What do you think?
Rate this book
X: Straight Edge and Radical Sobriety
Straight edge—hardcore punk’s drug-free offshoot—has thrived as a subculture since the early 1980s. Its influence has reached far beyond musical genres and subcultural divides. Today it is more diverse and richly complex than ever, and in the past decade alcohol and drug use have become a much-discussed issue in radical politics, not least due to the hard work, dedication, and commitment to social and environmental justice found among straight-edge activists. Straight Edge and Radical Sobriety is Gabriel Kuhn’s highly anticipated follow-up to his critically acclaimed Sober Living for the Revolution . In this impressive volume, Kuhn continues his reconnaissance of straight-edge culture and how it overlaps with radical politics. Extensively illustrated and combining original interviews and essays with manifestos and reprints from zines and pamphlets, X is a vital portrait of the wide spectrum of people who define straight-edge culture today. In the sprawling scope of this book, the notion of straight edge as a bastion of white, middle-class, cis males is openly confronted and boldly challenged by dozens of contributors who span five continents. X takes a piercing look at religion, identity, feminism, aesthetics, harm reduction, and much more. It is both a call to action and an elaborate redefinition of straight edge and radical sobriety. Promising to inspire discussion, reflection, and unearth hidden chapters of hardcore punk history, Straight Edge and Radical Sobriety is of crucial importance to anybody interested in the politics of punk and social transformation.
336 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2019
13 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 19, 2020
X: Straight Edge and Radical Sobriety, Edited by Gabriel Kuhn
“Simply being straight edge doesn’t make you better than anyone else, especially if you embrace and perpetuate a lot of the fucked-up aspects of mainstream culture.” –Eva Hall, p. 28
Gabriel Kuhn has done it again. Nearly a decade after his initial effort to capture the political elements associated with straight edge, he offers us another well-conceived title, X: Straight Edge and Radical Sobriety, published by PM Press. Without question, it is a solid companion to the first book, Sober Living for the Revolution, that he compiled about a song that has evolved into subcultural phenomenon around the globe. This collection of interviews and essays further demonstrates how the choice to oppose a pervasive “intoxication culture” warrants further exploration.
One of the more stirring essays is by Clementine Morrigan, a queer anarchist who describes how her experience of incest led to years of reckless self-medication with alcohol and drugs as she sought ways to suppress her pain. Once she realized that she could not continue this self-destructive behavior, she entered a twelve-step program to regain control and later became an advocate to assist others. “I built relationships and community and helped newcomers get sober…I did a lot of…organizing and facilitated workshops on intoxication culture. I started thinking about ways in which sober communities and harm reduction communities could work together” (p. 274). Furthermore, her work is layered. Clementine’s path, which is rooted in a “principled life,” also includes other political dimensions as she critiques a “heteronormative, capitalist narrative of what sobriety should look like” (p. 276) – institutions that she thinks are socially accepted and reinforced without challenge.
A second powerful piece that is included in this volume is by Sarambi, who writes about the harmful effects that drugs have on different parts of the world. For example, subjugation and exploitation have occurred across Latin America because people are caught up in a drug economy that is both condoned and condemned by different actors for their own political reasons. “I watched too many people end up in the clutches of the state for abusing or pushing drugs only because they had nothing else to gain or lose” (p. 235). The author claims that a person will never be free when they are confined by the severely limited options dictated by nations such as the United States. “Many people are no longer able to access their generational homelands due to violence related to the purest capitalist motives of those who have ‘moved up,’ forced to take work as runners, pushers, guards, etc. since there is nothing else because the land is poisoned or monocropped” (p. 237). Ultimately, the U.S. government conducts drug interdiction efforts that decimate communities of color within its own borders while reinforcing white supremacy abroad.
Another strength of X is that it illuminates ideas such as “total liberation” and “intersectionality” that have taken root among participants in the hardcore scene. Eva Hall recalls how some didn’t make connections between social issues when her previous band, Gather, performed in the mid 2000s (p. 24, 27). Still committed to her principles, she’s concerned about a variety of issues, including “capitalism, and…industrialized civilization” because our practices are “devastating this planet and everything on it,” (p. 26). Furthermore, she explains how the once predominantly male scene has shifted and how she found a place as the vocalist (p. 29). Next, Kat, who self-identified as straight edge in reaction to where she lived, describes her experiences editing the fanzine, xclusivx. She believes vegan straight edge isn’t an “isolated theme,” rather associated with multiple others in the human condition (p. 202). With regards to the zine’s contents, the collective wanted “to present perspectives that allowed readers to connect the dots” for themselves (p. 202). It served as a vehicle to disseminate ideas about issues such as feminism because the hardcore music scene is male dominated. To Kat, “in a puzzle of oppression, no piece is isolated” (p. 203). Lastly, the Sober Anarchist Feminist Trans Crew (SAFT) argues that class is just as important as gender. “Alcohol soothes aching bodies and becomes a simple escape from the alienation of work and the hate of the world around us. But it doesn’t create revolutions. A pacified working class doesn’t rise…The system hands us a bottle and wants us to be lonely, quiet, and weak” (p. 255). For SAFT, alcohol distracts people from their miserable condition and undermines their ability to change it.
As one might imagine, no book is perfect and I have a few critical thoughts about X. Why not conduct a new interview with Martin Sorrondeguy to explore why he no longer self-identifies as straight edge? If you’re going to interview people who abstain, but don’t embrace a label (e.g. Jon Active), it makes sense to ask other figures why they distanced themselves and reframed their lives. Also, might Kent McClard have additional insights to share now that he’s middle aged and has decades of experiences to reflect upon? Lastly, Kuhn’s own essay on events in Madrid, Spain (p. 135-138) leaves me with multiple questions about what happened there. If you’re going to include a discussion of straight edge anarchists being accused of orchestrating an act of political violence, then the reader deserves a more thorough narrative to understand the case along with its implications.
Ultimately, X appeals to two separate parts of me. First, there’s the aging suburban punk who loves hardcore – from the classic bands and records to more contemporary acts and their respective output. The ideas drew me in as a teenager. I can’t see that fading. So, reading this book gives me hope for tomorrow because another world is waiting for us. Secondly, it’s an entry point for academics like myself who are fascinated by radical subcultures that transgress normative behavior as their participants envision a different society. Yes, there’s a wealth of primary material here to analyze. Thank you, Gabriel Kuhn, for putting it together.
“Simply being straight edge doesn’t make you better than anyone else, especially if you embrace and perpetuate a lot of the fucked-up aspects of mainstream culture.” –Eva Hall, p. 28
Gabriel Kuhn has done it again. Nearly a decade after his initial effort to capture the political elements associated with straight edge, he offers us another well-conceived title, X: Straight Edge and Radical Sobriety, published by PM Press. Without question, it is a solid companion to the first book, Sober Living for the Revolution, that he compiled about a song that has evolved into subcultural phenomenon around the globe. This collection of interviews and essays further demonstrates how the choice to oppose a pervasive “intoxication culture” warrants further exploration.
One of the more stirring essays is by Clementine Morrigan, a queer anarchist who describes how her experience of incest led to years of reckless self-medication with alcohol and drugs as she sought ways to suppress her pain. Once she realized that she could not continue this self-destructive behavior, she entered a twelve-step program to regain control and later became an advocate to assist others. “I built relationships and community and helped newcomers get sober…I did a lot of…organizing and facilitated workshops on intoxication culture. I started thinking about ways in which sober communities and harm reduction communities could work together” (p. 274). Furthermore, her work is layered. Clementine’s path, which is rooted in a “principled life,” also includes other political dimensions as she critiques a “heteronormative, capitalist narrative of what sobriety should look like” (p. 276) – institutions that she thinks are socially accepted and reinforced without challenge.
A second powerful piece that is included in this volume is by Sarambi, who writes about the harmful effects that drugs have on different parts of the world. For example, subjugation and exploitation have occurred across Latin America because people are caught up in a drug economy that is both condoned and condemned by different actors for their own political reasons. “I watched too many people end up in the clutches of the state for abusing or pushing drugs only because they had nothing else to gain or lose” (p. 235). The author claims that a person will never be free when they are confined by the severely limited options dictated by nations such as the United States. “Many people are no longer able to access their generational homelands due to violence related to the purest capitalist motives of those who have ‘moved up,’ forced to take work as runners, pushers, guards, etc. since there is nothing else because the land is poisoned or monocropped” (p. 237). Ultimately, the U.S. government conducts drug interdiction efforts that decimate communities of color within its own borders while reinforcing white supremacy abroad.
Another strength of X is that it illuminates ideas such as “total liberation” and “intersectionality” that have taken root among participants in the hardcore scene. Eva Hall recalls how some didn’t make connections between social issues when her previous band, Gather, performed in the mid 2000s (p. 24, 27). Still committed to her principles, she’s concerned about a variety of issues, including “capitalism, and…industrialized civilization” because our practices are “devastating this planet and everything on it,” (p. 26). Furthermore, she explains how the once predominantly male scene has shifted and how she found a place as the vocalist (p. 29). Next, Kat, who self-identified as straight edge in reaction to where she lived, describes her experiences editing the fanzine, xclusivx. She believes vegan straight edge isn’t an “isolated theme,” rather associated with multiple others in the human condition (p. 202). With regards to the zine’s contents, the collective wanted “to present perspectives that allowed readers to connect the dots” for themselves (p. 202). It served as a vehicle to disseminate ideas about issues such as feminism because the hardcore music scene is male dominated. To Kat, “in a puzzle of oppression, no piece is isolated” (p. 203). Lastly, the Sober Anarchist Feminist Trans Crew (SAFT) argues that class is just as important as gender. “Alcohol soothes aching bodies and becomes a simple escape from the alienation of work and the hate of the world around us. But it doesn’t create revolutions. A pacified working class doesn’t rise…The system hands us a bottle and wants us to be lonely, quiet, and weak” (p. 255). For SAFT, alcohol distracts people from their miserable condition and undermines their ability to change it.
As one might imagine, no book is perfect and I have a few critical thoughts about X. Why not conduct a new interview with Martin Sorrondeguy to explore why he no longer self-identifies as straight edge? If you’re going to interview people who abstain, but don’t embrace a label (e.g. Jon Active), it makes sense to ask other figures why they distanced themselves and reframed their lives. Also, might Kent McClard have additional insights to share now that he’s middle aged and has decades of experiences to reflect upon? Lastly, Kuhn’s own essay on events in Madrid, Spain (p. 135-138) leaves me with multiple questions about what happened there. If you’re going to include a discussion of straight edge anarchists being accused of orchestrating an act of political violence, then the reader deserves a more thorough narrative to understand the case along with its implications.
Ultimately, X appeals to two separate parts of me. First, there’s the aging suburban punk who loves hardcore – from the classic bands and records to more contemporary acts and their respective output. The ideas drew me in as a teenager. I can’t see that fading. So, reading this book gives me hope for tomorrow because another world is waiting for us. Secondly, it’s an entry point for academics like myself who are fascinated by radical subcultures that transgress normative behavior as their participants envision a different society. Yes, there’s a wealth of primary material here to analyze. Thank you, Gabriel Kuhn, for putting it together.
July 29, 2025
Straight Edge = diverse and a wee bit controversial like every "movement" when it gets too dogmatic.
This collection and the folks interviewed in the various segments do not dispute the challenges of a life that rejects intoxication.
I love the fact that I had not known ANY bands that are portrayed in here and when I googled them everything single one was a WINNER with Choke Cocoi my absolute FAVE.
Ok, sorry, yes I did know Minor Threat.
Anyways: if you are a youngster and you feel peer pressure to get high (coz the peers claim THAT IS HOW YOU LIVE LIFE AT THE FULLEST)?
Take it from me, an old guy: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANYTHING TO EXPERIENCE AND LIVE FULLY ALL CAPS.
You need to find like minded awesome people and make music and art and community work and activism and celebrate solidarity and scream loudly in the woods and get some tattoos and what not!
No need for mind-altering substances: the mind will be altered by any of the above!
This collection and the folks interviewed in the various segments do not dispute the challenges of a life that rejects intoxication.
I love the fact that I had not known ANY bands that are portrayed in here and when I googled them everything single one was a WINNER with Choke Cocoi my absolute FAVE.
Ok, sorry, yes I did know Minor Threat.
Anyways: if you are a youngster and you feel peer pressure to get high (coz the peers claim THAT IS HOW YOU LIVE LIFE AT THE FULLEST)?
Take it from me, an old guy: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANYTHING TO EXPERIENCE AND LIVE FULLY ALL CAPS.
You need to find like minded awesome people and make music and art and community work and activism and celebrate solidarity and scream loudly in the woods and get some tattoos and what not!
No need for mind-altering substances: the mind will be altered by any of the above!
May 10, 2020
A poignant read of the multiple stances of straight-edge/sobriety. I was really enthusiastic about reading different views on race, culture, feminism, queer views, and anarchy in relation to sXe on a global scale.
March 14, 2023
This my first strictly SxE book, so I'll be generous. Kuhn has compiled a good variety of texts from a vide variety of people with different approaches to straight edge. Unfortunately some texts are so short the book as a whole is not cohesive enough. I appreciate the scope, especially from a geographical standpoint, but he could have taken out half of the 260 pgs and expanded the first to make it more engaging. But I do realize that was not really an option.
January 15, 2020
I am not straight edge or sober, but I do enjoy punk and I don't drink so I read this book. It was a fine book of essays, and I learned a bit about Hardcore and Straightedge. As someone who doesn't drink but hangs out with people who drink all the time, I've had trouble finding a place to fit in. I didn't think hardcore was that place, and after reading this book I'm sure of that, but it was nice to hear stories from other folks like me.
Overall though, I felt like the book was entirely too long and tired to cover too much of the topic. This is the second book about radical sobriety I've read by Gabriel Kuhn and I liked the other one better.
Overall though, I felt like the book was entirely too long and tired to cover too much of the topic. This is the second book about radical sobriety I've read by Gabriel Kuhn and I liked the other one better.
December 26, 2019
A book I didn't know I needed, but did and do. Being a compilation of essays and interviews, there are perspectives I agreed with/liked more than others, but all of them add up to a truthful and radical snapshot of straight edge as a powerful but fucked up scene, tool, and wolrdview, as well as of straight edge's relatives: sobriety, recovery, and better world-building. The last section on recovery was particularly righteous.
March 19, 2020
I read it to reinforce my sobriety and it did just that! I liked the various perspectives on radical sobriety. Learned a lot from it.
March 30, 2024
I find myself feeling incredibly thankful found this book at the time that I did. While this book was far from what I expected it to be, it has still lit a spark within me to seek out the Straight Edge culture in my community, while having a open palate to the diverse artists around the world.
As someone who practices meditating and singing the Maha Mantra, I was largely introduced to straight edge through Krishnacore bands like Shelter, Cro-Mags, etc. It excited me to see a progressive take on Straight Edge and read interviews from Queer, Black, Female, Portugese, and so many other identities from artsists that broaden my worldview of this genre.
To be clear, this book is not a comprehensive view of Straight Edge, and it makes no attempts in doing so. Kuhn makes his focus clear from the start that bands that were overtly macho, didn't have clear political beliefs, and bands with dogmatic beliefs would not be focused here. I remain conflicted between respecting Kuhn's paradigm, and feeling empty from not getting an understanding of the origins of Straight Edge. Minor Threat is recognized, and interviewees name a few others. And that's about it.
As chapters continued on, I lost the zeal that I had upon picking up the book. It is almost exclusively a compilation of interviews, reading more like a minimally pictured zine anthology, than a cohesive work. By the time I got the the Special Interest section, I largely skipped most sections moving forward, in a fleeting attempt to capture my attention. It is in this section in particular that the authorship feels half-baked. These interviews as-is without any additional contribution aside from an occaisional footnote ends up falling flat and off tune.
It is worth mentioning, that there are some refreshing contributions in the Scene Report last few sections of the book that are in-fact not in the interview format. I have not given these passages justice after feeling burned out by this part of the book, and hope to return to in the future.
In short, Kuhn met the mark for what the book is, and nothing more. Not even a space to tell audiences where to find the music of the artists who were interviewed. I can forgive a lot of the fact of this being mostly a interview compilation, but I feel as an editor, Kuhn could have done a little more to connect readers to the music itself.
As someone who practices meditating and singing the Maha Mantra, I was largely introduced to straight edge through Krishnacore bands like Shelter, Cro-Mags, etc. It excited me to see a progressive take on Straight Edge and read interviews from Queer, Black, Female, Portugese, and so many other identities from artsists that broaden my worldview of this genre.
To be clear, this book is not a comprehensive view of Straight Edge, and it makes no attempts in doing so. Kuhn makes his focus clear from the start that bands that were overtly macho, didn't have clear political beliefs, and bands with dogmatic beliefs would not be focused here. I remain conflicted between respecting Kuhn's paradigm, and feeling empty from not getting an understanding of the origins of Straight Edge. Minor Threat is recognized, and interviewees name a few others. And that's about it.
As chapters continued on, I lost the zeal that I had upon picking up the book. It is almost exclusively a compilation of interviews, reading more like a minimally pictured zine anthology, than a cohesive work. By the time I got the the Special Interest section, I largely skipped most sections moving forward, in a fleeting attempt to capture my attention. It is in this section in particular that the authorship feels half-baked. These interviews as-is without any additional contribution aside from an occaisional footnote ends up falling flat and off tune.
It is worth mentioning, that there are some refreshing contributions in the Scene Report last few sections of the book that are in-fact not in the interview format. I have not given these passages justice after feeling burned out by this part of the book, and hope to return to in the future.
In short, Kuhn met the mark for what the book is, and nothing more. Not even a space to tell audiences where to find the music of the artists who were interviewed. I can forgive a lot of the fact of this being mostly a interview compilation, but I feel as an editor, Kuhn could have done a little more to connect readers to the music itself.
December 14, 2020
Great antidote to macho sxe bullshit. Generally well chosen interviews and articles, better international, recovery, and intersectional analysis.
Some statements that stood out to me:
“We are against the destruction of the world. We are vegan and drug free because we can only fight the world being sober.”
“We are Queer Edge. By distancing ourselves from and putting a spin on the term ‘straight edge’, we hope to give Queer Edge the political substance it deserves. The only thing ‘straight’ about us is the first we wave right into the face of the dominant patriarchal macho brotherhood of white cis-men who, for the most part, make up the straight edge community.”
“We wanted our critiques of intoxicants and intoxication culture and to come only from a place of first-hand experience, and only from a place of compassion for - and solidarity with - active users”
Some statements that stood out to me:
“We are against the destruction of the world. We are vegan and drug free because we can only fight the world being sober.”
“We are Queer Edge. By distancing ourselves from and putting a spin on the term ‘straight edge’, we hope to give Queer Edge the political substance it deserves. The only thing ‘straight’ about us is the first we wave right into the face of the dominant patriarchal macho brotherhood of white cis-men who, for the most part, make up the straight edge community.”
“We wanted our critiques of intoxicants and intoxication culture and to come only from a place of first-hand experience, and only from a place of compassion for - and solidarity with - active users”
February 20, 2024
This is my first reading on Straight Edge and the culture surrounding it so for a newbie this is very interesting. It contains many interviews and articles surrounding different elements of how people become edge, influences and recovery. Highlights were discussions about Queer issues and being a woman who is edge.
My only issue with this book is that it gets very repetitive after some time. However, similar stances could be useful for essay writing in the future to strengthen a point.
My only issue with this book is that it gets very repetitive after some time. However, similar stances could be useful for essay writing in the future to strengthen a point.
January 30, 2020
A nice collection of interviews and essays about the ever evolving meaning of living a straight edge life. Even if you’re not straight edge, the various perspectives offer varied insights and are worth learning about.
September 30, 2022
Lesenswertes Buch mit einigen interessanten Menschen, die über sXe und Politik sprechen. Nicht immer der höchste Lesegenuss aber wer sich für das Thema interessiert, darf gern zugreifen.
April 11, 2023
Very engaging account of various people explaining their views on being straight edge and how it relates to the revolutionary spirit often found within Punk & Hardcore Music
March 22, 2024
Boring AF.
November 25, 2025
good book, pretty much all interviews with people in the straight edge scene all over the world. lots of bands, writers, and artists. i think the author is swedish.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews