It was with great pride that I was able to witness fellow Blacksmith for Literary Progress Brian Cogan host a reading and Q&A in honor of the release of his new book, The Encyclopedia of Punk
A big crowd of people showed up at the Barnes & Noble in Park Slope, where Brian fielded questions, read a few select chunks of the book, and signed copies.
The Encyclopedia of Punk has been a labor of love for Brian, who released the first version of the book as an academic title a year or two ago. This new version is stunning, with due credit going to designer Phil Yarnall who did an amazing job on the layout. It is also quite comprehensive, covering all the usual suspects, but also digging very deep into obscure bands and scenes that most of us had forgotten about. On the way home, I ticked off about twenty more bands that I had yet to discover.
If you have any interest at all in punk’s impact on the world, do go pick it up. You won’t be disappointed.
Here are a few shots for your ocular amusement.
