March Events at Sedition Books
Hey folks,
The pages on the calendar keep flipping by like an Orson Welles film. March already. Damn. Thanks for coming out to the events last week. The Peter Gelderloos critique of democracy was a perfect lead in to tonight's What is Anarchism roundtable discussion, but even if you missed the talk on Monday the discussion tonight will undoubtedly be engaging.
We are also very excited to be hosting the Texas-wide Student Farmworker Alliance's benefit party on Saturday evening. This is a great chance to listen to some Son Jarocho, acoustic music of resistance from Veracruz, and other parts of Mexico with musicians coming into Houston from Austin and the Rio Grande Valley.
We still need you to come join the collective, volunteer your time or donate your hard earned dollars, so come out to one of the upcoming events and get involved.
Sedition Books is still located at 901 Richmond Avenue (That's one block East of Montrose) and you can call or check out our website for more info: 713.523.0807 or www.seditionbooks.org You can also look for us on facebook or myspace or follow our news on twitter-just search for seditionbooks.
As always. All events are free but we can always use your donations for the infoshop and the touring bands and speakers.
=============================
Thursday, March 4th
7:00 pm
What is Anarchism?
A Roundtable Presentation/Discussion on Anarchist Theory
Have questions about what Anarchism means? Want to present your theories on society, economics, and politics? Wondering about the relevance of Anarchism to modern society? Come join us as we meander through Anarchist thought together!
As there are many theories of Anarchism (i.e. anarcho-communism, anarcho-syndicalism, primitivism/anti-civilization anarchy, mutualism, individualist anarchy, insurrectionary anarchism, etc. etc.), we won't presume to be the authority on the subject.
The roundtable will be structured as a short 5-10 minute presentation on widely accepted anarchist principles, then will proceed as the group feels. Come with questions, come to listen, or come with a presentation of your own. This group will be for people of any level of expertise (or not) on Anarchist thought!
=============================
Saturday, March 6th
8:30 pm
Son Jarocho Benefit for Student Farmworker Alliance
This Sat, March 6, after the hard work at the Texas Regional Encuentro of the SFA, come out to Sedition Books for a night of music, refreshments, and games supporting the Student/Farmworker Alliance. The event will feature Son Armado and Son del Valle, whose versions of son jarocho--traditional music from Veracruz, Mexico--express themes of campesino and grassroots struggle and resistance to oppression.
Plus we will be playing lotería, which is Mexican bingo, for prizes.
This benefit will help Texas members of the Student/Farmworker Alliance get to the Farmworker Freedom March in Lakeland, FL, April 16-18. Contact: johnmichael AT sfalliance DOT org for more info.
==============================
Saturday, March 13th
6:00 PM
@ Last Organic Outpost
Film Screening & Feast: The Garden
Come on out to the Last Organic Outpost in the 5th ward for a delicious vegan meal and a screening of the 2008 documentary film:The Garden
Rebel Roots, Houston's worker-run food collective, will be serving a vegan meal - help them build their organization!
Sedition Books will be tabling with literature to read as you bask in the sun.
-------
The Garden (2008, 80 min)
The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.
But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.
The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers:
Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?
And the powers-that-be have the same response: “The garden is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do.”
If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?
The Garden has the pulse of verité with the narrative pull of fiction, telling the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord. The film explores and exposes the fault lines in American society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.
==============================
Sunday, March 14th
2:00-6:00 pm
The War on Kids: A Film Screening & Discussion by The Real School AKA Dragon Valley
Join The Real School AKA Dragon Valley for a screening of the 2009 documentary film:The War on Kids. Followed by a discussion on un-schooling and non-hierarchical learning environments!
Blame for problems with schooling in America is often assigned to insufficient funding or the inherent failings of today's kids. In rare cases, parents, teachers, and administrators are also implicated. However, all efforts to improve the quality of education are doomed to fail if the system itself is not examined and understood to be the most significant impediment. After over six years in the making, THE WAR ON KIDS reveals that the problems with public education ultimately stem from the institution itself. Astonishingly all efforts at reform consistently avoid even considering this to be a possibility and the future for children and American democracy are at stake.
In 95 minutes, THE WAR ON KIDS exposes the many ways the public school system has failed children and our future by robbing students of all freedoms due largely to irrational fears. Children are subjected to endure prison-like security, arbitrary punishments, and pharmacological abuse through the forced prescription of dangerous drugs. Even with these measures, schools not only fail to educate students, but the drive to teach has become secondary to the need to control children.
THE WAR ON KIDS shows how schools are authoritarian institutions that by their nature cannot be reformed. Children are subjected to the most invasive forms of control and are deprived of the most basic and fundamental human rights that are afforded even to prisoners of war. The net effect is chilling not just for the kids who are subjected to these extreme forms of control, but also for American society's future as a generation grows up with no first hand experience or understanding of civil rights in a democracy.
Children and young adults of all ages are encouraged to attend! This event is free, donations appreciated.
=============================
Tuesday, March 16th
8:00 PM
Chicken Little, U not I, Days n’ Daze--A Folk Punk Extravaganza
Come on out for a great show!
Chicken Little -- Old Timey Post Punk from Nashville, TN
http://www.myspace.com/chickenlittlemusic
U not I -- Local Katy Folk Punk Heroes!
http://www.myspace.com/unoti
Days n' Daze -- punk, folk, and ska's goofy younger sibling
http://www.myspace.com/wjdaysndaze
No cover, donations for the bands appreciated.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The following events are not at Sedition but you might well see some of us there!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Student Farmworker Alliance Texas Regional Encuentro
Saturday and Sunday, March 6th and 7th
on the UH campus
SFA Texas Regional Encuentro
With participants coming from seven different schools and nine cities in Texas, the Encuentro is sure to be an energetic coming together of bright minds in the Campaign for Fair Food.
Registration will be at the main library building on Saturday at 11 am.
Lunch and a general welcome is scheduled for Noon at McIlhenny Hall (Building 588), where we will remain for the rest of Saturday.
Sunday's workshops will be at the University Center (UC-building 565). The encuentro should be finishing up on Sunday at 3 pm.
For more information about the Encuentro, email: johnmichael AT sfalliance DOT org
