More Punk Than the Public Library (2026)
J. Hunter Bennett
160 pgs.
J. Hunter Bennett dedicated a year to serving as the proprietor of a little free library with a big mission: keep the shelves stocked with a healthy balance of punk rock books and noir novels, as well as a newsletter to document the journey and capture the neighborhood spirit of a community living through the worst of the pandemic.
The twelve-month project is split into twelve chapters, each with a recap of the month followed by the best excerpts from the little free library’s Little Free Punk Rock Bookstore’s accompanying newsletter. At the very least, you will walk away with a much taller to-read list stocked with more than just punk and noir. The punk label perhaps describes the DIY nature of the affair more than the subject matter of the books on the shelf. To name a few: U-God’s Raw: My Journey into the Wu-Tang, Howard Sounes’ Paul McCartney bio, John O’Brien’s Leaving Las Vegas, and Perry Henzell’s (of The Harder They Come fame) Power Game. Each freely given book is captured with a brief commentary.
These often comical write-ups point to the best reason to stock a free library. It doesn’t matter if you loved or hated the book you are offering. What matters is that your offering represents a hope that someone will walk by and fall in love with it, which makes Bennett’s comical write-up of Neuromancer so enticing:
The novel that launched the cyberpunk movement, predicted the Internet, and spawned a turgid Billy Idol record. I’ve never made it past page 42. Maybe you’ll have better luck.
Hence why Bennett does not just lovingly curate; he also weeds the library of unloved castoffs. The tagline of the newsletter is No kid lit, romance, self-help, or Jesus. That shit’s a dime a dozen at any Goodwill or proper library. Look for it elsewhere. Look for something different at Bennett’s Nevada Avenue Outdoor Free Bookshop.
The books on offer are just scratching the surface of the project, though. The real effort (and reward for the reader) went into the Communiqué newsletter, where the articles are as diverse as the reading material. Newsletter contributors include friends, family, and neighbors. Highlights include “I Was There… Cornershop, January 17, 1988” by Anuj Vohra, who finds representation in American indie music, which up until this formative point had been unendingly white. “They Call Me the Graffiti Grammarian” reveals how the neighborhood Bucket Hat Lady received her moniker, which is an equally inspiring and hilarious example of civil disobedience. “Star Star: Gore Vidal at the Parthenon/Chevy Chase Lounge” is a transcript of a time Gore Vidal (probably) told the author to pipe down.
This is all well-and-good, but where’s the punk? Punk-related articles abound, as well. A contributor discusses his six-week undergrad Rocky Mountain Geology survey, which found him bunking with Richie Stotts of the Plasmatics. There are plenty of walks down memory lane: a review of the Ex-Lion Tamers, a Wire cover band, opening for Wire in 1987. There’s even a review of an MDC concert the contributor doesn’t remember. Humor, variety, recommendations (books and tunes), and inspiration abound. Highly recommended.