DiWulf Publishing House co-founder Amy Wuelfing continues providing a unique avenue for artists to preserve the written word while sharing their personal histories. Specializing in the publication of punk rock, non-fiction books documenting the subculture, DiWulf Publishing House remains in a unique position by driving a medium that sadly remains an outlier within today’s digital-first climate.
“I do share some frustration that punk rockers have always been depicted as chuckleheads within some media outlets, which is not always true. Outside of the better-known bands, people did not believe their history was really worth documenting. I see it as a subculture that was often derided, much like the Beats when they came out,” stated Wuelfing.
DiWulf Publishing House was built on the premise of Amy’s desire to chronicle the history of City Gardens, the storied New Jersey DIY club that gave many now iconic groups opportunities to grow a new fan base outside of major metro areas. Her debut title, No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes, stands as the definitive oral history of City Gardens, which closed its doors in 1999. For Wuelfing, the challenge of releasing her 2014 book proved daunting, but re-channeling her DIY ethos and partnership with co-author Steven DiLodovico propelled her forward. She reflected on her initial experiences with releasing the book.
“I had worked on that book for so long! Writing and rewriting book proposals eventually became exhausting. We had the same agent that Legs McNeil used for his book, Please Kill Me, and I thought it would be easy because he really understood what we were trying to do, but nothing was easy. We utilized Kickstarter and earned $18,000, which I thought was a lot of money, but they take a cut of the donations, and then there are credit card processing fees. At that point, it became a case of you just don’t know what you don’t know,” sighed Wuelfing.
She tenaciously navigated the unknown worlds of e-commerce, printing expenses, shipping costs, and marketing, and after tireless efforts, No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes had gone on to sell over 10,000 copies, a noteworthy achievement for an independent publishing company. Utilizing an oral history format allowed Wuelfing to embrace several different voices within her book, allowing each individual to share their unique experiences and deviate from a singular, dominant voice often featured in historical documents.
“It took a lot out of me, and I was relieved to complete it. Steven was all in on releasing another title, and at that point, I wasn’t up for it, but looking back, I am glad we continued. I was trying to show how some small New Jersey club in the middle of nowhere could impact so many lives,” said Wuelfing.
Chronicling a seemingly unknown rock club that officially closed its doors over a decade before she published her book, No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes, ultimately caught the eye of The Daily Show, due to host Jon Stewart being a former City Gardens bartender. Wuelfing reflected on her experiences as Stewart’s guest.
“The book just took off after The Daily Show appearance. That was an amazing experience, and it’s still special for me. This was when the show was at its zenith! They were booking so many famous guests at the time, and I felt that appearing reinforced all the work we did. My point was to bring light to a subculture that has been undervalued and inform people of the positive impacts City Gardens had on their lives.”
DiWulf Publishing House continues as one of the few publishing firms enabling punk authors opportunities to seek new mediums of self-expression. Several musicians and former ‘zine publishers have gravitated to the company, casting aside publisher rejections and working diligently to bring their personal histories to life, facilitating a newfound sense of achievement while expanding the subculture’s community.
“It’s been a lot of work, but I now see it as rewarding because helping people tell their stories is important. A lot of times, people may think ‘Who would want to publish that?’ but when you look deeper, this builds community,” she said.
Wuelfing continued, “We released a book by Channel 3 singer Mike Magrann, detailing how his family endured a Japanese internment camp during World War II. He is half Japanese, and getting that experience out there was important to him. These projects keep voices open to talk and better understand history by making it more relatable and relevant. Just look at all this ICE bullshit now.”
Wuelfing is adamant that the subculture was built on the foundation of community, despite continued resistance from officials, law enforcement, and decision-makers. She continues retaining DIY ethos, as she embraced Punk’s initial idea of self-empowerment when she launched DiWulf Publishing with co-founder Steven DiLodovico in 2014.
“Punk helped empower people with self-confidence and the idea that anything was possible, that you could work to make something happen, and you would have support for it. That energy remains with me,” she stated.
As the subculture continued evolving, creators have often directed their energies to nostalgia, a concept often derided within Punk. Asked if creativity can be stifled by nostalgia, Wuelfing stated that there can be a balance between reminiscence and moving forward.
“I know people can look back with rose colored sunglasses, but I don’t often. There were some great times, but thinking back to sitting on some sticky floor at 2:30 am waiting for a band to come on is not fun, or putting up with some needless crowd nonsense after spending money to see a band. I remember seeing The Replacements so drunk onstage they couldn’t stand up, and I was mad because I spent hard-earned money to see that.”
She added, “On a positive note, it was great to see some bands show such ambition and put the work in. I wasn’t surprised that some went on to earn success. It’s still a bit wild to see some of these bands playing stadiums and large festivals.”
When asked to comment on bands reuniting and touring despite no new releases for several years, Wuelfing took a measured approach in her response.
“As for bands reuniting, it proves the music is still impacting. I don’t think we should hold artists to impossible standards because it’s natural to grow, change, and evolve. This subculture means many things to many people, and more power to the bands if they can go out and still play. If the ethos remain and people still support it, I am happy.”
Wuelfing retained the same DIY ethos that drove Punk to launch DiWulf Publishing House in 2014. She cites her conviction that the subculture still drives individuals today, but notes how passions have been redirected to evolve within new creative mediums.
“I used that same DIY energy to help people tell important stories that made them who they are today, and that keeps the subculture strong. Books and publishing are new avenues for a lot of people to express themselves. Turning a profit is not always as important as creating this avenue for people, and I feel it has given DiWulf a special meaning,” concluded Wuelfing.
https://www.diwulf.com/
