Paradise Lost: Sarasota, Florida Hardcore & Punk Scene 1980s–1990s

Paradise Lost: Sarasota, Florida Hardcore & Punk Scene 1980s–1990s came about after five years of living in Sarasota, when I found myself at a house show watching a band called No Fraud. Shortly after, I met Dave “Spinach” Malinsky who has lived here his whole life and got into punk as a teen in the early 1990s. Those two moments combined to reveal that I was living in a small city with a punk past, despite its current reputation as a haven for upper-middle-class and wealthy retirees, northerners with second winter homes, and tourists. 
I made this zine in a frenzy of inspiration, buoyed by new friendships and the sudden ability to see beneath the surface of Sarasota, down into the subcultural strata that the white condos conceal. Now, I know which park Food Not Bombs used to happen, and where the old infoshop used to be. The natural environment with its bays and beaches, and the close-knit mid-century neighborhood where I live have made for a beautiful life here. But what I learned through these interviews gave me a deeper sense of connection and, at the same time, sharpened my awareness of the city’s limitations and shortcomings. 

Of course, Sarasota doesn't exist in a bubble, and the macro-level pattern of real estate as the top commodity under late capitalism is present everywhere. This dynamic, which reaches into every nook and cranny of society from here to New York City, is the elephant in the room of this zine. It's a culture-killing phenomenon. I hope people read these interviews and become more inspired to push back against the corporate mundanity that pollutes our physical spaces.

Resist psychic death!