An oral history of women's role in the Southern California punk rock scene of the 1970s and 1980s. Interviews include musicians, performers, journalists, photographers, DJs, fans, and scenesters.
Featured in Music Connection magazine, In Tune Monthly magazine, AntiGravity magazine, Bella magazine, the Windy City Times, Gladys magazine, Creative Loafing Tampa, BuzzBands.la, NewYorkSpaces.com, TheVinylDistrict.com, SheSpark.com, TheSilo.com, BroadwayWorld.com, Jet-Society.com, MoosterBlog.com, and DonovansLiteraryServices.com
"An essential read for anyone interested in punk rock and Southern California music history."
-LA Weekly
"Those who are familiar with punk rock will find this work absorbing and illuminating, as will musical, cultural, and women's studies historians."
-Library Journal
"It's not too often an author chronicles a cultural revolution completely with oral histories. But that is exactly what Stacy Russo does with We Were Going to Change the World, a book that captures SoCal punk during its most electrifying years. Musicians-including Exene Cervenka (X), Alice Bag (the Bags) and Kira (Black Flag)-are given space alongside concertgoers to discuss the lasting impact the scene had on their lives."
-Bust magazine
"We Were Going to Change the World examines the power and promise of punk through the eyes of the women who experienced it-showcasing the SoCal scene as a source of community and a force for empowerment, self-discovery, and social change."
-KCET "Artbound"
"Shedding a light on major punk influencers and supporters alike, Russo's work should be of interest to anyone who loves reading about women taking control in music. . . . A very entertaining and equally inspiring read."
-Vanyaland
"Russo presents insights from a wide cross section of those who were there, including musicians like Exene Cervenka of X and folkie Phranc along with those working in the photography, radio or print mediums, and those who were 'just' fans like Cate Garcia."
-AntiMusic.com
"A unique book about the punk rock era."
-Guitar Girl magazine
