Profane Existence #58
Until I received this pamphlet/book for review, I hadn’t thought about the magazine Clamor
in some years. I had an “oh yeah!” moment and was somewhat ashamed that
I’d forgotten about it and it’s impact in the radical literary realm. I
also realize that I remembered Jen Angels’ particular style of writing,
so it was a treat to get my hands on this. In Becoming the Media, she
gives a comprehensive analysis and critique of the beating heart that
was Clamor magazine. We are taken on the magazine’s lifeline,
from inception to adolescence to the growing organism (a business,
staff, and other projects) and finally to it’s close. The writing is
concise and informative and with much heart, which can be a rarity in
analyses. She effortlessly braves what is essentially a self-criticism,
sketching a blueprint for those interested or simply showing the bones
of a project that worked. “…the real mission of activists and of Clamor
is to help people realize their potential to effect positive change in
the world, and to support the movement for social change. Clamor
did that by empowering individuals/giving them a voice, and also by
highlighting the many ways people were actively responding to injustice:
by fighting back, resisting, and creating.” Pg.9 Definitely worth
checking out.
(Hatchet)
