Slingshot is an independent radical newspaper published in Berkeley since 1988 — March 9 will be 35 years!
Slingshot is like a mirage. We’re publishing and mailing out tens of thousands of organizers and papers, but a lot of times the collective making this stuff is very tiny. Again we are pleading for your input. If this publication inspires you, then bring us your fresh and shiny motivated energy. A collective without enthusiastic new members can’t help but bend its process to the preferences of those who stick around the longest, becoming accidental authorities because of familiarity with protocol / procedure — preventing others from exercising autonomy and accountability.
During the art party weekends there’s a lot of broad-based participation but between the frenzies of work sometimes the group is just 2 people. It seems like most voluntary, non-paid projects are always under-staffed. It is why our loft is messy. Yet when we’re together the collective spirit burns brightly. How do we convince more than 2 people to sit through the boring editing meetings — with a fuckin’ bull whip!?! Shall we serve the dumpster-dived chocolate earlier?
There’s always so much we want to include in each issue but articles on some topics don’t arrive. Military escalation in Ukraine increasingly diverts scarce resources that should be available for disaster relief in Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria…and to transition to a sustainable way of life in the face of climate emergency. Only the arms merchants, imperialists and multinational corporations benefit. Meanwhile, each new police snuff video breaks our hearts with no real change or accountability. The system exploits fear of crime to divide us and obscure the scarcity and vulnerability most people face — while the rulers enjoy obscene wealth. The answer is to come together in love for ourselves, all of humanity and the Earth.
Slingshot author in the 1980s Natasha Kirsten Kraus died in December, 2022. She was a fierce direct action radical as well as a brilliant academic radical feminist. She survived a decades-long struggle with multiple severe illnesses that left her increasingly disabled. She also wrote A New Type of Womanhood: Discursive Politics and Social Change in Antebellum America (Duke 2008).
Slingshot is always looking for new writers, artists, editors, photographers and distributors. Even if you feel you are not an essayist, illustrator or whistleblower you may know someone who is. If you send an article, please be open to its editing. We’re a collective, but not all the articles reflect the opinions of all collective members. We welcome debate and constructive criticism.
Thanks to the people who made this: Andrew, Andy, Eytan, eggplant, Elke, Jack, Jesse, Ken, Lydia, Lola, Marilyn, Mateo, Rachelle, Robin, Ryan, Stella, Stone,Sylvia, Tal & all the authors and artists!
Slingshot Article Submission Info
Slingshot has always published the deadline for the next issue in each issue because when Slingshot started coming out, there were no internet or email lists so other than publishing the deadline in the paper, there was no way to tell anyone the deadline. But now, Slingshot has a website, an email list, and also indybay, instagram and facebook to announce the next deadline. So this time we’re not going to set a deadline for the next issue. We encourage you to submit articles for the next Slingshot anytime you want. When we’re ready, we’ll announce a deadline and publicize it on-line, or send us an email if you want to be on our email list. Actually, just do that anyway.
Volume 1, Number 137, Circulation 23,000
Printed February 17, 2023
Slingshot Newspaper
A publication of Long Haul
Office: 3124 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley CA 94705
Mailing: PO Box 3051, Berkeley, CA 94703
510-540-0751 slingshotcollective@protonmail.com
slingshotcollective.org • twitter @slingshotnews
instagram/ facebook @slingshotcollective
Circulation information
Subscriptions to Slingshot are free to prisoners, low income, or anyone in the USA with a Slingshot Organizer, or $1 per issue donation. International $3 per issue. Outside the Bay Area we’ll mail you a free stack of copies if you give them out for free. Say how many copies and how long you’ll be at your address. In the Bay Area pick up copies at Long Haul and Bound Together books, SF.
Slingshot free stuff
We’ll send you a random assortment of back issues for the cost of postage. Send $4 for 2 lbs. Free if you’re an infoshop or library. slingshotcollective.org