Here is the chapter list for Ian Svenonius’s just-released PSYCHIC SOVIET, a “set of nineteen essays and prose pieces” presented “in pocket size for the student’s easy reference in the event of any ethical and/or aesthetic quandaries,” complete with links to excerpts or related articles:
Instructions
The Psychic Soviet
Vampirism & Vampirology
The Blood Latte
Beatles vs Stones
Rock ‘n’ Rolligion
The Responsible Use of R ‘n’ R
Eat the Rocument
Time as Money
Seinfeld Syndrome
Rock ‘n’ Roll As Real Estate
A Warning to Swedish Girls
Scion-tology
Mordor Dearest
Camp Exploitation
The Stilyagi
The Seduction of Paolo Hewitt
The Mix Master Race
You Can’t Always Get No Satisfaction
Person Inscription
I’m a big fan of Ian’s live music and his pseudo-academic-rock-n-roll rants, but you might be wondering, “How seriously should I take this book?” Well, here’s a quote from an interview from TimeOut Chicago:
How seriously do you think people should take the book?
This is something that I deal with a lot. People in America are so binary. They think that if something’s funny that it’s not serious. If you can manage to be funny, that doesn’t mean that things don’t mean anything. I’m sure Thomas Jefferson told some jokes.
Chapters I’m looking forward to? “Beatles vs. Stones” (I’m leaning towards the Stones these days), and “Seinfeld Syndrome,” which is supposedly about how Seinfeld was a ploy to market New York to the upper-class (did you know you can catch reruns every night at both 7:30 and 11?)
Ian is also on tour, and on Myspace, where he posts a blog. (And where there’s also a hilarious Weird War promotion.)
“The light has been switched to the ON position!” I’m rooting for you, Ian. And us! Here’s some YouTube from the Make-Up days:
I’ve never heard of Ian’s work. Where’s his stuff generally published?
i think this is his first book–he’s most famous for being the lead singer of NATION OF ULYSSES, the MAKE-UP, and WEIRD WAR. i figure these essays have just been published here and there.
he’s kind of a crazy dude…