Friday, December 09, 2011

Out Tomorrow!

I will be at the East Bay Alternative Press Book Fair with the brand new Rad Dad: The Occupy Issue!

Dec 10th from 10 - 4 at Berkeley City College!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Announcements fro the Fall and Winter

The new issue of the zine is due in December with stories from the Occupy Movement as well as good ol’ pieces on trying to parent in meaningful, conscientious ways...

Here are a couple good reviews of the book, which came out in September! Review 1, Review 2, Review 3.

And finally here is a list of the next few readings through the New Year. All information is also available on Facebook.

Please come out, say hi, stay in touch, and spread the word…

Rock, Paper, Scissors

2278 Telegraph Ave

Oakland

Saturday, November 5, 2011

7:00 pm

Readers: Tomas Moniz, Jeremy Adam Smith, Jeff Conant, Shawn Taylor, Craig Elliott

Russo's Books at The Marketplace

9000 Ming Ave # I4

Bakersfield

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

6:30 pm

Skylight Books

1818 N Vermont Ave (between Hollywood Blvd & Franklin)

Los Angeles, CA 90027

Nov 12

5 pm

Green Arcade

680 Market Street @Gough
San Francisco CA 94102

December 1^st

7 pm

Pegasus Downtown Berkeley

Rad Parents Read Their Favorite Kids Books

December 5^th

5 pm

We will have a at table at the East Bay Alternative Press Book Fair on December 10^th

Berkeley City College

SubRosa

703 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA

January 8^th

5 pm

Linnaea's Café

1110 Garden Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

January 10^th

Time TBA

Chaucer's Books
3321 State Street
Santa Barbara CA 93105

January 11^th

7pm

San Diego

January 13^th

TBA

Book Soup

8818 Sunset Blvd.

West Hollywood, CA 90069

January 14th

5pm

Joined by Jillian Lauren and Shawn Taylor

I’ll also be at the LA Zine Fest February 18^th so look for another reading...

Monday, August 15, 2011

Rad Dad Tour Dates

It’s official! The Rad Dad Anthology will be out on August 1st. There will be a number of events this Fall to help celebrate the amazing and inspiring work that radical mamas and papas do day in and day out that has been the reason behind Rad Dad all these years. More events will be posted as they are confirmed.

The Avid Reader
617 2nd Street
Davis, CA
Wednesday, August 31 2011
7:30 pm
Special Guests: Tomas Moniz

San Francisco Zine Fest
San Francisco County Fair Building, in Golden Gate Park
Saturday and Sunday, September 3 & 4, 2011
All Day

Libertalia Autonomous Space
280 Broadway Room 200
Providence, RI
Friday September 16, 2011
3:30 pm
Special Guest: Tomas Moniz and Jeremy Adam Smith

Bluestockings
172 Allen Street
Manhattan, NY
Saturday, September17, 2011
7:30pm
Special Guest: Tomas Moniz, Jeremy Adam Smith, and Ayun Halliday

Brooklyn Bookfair
BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL
209 JORALEMON STREET
Sunday, September18, 2011
All Day
Special Guest: Tomas Moniz and Jeremy Adam Smith

Woodenshoe Anarchist Collective
704 South Street
Philadelphia, PA
Monday, September 19, 2011
7:00 pm
Special Guest: Tomas Moniz and Jeremy Adam Smith

Positive Force
Washington, DC
Saturday, September 23, 2011
All Day
Special Guests: Tomas Moniz, Mark Anderson, and others

Baltimore Bookfair
600 BLOCK NORTH CHARLES STREET
Baltimore, MD
Sunday, September 24, 2011
All Day
Special Guests: Tomas Moniz

Modern Times
2919 24th St
San Francisco, CA
Thursday, September 29, 2011
7:00 pm
Readers: Tomas, Jeremy, Shawn

Reach And Teach
178 South Blvd
San Mateo, CA
Saturday, October 1, 2011
3:00 pm
Special Guest: Tomas Moniz and Jeremy Adam Smith

LitCrawl
Oddball Films, 250 Capp St
San Francisco, CA
Saturday, October 15, 2011
6:00 – 7:00
Readers: Tomas, Shawn,

Rock, Paper, Scissors
2278 Telegraph Ave
Oakland
Saturday, November 5, 2011
7:00 pm
Readers: Tomas, Jeremy

Russo's Books at The Marketplace
9000 Ming Ave # I4
Bakersfield
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
630 pm

Skylight Books
1818 N Vermont Ave (between Hollywood Blvd & Franklin)
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Nov 12
Saturday afternoon

We also have an event Jan 14th at Book Soup in LA.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Out now!

You can now order "Rad Dad: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Fatherhood" for only 15 bucks! Share on your Facebook wall, tweet it, blurb it on your blog, shout it from the rooftops!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Rad Dad, The Anthology Release Celebrations

Friday, June 17, 2011

Not that I timed it but...

available right now from Microcosm is the latest issue of Rad Dad! Here's their review:

Hot on the heals of Rad Dad 19, we're excited to announce the release of issue 20! This issues features articles about special needs children, traditional Japanese grandparents, queer male allies, and an interview with Brian Heagney—the author, illustrator, and publisher of the kid's book, The ABCs of Anarchism. Some of this issue is learning lessons from your children—or even them teaching you lessons—and as always, Rad Dad is a forum and a source of hope that parents and children can one day be welcomed in radical spaces. This is important reading—vital stuff for parents and nonparents alike.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Coming soon!

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Rad Dad 20 will be out in mid June...

and following that there will be lots of readings and mini-zine tours and lots of fun...join us, read with us, write for us...

tentative events --

July 23rd in Santa Rosa
Aug 2 - 9 mini Northwest zine tour and Portland zine fest
Aug 28 - Sept 4th Bay Area zine tour and SF zine fest
Sept 18 - 26th Brooklyn bookfair, Philly reading, Baltimore bookfair

stay in touch

Thursday, May 19, 2011

A Day in the park

One of the essays in the new Rad Dad Book anthology and originally published in Rad Dad 16 got picked up by the NY Times...

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

nice review of rad dad 18!

Rad Dad (18) by Tomas Moniz

Reviewed by Amanda Kimmerly

Upon first glance at the zine Rad Dad 18, I imagined a collection dedicated to fathers across America trying to stay hip and in-tune with their children, along with the misfires that come when attempting to translate young generational slang (i.e. the famous scene in 10 Things I Hate About You, when the father quips, “Those damn Dawson’s river kids, sleeping in each other’s beds and whatnot.”).

Luckily, that’s maybe 0.2 percent of it. This small zine, run by Tomas Moniz, covers topics from parenting and child nudity to open relationships and anti-breeding anarchists. Basically, if it’s a relationship or practice outside of the “norm,” it qualifies.

While some stories, by nature, proved more interesting and mysterious, like attempting polyamory after nine years of “dry monogamy,” the entire non-fiction collection, from start to finish, kept my full attention—so much that I stupidly missed a doctor’s appointment in the vigorous process.

Even as a person without any kids, I found myself relating to every article or using it as a preparation for, perhaps, a (daunting!) future of childbearing. For those with children, or non-traditional ways of living, I imagine it could provide a sense of compassion and understanding, the way a Sci-Fi convention might comfort the kid who only wears Trekkie outfits to class. The point is: relationships are weird, messy, and ever-evolving. The storytellers in Rad Dad 18 tackle this observation by sharing their insights and frustrations in a positive, healthy light while at the same time skillfully using elements of craft as a piece of compelling short fiction.

Instead of a magazine geared toward fathers, or even parents, it is one for, as Jason Gonzales beautifully said in his story, “Earth Abides,” “warriors committed to a multi-generational movement of positive change.” In sexual relationships, parental relationships, environmental relationships, and foremost, the relationships we keep with ourselves.

New and back issues of Rad Dad are available at raddadzine.blogspot.com.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

East Coast Rad Dad Tour

Hello everyone: next week is a Rad Dad mini east coast reading tour starting Monday in NYC with the amazing Ayun Halliday at Bluestockings 7pm, Wednesday afternoon in Providence at Libertalia Autonomous Space at 3pm, then Thursday evening 7pm at Ada Books in Providence, and finally in Boston at Papercut Zine Library at 7pm...please spread the word and stop on by!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

We will have a Rad Dad Release Party on March 26th at 7pm at Actual Cafe in Oakland. Please come say hello and pick up some copies of Rad Dad (and other zines - there will be a zine table), listen to two bands with papas in them (Team Nisto and Nomi), and hear a few radical parents read!

Line Up

Team Nisto: 700-730
Readers 745-815
Nomi 830-900

Monday, February 14, 2011

mini east coast tour getting set!

here's the first announcement of the tour that will happen between april 20th and april 29th...

set dates are:

NYC with ayun halliday and vikki law monday april 25th Bluestockings
Providence with chelsea gunn and more thursday april 28th at Ada Books organized by Sine Cera
Boston at friday april 29th at Papercut Zine Library

and our first write up in Providence, RI.

Tomas

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Doing The Wrong Thing is Better Than Doing Nothing: The Intro to Rad Dad 19

Parenting has taught me a lot about dealing with things I'd rather not deal with. I’ve been forced to breathe deeply and make the call to the doctor at three in the morning: um, my daughter won’t stop crying, and when the doctor asks why she’s crying, I’ve had to confess, well I kinda dropped her today.

That never feels good to admit to.

Or I’ve had to clench my mouth shut tightly and just let my daughter have her feelings, be disappointed, resist the urge to placate her, to try to “make” her feel better by saying something inane like, well your little ten year old friend is a
dick.

Definitely, not good parental role modeling.

I’ve also learned to deal with larger, seemingly inhuman bureaucratic systems such as the school system with all its rules and policies that punish children for their parents’ choice or responsibilities. No, I don’t think it’s fair that my seventh grader gets an F in classes because I took her on a trip to see a sick relative. I’ve learned to face a police and justice system that views children as criminals first and people second.

Parenting has shown me that both the little things and big things in life can be sometimes daunting to face. As the saying goes, shit ain’t easy. Life is messy. People, messy. Friendship is work and commitment as well as fun and pleasurable. Just like parenting.

Sometimes I do wish I could just ignore things, overlook stuff I don’t really want to face, pretend I just didn’t know. Just go on with my everyday routine.

Parenting, however, has also demonstrated that there are the choices we need to make between letting some things slide while focusing on others.

My daughter’s arriving home ten minutes late after school might be ok now and then. I can raise an eyebrow and shrug off her, what, the bus was late, exasperated remark when I ask why she’s not on time. Because when she’s out at night and forgets to call when I explicitly explained that I expected her to, that ain’t something you can let slide. It’s something you have to address, and it’s difficult to hold her to the agreed upon consequences. It’s painful to hear her anger, her frustration, to be the target of her unmitigated teenage rage. And that shit’s scary.

So parenting has taught me how to stand firm and also that some things are negotiable, that there’s a balance between holding your child accountable and creating transparency in your agreements.

Let me stop stalling.

A friend of mine was arrested for domestic violence. There’s a story there. There are reasons for his anger and even empathy around the whole situation: towards him, towards his partner. The whole affair is sad. It’s painful. In the end, perhaps it will all be for the best for both of them and their kids.

But there is no excuse for violence in a relationship.

None.

Ever.

The crisis is over. She’s moved out of their home. They have a routine set up. Things are almost back to normal. People in my circle of friends are even joking about it.

And that is what bothers me, what makes me uncomfortable.

I started to ask around: what is my role? How do I address this with my daughters? How to be a true friend?

I don’t want to be the one to constantly bring it up every time I see him, but I also don’t want a ‘business as usual’ type friendship, a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ relationship because that is so much easier: if I don’t know about it, I guess I don’t have to make any tough choices.

I remember when the Chris Brown and Rhianna incident occurred. I immediately talked to my kids about it, especially my youngest daughter who was very into both of them. I asked how they felt about hearing the news. I didn’t want to let this opportunity slip: a chance to address the unacceptability of domestic violence, to establish a clear ‘zero-tolerance’ policy. Some things can slide; physical and emotional abuse can’t.

Chris Brown was ostracized; we as a family severed ties with him and his music. And the cool thing is most of the population did as well. His musical career seems to be over.

But what to do with my friend?

Soon after all this happened, I spoke with another friend of mine, a woman, a person who had been in an abusive relationship in the past, and she gave me some advice I hold dearly now. She said when she was going through it, that she wished people would have done something, anything. She looked at me and stated: sometimes doing the wrong thing is better than doing nothing.

I understood immediately that that was why I was so uncomfortable. I could see how easy doing nothing could have been. Denial is powerful. But as parenting has taught me some things can’t slide and so sometimes you just gotta grin and bear it. You have to face it.

I want to thank my kids for making me learn this lesson.

I knew I needed to talk to him before he moved off the block, so one night when he came over to borrow something, I did.

We stood out on my stoop, and we talked. First I expressed my anger and disappointment. Then I expressed my dilemma. I told him I knew it would be work, but that I wanted to be the kind of friend who is wiling to both stand up for someone and to hold them accountable. I expressed my concerns about how he was taking responsibility for his actions.

I did however acknowledge that I had no answers, only questions. But I told him I’m willing to struggle to find those answers with him, together.

We hugged, and he left.

A few days later, I raised the subject again with my daughters and my twenty-year-old son who was visiting. We all had talked about it here and there, and I know they have heard me and their mother and other friends talking about the incident. Arguing over it. Gossiping about it. In fact, my youngest daughter and I saw the cop cars in front of their house when it happened and I said to her almost in jest, I hope that’s not what I think it is. I cringe thinking about how uncritical a statement that is in regards to domestic abuse. I feel like I should apologize to her over my seeming ambivalence.

So we were all sitting around the table, my two daughters and my son eating dinner. I didn’t have a script or a point, I just wanted to be honest with them. I confessed, I am angry that I don’t know what to do or say. I feel like a hypocrite singing that song about Chris Brown needing to get his ass kicked after what he did, and yet when it happens on my street I’m at a loss as to what I should do. Just because I’m a friend with someone doesn’t mean they’re not accountable, you know.

You know it’s not your fault dad, my youngest says, like I’m acting foolish.

Getting chastised by your kids is another thing you learn how to deal with from parenting.

I know, I said, I just don’t want to sweep this under the rug. Domestic violence whether it’s emotional or physical is never ok. No matter what.

I was looking at my two daughters like I’m telling them that they should never stand for it, when I realized my son was sitting right there. Looking at me. I looked at him.

I realized I haven’t had a conversation like this in a while, talking about sex education was one thing, talking domestic violence another.

My son shook his head up and down slowly.

I know dad, he said I know, and he looked me in the eye, that shit is totally fucked up.

And he meant it.

It was one of the most reassuring moments in my life. I realize then that what had also been bothering me was talking with my son about it. It’s strange to love this young person so much, and for years feeling like I could control his actions. Now he stands taller than me, muscular, lean, a man, and I have no control over anything anymore in his life (well except for kicking in money for his rent), and yet I still have such expectations of him. And he may let me down in the future, may make mistakes in relationships. But one thing I think he knows is that domestic abuse is a line you don’t cross.

Hearing him say that with such conviction, without equivocation in front of his sisters was a profound moment for me.

Thank you, I said.

And we all kind of went on to other things.

As the weeks pass, I bring it up with my daughters now and then. My middle child now has a boyfriend. And I see how quickly I will have no control in her life too. It’s hard to let go. But I’m gonna do it. With love and with encouragement and with trust.

They taught me that.

This issue of Rad Dad is dedicated to all those who are victims of violence: at the hands of the police, of bullies, of their own family.

I promise you I will never look the other way.

I promise you I will do something whether it’s the right thing or not at the time.

I promise. I will.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

rad dad 19 is out and here's a review that proves it -- order now...

Rad Dad #19
by Tom Moniz

As Rad Dad editor Tomas Moniz says in issue 19's first essay, “Parenting has taught me a lot about dealing with things I’d rather not deal with.” This is the Rad Dad “heavy topics” issue; its pages are concerned with talking to your kids about topics you might shy away from—important issues like racism, sexism, death, domestic violence, police brutality, and environmental crisis. Rad Dad is, as always, about communication, about not shutting off when your kids need help making sense of the things happening around them. And sometimes that's the hardest part—when you yourself are fighting to make sense of a changing terrain. Says Tomas in the zine's intro, “For my family, there was violence in our neighborhood as a number of young men were killed, friends of ours were assaulted in their homes, domestic violence happened in a family we were close to. Suddenly, it seemed I was just trying to keep up with things?let alone talk about them with my kids. But they were listening; they were witnesses to it all and witnesses to how we, the adults in their lives, reacted.” The psychic landscape this issue navigates can be harrowing but Rad Dad retains the loving, constructive light of positivity and forward motion it has cultivated since issue 1. This is important reading—vital stuff for parents and nonparents alike.