The inaugural OC Anarchist Bookfair in May stayed true to the adage “Anarchy Is Order” (you never learned that in high-school civics? It was supposed to be on the $1 bill, you know) by offering a compact, daylong, tightly organized event. Hundreds of radicals poured through El Centro Cultural de México in Santa Ana, where the event was hosted. Bay Area anarchist and radical publishers AK Press and PM Press traveled down to offer classics and new works alongside local vendors. The space also offered free books, avocados and gender-neutral bathrooms. Political programming included a talk by radical educator Antonia Darder, numerous workshops and heated panel discussions. Austin-based activist scott crow energetically closed out the day, sharing how anarchism played a rebuilding role in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Chalk art in the parking lot outside summed up the insurgent spirit of the event best, though. A paraphrased quote from the late Spanish anarchist Buenaventura Durruti scrawled into the cracked pavement read, “We are not in the least afraid of ruins. . . . We hold another world in our hearts.”
