Against the Written Word: Toward a Universal Illiteracy

by Ian F. Svenonius

If the Gutenberg Bible is the alpha, Against the Written Word is the omega

Against the Written Word is the most important, most revolutionary book produced since the advent of the printing press; the book that will liberate readers from reading, writers from writing, and booksellers from peddling their despicable wares. This book ushers in a new era of freedom from reading and all its attendant bedfellows such as Enlightenment thinking and the mass alienation wrought by the phonetic alphabet. Against the Written Word will be a tremendous best seller and simultaneously the last book that anyone will read.

With nineteen essays ripping, shredding, tearing apart all the bugaboos that haunt humanity nowadays, Against the Written Word is a must-read for any aspiring radical or would-be gnostic who has a penchant for words, thought, clothes, intoxicants, music, art, expression, etc. The work is presented in a range of writing: essays, screenplays, lectures, sci-fi stories, and manifestos, with topics that include “the rise of incorporated man,” “tourism as the neoliberal mode of military occupation,” a workshop on songwriting for the purpose of suggestion and mind control, and many more.

This handsome, illustrated book will correct the paucity of thought that characterizes the modern bookstore, and will practically sell itself. It will call out from the shelf to ingratiate itself to the unsuspecting everyday book browser, who will be hooked and then hungrily consume it. Infected with a wild-eyed evangelism, they will then proliferate it amongst their friends and acquaintances. These new readers will disseminate it, and so on; soon this slim, innocuous volume will define an epoch and steer thought from here on out.

The bookseller will be surprised and pleased to find that it will be the only book they need to stock. Against the Written Word will be dominant in a manner the market has not seen since the Bible tore up best-seller lists in the Middle Ages or Mao’s Little Red Book wowed the critics in Red China.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Audiobook, Essays

336 pages, Paperback

Published January 3, 2023

About the author

Ian Svenonius is an American musician, notable as the singer and mouthpiece of various Washington, D.C.-based music groups including The Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, Weird War, and Chain and the Gang. With his projects, Svenonius has released more than 15 full-length albums and more than 20 singles, EPs, and splits. Svenonius is also a published author and an online talk show host.

Svenonius’ first band, The Nation of Ulysses, formed in 1988, and were influential in the early Washington D.C. punk scene. The band broke up in 1992 after failing to record their third studio album. After a short-lived side-project called Cupid Car Club, Svenonius formed The Make-Up in 1995, who combined garage rock, soul, and a so-called “liberation theology” to make a new genre they dubbed “Gospel Yeh-Yeh.” The Make-Up dissolved early in 2001, and a year later, Svenonius formed the band Weird War, who were also known briefly as the Scene Creamers. Svenonius’ solo work includes the 2001 album Play Power under the fictional pseudonym of David Candy, the book The Psychic Soviet, and as host of Soft Focus on VBS.tv. Svenonius’ projects and writings have all shared an anti-authoritarian, populist, tongue-in-cheek political agenda.

Reviews

[Sara Habein · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you may be able to tell from the title, this is a collection of essays meant to provoke. However, the thoughts contained within are those that, yes, while purposely over the top, do also make some good points. We have thoughts on the nature of art and music, the nature of "the discourse," and how humans sometimes back themselves into corners by being so inflexible to change. There's a lot happening, and I respect the ambition of it all, even if I didn't always agree. Svenonius pushes ideas to their extremes in order to make a point about how we, as a culture, often take all sorts of things to the extreme. It gives one plenty to think about, though sometimes the essays run out of steam near the end. Still, I enjoyed reading this, was very amused by a lot of it, and I liked it better than his Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group, which I read a few years ago. Worth a look, should you be in the mood for an unusual essay collection.

[Ben Richmond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of punk's many appealing qualities, its moral clarity may be what keeps it vital and attractive for generation after generation. A graduate of the DC scene (perhaps punk's most ethically didactic scene) Svenonius has a gift for saying things that are true but drawing the conclusion so far that, like Silly Putty, the image distorts into something funny. But is he wrong?

This collection of essays skewers the written word, Instagram, the coming A.I. revolution, the alphabet, clouds, etc and skewers the screwers and exploiters that bedevil us.

[Caroline Waters]

provoking social analysis exaggerated to the point of farce. fun read though the wizard of oz stuff lost me.

[Δnd · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: This is not a "Review" by a "Reviewer", but a "Laudatory Appreciation" by a "Serious Appreciator")

The book to end all books. The new "Good Book" or "Perennial/Final Testament" which is much needed for navigating our current dark age. Svenonius' keen historical sense allows him to present laser precision critiques of all aspects of life on planet earth, in this young, conflicted 21st century. With a strong Hegalian (dialectical) bent, this book gets to the root of things in a manner that is honest/sad/funny/ironic simultaneously, with a prose that is both of pure intent and is lucid as a shining blade (with Swiftian bite). Svenonius makes the psychic warfare, mind colonization and brain soiling of our digital wraparound realities readily apparent. This book is a deep clean "brain wash" that allows emancipation from these controlling insane/inane mental encroachments. The author's idea of Anti-literacy (or maybe a more fitting name would be "post-literacy") may be the road to deprogramming the unfree, language imprisoned human and to usher in a reprogrammed, free, post-lingual, intuitional subject. The title essay's conceit dovetails nicely with much Zen ideas about language spoken and written. It echoes the ideas of Artaud as well. Read this book and join the "Radical Elite" with hopes that we can one day move closer to an All-Sided "Sane Society". This book is truly essential. If you were to read only one book this year (or for the rest of your life), this is it!

[Jason Cady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Svenonius. Though "Supernatural Strategies" and "Censorship Now" were better. Despite the title, this book is really a collection of essays, and even some short fiction; only the first section is a screed against reading. As always Svenonius is funny, thoughtful, and provocative. It's always impossible to tell how much does or does not believe what he's saying—which is frustrating. I think he adopts that style to evade responsibility.

Of course I don't agree with the anti-literacy theme of the first part. Rousseau made similar arguments, more effectively, in Emile, but both books are kind of refuted by the fact that they are books. Svenonius is quick to make bold assertions, but he rarely supports them.

Despite these complaints, I eagerly await his next book, and hope that he writes more fiction.

[Blane · Rating 1 out of 5]

UGH! I finally made it through this slog of a book where the author writes repetitive, occasionally funny, sort of satirical essays on the predicaments of all of us living in the modern world. I know nothing of his musical career, but as a writer, Svenonius does not seem to be nearly as clever as he thinks he is.

[Keith K · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5.

I was expecting something far more obtuse, but this is a distinct and fairly coherent cry against the momentum and direction of our modern society. It is amazing to me that a book published in 2023 can still feel so prescient, especially with the perspective on AI. I’d rather corporate book clubs would read this than the latest Gladwell book.

[Mx · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good summary of this book could be if Ian ended up writing a new Chain & The Gang song titled "Cancelled By The Double O Agent" wherein he screeches in a Dusty Rhodes voice about wokescolds over a farfisa. Would arguably be a much better experience.

[bennyandthejets · Rating 1 out of 5]

abhorrent

[Dan Carey · Rating 2 out of 5]

None of the pieces are funny-funny. In some, it is hard to tell if the author is just indulging in a rant. I gave up half-way through.

[Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last book I’ll ever read

[Woody · Rating 4 out of 5]

More madness from Chain. Not sure the written word can survive a book this profound

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really don't know who Ian F. Sevonius is. But, if I were to make some educated guesses based on Against the Written Word: Toward a Universal Illiteracy, I could call out a few things - he is no doubt a radical leftist; he probably has been a punk-rocker for longer than I've been alive; and he is 97% snark.

Ok, I do know a couple of things about him, and they all support the evidence. Against the Written Word is a collection of satirical essays on culture, imperialism, anti-capitalism, and rock 'n roll. There are a few different tones, but the prevailing voice is one of absolute cynicism in modern (and specifically Western capitalist) culture. The title essay calls for a return to illiteracy - the written word a tool of mind control induced on children by oligarchs and tyrants. A repudiation of our world where, "The library is a kind of opium den; the bookstore, a combination of boot camp and brothel." Propaganda and "re-education" are recurring themes in essays that run the range from manifesto to mock song-writing workshop.

And I think they're pretty funny. Sevonius plays with language joyfully, toying with assumptions and contradictions. Rock and Roll is a tool of capitalist psychic warfare, and the only pure form of communication. Artists are the ones who can speak the truth, and are also writing their own hagiographies for the inevitable behind-the-music documentary. I really don't think he believes many of the stances the takes in these essays, but I also think he's writing the truth. In the language of conspiracy and propaganda he's encouraging us to question our assumptions and take a critical look at the language we use, and is used at us. And he seems to be doing that in his own life - in 2020 he outed himself as having committed inappropriate behavior towards women in the underground punk scene, in an attempt to burn down the culture of the scene around him.

They're both still around. Hopefully all this helps us hold a more critical eye to the world. But what do I know. I'm just here for the rock 'n roll.

I was sent a copy of this book by Akashic Books through the Library Thing Early Reviewer program.