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Ian Svenonius
Akashic Books
akashicbooks.com
You might know Ian Svenonius from his music- Nation of Ulysses, the Make Up, Chain & the Gang or his show Soft Focus or perhaps his earlier book Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock ‘n’ Roll Group- but once encountered, he leaves an impression. What sort of an impression is more up to you than him.
Is he a counter-culture prophet or a tongue-in-cheek crank? A conspiracy-spouting Marxist or a brilliant send-up of our increasing apathetic age? Most likely a bit of all. From cheer-leading for more censorship or bemoaning the Apple/IKEA culture that turns us into hoarders, Svenonius is all over the place. Does he seriously think the movie Heathers gave rise to a murderous cult of teens? Or that sugar, not oil or drugs is the secret ingredient behind nation building?
Really, at the end of the 221 page rant the reader can be forgiven for being confused. While Svenonius raises important points, and writes of them in a frequently impressive style, the back cover does carry this: “Instructions: Read One Word At A Time”. Is this guy a dadaist…or a dummy? I dunno. Read the book yourself. Or censor it. One thinks that Ian Svenonius would be happy with either result.
