When folks gather together and decide to open up a radical bookshop, a bike coop, a warehouse for shows, or an underground art workshop, they’re creating the new world we need right now. These projects are oriented around meeting human needs — and especially our need for joy, meaning, and connection with others — not the just profiting off someone else and piling up more wealth for the boss.
In August, a meeting of 6 existing and 2 emerging anarchist spaces in the Bay Area to discuss resource sharing, joint publicity and events attracted more than 20 participants — evidence of the passion and energy that goes into radical spaces. Stay tuned for opening of the Holdout at 23rd and San Pablo in Oakland soon.
Here are some other new projects we got wind of too late to include in the 2012 organizer, plus some corrections. Check for more updates and corrections at slingshot.tao.ca.
Libertalia Autonomous Space – Providence, RI
A new Autonomous space with a lending library, free skool, internet access and meeting/event space. They host Icarus Providence and IWW. 280 Broadway, Room 200, Providence, RI 02903, 401-680-6264, libertaliapvd.org, libertalia401@gmail.com
Dream City Collective – Washington, DC
A worker-owned coop thrift store, book and literature store, silk screen project and events space. 5525 Illinois Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20011 dreamcitythrift.org
Burning Books – Buffalo, NY
A brand new radical bookstore with movies, speakers and events. Open Wed-Sun 11 to 7. 420 Connecticut St. Buffalo, NY 14213, 716-881-0791, burningbooksbuffalo.com.
TOAD Bicycle Cooperative – Kalamazoo, MI
A bike coop and infoshop in a basement space with a tool library, information on building and maintaining bicycles, free internet, and bikes that are for sale or for folks to build. TOAD stands for Teach, Organize, Assemble, Disseminate Information. They have 200 members / volunteers! 817 Hoffman Ct. Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269-779-2888
The Furnace – Albany, NY
A collective space with shows, art installations, workshops and events. They host Food Not Bombs and a silkscreen lab. 84 Grand Street Albany NY 12202
Phoenix Rising / Bad Egg Books – Tulsa, OK
An anarchist bookstore in the basement of a cafe/deli/grocery with a community garden and a free store. 306 S. Phoenix Ave. Tulsa, OK 74127 918-582-5344, phoenixrisinggrocery. blogspot.com, 1badegg.blogspot.com
Troy Bike Rescue – Troy, NY
A volunteer-run community bike space with DIY bike repair nights and bike education. Open Mon & Wed evenings and for events. 3280 6th Ave. North Troy, NY 12180 troybikerescue.org/
Sanctuary for Independent Media – Troy, NY
A community media production facility in an historic former church that hosts screenings, production and performance facilities, trainings in media production and a meeting space for artists, activists and independent media makers. 3361 6th Ave. North Troy, NY 12180 mediasanctuary.org/
Maryland Food Collective – College Park, MD
A not-for-profit food co-operative located on the University of Maryland campus in College Park right outside Washington DC that’s been going for 30 years. Drop-in volunteers can get food credit at the store if you’re traveling through the area and need some eats. B0203 Adele H. Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 301-314-8089
Berkeley Student Food Cooperative – Berkeley, CA
A new food coop on the UC Berkeley campus. 2440 Bancroft Way, #102 Berkeley, CA 94704 510-845-1985
Austin Yellow Bike Project Shop – Austin, TX
A community bike shop with tools and volunteers who help people fix bikes. They’re at a 3/4 acre site with a community garden. They also distribute free yellow bikes in public locations, but that part of their mission has become secondary (and it sounds like many of the yellow bikes disappeared . . .) 1216 Webberville Road, Austin, TX, 78721 austinyellowbike.org
The Front Stoop – Lincoln, NE
A new independent community bookstore. 860 S 27th Street Lincoln, NE 68510 (402) 474-6630
Brave New Books – Austin, TX
A bookstore focused on suppressed information – they appear to be Ron Paul supporters and/or libertarians. A reader wrote in to suggest we list them – let us know what you think. 1904 Guadalupe, Austin, TX, 78705 512-480-2503 bravenewbookstore.com
Mississippi Immigrants’ Rights Alliance (MIRA) – Jackson, MS
Not a space – they are a non-profit that a reader suggested we list. 612 N. State St. Jackson, MS 39202 www.yourmira.org
Commonweal Collection – Bradford, UK
A volunteer-based lending library with books and films focused on peace and disarmament, environmentalism and the green movement, non-violent philosophy and practice, human rights, development and regional issues, anti-racism, identity issues, social and economic alternatives, etc. c/o J.B. Priestley Library University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP Tele: 01274 233404
Corrections to 2012 Slingshot Organizer
Oops – we didn’t hear back from a variety of spaces when we were updating the radical contact list, so they got left out of the 2012 organizer and/or we got their info wrong. We should have listed the following places:
• Las Vegas Zine Library, 520 Fremont St (inside of Emergency Arts!) 702 773 6484; mail: Po Box 72071, Las Vegas, NV 89170 Email-lvzinelibrary@gmx.com, www.lvzinelibrary.blogspot.com
• We left Blast-O-MatArt Gallery in Denver out of the list by mistake – they are at Blast-o-mat Art Gallery 2935 W. 7th Ave. Denver, CO 80204 manofdoom@live.com.
• We left City Heights Free Skool off the list: 4246 Wightman St. San Diego, CA 92105.
• We printed the wrong address for Papercut Zine Library – they are now at 1299 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA 02139.
• The First Avenue coop in San Diego has a new name and address: The Mad House, 3579 Madison Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116.
• We listed the wrong address for Big Idea books because they moved. They are now at 4812 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Same phone #.
• We printed the wrong postal code for the Edmonton Small Press Association in Alberta, Canada – the correct one is T6E 4E3.
• We listed the wrong address for Barricade Infoshop in Melbourne, Australia – they are really at 670 High St Thornbury, 3071 Melbourne Australia. The PO Box we published no longer exists, either. Their email address is barricadeinfoshop@riseup.net and website is barricade.org.au.
• We left out a listing for The Freedom Shop anarchist infoshop at 162 Riddiford St, Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand.