A Punkhouse in the Deep South: The Oral History of 309

Though arranged roughly chronologically, this work unfolds in a Rashomon-like juxtaposition of disparate narratives that relate the decades-long history of a Pensacola, FL, punk household. The book’s creation and publication are under academic aegis—Satterwhite (literature, Univ. of West Florida) is a college professor as well as a former resident of the house; Cometbus (editor of the zine Cometbus; author of I Wish There Was Something That I Could Quit) is another former resident—but beyond the book’s introduction, the authors let the other former residents of 309 speak for themselves. Pensacola might not be the first place people think of as a hotbed of punk rock, activist art, or LGTBQ culture. But that’s sort of the point: The inhabitants of 309 6th Avenue thrived by building what they needed, often laying foundations for remarkable creative or entrepreneurial success. The emergent narrative makes the case that DIY culture shouldn’t merely stand in opposition to the mainstream but also cultivate and flourish in its own garden. You can’t get much more punk than that.