On May 25th, 2025, the Sam and Esther Dolgoff Institute (SEDI) hosted philosopher, poet, and long-time New Orleans anarchist John Clark—also known by the pen name Max Cafard—for a wide-ranging discussion on his latest book, Anarchy in the Big Easy. Drawing from decades of experience in radical theory and grassroots activism, Clark offered a deeply personal and politically provocative portrait of New Orleans as a site of ecological struggle, cultural resistance, and libertarian possibility.
John Clark is the author of numerous works including The Impossible Community, The Tragedy of Common Sense, and Between Earth and Empire. His writings under the name Max Cafard have appeared widely in anarchist and ecological publications, and he is a founding figure in the New Orleans-based Institute for the Radical Imagination.
This event was part of SEDI’s ongoing speaker series, bringing together radical thinkers, organizers, and historians to deepen our understanding of the past and sharpen our interventions in the present. Most talks are not recorded, but SEDI is working to make more of these vital conversations accessible to wider audiences.
The Sam and Esther Dolgoff Institute:
https://www.dolgoffinstitute.com/
Read Anarchy in the Big Easy:
http://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1766
Explore John Clark / Max Cafard’s writings:
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/category/author/john-clark
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