Nick Powers: The Revolution Will Be a Carnival

Life is a Festival

Would you believe that carnivals are a crucial element of social movements? Indeed, today's guest, Professor Nick Powers, suggests that by emphasizing fun, sacrilege, and even the grotesque, we can safeguard social justice against dogmatism and self-righteousness, preventing its co-option.

During our conversation, Nick and I reminisce about our early days as passionate, albeit somewhat overzealous, young activists. We share our mutual love of Burning Man, where he co-founded the People of Color Camp. Nick unpacks the concept of the "carnivalesque" and categorizes carnivals into three types: reactionary, status quo, and revolutionary. We propose a path forward, using festivals for social change, specifically for three types of individuals: the fervent young activist, the burnt-out revolutionary, and the complacent progressive. We discuss how diversity finally arrived at Burning Man and, lastly, why the white working class is the "prodigal son" of history.

Dr. Nicholas Powers, PhD, is a novelist, poet, journalist, and professor based in New York. As a tenured Associate Professor of Literature at SUNY Old Westbury, his political writing has been featured in Truth Out, The Independent Catalyst, Raw Story, Business Insider, Lucid News, The Village Voice, and Vibe. His books include 'Theater of War,' 'The Ground Below Zero: 9/11 to Burning Man, New Orleans to Haiti, and Occupy Wall Street,' and 'Thirst.' It was an honor to visit Nick in his Brooklyn home for this engaging conversation—the first time on this show that we delve deeply into politics while ensuring that life remains a festival.

Links

• Nicholas Powers
• The Ground Below Zero: 9/11 to Burning Man
• Carnivalesque - Wikipedia
• Burners Without Borders
• Rabelais and His World
• MANIFESTO OF SURREALISM
• Winnicot, Playing and Reality
• Klaus Theweleit’s Male Fantasies vol 1: Men and Women
• Asata Shakur
• For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf
  Sherman Alexie – Flight (Chapter 1)

Timestamps

• :09 - How Nick and I were both insufferable young activists… and went to Burning Man
• :27 - Carnivalesque: Reactionary, Status Quo, and Revolutionary Carnivals
• :44 - The path forward for y the fiery young activist, the burnt out revolutionary, and the complacent progressive
• :54 - How diversity arrived at the Burn
• 1:04 - Resources to better understand the Revolutionary Carnival
• 1:14 - The white working class as the prodigal son of history