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Arts & Entertainment

Atomic Evenings at Atomic Books

John Waters, John Sayles, Free Comics, and a little political bugaboo.

Atomic Books in Hampden, as well as being a peerless Baltimore books and comics shop, is frequent host to visiting writers, directors, journalists and other variously titled creative-types.
 
Award-winning journalist Will Potter made an appearance on Thursday to speak about his recently published Green is the New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege.

Potter's premise is simple, if controversial. He claims green-activists, in carrying out peaceful demonstrations and political activities, are being imprisoned and prosecuted under laws originally meant for terrorists as commonly understood.

Potter agrees there is a place for anti-terrorism laws but these laws should not impinge on the rights granted to American citizens, such as freedom of speech and freedom to peaceably organize.

In Green is the New Red, Potter draws a parallel between the by-gone McCarthyism of the 1950s what he sees as rhetoric employed by certain political figures and corporate entities against ecological activist groups.

The audience in attendance at Atomic Books received Potter's views with unsurprising sympathy (after all, it's a comic book shop, not a Tea Partier's backyard BBQ), and the atmosphere rather than politically paranoid or uneasy was open and casual. The talk was punctuated with drinks and vegan snacks while  Potter signed copies of his books.

If politics isn't in your bag of evening-activity tricks, know that Atomic Books brings in the more lighthearted guest-events as well.

John Sayles
, MacArthur's “Genius Grant” award winning novelist, screenwriter, best known for writing and direction of Matewan, on May 5th will be celebrating the release of his new book A Moment in the Sun (as all you kids will recognize as being published by the every-and-always-hip McSweeny's press).

Free Comic Book Day follows shortly after on May 7th. What this means should be obvious, but if not, if you go to Atomic Books you can leave with free comics (free, as in gratis, as in you don't pay for them).

Another John, John Waters (our John) on May 14th will be signing copies of his critically lauded book Role Models which is soon to come out in soft-cover.

You don't like comics, politics, books, geniuses, beer or John Waters? Well, there's always bowling.

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