None of the pieces are funny-funny. In some, it is hard to tell if the author is just indulging in a rant. I gave up half-way through. ( )

Many of these essays offer argument poorly constructed from the standpoint of logic or morality. That isn't an oversight or failing, here, or even a rhetorical weakness, necessarily. It is, in fact, emblematic of the outlook of the project, and mirrors what is on display in the world. Svenonius effectively creates a work which undermines its own conclusions by virtue of the invalid logic it employs, suggesting ... these same conclusions are familiar to us, they're all around, and how exactly were these argued or justified to us ?...

The preoccupations, bravado, and perverse logic on display in these essays are evident in this snippet:
"January 21, 2010 marks a landmark case by the Supreme Court called Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, which ruled that corporations were people. Almost exactly nine months later, on October 6, 2010, Instagram was born." [78] The effect upon reading such a passage isn't so much, What a load of bollocks! as to marvel at the level of ridiculous on offer, and begin to see it's of a piece with its quite earnest point regarding the downstream effects of the case in question.

//

A theme I haven't come across before, and quite incisive: literacy's compulsive character. First, and somewhat trivially, in the sense it is a mandatory component of modern education; more interestingly, the seeming inability on the part of the literate to "not read" even things uninteresting to the individual. Think of advertising, or even just street signs or text on shirts worn by people in one's vicinity: once they come into sight, we read them. Literacy effectively creates a vulnerability to messaging from anyone wielding text. (Svenonius stresses text here, but the argument applies to language generally: think of the audio PSA's in Blade Runner.)

The countertheme is equally brilliant: that rock 'n' roll is the antidote, the kernel of truth in the book's satirical project. Svenonius packages this argument in various guises, they all revert back to this central conception of resistance to coercive messaging. ( )

Concise onslaught of insightful interpretations regarding varied subjects. Linguistically beautiful. An early topic on songwriting struck me (as an adherent of punk ideological counterculture): Ian's description of the pop counterstrategy-resulting music as "noise unparalleled in noxiousness" resonates all to well with his paired perception that even the most repulsive sounds can become pop when played repetitively. Similarly themed, the topic of digital advancement and societal imperatives to condition the illusion of free will and distinction from robotic behaviors provides provocative thought exercises for those in desperate need, though one has to wonder if those whom may benefit most from certain revelations would ever pick up this book of essentially self-indulgent short stories...maybe you should pick up a copy for yourself or someone you know.

I really don't know who Ian F. Sevonius is. But, if I were to make some educated guesses based on Against the Written Word: Toward a Universal Illiteracy, I could call out a few things - he is no doubt a radical leftist; he probably has been a punk-rocker for longer than I've been alive; and he is 97% snark.

Ok, I do know a couple of things about him, and they all support the evidence. Against the Written Word is a collection of satirical essays on culture, imperialism, anti-capitalism, and rock 'n roll. There are a few different tones, but the prevailing voice is one of absolute cynicism in modern (and specifically Western capitalist) culture. The title essay calls for a return to illiteracy - the written word a tool of mind control induced on children by oligarchs and tyrants. A repudiation of our world where, "The library is a kind of opium den; the bookstore, a combination of boot camp and brothel." Propaganda and "re-education" are recurring themes in essays that run the range from manifesto to mock song-writing workshop.

And I think they're pretty funny. Sevonius plays with language joyfully, toying with assumptions and contradictions. Rock and Roll is a tool of capitalist psychic warfare, and the only pure form of communication. Artists are the ones who can speak the truth, and are also writing their own hagiographies for the inevitable behind-the-music documentary. I really don't think he believes many of the stances the takes in these essays, but I also think he's writing the truth. In the language of conspiracy and propaganda he's encouraging us to question our assumptions and take a critical look at the language we use, and is used at us. And he seems to be doing that in his own life - in 2020 he outed himself as having committed inappropriate behavior towards women in the underground punk scene, in an attempt to burn down the culture of the scene around him.

They're both still around. Hopefully all this helps us hold a more critical eye to the world. But what do I know. I'm just here for the rock 'n roll.

I was sent a copy of this book by Akashic Books through the Library Thing Early Reviewer program.

Spoof, satire, ironic polemic... Svenonius presents, not so much a case against writing as a collection of diatribes against various aspects of capitalistic culture, with special emphasis on the place and power of rock music. There are valid points to be found - but perhaps a compromise will satisfy the author, and we can agree not to read this book.