Someone is working with AK Press to publish a book of people’s memories about their first punk show:
MY FIRST TIME
Hello, and thank you for reading this in advance… You are being contacted to participate in a book project titled: My First Time, a collection of first punk show stories. I, with the help of AK Press, am inviting people of all ages and aspects of the punk/hardcore community(then and now) to write short stories recollecting their first show experience. We are looking for an interesting, fun, detailed account of what could have been one of your most life-changing moments.
-Things to be mindful of: Year, time and place;Who you went to see; How you got to there (the basement, backyard, VFW hall, did you and your fake ID make it into CB’s?..etc.etc..); all the quirky, weird, epic
details that will make a really fun story (I mean, you were anywhere from 11-16 years old right?…how awkward is that?); a description of the show, the people, what you were thinking and feeling…how you were affected…etc. (did Ripping Corpse totally blow your mind??) This book will champion stories of beginnings-before you started your band or zine or what ever. Before you started dying your hair 40 different colors, writing Black Flag-or Underdog for that matter-on your shoes, when you had absolutely no clue what was going on-but you did know what was being offered to you in normal society/pop culture was not enough.Feel free to forward this to anyone you think would have an entertaining story. This project is not meant to just be about the scene’s famous people, it’s meant to be about all who were there, whenever they found it.
AK Press intends to release My First Time in the Spring of 2007, with
an initial printing of no less than 8,000 copies, and distribution throughout North America. The book will be a trade paperback, priced near $19.95, and will run an approximate 450 pages. This edition will be English language only but AK Press will solicit the manuscript to foreign publishers worldwide.Undoubtedly, there will be more submissions offered than I have space
to include, so please keep this consideration in mind (submissions do not automatically mean inclusion). I am casting a wide net in the interest of capturing a diversity of voices and experiences from the punk diaspora and have to stay true to that vision in the selection process.With so many contributors, and such a small budget, we will not be able to compensate other than offering two free books to each chosen individual (mailed to the address given with submission-at the time of publication-so include yours!).
Each submission must be sent as a Word document, average length being 1,200 words with a maximum of 2,750 words. Light copy-editing and proofing will be done throughout the book for consistency and within standard guidelines, but we expect to have a light hand.
In addition, we are hoping to collect unique ephemera (photos, ticket
stubs, fliers, etc.) from the contributors. Please email all contributions to me at 300dpi, or mail them (non-returnable) to:
Chris Duncan/My First Time, c/o AK Press
674-A 23rd Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Please send all submissions no later than July 1st, 2006. Equally, if you are not interested, please let me know right away and I won’t bug you about the project in the future. I thank you for contributing to what will certainly be considered a treasured document in the recorded history of the great beast-punk rock.
Chris Duncan
Feel free contact me with any additional questions:
chris@keepsakesociety.com