Librari[d]an

I have a passion for reading manifestos. Crafted precisely to proselytize and provoke, these often short and highly political compositions are two parts soap box, one part ideology, one part creativity, and five-and-a-quarter parts ridiculous. Of all the major literary forms, they are my guiltiest pleasure. Because if they do affect social change, the result is always drastically different from the vision of the author.

So when I came across the SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas during my familiarization with Andy Warhol (for my archival internship), I couldn’t help but read it. Here is the first line:

Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women, there remains to civic-minded, responsible, thrill-seeking females only to overthrow the government, eliminate the money system, institute complete automation and destroy the male sex. (Solanas)

Marxism, feminism, science fiction, and anarchy all in the opening sentence? It gets better (then redundant, then sort of obnoxious), I assure you! Solanas has a writing style that strangely satisfies my funny bone. Just look at the way she uses the word “groove”, her convoluted gender logic, the contrast between ribald and formal discourse. The fact that it wasn’t written for laughs only makes it more hilarious. (Although a look at Solanas’ biography may rob your interaction with the text of any mirth.)

My favorite sentiment expressed in the manifesto has to be that SCUM “will always operate on a criminal as opposed to a civil disobedience basis” and never “picket, demonstrate, march or strike to attempt to achieve its ends. … if SCUM ever strikes, it will be in the dark with a six-inch blade.” (Solanas)

If you find yourself delighted by SCUM, I suggest you also read The Futurist Manifesto by Marinetti. A nice counterpoint, as he advocates “contempt for woman.” (Marinetti)

:: Bibliography ::

• Marinetti, Filippo T. The Futurist Manifesto. University of Michigan. http://www.cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/T4PM/futurist-manifesto.html (5 April 2008). (Originally published in Le Figaro.)

• Solanas, Valerie. SCUM Manifesto. Edinburgh, Scotland: AK Press, 1996.