 Escape
from 'normality' in the weird and wonderful company of the many
contributors to this extraordinary book.
It’s a celebration of, and roller-coaster ride through,
many parts of alternative Oz. These are the braves and the tribal
elders of the intentional communities; the forest blockades and
other protests; the performing arts scene, the festivals, and
the forest, beach and desert doofs. These are people actively
searching for space, identity, ritual - trying to make sense of
the Australian, Aboriginal and global heritage.
Alternative Australia is a unique and colourful collection of
people's stories and pictures as a celebration and critique of
the alternative lifestyles and cultures which exist on the edges
of mainstream Australia. It is a book of party and protest. It
presents the blow-by-blow accounts of what it is actually like
to live on the fringes. Ultimately, no reader will like or agree
with all the contributors or contributions. But the 'cultural
diversity' aspect is central to the whole book.
The main purpose in Australia is to find our mystical space.
Daevid Allen
Many other themes interweave throughout: environmental concerns;
celebration; ritual; indigenous people and tribal customs; protest;
arts and performance; human rights issues. The old adage, think
global and act local, is also raised, if not spelled out in a
number of the contributions.
Alan Dearling, along with his co-pilot, Brendan Hanley (Mook
Bahloo), introduce you to the ideas and lives of ferals, deep
ecologists, communards, shamen, modern prophets of Gaia and more.
Together it presents a dazzling tapestry of life and energy of
people living at the margins of Australian society. Some work
in universities, some are full time artists, some have 'gone wild',
taken on the tribal mantle in their search to establish sustainable
communities and lifestyles. Contributors include: Daevid Allen;
Peter Cock; Orryelle Defenestrate; Liz Hall-Downs; Bill Metcalf;
Janice Newton; John Seed and Benny Zable.
Brendan Hanley (Mook Bahloo) is a well known musician and writer
based in the New South Wales Rainbow Region community. His songs
include Marijuana Australiana and Mangoes in the Moonlight. He
still lives there with his partner, Shanto.
The book, which has taken nearly two years to put together, also
tells the story of Alan's personal quest, travelling around Australia
both for real and on the Internet.
This is no normal history or travel book - enter in, the show is about
to begin!
"...crammed full of tribal wisdom, feral attitude
and hippy shit..."
Read samples from this book:
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Alternative Australia