Vital Anarchist Text.

[mattd]

Hello Friends and comrades: Back in 1979, when I was a prisoner at the federal
penitentiary in Marion, Illinois (USA), I managed to
put together a manuscript for a small booklet called
Anarchism and the Black Revolution, and smuggled it
past prison authorities. It was my 3rd attempt because
every on every other occasion, it was seized when
guards searched my cell, and I was either beaten or
kept in solitary confinement. But, I saw it as an important attempt to 
steer the
international Anarchist movement around discussions of
building a more diverse movement, dealing with rising
fascist and racist movements of the 1970's and early
1980's, and explaining the tenents of Anarchism to
people of color who had never heard of it. It was my
hope just to cause discussion of these matters, and
also to express my frustrations with the Anarchist
movement of that period's aversion to the Black
liberation/anti-racist movements then unfolding, not
only in the Southern USA, but in the country
generally. Because of my frustration, I had dropped out of
Anarchist organizing when I was released from prison
in 1983. I was deeply hurt that no one had taken to
heart the message of the book, and so began to do
local anti-racist organizing in Tennessee. Somewhere
along the line, a group of Anarchists joined with the
efforts of our anti-police brutality group in
Chattanooga, and I became friends and allies of them
without even knowing this. They had never mentioned
their beliefs in all the years of our association,
until one day I mentioned how disillusioned I was
about Anarchism, and they told me how many young
people, prisoners, and activists had been moved by the
small booklet, that it had been reproduced by hand
xeroxing, and that many all over the world now agreed
with me. They said people had been trying to connect
with me for years. I was astounded to learn this, and through them I
attended an Anarchist event in Philadelphia. Somehow,
I was cajoled (or tricked) to speak, and the room was
full of young people. They were asking for the book,
but I did not have it, so friends at a small Anarchist
press called Monkeywrench Press offered to publish it
for free if I would write a new version. So I rushed
back home and threw myself into doing a revised
version, and they came out with 2,000 copies, which
sold out within six months after I did a Northeastern
college speaking tour. That was in 1994, and I had not
worked on the book since. I had xeroxed thousands of
copies and sold them all over the world, due to the
demand for it everywhere I speak. I am always being asked when I would do a 
new version,
on one occasion, the Wooden Shoe Bookstore offered to
print a new copy, but I was not ready. I was under
severe pressure from the state of Tennessee because of
my years of activism, and went through a number of
criminal trials right after the revised book was
printed and released. I did not have writer's block, I
was fighting for my life. It is only now I am living
in Michigan, under different circumstances, have I
found the desire to write again. Late last year, I submitted a book grant 
proposal to
the Insitute for Anarchist Studies in New York City to
help me re-write and publish a 3rd edition of
Anarchism and the Black Revolution. I do not know if
they will in fact give me the grant, but it will be
for a small amount ($2,000) and this will not be
enough for printing the book if I am forced to
self-publish it. I also do not know if Anarchist
publishing houses would be interested in publishing
it, due to disagreements with me personally or
disapproval of the book's central premise. Because I cannot depend on 
anyone to actually publish
it, I am asking for the help of Anarchists who were
influenced by the book, and would like to see a new
edition. I would like for you to help me raise some of
the thousands of dollars to a printing house after the
manuscript is completed this Spring or early Summer.
Here is what I would like you to do: 1. Hold benefit concerts, t-shirt 
sales, and other
events. beg your friends and others for money 2. Print this notice in your 
newspaper, newsletter or
online journal. 3. pre-order the book, it will have a list price of
$12.95, and will be $10.00 for volume sales of 10
copies or more. If your or your collective send in
hundreds or thousands of dollars, we will consider it
a volume sale and in send a bunch of book off to you
when printed. 4. Write letters to Anarchist publishing houses that
you know of to buy copies. I cannot send copies for
consignment just yet, need money to get started. In
fact, your letters might even convince one of them to
print the book, so all I have to do is write it. 5. Invite me to bookfairs 
all over the world to sell
books and publicize the printing. This is very
important to let people know about the new publishing
of the book, as well as let them know for our need of
money now and pre-order deal. I am sure other folks have their own ideas as 
to how
to help, and believe me, I am very glad for your help.
Please contact me at the address below: Lorenzo Komboa Ervin
The Rest of the News
P.O. Box 19962
Kalamazoo, MI. 49019-0962
komboa at yahoo.com,
(or Komboa at hotmail.com, if that mailbox is full)
END
I have a treasured hand tied black binding and all,70's edition.This 
pamphlet is DY-NO-MYTE! An anarchist must have.