a Punk House in the deep south: the oral history of 309
This beautifully crafted page-turner presents the outsider history of a thriving southern punkhouse where military brats, rocker chefs, queerdoe artists, revivified veterans, a newborn, and a rotating pack of dogs lived nearly cash-free in a filthy and vibrant wonderland they made imperfectly together.
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Told in personal interviews, this is the collective story of a punk community in an unlikely town and region, a hub of radical counterculture that drew artists and musicians from throughout the conservative South and earned national renown.
The house at 309 6th Avenue has long been a crossroads for punk rock, activism, veganism, and queer culture in Pensacola, a quiet Gulf Coast city at the border of Florida and Alabama. In this book, residents of 309 narrate the colorful and often comical details of communal life in the crowded and dilapidated house over its 30-year existence. Terry Johnson, Ryan “Rymodee” Modee, Gloria Diaz, Skott Cowgill, and others tell of playing in bands including This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb, operating local businesses such as End of the Line Cafe, forming feminist support groups, and creating zines and art. Each voice adds to the picture of a lively community that worked together to provide for their own needs while making a positive, lasting impact on their surrounding area. Together, these participants show that punk is more than music and teenage rebellion. It is about alternatives to standard narratives of living, acceptance for the marginalized in a rapidly changing world, and building a sense of family from the ground up. Including photos by Cynthia Connolly and Mike Brodie, A Punkhouse in the Deep South illuminates many individual lives and creative endeavors that found a home and thrived in one of the oldest continuously inhabited punkhouses in the United States. Aaron Cometbus has been publishing the zine Cometbus since 1981. He is the author of many books, including Double Duce and I Wish There Was Something That I Could Quit. Scott Satterwhite is a historian, educator, and journalist who teaches writing and literature at the University of West Florida. Cometbus and Satterwhite are former residents of the 309 punkhouse. |
What punk taught me
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What Punk Taught Me is a glimpse into the collectively found freedom of the punk experience in North America. The book showcases the cultural and societal significance of punk through an anthropological lens in order to further reiterate what the subculture is and always will be: principles built on collaboration, DIY and, most of all, a desire to step outside of the norm and resist mainstream conventions.
Andi Harriman, Author of "Some Wear Leather, Some Wear Lace" 
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What Punk Taught Me gathers fifteen essays revealing how punk culture shapes lives long after that first blast of distorted guitar. Writers, artists, educators, and activists credit punk for nurturing community, ethics, aesthetics, and identity. The anthology traces many entry points—shows, zines, fashion, art, DIY projects, activism—and the lessons learned: rebellion, self-reliance, creativity, and critical thinking. Though each narrative follows a unique path, they converge on punk’s enduring role as methodology, philosophy, and worldview. Together, they chart both intimate, individualized influence and the movement’s broader cultural legacy, showing how its anti-authoritarian spirit still guides personal growth, professional practice, and social engagement, underscoring punk’s far-reaching educational power and lasting socio-cultural ripple effects. Reflecting on punk’s ontology and strategy, contributors demonstrate how embracing imperfection, questioning authority, and building DIY networks cultivate resilience, empathy, and collaborative problem-solving—skills that transcend subculture and resonate within contemporary civic life.We’re thrilled to share that Co-Directors, Valerie George and Scott Satterwhite, co-authored a chapter in a new book released on July 18, 2025!
It’s an honor to be part of What Punk Taught Me, a powerful anthology that highlights the lasting impact of punk culture through essays from fifteen contributors. Valerie and Scott’s chapter reflects on their lived experiences and the ways punk has shaped their creative and professional lives. Big thanks to the editors and fellow contributors—this one means a lot to us! What Punk Taught Me Gregory Blair and Jason Swift, and includes essays by H.C. Arnold (Getty Research Institute), Dixie Lyn Boswell (Mississippi State University), Clayton Funk (The Ohio State University), Valerie George (309 Punk Project), C. Scott Satterwhite (309 Punk Project), Erin Latham , Jaimes Mayhew (University of Vermont), Stephen Morrow , Donald Renner , Jim Ruland , Samantha Russell , Liz Worth. |