Nirvana's Krist Novoselic: A National Tour of Bookstore Lectures and House Parties for the Center for Voting and Democracy

Find out about a house party near you.

Krist Novoselic, bass player for the band Nirvana and an effective political activist in Washington state, has written a new book called "Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy!" In the book Novoselic discusses how Nirvana emerged as the world's biggest band of the early 1990s, how he got involved in politics and why we need electoral reform --  in particular full representation and instant runoff voting.

Novoselic's book hit your local bookstores in September, and he is on a national tour on its behalf. (See full schedule below.) His talks at bookstores focus on changing winner-take-all elections.

Novoselic has also been featured in the media.  His October 16th talk was covered on C-SPAN's "Book TV." He discussed his book and reform options in an interview on October 8 and his tour was covered on October 11 by the New Yorker.

Novoselic also is joining the Center for Voting and Democracy's Board of Directors this fall, and he has generously offered to participate in a house party for the Center for Voting and Democracy in every city along the way of his tour. Updated details will be posted regularly on this page.

Novoselic's tour schedule is below, followed by a release about about "Of Grunge & Government" that is on Krist's website: fixour.us  You also can check out a review from Spin Magazine, Times Leader (PA) or Amazon.com.

Join Krist at House Parties to Support Electoral Reform

As Krist Novoselic travels the country, he is looking forward to meeting with local supporters of reform. As a new board member of the Center for Voting and Democracy, Krist asks attenders to make a donation -- ideally of at least $25 -- to the Center.

We have organized house parties for the following locations. Because most of them are in private homes, we are not putting address information on the website, but instead ask those interested in attending to RSVP and obtain information by calling us at (301) 270-4616 or emailing to [email protected]. Here are short description about the events and, where possible, information about where to go.

• September 17: House party in Seattle (WA) from 5 - 6:30 pm
  Join Krist, executive director Rob Richie and board secretary Cynthia Terrell at a home in the Madrona area of Seattle.
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• September 18: House party in Olympia (WA) from 9 - 10:30 pm
  Join Krist, executive director Rob Richie and board secretary Cynthia Terrell at the home of Becky Liebman and Charlie Stephens.
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• September 19: House party in Portland (OR) from 5 - 6:30 pm
  Join Krist, executive director Rob Richie and board secretary Cynthia Terrell at a private home in downtown Portland.  See an article about Krist's public appearance at Powell's City of Books in the Oregonian.
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• September 20: House party in Sacramento (CA) from 9 - 10:30 pm
  Join Krist and local leaders of Californians for Electoral Reform at the home of Rev. Theodore Webb just outside Sacramento.
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• September 21: Gathering in Berkeley (CA) from 7 - 8:30 pm
  Join Krist, the Center's senior analyst Steven Hill and new board member David Wilner at the Pusod center in downtown Berkeley.
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• September 22: House party in San Francisco (CA) from 8:30 - 10 pm
  Join Krist and the Center's senior analyst Steven Hill at a private home in San Francisco.
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• September 23: Gathering in Beverly Hills (CA) from 8 - 10 pm
  Join Krist, the Center's executive director and new board member Katherine Spillar of the Feminist Majority Foundation for a discussion and reception in the auditorium of the Feminist Majority Foundation at 433 South Beverly Drive (between Olympia and Pico, west of Robertson).  For this event, please RSVP by September 22 by phone to (310) 556-2500 or by email to [email protected].-
  

• October 3: House party in Washington (DC) at 6:30 pm
  Join Krist, Robert Richie, and Jamin Raskin, professor of constitutional law at American University at a house party this Sunday for drinks, music, treats from Cakelove, and spirited discussions about our voting system, the need and  possibilities for reform, as well as efforts to promote a constitutional  right to vote.
  

• October 4: Gathering in Washington (DC) from 12:30-1:20 pm
  "Ragged Republic: The Dangerous Weakness of America's
  Electoral System in 2004." Washington College of Law, Room 602 4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NEW
  Join Krist and Professor Jamin Raskin, pro-democracy lawyer and author of the newly released paperback version of Overruling Democracy: The Supreme Court versus the American People, his 2003 Washington Post Bestseller, as they
  discuss what's wrong in structure, design and practice with America's electoral system today and how to change it. The discussion will be followed by a book-signing with the authors.
  

• October 6: Gathering in New York (NY) from 5:00 pm
  Please join Krist, Demos, and the Center's Executive Director Rob Richie for the latest updates on implementation of instant runoff voting in San Francisco, and discussion of the distorted nature of representation and competition in congressional races. Demos is located on the fifth floor of 220 Fifth Avenue, near the 28 St/Broadway subway stop. RSVP by phone to Demos at 212-633-1405.

Stay tuned! House parties are planned for Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, and Boston during Krist's book tour.

Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix this Broken Democracy!
by Krist Novoselic

Non-Fiction/Political Science/Memoir | Trade Paperback
ISBN 0-9719206-5-6 | 125 pages | $9.95
Forthcoming: September 2004

Founding member of world-famous rock band NIRVANA offers a personal and political memoir.

One part memoir, one part political platform, the bass player of Nirvana--the most heralded and influential rock band of the past twenty years--tells the story of his own musical and political coming-of-age. From his relationship to Kurt Cobain to his evolution as a political activist, Novoselic's passion, intelligence, and integrity come shining through in this moving and inspirational book.

Although Krist Novoselic will undoubtedly be forever best known as a member of Nirvana, his accomplishments go far beyond that remarkable achievement. Nirvana was a band with a conscience, and as a major label act they regularly played benefits--the first Rock For Choice show, a major concert in support of gay rights, and a legendary gig that raised money for the Balkan Women's Aid Fund.

In 1995, Novoselic founded JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Music Promotions Political Action Committee), a proactive organization that advocate d on behalf of Washington state's music community. Novoselic's work with JAMPAC helped Seattle club owners find ways to host all-ages shows, and was instrumental in helping to overturn the infamous Teen Dance Ordinance. And sometimes making music and making a statement go hand in hand, as when Novoselic, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, and drummer Gina Mainwal backed Jello Biafra as the "No W.T.O. Combo" at a show performed during the World Trade Organization conference held in Seattle in 1999.

There have been other musical endeavors since Nirvana, as well as new causes (Novoselic is a strong supporter of electoral reform, an issue he writes about extensively on his website. The one constant is Novoselic's desire to continue making progressive contributions to the community--and to keep on making good music.