zines_N-O

Olde, Weird America Vol. 2

Postcards from the City

$2/28 pages/Half size

by Rosie

Rosie takes her readers on a stroll through a section of her life in New York City. I was instantly struck by her intro where she writes,"As I write, I can see a kaleidoscope of people flowing down 8th Avenue, past my perch by a window in Times Square....When I look a little closer, their faces start to blur and run together, and I realize that I'm looking at myself and at you, and at us---all of us, in this together."

She allows us to glimpse into her life to see things through her eyes for just a moment. Behind the scenes as her hands stitch costumes in the back of a theatre, in a peep show booth, and more.

Not Sorry #4

November 2006

$2/30 pages/Half size

by Jenny

This is another dynamite zine written by Jenny. She begins the issue with some memories about her majestic experience going to the Lilith Fair with her mom and sisters when she was sixteen, 7-11 coffee, an entertaining potty story and her experience attending Femme 2006. She ends this issue with an emotional memory regarding an unhealthy relationship she was in. I think it was admirable how open she was in describing the situation as well as the description of regaining her "identity"

An excerpt, "i've had to force myself to quit analyzing how I managed to let myself get into such a mess because when i try it just drives me mad. i don't want to think that i was that desperate for love, but i suppose that i was and the intense depression i was going through certainly didn't help. i just needed something."

Not Sorry #5

i'll tell you mine of you tell me yr's

$2/76 pages/Quarter size

by Jenny

I thoroughly adore each issue of Not Sorry that Jenny creates because as I read her intense thoughts; I find myself relating to a great deal of the subject matter and that is extremely comforting for me. She discusses some brief family background, shares her thoughts on fatphobic culture, and she writes about her continued experience with her eating disorder. This issue is text heavy and you will find Jenny's "Big Fat Thoughts" that cover a variety of issues such as starting a DIY eating disorder support group. I really found the 14 tips that challenge your internalized fatpobia to be very insightful!

An excerpt, "I had a lot of body stuff I needed to get out and I'm afraid of some of the things I've written. I'm also proud of them. It's confusing and ugly and honest and I know that if you don't go through these things, you probably won't get it and that's what's scary to me."

A Narcissistic (Semi) Dictionary: SOLD OUT!!

Selected Words & What They Mean To Me.

$3/72 pages/Half size

by Jody

Jody's intro describes the idea behind this text heavy zine. She writes, "Basically, I sat down whenever I had a free moment and thought of 5 words of each letter of the alphabet that had meaning to me. After making this list I wrote essays or mini-essays, definitions if you will, applicable to my life, or opinions, or feelings."

This is a pleasing twist to a perzine. Some words that include stories by Jody are: agnostic, bicycle, heart, irony, nomadic, suicide, vulva, youth, and many others!

An excerpt, "Depression - Everything will be fine and it just creeps in and sets up camp for a few days. Or weeks. Or months. And it slowly subsides again."

Non/Monogamy:

Doin' it and Doin' it and Doin' it well?

$3/60 pages/Half size

by Andie & Shannon

Andie and Shannon have created a text heavy zine that contains a wealth of information on personal experiences with non-monogamy and how they emotionally felt in these relationships. I found the writing to be intriguing as they both shared their personal encounters. An excerpt, "But while I was doing this out of a fear of dependency, I have learned that there are other great things about non-monogamy. There is freedom. There is accountability-being held to it and holding others to it. There is agency. There is space. When things go wrong, I can't blame them on love. I have to be honest about what I did, what I feel, and where I'm at." It is fantastic that Andie & Shannon were able to work together and write their feelings about non-monogamy in a zine that is a comfortable and safe space for them. There also two pieces pertaining to this topic by other contributing authors as well.

Nightly Zine #1:

The House Warming Issue

$3.50/24 pages/Half size

by Rupa

I was instantly excited to see what was hidden behind the bold orange covers that Rupa chose for the zine. The beauty of this zine goes well beyond the covers. I found myself laughing and appreciating the lists and essays. Rupa mastered humor and creative writing in the house warming issue.

Rupa writes, "The first issue, 'The House Warming Issue' is printed in black and white, handmade and finished in leather and ribbon. Appealing to anyone who has lived in a house or an apartment, or knows someone who has. Finding an audience of social miss-fits, drunk house-wives, and karaoke addicts, the zine offers potentially impractical how-to-advice, as well as art, general scribblings and observations from dark and personal places."

Not Sorry #1 & #2

$2/30 pages/Half size

by Jenny

Not Sorry is such a smart and inspirational zine. This compilation zine contains parts of issue #1 that was printed in 2002 and parts of issue #2 that was printed in 2003. Jenny writes a follow-up after a few of the pieces on how she currently feel about the subject matter. She focuses quite a bit on size and acceptance which I find to be excellent. Jenny also writes about personal revolution, the movie Shallow Hal, Kathleen Hanna, her experience working in a porn shop, the suicide girls and ends the zine with a call for action.

one girl revolution

$1/40 pages/Quarter size

by Jolie

This zine is Jolie's story about her initial introduction to Riot Grrrl & how she became very passionate about writing zines and music. Jolie began working on many creative projects which included making compilation mix tapes of various bands and of her spoken word. She began a distro filled with these musical projects as well as her zines. There was a time where she was booming with energy in this diy community and a time where she felt completely out of place in it...

An excerpt,"once i realized that my dream of the revolution wasn't gonna happen with me sitting on my ass in my bedroom daydreaming about it. i had to take matters into my own hands & become a ONE GIRL REVOLUTION."