Dreams of Anarchy and the Anarchy of Dreams: Adventures at the Crossroads of Anarchy and Surrealism

The wild current of anarchy runs deeply throughout the oneiric river of surrealism. Here then is a book of dreams set in motion by the myriad historical and contemporary interactions between surrealism and one of its most marvelous accomplices: anarchism. A vast and comprehensive critical history, carefully documenting the fleeting and sometimes lengthy and troubled affiliations of scores of surrealist legends in France, Spain, North America, and elsewhere, not only with anarchism but also Trotskyism, Stalinism, council communism, anti-fascism, and indigenous cultures. Ron Sakolsky’s magnum opus.

“An ambitious and cohesive publishing project. I hope it will inform the next generation of anarchists and artists. Over the last few years, we have seen a lot of conflict with police, fascists, and other adversaries, and at some points, massive numbers of people have been involved, but at the same time, there has been a dearth of creative projects and experimentation. Not only do our confrontational efforts often go better when we approach them with creative flair, but likewise, it’s important to be able to experiment in a positive direction, not to always be on the defensive.” –b (crimethinc)

“Dreams of Anarchy and the Anarchy of Dreams is an epic, exciting and much needed antidote to the usual academicynicism. Paired together, in an alchemical marriage of equals, surrealism and anarchism can truly deepen and enliven each other, and, Sakolsky argues, ultimately point toward the same vision. That few (and in English very few) have even scratched the surface of surrealism’s anarchist connection is evident in the reckoning of accounts with misinformed critiques of surrealism, even from anarchist sources. No stone is left unturned, and historical positions are contextualized with assessments from contemporary anarchists, surrealists, and others in an open and integrative spirit. Indeed, the selection of snippets from such a wide treasury of sources interspersed among Sakolsky’s poignant analysis make this book a very lively read.
–Steven Cline and Jason Abdelhadi, Fifth Estate