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Evasion (book)
Encyclopedia
Evasion is a book that spun off from a zine
of the same name. It was published by CrimethInc.
in 2003. The book comprises 108 pages of slightly revised text from the original zine (95% of which is retained) along with 162 pages of new material.
The author is not named in the book, but is referred to elsewhere as "Mack", "the Evasion Kid", or "Mack Evasion." He later wrote a column in the zine
heartattaCk .
Evasion is a first person account of the author's travels and means of survival. He survives by dumpster diving
, shoplifting
, return fraud
, and various other "scams" he employs to get whatever money he needs. He travels by hitchhiking
and train hopping, an relates adventures he has had such as gate crashing at music venues, attending hardcore punk
concerts, and being employed as a professional shoplifter by a middle class family, among other things.
Evasion expresses very few specific political statements, but the author frequently makes reference to his vegan and straight-edge lifestyle. The author expresses situationist
and anti-work
leanings, leaving some to label him a lifestylist. Being published by an anarchist collective and widely read and reviewed by anarchists, many considered Evasion to be an unquestionably anarchist work, even though the author never labeled himself as such in the book. However, in his HeartattaCk column he elaborated on his political views in more detail, and responded to criticisms of Evasion:
was staying. Their guitarist happened across it and showed it to some of his friends and band members. They mailed it and passed it to other people, who in turn photocopied and distributed it, until over 5,000 copies were in circulation. Eventually, Crimethinc.
Far East contacted the author via an email address in the back of the zine to discuss the possibility of publishing a paperback book version with additional material. He agreed, and the book was finally published in 2001.. Throughout the next few years, the author gave several interviews and book tours and maintained a website, on which he stated that he was working on follow-up works to Evasion, such as a second book and a documentary. According to one interview, he briefly discussed creating a film version of the book with "a producer in New York City." Then, between the years of 2005 and 2011, "Mack Evasion" made no contact with anyone in the media and posted nothing on the internet under that moniker. His website went offline, and his works that were supposedly nearing completion were never released, though the Evasion paperback continued to be printed by Crimethinc. In May of 2011, he surfaced to give an interview in an upcoming zine, called "A Riotous Disarray," in which he explains the reasons for his disappearance. He also mentions that he still has nearly completed material for an Evasion sequel and he is looking for a publisher. A preview of the interview has been posted online.
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
of the same name. It was published by CrimethInc.
CrimethInc.
CrimethInc., also known as CWC , is a decentralized anarchist collective of autonomous cells. CrimethInc. emerged in the mid-1990s, initially as the hardcore zine Inside Front, and began operating as a collective in 1996...
in 2003. The book comprises 108 pages of slightly revised text from the original zine (95% of which is retained) along with 162 pages of new material.
The author is not named in the book, but is referred to elsewhere as "Mack", "the Evasion Kid", or "Mack Evasion." He later wrote a column in the zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
heartattaCk .
Evasion is a first person account of the author's travels and means of survival. He survives by dumpster diving
Dumpster diving
Dumpster diving is the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find items that have been discarded by their owners, but that may be useful to the dumpster diver.-Etymology and alternate names:...
, shoplifting
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
, return fraud
Return fraud
Return fraud is the act of somehow defrauding a retail establishment via the return process. There are various ways in which this crime is committed. For example, the offender may return stolen merchandise to secure cash, or steal receipts and/or receipt tape to enable a falsified return...
, and various other "scams" he employs to get whatever money he needs. He travels by hitchhiking
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
and train hopping, an relates adventures he has had such as gate crashing at music venues, attending hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
concerts, and being employed as a professional shoplifter by a middle class family, among other things.
Evasion expresses very few specific political statements, but the author frequently makes reference to his vegan and straight-edge lifestyle. The author expresses situationist
Situationist
The Situationist International was an internationalist European revolutionary group founded in 1957, and which reached its peak of influence in the general strike of May 1968 in France....
and anti-work
Anti-work
The anti-work ethic states that labor tends to cause unhappiness, and is increasingly challenged by work performed by machines. Therefore, the quantity of labor ought to be lessened...
leanings, leaving some to label him a lifestylist. Being published by an anarchist collective and widely read and reviewed by anarchists, many considered Evasion to be an unquestionably anarchist work, even though the author never labeled himself as such in the book. However, in his HeartattaCk column he elaborated on his political views in more detail, and responded to criticisms of Evasion:
Themes
The author criticizes the wastefulness of western society and frequently remarks on the ethics of work and industrial capitalism. He uses humor to make a mockery of what he believes is an unjust system, while at the same time relating his methods of survival and travel in enough detail to be useful to anyone attempting to replicate his schemes. The author chooses to find alternate means to support himself, rather than selling his time and labor to build profits for a corporation. Central to the book's theme is that human life is too precious to be sold away by the hour, and wage labor is inherently immoral.Critical Reception
Evasion received little coverage in the mainstream media, and received mixed reviews in anarchist and radical circles. Many were inspired by Evasion's promise of liberation from industrial capitalism through crime. Some criticized the author's "arrogance" and "white privilege." The Insurgent wrote, “The author of Evasion is a product of his time: an alienated high school dropout that refuses wage-slavery and commodity economic systems in the only way he can—by becoming an outlaw."Publication history
Evasion was originally a photocopied zine which was informally published and distributed by the author. According to the book's preface, under 100 copies were made by the author. One ended up in a stack of zines in the bathroom of a North Carolina house where the band ZegotaZegota (band)
Zegota is an American hardcore punk and post-hardcore band originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, formed in 1997.-History:Zegota formed in Greensboro around brothers Jon and Will Ridenour, respectively the group's guitarist and drummer, bassist Brian and singer Eric Moe...
was staying. Their guitarist happened across it and showed it to some of his friends and band members. They mailed it and passed it to other people, who in turn photocopied and distributed it, until over 5,000 copies were in circulation. Eventually, Crimethinc.
CrimethInc.
CrimethInc., also known as CWC , is a decentralized anarchist collective of autonomous cells. CrimethInc. emerged in the mid-1990s, initially as the hardcore zine Inside Front, and began operating as a collective in 1996...
Far East contacted the author via an email address in the back of the zine to discuss the possibility of publishing a paperback book version with additional material. He agreed, and the book was finally published in 2001.. Throughout the next few years, the author gave several interviews and book tours and maintained a website, on which he stated that he was working on follow-up works to Evasion, such as a second book and a documentary. According to one interview, he briefly discussed creating a film version of the book with "a producer in New York City." Then, between the years of 2005 and 2011, "Mack Evasion" made no contact with anyone in the media and posted nothing on the internet under that moniker. His website went offline, and his works that were supposedly nearing completion were never released, though the Evasion paperback continued to be printed by Crimethinc. In May of 2011, he surfaced to give an interview in an upcoming zine, called "A Riotous Disarray," in which he explains the reasons for his disappearance. He also mentions that he still has nearly completed material for an Evasion sequel and he is looking for a publisher. A preview of the interview has been posted online.
Copyright status
The book is licensed under the following terms: "Excluding all corporations, the text from this book may be reproduced without permission in any form and quantity, by any means necessary." Free PDF files of the book are available on the internet.External links
- Evasion at CrimethInc.com
- Evasion eBook Online for free (PDF)
- "an interview with the author of evasion" by Ricky Powell. Comprehensive interview.
- A Riotous Disarray talks to the author of Evasion