i can do some amount of reading, but when it comes to reading something like Das Kapital, my eyes glaze over

i can't be the only one who has this struggle. besides developing the practice of reading widely and deeply, what are some ways we can help ourselves to become the critical thinkers necessary for revolutionary work?

we can talk about tips/experiences like:

  • getting your vision checked
  • an adhd diagnosis
  • reward structures
  • joining book clubs
  • note taking strategies
  • etc

in essence, is there theory for "reading theory"?

  • marxisthayaca [he/him,they/them]M
    ·
    4 years ago

    Thank you @Grownbravy for tagging me on here.

    I learned this when I was full-on in Artist hobbyist mode, an instructor said that mental health is very important, and getting yourself taken care of and being in the right headspace should definitely be a thing you prioritize before moving forward. I like to think the concept applies across disciplines. So if you have blurry vision or mental health issues, do what you can to make it right.

    Reward structures, it's something i'll probably study in the near future within my grad school program; but for the time being, I'd say having an intrinsic locus of motivation rather than extrinsic. That is, you want to get better at theory because it will be inherently good to you or a project you are working on (food not bombs needs better organizing, the defund the police group is getting taken over by libs, DSA Commie caucus needs some new folks, etc). Alternatively, you could do book clubs. The Chapo.chat discord server/ark from the banned days is still active and it is nominally connected to the /c/books community. You can join their reading group and meet over discord. I read Pedagogy of the Oppressed twice just so I could talk to them :).

    You can also join the Perusall Book Club. We have 450+ books on theory (and some light reading) as well as some video content. The book club was started in /r/CTH and we went through Capital Vol. 1, Wage, Labour and Profit, State and Revolution, Shock Doctrine, and a few others. The Perusall tool allows people to annotate in the margins, so if you read ANY of those books you'll have old marginalia from other comrades, to either clarify or argue with (I know I still check my perusall emails occasionally).

    I am a big, HUGE, proponent of marginalia and annotation. It's why I found Perusall and Hypothes.is. I now annotate pretty much everything in my life (digital or physical books). So I'd recommend that as a note-taking strategy. Your margin notes can be anything from agreeing or disagreeing, question marks for further reading, highlight dope-ass quotes, and essay length comments relating your understanding to the book or piece of literature in question. Ultimately the point of absorbing all this theory is to either write about it at length, condense it into propaganda, or explain it to other people. And marginalia and writing will help you practice your communication.

    One additional piece of advice I'd give, google the title of the book or theory literature you are reading + study guide, or look up podcasts about leftist theory. If the book is well known, you'll have some additional resources that might help you clarify outstanding questions.

    If you want to search out for a small scale book club or form your own. PLEASE tag me on /c/books and I'll pin your request to the top.