Vagabonds and the Revenge of Capitalism

A global pandemic; the onset of a massive economic crisis; and the reinvigoration of a powerful social movement for racial justice - these are just some of the seismic events that have defined 2020, a year that still has several months to run, and yet already has few historical parallels. In July, Pluto launched a new series of short books, 'Vagabonds'. Intended as radical pamphlets to fan the flames of discontent, these books delve into the urgent questions of healthcare, racial injustice and capitalism in crisis, that have come to define 2020. This month we speak to two people who have been instrumental in the creation of Vagabonds: Max Haiven, Research Chair in Culture, Media and Social Justice at Lakehead University in Canada, and director of the ReImagining Value Action Lab (RiVAL). Max is the series editor for Vagabonds and his most recent book is Revenge Capitalism: The Ghosts of Empire, the Demons of Capital, and the Settling of Unpayable Debts (Pluto, 2020). Cassie Thornton, an artist and activist from the US, currently living in Canada. She is the author of The Hologram, one of the first new books in the Vagabonds series. Cassie is also currently the co-director of RiVAL. --- Podcast listeners can buy all the books discussed in this episode with 50% off, via plutobooks.com/podcastreading. Use the coupon 'PODCAST' at the checkout. The full, unabridged version of this episode is available exclusively to Pluto Patreon members. Join today and support independent, radical publishing.