Sober Living for the Revolution: Hardcore Punk, Straight Edge And Radical Politics

Straight edge has persisted as a drug-free, hardcore punk subculture for 25 years. Its political legacy, however, still remains ambiguous – often associated with self-righteous macho posturing and conservative puritanism. But while certain elements of straight edge culture feed into such perception, the movement's political history is actually far more complex.

Since straight edge's origins in Washington, D.C. in the early '80s, it has been linked to radical thought and action by countless individuals, bands, and scenes worldwide. Sober Living for the Revolution traces the history of this culture from its beginnings.

Including contributions – in the form of in-depth interviews, essays, and manifestos – by numerous artists and activists connected to straight edge, from Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi) and Mark Andersen (Dance of Days/Positive Force DC) to Dennis Lyxzén (Refused/The (International) Noise Conspiracy) and Andy Hurley (Racetraitor/Fall Out Boy), from bands like ManLiftingBanner and Point of No Return to feminist and queer initiatives, radical collectives like CrimethInc. and Alpine Anarchist Productions to the Emancypunx project and many others.

These people have been dedicated as much to sober living as to the fight for a better world.