Rascal: A Manifesto

by Logospilgrim

"To reclaim yourself: this is excellent greed." "It's quite possible not to forgive and to move on." "Happiness often requires a great deal of effrontery." "Forgiveness isn't a cure-all." "Love yourself enough that it's too much for those who would drain you. Be a scandal." In her latest book, Rascal: A Manifesto, author and maverick Logospilgrim takes her readers on a tour of the so-called seven deadly sins and shares her thoughts on the power each of these "vices" has to liberate the mind, heart, and senses. Be an individual, own yourself, love yourself! Break your shackles and claim your earthly life.

62 pages, Paperback

Published October 26, 2017

About the author

I'm a writer, a coconut atheist, a stay home vagabond, and a gonzo maverick. These days, I write mostly about joyful secular living and being a happy tomboy. I have a degree in Religious Studies and enjoy collecting curiosities. I may be somewhat of a curiosity myself. I'm learning to play the ukulele, and I can juggle. I am also known as the quiet professor.

Reviews

[Michael Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful and a real affirmation for those of us who have freed ourselves from the hidden but very real shackles of religion. Logospilgrim's words echo the thoughts of a rapidly growing segment of humanity who have recognized that our time here is short and far too valuable to be spent living for myths, traditions and lies. If you're considering this book, chances are you're a rascal too. Now come bask in confirmation of why its the only honest way to live.

[Fred Andersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was more or less born into Christianity, with a mother that wanted the best; but at the time didn't know how much religion would hurt me. I was never a believer though, and at an early age I understood what a scam it all was: this submissive obedience to an abstract being up in the sky somewhere. How absurd, so insane!

Religion is the abuser, and Logospilgrim writes about that in Rascal, a Manifesto but also about the real, physical abuser. That “special” someone who made life a living hell. It’s a beautifully constructed, bordering to social-realistic poetry/spoken word, manifesto, based on the seven deadly sins - but using them as something positive, something that gives you strength instead of fear.

This is the story of the road to freedom, to that moment when you go from obedient sheep to an individualistic human god, and the result is both inspiring and powerful. Identifying myself as a individualist and satanist, I've come to the same conclusion as Logospilgim, as written on page 56: “There are no sins, and there’s no redemption”. It's a human construction, made to control humans and destroy minds, and Logospilgrim is one of the lucky ones who have understood that.

Rascal, a Manifesto is an emotional ride and after reading this book you will be a rascal too, trust me.

[C.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is a raw manifesto to being oneself in a world that often tries to make us something else if we don't fit the mold. It is also a tribute to overcoming rather than forgiving and forgetting, as the author accounts for childhood trauma and the false comfort religion gave her with its new set of chains and rules. It is broken down into sections named for the seven "deadly sins", which I particularly liked, as in each section the supposed evil trait is turned on its head and lauded for the value it actually can contain when it is allowed to be simply felt, sans guilt. This author never holds back on boldly baring her own soul and you can really feel how cathartic this book was to write- which in turn made it cathartic to read. Perhaps because of its brevity and structure, this was one of Logospilgrim's most powerful books on this theme, a theme she has gone at from all angles in her most recent works. And yet, it's a theme that never gets old, and one I think all of us need to hear often- You Are Enough. All in all, this was a slim, handsome capsule of empowerment that goes down excellent with a glass of dry red wine ;)

[Rick Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A manifesto that was written with the utmost passion and love. Logospilgrim takes the so-called "seven deadly sins" and shows them for what they really are. Seven personal rules of survival. Because what other is a Rascal, but deep down, a survivor. Logospilgrim has shown in this quick study, how she has survived--in her own way--from being at the hands of the Abuser to taking her life back into her own hands and living it to its fullest. This book will open your eyes to this amazing author, and in a lot of ways, open your eyes to yourself.

[Bryan Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rascal: A Manifesto sets out to help the reader embrace themselves through seven vignettes, each titled after the "seven deadly sins". Each sin becomes a virtue as Logos talks the reader through how others, what Logos calls "the abuser", justify the immoral nature that they give these "sins". I should note that Logos characterizes the abuser as either a violent, controlling parental figure or a religious doctrine that makes said suffering acceptable, giving false hope of a better afterlife.

The theme of embracing one's self in the face of social adversity, abuse, and fear is something that Logos has tackled before in other works. Her memoir from 2015, There's A Hula Girl on my Dashboard, uses those same experiences as a springboard as she talks about her journey discovering her own religious faith-where it was, who helped her, and what she found out. Her other recent work, The Corner Store Epiphany, also tackles the same themes as seen in Rascal, but focuses mainly on finding comfort and motivation through hobbies that she enjoyed from her childhood and ultimately uses those pastimes to move forward from what (and who) held her back.

Or to put it simply, to become a Rascal.

(Review posted as part of a blog post. This one in particular.)

[Dandy Serenity · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unabashed proclamation of humanity and all that goes with it. Logospilgrim asserts her self against those that would seek to take that away. This book is a call to unapologetically be the person you always wanted to be.