Only a Beginning: An Anarchist Anthology

Jason Gregory Zorbas, Ph.D., is a sessional lecturer in the Department
of History at the University of Saskatchewan.

Only a Beginning is reminiscent of the special issues that Sports
Illustrated releases after a team has won a national championship. Full
of pictures and glowing commentary, they are intended as a celebration
of a team’s excellence and are utterly devoid of critical
analysis—much like this volume, which, with its abundant pictures and
short commentary, attempts to create a link between the modern Canadian
anarchist and his or her collected past.

Important questions—such as what is an anarchist, and does the term
really embrace the dozens of different protest movements covered in the
book?—are never answered. Feminists, anti-capitalists, animal-rights
activists, radical environmentalists, and dozens of others all find a
home in the anthology with no discussion of how they relate to and/or
influence each other. Visual art, theatre, magazines, and other forms of
expression are all chronicled with no analysis of how they interact, as
if they exist in a vacuum. Negative analysis of the subjects is
nonexistent.

Yet, despite these criticisms, Only a Beginning is a visually stunning
tour of virtually every protest movement in Canada’s history. Each
entry provides a sharp critique of some aspect of modern society. It is
at times enthralling and disturbing, often simultaneously. It is
certainly thought-provoking. For anarchists, it is a celebration of
their calling; for others, it offers an interesting look at how these
often misunderstood individuals perceive contemporary society and the
tools they use to attack it.