The daily Astorian., July 12, 2018, Page 23, Image 22

JULY 12, 2018 // 23
BOOKMONGER
Portland author offers ideas on DIY politics
COURTESY SEVEN STORIES PRESS
The cover of Anthony Alvarado’s ‘D.I.Y. Resistance: 36 Ways to
Fight Back.’
Crossword Answers
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On the day before Indepen-
dence Day, I treated myself
to a day trip. I’d heard about
a new documentary I wanted
to see that was opening on the
West Coast in several Califor-
nia locations but, in the Pacific
Northwest, was showing
only at the Liberty Theatre in
Camas, Washington. So off to
Camas I went.
While on the road, I lis-
tened to a radio interview with
Iraq War veteran and memoir
author (“Eat the Apple”) Matt
Young, who talked about
the nature of patriotism. The
show also featured a sampling
of widely divergent opinions
about “patriotism today” from
folks who had called in to the
show.
As I whisked across
county lines, I saw thickets
of brightly hued signs touting
various candidates in the up-
coming primaries, as well as
one sign that simply said, “Be
Bold – Vote Republican.”
Liberty – veterans – patri-
otism – elections – small town
America … on the eve of the
anniversary of our nation’s
signing of the Declaration of
Independence, it was a fitting
blend of ideas and images to
ruminate over on my road trip.
“DIY Reistance:
36 Ways to Fight Back”
By Anthony Alvarado
Seven Stories Press
192 pp
$14.95
The other element that
fed into my thoughts was the
book I’ve been reading this
week.
“DIY Resistance: 36 Ways
to Fight Back!” is a manifesto
from Portland writer/podcast-
er Anthony Alvarado.
While Alvarado makes no
bones about his antipathy for
the Trump administration, this
book deals with more than
the present day. It dips into
a deep well of strategies that
have been used throughout
history by people who have
mobilized to confront tyrants,
demagogues and fascists.
Alvarado talks about the
founding principles of this
nation: the importance of
defending free speech and
freedom of religion, and the
imperative, in a democracy,
of practicing tolerance toward
those whose backgrounds or
beliefs differ from one’s own.
He contemplates the long
fight for civil rights because
our Founding Fathers didn’t
get it entirely right.
Alvarado believes that
people can fight oppression
and build a stronger democ-
racy in any number of ways,
and he offers his menu of 36
strategies with a pick-and-
choose attitude.
One that you and I can
agree with him on is the im-
portance of reading books. He
calls them a “natural antidote
to the shallow information
overload that we constantly
swim through these days,
thanks to the Internet.”
“Books are strange and
fresh, and subversive by na-
ture,” he writes, “because they
ask us to imagine worlds and
realities that are different from
our own.”
And he recommends a
shelf’s worth of books that he
finds thought-provoking, from
Thoreau and Hemingway to
Anne Frank and Octavia E,
Butler.
Other strategies he offers
include prayer and med-
itation, diversifying your
news sources, volunteering
and giving feedback to your
elected officials. He also
advocates for tools such as
impeachment, protesting and
boycotts, but ultimately holds
that “The best path forward
is inclusive, not divisive; it
is about togetherness, not us
versus them.”
You may not agree with ev-
erything Alvarado has to say,
but his values are as American
as mom and apple pie.
The Bookmonger is Bar-
bara Lloyd McMichael, who
writes this column focusing on
the books, authors and publish-
ers of the Pacific Northwest.
Contact her at bkmonger@
nwlink.com.
PAPA Presents:
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M U S T I
Seaside Beach Run!
Saturday July 21, 2018
8:30 am on the Prom at 12 th Avenue, Seaside
• 5K & 10K Races
• 5K Prom Walk
• Awards Picnic
• Kids’ Sand Dash
• Treasure Hunt
• Souvenir T-shirt
For further information, or to register: Call (503) 738-8304,
or visit us online at www.SeasideBeachRun.org
Proceeds support Clatsop County youth fitness opportunities.
Discover pass not required 
More Info about the show and our organization @
papatheater.org
Stay connected with us
on Facebook & Instagram
  @papatheater
Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashmen & Tim Rice, Book by Linda Wolverton, Originally Directed by Robert
Jess Roth. Presented through special arrangement with music theatre international (MTI). All authorized performance
materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIshows.com