Spreading the word, through pamphlets

I had an epiphany the first time I visited the Free Tract Society, in a large storefront on York Boulevard in Los Angeles' Highland Park. Two 20-foot-long tables were weighed down with neatly stacked piles of fliers blaring lurid headlines that dealt with some of my favorite subjects: witchcraft, easy money, homosexuality and communism. Behind a worn Formica counter, an offset press churned out additional tracts almost continuously -- modest, mostly two-color, pamphlets and one-sheets. A quiet man in khaki work clothing welcomed me to take anything I might find appealing. It seemed I'd stumbled into some underground, punk rock, DIY distro fantasy. I was ready to sign up and join whatever revolution was getting underway. Then I looked up and saw the paintings of Jesus.

By Lisa Anne Auerbach

July 20, 2008