From The New York Times:
Peter Lamborn Wilson, Advocate of ‘Poetic Terrorism,’ Dies at 76
Peter Lamborn Wilson, a counterculture intellectual, anarchist, poet, musicologist and utopian who coined the term “temporary autonomous zone,” which became a cri de coeur for the organizers behind both Burning Man and Occupy Wall Street — as well as for ravers, cyberpunks and other late-20th-century antiestablishmentarians — died on May 23 at his home in Saugerties, N.Y. He was 76.
The cause was heart failure, said Jim Fleming, his publisher.
Mr. Wilson’s book “T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism,” was a slim volume first published by Autonomedia, Mr. Fleming’s company, in 1991. Mr. Wilson wrote it under a pseudonym, Hakim Bey. (He liked to pretend that his made-up alter ego was a real person.)
The book’s central premise was that one could create one’s own stateless society — the goal of anarchy — with simple and poetic acts like creating public art and communal exercises like dinner parties. It quickly acquired a cult following, particularly among those who frequented the aisles of alternative bookstores looking for inspiration on how to sidestep or disrupt the capitalist mainstream.
He was one of the original culture jammers. Unfortunately, a lot of the pantie-fa crowd are paying lip-service to his writings but they totally miss the point. Big difference from what Mr. Bey was promoting. He was one of the good guys.
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