American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

Episode 51: John Dos Passos, "U.S.A." Trilogy (Part 3/11)

Part three of this mega review of U.S.A trilogy completed our look at 42nd Parallel. In this part we say bye (only for now we hope) Mac and meet Charley Anderson.

Episode 50: John Dos Passos "U.S.A" Trilogy (Part 2/11)

So in this part of my review of Dos Passos' U.S.A. trilogy we meet J. Ward Moorehouse, Eleanor Stoddard, and Janey Williams. Still no plot, but all a brilliant mosaic of American life in the early 20th century.

Episode 49: John Dos Passos, "U.S.A." (Part 1/11)

I begin a long series on Lost Generation American writers with this look at the first part of John Dos Passos' U.S.A. Trilogy. This section focuses on the character of Mac, a working class radical skilled in printing who become a Wobbly. Good stuff.

Episode 48: Sven Beckert, "Capitalism: A Global History" (Part 10/10)

The final part of my massive review of Sven Beckert's masterpiece Capitalism: A Global History. In this last section we survey the neoliberal hell we currently exist in and get all depressed.

Episode 47: Sven Beckert, "Capitalism: A Global History" (Part 9/10)

In this penultimate part of my review of Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History looks at the golden age of capitalism in the West, the period from 1945-1970s. What ever happened to the "Affluent Society"? Maybe we will find out.

Episode 46: Sven Beckert, "Capitalism: A Global History" (Part 8/10)

In this part of my review of Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History I finish chapter 14 and read through chapter 15, exploring the response to the Great Depression and the rise of "insurgent" capitalisms in the colonial world.

Episode 45: Sven Beckert: Capitalism: A Global History (Part 7/10)

Part 7 of my review of Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History. In this section of the book we explore Beckert's commentary on state expansion and the origins of the Great Depression.

Episode 44: Sven Beckert, "Capitalism: A Global History" (Part 6/10)

In part 6 of this 10 part review of Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History I read the chapters on the "reconstructions" of capital and labor in the later 19th century. It is in these reconstructions that the foundations of modern capitalism were laid

Episode 43: Sven Beckert, "Capitalism: A Global History" (Part 5/10)

Wow, we are half done with this massive book. The next part of my review of Capitalism: A Global History by Sven Beckert. This section focuses on the emergence of a capitalist culture and the rebellions that brought the "old regime capitalism" to an end. It is fascinating stuff.

Episode 42: Sven Beckert, "Capitalism: A Global History" (Part 4/10)

These chapters of Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History explore the revolutions we often lump together as the Industrial Revolution and the growing expansion of capitalism into the hinterland. It is increasingly clear we need to take a hinterland first view of capitalism's spread.

Episode 41: Sven Beckert, "Capitalism: A Global History" (Part 3/10)

In this third part of my review of Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History I explore chapters 5-6 on the developments in industrial production in the early modern period and their relationships with capitalism, as well as the reasons capitalism broke out from the islands due to a "perfect storm" of feedback loops.

Episode 40: Sven Beckert, Capitalism: A Global History (2/10)

Part two of my review of Sven Beckert's brilliant Capitalism: A Global History. This section centers on how the islands of capital became connected and extended their reach in the early modern period. 

Episode 39: Sven Beckert, "Capitalism: A Global History" (1/10)

For the next 10 episodes I will be reading Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History, which covers the history of capitalism from its earliest origins to the present. It consolidates most of the findings in the recent "history of capitalism" trend in historical scholarship. I am very excited to begin this project. 

Episode 38: Anna Tsing, "The Mushroom at the End of the World" (2/2)

A pretty short episode capping off this rather long series on James Scott and others.
Anna Tsing's thoughts on disturbed areas is amazing and relevant to how to make sense of our disrupted world.

I guess I was excited to start my look at Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History. Not sure if he is an American though (Born in Germany I guess). Should not matter. Let's do this. Next ten episodes will look at this mammoth book. 

Episode 37: Anna Tsing, "The Mushroom at the End of the World" (1/2)

In this episode I look at The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Tsing. In this first half of the book we explore the human history of the matsutake mushroom. This great book will be the conclusion of this series that began with our look at The Moral Economy of the Peasant so many months ago. 

Episode 36: David Graeber and David Wengrove, "The Dawn of Everything" (5/5)

The finale of my review of The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrove. In this section we look at the origins (or non-origins) of the state and return to the indigenous critique of Europe.

Episode 35: David Graeber and David Wengrove, Dawn of Everything (4/5)

Part 4 of my review of David Wengrove and David Graeber's The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity. As we come to the close of this book we begin to go deeper into the Neolithic and explore urban forms and political systems, asking the question if anything has an origin and if not, how can we tell the story of early humanity?

 

Episode 34: David Graeber and David Wengrove, "The Dawn of Everything" (3/5)

Part three of my review of David Graeber and David Wengrove's massive book The Dawn of Everything. In this section we focus on the origins of agriculture and communities and hierarchies. 

Episode 33: David Graeber and David Wengrove, "The Dawn of Everything" (2/5)

Hey guys. Back with another section of my review of The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrove. In this section I focus on his chapters on the origins of agriculture, the sections that have the most to contrast with James Scott's Against the Grain.

Episode 32: David Graeber and David Wengrove, "The Dawn of Everything" (1/5)

As a follow up to James C. Scott's Against the Grain I wanted to look into the more comprehensive and perhaps more radical and challenging interpretation give in The Dawn of Everything by David Wengrove and David Graeber. Here is the first of five parts. 

Episode 31: Robin D. G. Kelley, "Race Rebels" (2/2)

Part two and the conclusion of my review of Race Rebels by Robin Kelley. In this second half of the book, we explore the infrapolitics that inspired mid to later 20th century black politics especially black communism and internationalism, and the politics of rap music. 

Episode 30: Robin D. G. Kelley, Race Rebels (1/2)

In this episode I look at Robin Kelley's wonderful exploration of black politics in the 20th century Race Rebels. It is the best example that I know of an author using James C. Scott's theory of "infrapolitics". The result of a fascinating account of politics from "way, way below". 

Episode 29: James C. Scott, "In Praise of Floods"

In this episode I close our my review of James C. Scott's works with a reading of his final book In Praise of Floods. It is a good summary of many of his major arguments but shows where some of his thinking had he lived longer. 

Episode 28: James C. Scott, "Against the Grain" (2/2)

In this second half of my review of James C. Scott's Against the Grain, I explore his arguments about the origin of the state and the "golden age for barbarians". 

Episode 27: James C. Scott "Against the Grain" (1/2)

After enjoying Scott's take on anarchism we can move onto his penultimate book, a text exploring the origins of agriculture and the impact it has on human beings. We will be taking a closer look at his arguments and other perspectives on early agricultural societies when we read The Dawn of Everything, but for now let's enjoy the first half of Against the Grain.

Episode 26: James C. Scott, "Two Cheers for Anarchism"

My review of James C. Scott's short book Two Cheers for Anarchism. The book is a great introduction to Scott's ideas and a useful guide to putting an anarchist perspective on the world we live in. 

Episode 25: James C. Scott, The Art of Not Being Governed (3/3)

The finale of my review of James C. Scott's "The Art of Not Being Governed". This part of the book focuses on kinship and the role of leadership in millenarian movements as part of the strategy of state evasion. 

Next up: James Scott's modern classic, "Against the Grain" 

Episode 24: James C. Scott, The Art of Not Being Governed (2/3)

Part two of my review of James C. Scott's history of upland Southeast Asia (Zomia), from the perspective of those who intentionally evaded states. In this part of the book we move from the strategies of states to the strategies of evasion. What do you think the most useful strategies for evading states in today's world. 

Episode 23: James C. Scott, The Art of Not Being Governed (1/3)

The first part of my review of Scott's masterpiece on upland Southeast Asia, The Art of Not Being Governed. So many of his ideas come together into this indispensable book. In this first part we will learn about Zomia and the creation of geographical spaces outside of the machinations of states. 

Episode 22: James C. Scott, Seeing Like A State (3/3)

The finale of my review of James C. Scott's Seeing Like a State. The last few chapters of this excellent book explore the experiments in agrarian high modernism and then explores metis, or embedded knowledge and the capacity of resilience against the designs of high modernist states. 

Episode 21: James C. Scott, Seeing Like a State (2/3)

In part two of my review of Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott, I explore the dangers of high modernism and some of the case studies of failed experiments he examines. What is your favorite example of high modernism going wrong, besides the opening night of The Rites of Spring?

Episode 20: James C. Scott, Seeing Like a State (1/3)

As we continue our exploration of the works of James C. Scott, we move from the arts of resistance to the designs of a state with faulty vision. How do states see, how do they envision transformation, and how do these two things together fail us? 

Episode 19: James C. Scott, "Domination and Arts of Resistance" (2/2)

In this episode I complete my reading of James C. Scott's DOMINATION AND THE ARTS OF RESISTANCE: HIDDEN TRANSCRIPTS. In this section we focus on the workings of infrapolitics and the question of how they become visible and possible unstoppable. 

James C. Scott, Domination and the Arts of Resistance (1/2)

In this episode I review Domination and the Arts of Resistance by James C. Scott, exploring the concepts of public and hidden transcripts. What can we gain by looking at the world through the lens of hidden transcripts?

Episode 17: James C. Scott, Weapons of the Weak (3/3)

The conclusion to my study of James C. Scott's Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance. 

Episode 16: James C. Scott, Weapons of the Weak (2/3)

This episode is part 2 of my review of James C. Scott's examination of a Malay village, Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance. It is a slow burn but it builds toward an impressive interpretation. 

Episode 15: James C. Scott, "Weapons of the Weak" (1/3)

We get to know a Malay village down to its last family through James C. Scott's anthropological study Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance. What are the styles of everyday resistance in your workplace?

Episode 14: James C. Scott, The Moral Economy of the Peasant (2/2)

In this episode I finish reading The Moral Economy of the Peasant by the brilliant James C. Scott. So what do you think of this book and its ongoing relevance? 

Episode 13: James C. Scott. "The Moral Economy of the Peasant" (1/2)

I begin my deep dive into the works of James C. Scott with The Moral Economy of the Peasant. In this work, Scott explores the subsistence ethic and the consequences of it for peasant resistance. Is it just me or were lots of people writing about peasants in the 1970s and 1980s?

Episode 12: Karl Jacoby, Crimes Against Nature

As we prepare for our deep dive into James C. Scott's work, we finish up with a related text, Karl Jacoby's Crimes Against Nature. This is one of the more fascinating looks at the history of conservation and helps us ask the question, for just who were the conservationists conserving, and did they do a better job that the people who made their living in spaced deemed "wilderness".