ronen profile picture

ronen

I'm in position, you can't play me out the pocket

About Me


I teach. I write. I laugh. I love. I'm passionate about life.
Here are some ways I pass my time:
Writing
My writing is usually focused on music, culture, and the social sciences. I like big ideas, social justice, and substance.
My new book is called New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye - Bands, Dirty Basements and the Search for Self and is available from Hopeless/SubCity . There is a MySpace page for the book here .
Order here and receive a free digital download card that unlocks over 30 free downloads from bands like Thursday, Bouncing Souls, Nora, The Gaslight Anthem and many more! Bands old and new, famous and obscure. Powered by DropCards .
Check out the complete track listing here!
Bookmark also included - $12 postage paid
I also freelance; most recently my work has appeared in magazines like Alternative Press, AMP, and Outburn. I also have a website called KamikazeWords.com .
Issue Oriented (the podcast)
In 2005 I started this podcast. It exists in a space between music and ideas, and lots of people seem to enjoy it. You can listen a million ways.
iTunes users click here! And there's also IssueOriented.com and the show's myspace .
Music
Though I spend a lot of time writing and thinking about music, I have been known to make a little music of my own. I've sung for a few bands - most recently, Zombie Apocalypse . (Check out my discography and band family tree at BandtoBand.com !)
I am leary of belief, but I do believe in being interdisciplinary.
I rock gear from Nephalim and Strhess .
Don't post large images in comments - I will delete them.

My Interests

very fast mosh parts - rats - deep sarcasm - global peace - study - debate - art and its potential to incur love among enemies - guitar hero 2 - wifey - "All I know is when I flow, the people be shocked/You don't really want the teacher to come step on your block" - KRS-One

I'd like to meet:

anyone willing to try

Music:

all kinds, all the time

Movies:

FLIGHT FROM DEATH - SUPERSIZE ME - P.C.U. - GANGS OF NEW YORK - MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS - MAN IN THE MOON - SPIRITED AWAY

Television:

The Daily Show; Top Chef; Planet Earth

Books:

New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye ; The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell ; Watchmen, Alan Moore ; I Won't Learn From You, Herb Kohl ; The Oh Really? Factor, Peter Hart ; Necessary Illusions, Noam Chomsky ; Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman ; all Karl Marx; magazines: The Economist, Punk Planet, The Nation, Weird NJ

Heroes:

New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye

Kamikaze Words

Zombie Apocalypse

Issue Oriented podcast

that's about it

My Blog

AMP, Hails & Horns, Alternative Press

Go get AMP Magazine 28, with Against Me! on the cover. I've got a new column in there, and there's also an interview with me about the book. Hails & Horns 5 ran an awesome review/feature. And Alte...
Posted by ronen on Sat, 29 Sep 2007 07:44:00 PST

New Press: Punknews.org, Decibel, Unite Fanzine & much more

More press has run on the book, including the following:- Among other nice things, a review at Punknews.org said :"Kauffman succeeds at turning the personal into the universal... proudly sits on my bo...
Posted by ronen on Sat, 15 Sep 2007 09:39:00 PST

Time Off calls NBNJG "vivid and often hilarious... enlightening."

No, really. You can read the full piece here. 
Posted by ronen on Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:07:00 PST

Feature @ PaperThinWalls.com

Check out this feature on the book over at PaperThinWalls.com, written by my old room mate Toby Carroll no less!
Posted by ronen on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:42:00 PST

Speaking on Lit Rock panel at CMJ in NYC this fall

I will be speaking on a panel entitled "Lit Rock" at this year's CMJ Music Marathon in NYC this October.From CMJ.com:"This intellectual discussion will focus on the book publishing industry's fascinat...
Posted by ronen on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:21:00 PST

Me on Bamboozle TV

Check out this interview with me on  10 From The Couch on BamboozleTV.com. (It's in two parts, so watch both!) You might recall that I interviewed some bands for Bamboozle TV at this year's...
Posted by ronen on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 06:26:00 PST

Interviews @ Pastepunk & Late Night Wallflower

Check out these new interviews with author Ronen Kauffman:Pastepunk recently called New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye "the perfect summer punk rock read; smart, funny, and a total breeze" - check out...
Posted by ronen on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:33:00 PST

Interviews @ Absolutepunk, BurningAngel, MutinyZine

Check out these new interviews with author Ronen Kauffman about New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye. Click a link to read!Absolutepunk.net - One of the most popular music websites on planet Earth. Burn...
Posted by ronen on Sat, 21 Jul 2007 07:44:00 PST

Free digital download card - 30+ mp3s free with book!

Order a book directly from this myspace page and you will receive a digital download card that unlocks over 30 free mp3s from Thursday, Lifetime, Bouncing Souls, Nora, The Gaslight Anthem and many mor...
Posted by ronen on Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:35:00 PST

Preface & Chapter One now streaming @ Punknews.org

Listen to the Preface and Chapter 1 of my new book right now! Stream @ Punknews.org
Posted by ronen on Tue, 10 Jul 2007 02:24:00 PST