Jul 5, 2019Member-onlyHow I, Joe Biel (Microcosm Publishing), Escaped an Abusive Relationship, Thought Bigger Than My Bubble, Moved On, and Learned How to be Autistic in a Neurophobic WorldIn 1998 I was selling zines and records a few nights per week at our local DIY punk club, Speak in Tongues. A regular customer named Steve approached. “Did you hear about the Bowling Green Zine Conference happening in June?” he asked me. I hadn’t. …Autism17 min readAutism17 min read
Mar 18, 2019Member-onlyHow Kittie Knox Changed Bicycling ForeverLet me tell you about my hero. Kittie Knox is the reason that bicycling is more than just another leisure sport for the wealthy. As a Black teenager, she created the world that she wanted to see from the seat of her bike. Today, you can see the results of…Kittie Knox45 min readKittie Knox45 min read
Mar 18, 2019Member-onlyJoe Biel (Microcosm Publishing) explores How to Boycott: Make Your Voice Heard, Understand History, & Change the WorldFor hundreds of years, boycotts have changed the world. Perhaps the most successful boycott of all time was when the British imperialized India in 1707 and Indians were forced to purchase British goods instead of their own. The British used to trade tea for opium with China but instead, they…BlackLivesMatter59 min readBlackLivesMatter59 min read
Nov 9, 2018Member-onlyAre eBooks Better for the Environment?In January of 2011, Microcosm Publishing offered a service where customers could exchange the Kindle that they had received for the holidays for an equitable value of our books. The campaign was a huge success and we receive calls six years later asking if we are still offering the exchange…Human Rights6 min readHuman Rights6 min read
Jul 23, 2018Member-onlyThink Like a PublisherThis is an excerpt of Joe Biel’s 8th book, A People’s Guide to Publishing, in stores in December 2018 with preorders shipping in August! Publisher Peter Workman (1939–2013), according to popular anecdote, believed that successful publishing relied upon a sturdy “three-legged stool:” 1. The book must have the right price…Publishing12 min readPublishing12 min read
Jul 1, 2018Member-onlyTHE UNDERGROUND IS BIGGER THAN THE MAINSTREAMThis is an excerpt of Joe Biel’s 8th book, A People’s Guide to Publishing, in stores in December 2018 with preorders shipping in August! In 1970, there were about 3,000 indie publishers. By 2006, there were 82,000. Today there are hundreds of thousands of specialized independents, and probably over a…Publishing7 min readPublishing7 min read
May 21, 2018Member-onlyHow To Save A Life, Medieval StyleFor over 700 years the 35,000-person town of Geel, Belgium has had a saying “Half of Geel is crazy, and the rest is half crazy.” …Mental Health7 min readMental Health7 min read
Nov 22, 2017Member-onlyDoing It Better: Conflict Resolution after Abuse in Leftist CommunitiesIn October it entered the public consciousness that Harvey Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax Films and co-chairman of The Weinstein Company, had spent decades exploiting a power imbalance to pressure sexual favors out of women and then paying settlements to silence criticisms. As the raging public became increasingly furious at his…Abuse27 min readAbuse27 min read
May 16, 2017Member-onlyHow I, Joe Biel, Have Been Accountable for People I’ve HurtI was married from 2002–2004. It was years before I was diagnosed with autism in 2009 and learned how to understand or respond appropriately to emotions and nonverbal communication. I came to understand that intentions were not what mattered as much as impact. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s a story on…Abuse11 min readAbuse11 min read
Jan 15, 2017The Power of Bullying: How I, Joe Biel, Have Been Bullied for My Autistic Behaviors for Nearly Two DecadesYears before I was diagnosed with autism in 2009, I was married from 2002–2004. We had an ugly breakup but she refused to get divorced until 2007. I came to see the patterns of my behavior and understand that intentions were not what mattered as much as impact, chiefly that…Abuse16 min readAbuse16 min read
