Anarchy in the HTX- A "Sedition Books" Adventure

This blog entry is a little bit different- although it is about a great date location, my review is based on an experience I had with Sedition Books two years ago. I have been back to the bookstore since my original visit for events and browsing and my initial impressions have not changed. However, I think my first experience with this special place makes much more interesting material for a review than more recent visits.

When I first met Steve he described his political views as “anarcho-communist.” I’d never met an anarchist or a communist before, so to have them rolled up into one handsome package was very intriguing.

To me anarchy and communism had always seemed to be conflicting ideals, but Steve was passionate about the topic and took every chance he could to explain to me why this was the best form of government.

I didn’t buy it for a second but I loved seeing the looks on my family members faces as he played a double devil’s advocate. Ridiculously smart and captain of our school’s debate team, Steve’s awesome argument skills were able to open even the most conservative ears.

Although I eventually got him to admit that he was really just super liberal and knew that in practice this type of government would fail miserably, I still remember fondly that unusual blend of suburban debate nerd and radical anarcho-communist I fell in love with.

It was during this “stage,” that when discussing my boyfriend’s unique political views with a friend, she referred me to a niche bookstore called “Sedition Books.” I couldn’t believe it- there was an actual anarchist bookstore located not far from my house. I couldn’t wait to take Steve and give him a chance to share his ideas with people who could really appreciate them.

http://bit.ly/hZlyGn

I checked them out online and found some pretty interesting stuff. This little bookstore had faced some serious adversity. It had been the victim of arson, vandalism and even death threats by opposing groups like the White Supremacists. 

As I read, I got really excited. Anything that controversial was sure to pique both of our interests and I was eager to support a place that had been treated so unfairly just for being unconventional.

We checked the group’s calendar and found that the author of a popular communist children’s book would be coming to read at the store. Our inner sociologists drooled at the chance to see what types of  parents would bring their kids to an event promoting communism.

We got there a little bit early to check out the book selection. I was pleased to find that there was far more variety than I expected. Books on homosexuality, the evils of capitalism, veganism and of course the classic Emma Goldman autobiography, lined the  shelves. We also found a variety of children’s picture books explaining such ambitious topics as sexuality, terrorism, class struggle and global politics. Neither one of us bought anything but it was definitely a fascinating new setting and prepared us for the types of people we would meet at the event.

We could tell that most of the people attending the book reading were likely regulars and might even be members of the cooperative. We were a little surprised to find that the clientele were not faux hippie-intellectuals nor were they smelly cavemen. They looked like your average middle class families. Sure, the kids were a little wild and prone to spout out conspiracy theories and Bush hating tirades, but outwardly they just looked like regular kids who were raised a little differently than we were.

As soon as the writer (who was introduced as a UT Austin Professor) began to read, the real fun began. It was a creatively illustrated ABC’s of communism. Steve and I couldn’t help but smile and feel as though we were in an alternate dimension when the parents and children cheered in unison at that phrase “C is for comrade.”

Although in the beginning I had felt a little out of place and extremely overdressed, camaraderie is a word that perfectly embodies the mood at the Sedition Books Cooperative. While obviously not “one of them,” Steve and I were welcomed into a circle that clearly functioned as a family. Realistic or not, the anarcho-communist spirit of equality and harmony between different classes and races is alive and well at Sedition Books.

If only for a great people watching experience, I would recommend this great Houston date location to any couple with an open mind and a desire to do something “a little bit different.”