some further reading are “Maus II,” the sequel, and “MetaMaus,” the book on the book. “Maus” is located at the Rockbridge Regional Library in the Adult Section under 940.53 Spi and in the RCHS Library under 940.53. “Maus II” is located at the Rockbridge Regional Library under 940.53 Spi and “MetaMaus” is located at the Rockbridge Regional Library in the Adult section with the call number 741.509 Spi. Both “Maus II” and “MetaMaus” are also located at the RCHS Library under 940.53.
A truly punk book, “The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere.,” written and illustrated by James Spooner, is an autobiographical story of Spooner as a teen. It tells of overcoming peer-pressure of all kinds and finding ways to DIY your life. “The High Desert” is located in the RCHS library in the Graphic Novel section under GNO SPO.
Finally, last but not least, there is “Banned Book Club,” written by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada, and illustrated by Ko Hyung-Ju. This graphic novel is another unique perspective of protests, this time the college protests in South Korea in the 80s. It’s very relevant to our day, especially with the 2024 Palestine college protests in mind. Inside the dialogue in the graphic novel are many other book recommendations, like “The Scarlet Letter” by **, “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan, “Logic for an Era of Transition” by Rhee Young, and more. “Banned Book Club” is located at the Rockbridge Regional Library in the Young Adult section, call number YA 741.5 Kim, and the RCHS library in the Graphic Novel section under GNO SOO.
