Michelle Cruz Gonzales "The Spitboy Rule" Book (2016)

Details: Back in stock--! Spitboy drummer and author Michelle Cruz Gonzales' paperback edition memoir "The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band." Highly recommended! This is an insightful and affecting reflection of Gonzales' lived experience as a person of color both in and out of her amazing band, Spitboy. With insightful forwards by both punk scholar and activist Mimi Thi Nguyen, and punk rocker, photographer, and activist Martin Sorrondeguy (of bands Limp Wrist, and Los Crudos), this book is a must-read.

Short Description: Michelle Cruz Gonzales played drums and wrote lyrics in the influential hardcore band Spitboy, and now she's written a book--a punk rock herstory. Though not a riot grrrl 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 colorblindness, and all-out racism were foes, especially for Gonzales, a Xicana and the only person of color in the band.

Grade: M (new stock)

Full Description: "Michelle Cruz Gonzales played drums and wrote lyrics in the influential hardcore band Spitboy, and now she's written a book--a punk rock herstory. Though not a riot grrrl 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 colorblindness, and all-out racism were foes, especially for Gonzales, a Xicana and the only person of color in the band.

Unlike touring rock bands before them, the unapologetically feminist Spitboy preferred Scrabble games between shows rather than sex and drugs, and they were not the angry man-haters that many expected them to be. Serious about women's issues and being the band that they themselves wanted to hear, a band that rocked as hard as men but sounded like women, Spitboy released several records and toured internationally. The memoir details these travels while chronicling Spitboy's successes and failures, and for Gonzales, discovering her own identity along the way.

Fully illustrated with rare photos and flyers from the punk rock underground, this fast-paced, first-person recollection is populated by scenesters and musical allies from the time including Econochrist, Paxston Quiggly, Neurosis, Los Crudos, Aaron Cometbus, Pete the Roadie, Green Day, Fugazi, and Kamala and the Karnivores."

Author: "Michelle Cruz Gonzales is a musician, author, and college English instructor. She is a founding member and drummer of the groundbreaking all-female hardcore punk band Spitboy. Gonzales is featured in the Green Day-produced documentary Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk, directed by Corbett Redford."

Quotes:

"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 (author, punk rocker, activist and archivist)

"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 for Operation Ivy, author of Whispering Bodies)

"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 rapid-fire drum beats about epic road tours, female camaraderie, sexist fans, and getting accused of appropriating her own culture."--Ariel Gore, Hip Mama

"Best 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 color, and she reflected a positive change in the scene for the Bay Area. Her 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 of Redefining Our Relationships: Guidelines for Responsible Open Relationships)

"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 for Operation Ivy and author of Whispering Bodies)