We Were Going to Change the World - by Stacy Russo (Paperback)

About the Book

An oral history of women's role in the Southern California punk rock scene of the 1970s and 1980s. Interviews include musicians, performers, journalists, photographers, DJs, fans, and scenesters.

From the Back Cover

The punk rock scene of the 1970s and '80s in Southern California is widely acknowledged as one of the most vibrant, creative periods in all of rock and roll history. And while many books have covered the artists who contributed to the music of that era, none have exclusively focused on the vitality and influence of the women who played such a crucial role in this incredibly dynamic and instrumental movement.

We Were Going to Change the World captures the stories of women who were active in the SoCal punk rock scene during this historic time, adding an important voice to its cultural and musical record. Through exclusive interviews with musicians, journalists, photographers, and fans, Stacy Russo has captured the essence of why these women were drawn to punk rock, what they witnessed, and how their involvement in this empowering scene ended up influencing the rest of their lives.

From such hugely influential musicians and performers as Exene Cervenka, Alice Bag, Kira, Phranc, Johanna Went, Teresa Covarrubias, and Jennifer Precious Finch, to such highly regarded journalists, DJs, and photographers as Ann Summa, Jenny Lens, Kristine McKenna, Pleasant Gehman, and Stella, to the fans and scenesters who supported the bands and added so much color and energy to the scene, We Were Going to Change the World is an important oral history of the crucial contributions women injected into the Southern California punk rock scene of the 1970s and '80s. Empowering, touching, and informative, Stacy Russo's collection of interviews adds a whole new dimension to the literature of both punk rock and women's studies.

Review Quotes

Featured in Music Connection magazine, In Tune Monthly magazine, AntiGravity magazine, Bella magazine, the Windy City Times, Gladys magazine, Creative Loafing Tampa, BuzzBands.la, NewYorkSpaces.com, TheVinylDistrict.com, SheSpark.com, TheSilo.com, BroadwayWorld.com, Jet-Society.com, MoosterBlog.com, and DonovansLiteraryServices.com

"An essential read for anyone interested in punk rock and Southern California music history."
--LA Weekly

"Those who are familiar with punk rock will find this work absorbing and illuminating, as will musical, cultural, and women's studies historians."
--Library Journal

"It's not too often an author chronicles a cultural revolution completely with oral histories. But that is exactly what Stacy Russo does with We Were Going to Change the World, a book that captures SoCal punk during its most electrifying years. Musicians--including Exene Cervenka (X), Alice Bag (the Bags) and Kira (Black Flag)--are given space alongside concertgoers to discuss the lasting impact the scene had on their lives."
--Bust magazine

"We Were Going to Change the World examines the power and promise of punk through the eyes of the women who experienced it--showcasing the SoCal scene as a source of community and a force for empowerment, self-discovery, and social change." --KCET "Artbound"

"Shedding a light on major punk influencers and supporters alike, Russo's work should be of interest to anyone who loves reading about women taking control in music. . . . A very entertaining and equally inspiring read."
--Vanyaland

"Russo presents insights from a wide cross section of those who were there, including musicians like Exene Cervenka of X and folkie Phranc along with those working in the photography, radio or print mediums, and those who were 'just' fans like Cate Garcia."
--AntiMusic.com

"A unique book about the punk rock era."
--Guitar Girl magazine

About the Author

Stacy Russo grew up in the 1980s Southern California punk rock scene. She is a librarian and professor at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, California. Stacy is the editor of Life as Activism: June Jordan's Writings from The Progressive (Litwin Books, 2014) and the author of The Library as Place in California (McFarland, 2007). Her articles, poetry, and reviews have appeared in Feminist Teacher, Feminist Collections, American Libraries, Counterpoise, Library Journal, the Chaffey Review, and Serials Review. Stacy is an active poet and writer in the independent publishing and zine community in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. Her self-published poetry zines include Poems a Librarian Wrote on Her Lunch Break and Young and Hungry in Paradise. She holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley; Chapman University; and San Jose State University.