The Spitboy Rule : Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band - Softcover

Michelle Cruz Gonzales; Martin Sorrondeguy; Mimi Thi Nguyen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 162963140X ISBN 13: 9781629631400

Publisher: PM Press, 2016

Synopsis

Michelle Cruz Gonzales played drums and wrote lyrics in the influential 1990s female hardcore band Spitboy, and now she's written a book - a punk rock herstory. Though not a riot grrl band, Spitboy blazed trails for women musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, but it wasn't easy. Misogyny, sexism, abusive fans, class and colour blindness and all-out racism were foes, especially for Gonzales, a Xicana and the only person of colour in the band. This memoir chronicles Spitboy's successes and failures, and for Gonzales, discovering her own identity.

About this title

Review:

"Gonzales is an excellent storyteller and tour guide through this lesser-known territory of '90s music history. Her resilient love and affection for her Spitboy bandmates are one of my favorite things about the book, emphasizing their egalitarian tour dynamic well above any gossip or arguments. Stories of epic road trips, high-intensity punk shows, and dealing with sexist fans are told with phenomenal good humor and the wisdom of hindsight inserted wryly into the narrative. While Gonzales's life and history are singular, her story is infinitely relatable to those of us that have felt outside of our own culture, or subculture." -- Alice Bag, singer for The Bags, author of Violence Girl: East L.A. Rage to Hollywood Stage, a Chicana Punk Story

"The Spitboy Rule is a compelling and insightful journey into the world of 90s punk as seen through the eyes of a Xicana drummer who goes by the nickname Todd. Todd stirs the pot by insisting that she plays hardcore punk, not Riot Grrrl music, and inviting males to share the dance floor with women in a respectful way. This drummer never misses a beat. Read it!" -- Alice Bag, singer for The Bags, author of Violence Girl: East L.A. Rage to Hollywood Stage, a Chicana Punk Story

"Best punk memoir that I've ever had the privilege of reading. In a punk scene dominated by middle-class, white males, you can't forget Spitboy, four brave women playing music with the intensity of an out-of-control forest fire. Gonzales s involvement and presence in the punk scene, in particular, was significant because she represented a radical, feminist, person of colour, and she reflected a positive change in the scene for the Bay Area. Gonzales s memoir, chronicling her unique experience and perspective, occupies an important moment in the punk saga. This is a must-read for anyone still dedicated to social justice and change."-- Wendy-O-Matik, author,"Redefining Our Relationships: Guidelines for Responsible Open Relationships

"Incisive and inspiring, Michelle Cruz Gonzales's The Spitboy Rule brings the '90s punk world to life with equal parts heart and realism. Her story becomes a voyage of self-discovery, and Gonzales is the perfect guide as she writes in rapidfire drum beats about epic road tours, female camaraderie, sexist fans, and getting accused of appropriating her own culture.-- Ariel Gore, Hip Mama

"Michelle Gonzales's punk rock account is inspiring on many levels. For outsider artists, women musicians, or anybody who has ever felt the desire to forge an identity in uncharted territory, this book is detailed, heartfelt, and historically important. Briskly told in clean, conversational prose, The Spitboy Rule is an entertaining read and functions as an important historical, critical, and sociopolitical document of pre-internet DIY music." --Jesse Michaels, vocalist, Operation Ivy; author, Whispering Bodies

"The Spitboy Rule follows the difficult and courageous journey of a young woman who wasn't afraid to venture into a mostly white underground scene, to hold mirrors up to the faces of her worst critics."--Charlie Vazquez, Huffington Post

"The stories and observations in The Spitboy Rule benefit from years of reflection, schooling, and life lived . . . . It is a privilege to grow older, to have the chance to reflect on the formative struggles and building of consciousness that happens when we are young." -- Leilani Clark, KQED

"Gonzales' memoir convincingly brings the reader right back into the mentality of being a teenager; the trap of simultaneously looking to fit in and stand out, and an exhausting oscillation between self-consciousness, self-righteousness, vulnerability and outright stubbornness." --Chanelle Adams, feministing.com

"Gonzales is an excellent storyteller and tour guide through this lesser-known territory of 90s music history. Her resilient love and affection for her Spitboy bandmates are one of my favorite things about the book, emphasizing their egalitarian tour dynamic well above any gossip or arguments. Stories of epic road trips, high-intensity punk shows, and dealing with sexist fans are told with phenomenal good humor and the wisdom of hindsight inserted wryly into the narrative. While Gonzales's life and history are singular, her story is infinitely relatable to those of us that have felt outside of our own culture, or subculture." --Bitch Media

About the Author:

Michelle Cruz Gonzales played drums and wrote lyrics for several bands during the 1980s and 1990s. Her writing has been published in anthologies, literary journals, and "Hip Mama" magazine. Michelle teaches English and creative writing at Las Positas College. She lives in Oakland, CA. Mimi Thi Nguyen is associate professor of gender and women's studies and Asian American studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is the author of "The Gift of Freedom: War, Debt, and Other Refugee Passages." For the last fifteen years, Martin Sorrondeguyhas been the singer of the openly queer punk band Limp Wrist. Sorrondeguy recently completed his third photography book, En Busca De Algo Mas.

About this edition

• Publisher: PM Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 162963140X
• ISBN 13: 9781629631400
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144