DS Book Club: James Palazzolo and James Donnel’s “All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Punk & Hardcore”

Everyone has their own stories and experiences when it comes to punk rock. While it’s the music that brought many of us together, the way people discover it can be deeply personal. Whether it be through a friend, older sibling, or some divine intervention, when you hear the right chords, it sets something off in your brain. This is part of what makes All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Punk & Hardcore a great collection of essays.

Edited by James Donnel and James Palazzolo, this first edition collects essays about different punk rock and hardcore bands and what they meant to each author. In the introduction, Palazzolo explains that the idea comes from a book he read by Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, but he felt it was more accurate to track his progress into adulthood through punk rock. After some prodding and encouragement from a friend, this project was born.

The writers cover a wide range of bands throughout punk and hardcore, from staples like the Ramones and the Misfits to early hardcore pioneers like Minor Threat and Gorilla Biscuits. The book also includes bands that are on the fringe of punk rock, like the Talking Heads, The Replacements, and The Butthole Surfers. Each one of these essays is presented differently in tone, structure, and perspective. The format and how it affected the author’s life vary from piece to piece.

The essays are written by people from all walks of life. For some, this is the first piece they’ve had professionally published. Contributors include a vegan chef (Damon Brasch), a filmmaker (Vinay Chowdry), a college professor (Zack Furness), and other writers or musicians who have an affinity for punk and hardcore. Each essay is full of love for the genre and shares personal memories or feelings about its chosen subject.

With an endless list of bands, everyone’s reason for latching onto a band, song, or album makes for some great writing. Damon Brasch’s take on 7Seconds is about how their music helped him undo years of the toxic masculinity that had been ingrained in him. Jeremy Broyles tells of his hesitancy to go see Coheed and Cambria due to his hearing loss and possibly being deaf by the time the band comes through town. Other authors wax poetic about their favorite albums and how they came to be. Most of these feel like a conversation you’d have with someone you’ve just met for the first time at a punk rock show.

The last chapter contains short reflections written by the contributing authors about PMA and DIY, two cornerstones of punk rock and hardcore. Similar to the essays, each author gets about 250 words to discuss what each means to them and their journey into punk rock. The section shows how punk rock still lives in these individuals and has affected their lives in a positive way.

James Palazzolo and James Donnel have put together something truly special. The idea may not break the mold, but the content certainly does. This volume covering punk and hardcore, is the first in what will be a series covering other genres like Metal, Ska, Jazz, Country, Blues, and more. It seems that if there’s a genre, Palazzolo and Donnel want to hear your story. This is a well put together collection and deserves to be on your bookshelf. Pick up All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Punk & Hardcore at Screams Internally Publications.