Joyful Militancy: Building Thriving Resistance in Toxic Times

"Why do radical movements and spaces sometimes feel laden with fear, anxiety, suspicion, self-righteousness, and competition? Montgomery and Bergman call this phenomenon rigid radicalism: congealed and toxic ways of relating that have seeped into social movements, posing as the "correct" way of being radical. In conversation with organizers and intellectuals from a wide variety of political currents, the authors explore how rigid radicalism smuggles itself into radical spaces, and how it is being undone."--Back of cover. Dedication Anarchist Interventions: An IAS/AK Press Book Series Foreword by Hari Alluri Acknowledgments Introduction Empire, Militancy, and Joy Friendship, Freedom, Ethics, Affinity Trust and Responsibility as Common Notions Stifling Air, Burnout, Political Performance Undoing Rigid Radicalism, Activating Joy Outro Feeling Powers Growing—An Interview with Silvia Federici Breaking Down the Walls around Each Other—An Interview with Kelsey Cham C. Further Reading Glossary of Terms Notes Index Institute for Anarchist Studies AK Press Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative Anarchist Interventions Series Praise for Joyful Militancy Copyright Friends of AK This book is an attempt to amplify some quiet conversations that have been happening for a long time, about the connections between resisting and thriving, about how we relate to each other in radical movements today, and about some of the barriers to collective transformation.