what's in your rave bag

+ Raving author & the rave mom herself, McKenzie Wark, recommends her favorite purse books!

Maggie Lange

Apr 25, 2023

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Raving *is 7 x 4.96 x 0.47 inches & a transcendent 136 pages.*

A book is, typically, a quiet object in this world. McKenzie Wark’s new book isn’t different, I guess, but it’s about the loudest things in the world, which are raves. And the Venn diagram of reading and raving achieves the circular here, in this book Raving, particularly at the No. 11 glossary entry:

*Also love madison moore’s book FABULOUS.*

I love Raving because it’s a project devoted to both insight and atmosphere. It’s as sophisticated as it is greedy & heat-seeking toward experience. And it provides an endless number of expressions: lingo that is specific to the practice of attending raves and highly useful for attending almost everything else in life.

For example & example & example & example:

*A treasured Purse Book pal has heard this term before (!), outside of a rave context, for all sorts of obnoxious characters.*

*Did your feelings get hurt because you are a coworker?*

*I’m not climbing up speakers, but I do have a goat-esque tendency to try to find the highest place to be in all settings.*

A book that gives language to something slippery and ineffable—BUT ALSO, a book that doesn’t dissect that slippery-ineffable thing and leave it piecemeal and dead on a table? Why yes, I’d love to read that and I did.

Believe it or not, Raving contains even more terms than the million I listed above! Raving abounds with these precise crystallizations, to describe characters and experience. Each is orienting and glowing, a neon sign, useful info in a bright swirl.

And, I must say that at precious intervals, Raving is very moving. It reminds that each pursuit we follow (raving as example) is a yearning.

Plus, we’re so lucky! McKenzie Wark recommends a couple of her favorite very short books, to pack into your rave bag:

Wonderful !

Raving was also the April installment of Purse Book Gals-On-The-Go Official Book Club Book. Here’s what the gals thought:

“Finally, a book that loves hydration as much as I do!” — Megan C.
“I liked that this book didn’t interest me in Ketamine but also didn’t frighten me about it.” — Sara, who has a story about their former roommate being an absolute scramble-havoc-wreaker at Bossa Nova Civic Club & frankly getting what he deserved about it !!
“I’ve been thinking a lot about the advice someone gives that ‘you have to water your friends.’ It feels like a nice way to think about navigating a crowd and prioritizing your people.” — Christina M.
“DID YOU CATCH THE META PURSE BOOK MOMENT?” — Mac A. via text, no response when I said “Yeah I did !! What did you think of it ?”

+ an in-action purse book photo of RAVING on the move, sent by personal friend/purse book reader DAYNA of DOWNTIME.