A Poetics of Resistance: The Revolutionary Public Relations of the Zapatista Insurgency

by Jeff Conant

Part literary criticism, part media analysis, and part marketing handbook, A Poetics of Resistance provides a refreshingly new take on the Zapatistas. While much has been written on the history of the Zapatista insurgency and on the communiqués of Subcomandante Marcos, very little has been said about Zapatismo: the ideologies, organizing methodologies, and communications strategies of the movement. The appeal of the Zapatistas, and their survival, has as much to do with their goals as with the compelling and wildly effective language and aesthetics they’ve used to convey their vision. Weaving together varied elements of poetics and symbolism, Zapatismo has emerged as something entirely new: a resolutely radical public relations campaign for human liberation.

The first “postmodern revolution” presented itself to the world through a complex and evolving web of propaganda, using a wide range of media: the colorful communiqués of Marcos; the ski masks, uniforms, toy dolls, and other accoutrements of the insurgent or sympathizer; and murals, songs, and other popular cultural forms. Employing persuasive publicity, myths, and symbols, the Zapatistas both communicated their message and developed a clear aesthetic that could contain many messages at once and self-replicate on a global scale. Jeff Conant offers an engaging and innovative tool for organizers and educators to understand how the Zapatistas' strategy works, and to continue developing and refining their effective messages of participatory, bottom-up revolution.

Jeff Conant is a writer and activist in the San Francisco Bay Area and the author of A Community Guide to Environmental Health.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Activism

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conant put in years as a solidarity activist working in Zapatista territory, and then studied poetics and applied what he learned to Zapatista culture. The long gestation period resulted in a rich, dense, but highly readable book that's packed with fascinating detail.

One of Conant's big themes is the way that the Zapatistas were able to exploit internet communications to keep international solidarity strong enough to help the indigenous uprising in its negotiations and eventual long standoff with the Mexican armed forces. That point is driving home most powerfully by a 1998 quote [on page 191] from the Rand Corporation, favored consultants of the U.S. military industrial complex: “The army is well positioned to assault and defeat the EZLN[Zapatista military force] in its home base, though this remains politically inadvisable because of the transnational netwar dimensions.”

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book. The ideology of the zapatistas seems a lot more real and makes a lot more clear sense to me now. Good mixture of stories that Marcos has put out and a sense of the zapatista communities.

[Zack]

really fucking amazing radical history book. inspiring. pretty shocking and sad.

[E Money The Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most enlightening books I’ve read on the topic of the Zapatista indigenous struggles of Chiapas Mexico.

Only downside is that it is a difficult read. It is a dense and very scholarly lens into Mayan ways-of-knowing. It is history told through story, myths, and poetry translated into English and converted into academic. It is intelligent and postmodern. It is a labor.

But I’m glad I picked it up!

“With the decline of Marxist national liberation movements, the multiple crises of nation-states, and the rise of corporate globalization, Zapatismo is one face of the indigenous movements emerging throughout the world in search of new forms of popular power based in territorial autonomy, cultural rights, and political self-determination; in short, an entirely new—and are the same time, resurgently old—set of principles.”

[Lisa Pontén · Rating 4 out of 5]

accessible english language account and analysis of a lot of written materials and other more iconic language of the zapatista rebellion. while not always containing the most capturing language and discourse, being a bit dry and academic at times, it is also quite openly an academic analysis that still includes and contextualises a lot of poetic input and seems to give a fair depiction also of criticisms and limitations of the approaches and projects pursued by the zapatistas

[Jonah Rebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

How do you make Zapatistas boring

[Phillip Twining · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit my ignorance about the Zapatista movement in Chiapas before reading this book. Thankfully my ignorance didn't stop me from enjoying the book, and furthermore I can now say I am a supporter of the EZLN. Conant spends a large amount of time studying the use of myth and history within the indigenous community in Chiapas, and illustrates the biggest war playing out in the state is one of symbology and the control of history, not necessarily of violence. The ski masks, the communiqués, the Zapatista dolls that are sold by indigenous women on the street, all help to form the character of the Zapatista movement, all help to delineate the needs and desires of the indigenous community in its opposition to the State and to the neoliberal policies of first world corporations and governments. To help understand the historical value of the comunity, Conant supplies many excepts from Sub Comandante Marcos' writings, steeped in Mayan mythology and anti-imperialist/capitalist rhetoric. It is, in fact, a carbine of poetics that give the Zapatistas their power.

Conant weaves a seamless narrative when describing the movement and its key players, with a (somewhat reluctant) focus on Subcomandante Marcos. The effect is emotive, whether you're hating the CEOs comprising the World Bank and WTO, or imagining yourself to be the heroic and gentle Marcos battling corrupt goverments, or cheering on the terminally ill Comandante Ramona as she seizes the city of San Cristobal during the 1994 uprising. This book will lead me on to many more books and hopefully one day a visit to the most influential insurgency in the world.

[Spicy T AKA Mr. Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. Conant does a great job describing and moving through the history, mythology, and media use of the Zapatistas from its inception to 2011. A beautiful mix of solid writing, good analysis, and thoughtful introspection on his part. I love the stories Marcos uses to tell the story of the Zapatistas and I love Conant's own poetic voice at times throughout. The book read like a really cool, imaginative journey--not some academic text. I'll definitely keep my eye out for more by this author. SO SO SO SO good!

[Wendy]

Such a delight to see this book out in the world, eight years after sharing a long (and historic, actually) bus ride with its author, and learning about the early days of this amazing project.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugely interesting and inspiring.

[Redpoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it more than I thought I would...