Sassy and Peanut
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
new zines to the cataloge
new zines to my distro!
Keep Track: Pocket Calender
This is my little calender. It should be out by Dec 15! Fits in your pocket! You write in the dates. There are two pages for each month, then four pages for notes between months. Perfect for if the Slingshot calender has too much space for you.
All I Want is Everything #1
Well written, articulate personal/feminist zine. The first article is about getting out of a long-term abusive relationship. There are articles about victim blaming, refusing to live in the past, pop culture, and much more. It's really good!
Love Letters to Monsters #3 / Alabama Grrrl #9 split
I haven't even finished this yet, but it is my favorite loveletters zine so far, and I'm so excited about Alabama Grrrl too!
Ciara's side is more memoir like than usual, still political, but not as much indignation. The first story is partially about her mom. I have a number of friends who's mom's are homeless or close to homeless, kind of crazy or really crazy, and there is something so confusing about mothers needing care, and when to draw the line. I struggled with it a lot with my mom, and felt so alone. I am always really grateful when people get the courage to write about their complicated relationships like this.
She writes about community and how overused that word is, and wanting laughter. writing, mental and physical health, running a distro. It's like a long story. It's good.
Alabama Grrrl is about being queer and punk in the late 90's in Pittsburgh, "Things I wished I would've known before going to grad school," a love-letter breakup letter to the violent/misogynistic scene that is happening in her town, hoping it will energize new kids to create a safer place.
Cometbus #51 The Lonliness of the Electric Menorah
A story about two bookstores in Berkeley that were started in the underground in the 60's, and we were forever trying to get our zines into. Why didn't they support us? It was strange.
This zine is almost like a fable, and is about a lot more than just these two bookstores. It's about how partnerships come together and how they get subverted. Based on long interviews with a zillion people.
Cometbus #52 The Spirit of St Louis
a story of a group of punks, how they try to make or unmake a life and scene. It's second title is "How to Break Your Own Heart, a tragedy in 24 parts.
Kerbloom 85These little pretty zines have been coming out forever, every two months. They are done on letterpress, which is the kind of printing press where you have to put each letter in one at a time.
This is my favorite one in awhile. "I would say that each of us is a star, that we form constellations, and that these constellations change."
Keep Track: Pocket Calender
This is my little calender. It should be out by Dec 15! Fits in your pocket! You write in the dates. There are two pages for each month, then four pages for notes between months. Perfect for if the Slingshot calender has too much space for you.
All I Want is Everything #1
Well written, articulate personal/feminist zine. The first article is about getting out of a long-term abusive relationship. There are articles about victim blaming, refusing to live in the past, pop culture, and much more. It's really good!
Love Letters to Monsters #3 / Alabama Grrrl #9 split
I haven't even finished this yet, but it is my favorite loveletters zine so far, and I'm so excited about Alabama Grrrl too!
Ciara's side is more memoir like than usual, still political, but not as much indignation. The first story is partially about her mom. I have a number of friends who's mom's are homeless or close to homeless, kind of crazy or really crazy, and there is something so confusing about mothers needing care, and when to draw the line. I struggled with it a lot with my mom, and felt so alone. I am always really grateful when people get the courage to write about their complicated relationships like this.
She writes about community and how overused that word is, and wanting laughter. writing, mental and physical health, running a distro. It's like a long story. It's good.
Alabama Grrrl is about being queer and punk in the late 90's in Pittsburgh, "Things I wished I would've known before going to grad school," a love-letter breakup letter to the violent/misogynistic scene that is happening in her town, hoping it will energize new kids to create a safer place.
Cometbus #51 The Lonliness of the Electric Menorah
A story about two bookstores in Berkeley that were started in the underground in the 60's, and we were forever trying to get our zines into. Why didn't they support us? It was strange.
This zine is almost like a fable, and is about a lot more than just these two bookstores. It's about how partnerships come together and how they get subverted. Based on long interviews with a zillion people.
Cometbus #52 The Spirit of St Louis
a story of a group of punks, how they try to make or unmake a life and scene. It's second title is "How to Break Your Own Heart, a tragedy in 24 parts.
Kerbloom 85These little pretty zines have been coming out forever, every two months. They are done on letterpress, which is the kind of printing press where you have to put each letter in one at a time.
This is my favorite one in awhile. "I would say that each of us is a star, that we form constellations, and that these constellations change."
call for submissions
Two call for submissions: one about being a survivor - and how did you survive
and one about Gender
see links and descriptions below.
dear sister anthology
Many survivors already know this: that after you are raped, you are never the same person again. More specifically, someone has died and new person is born. And like a newborn, the new person must learn first how to survive and then eventually, live.
The five stages of grief is a psychological theory. It outlines and supposes five stages of emotional battle the can occurs in the aftermath of loss.
The first stage is denial.
Survivors may tell themselves it never happened. It wasn’t rape. The person who did this is my friend, my boyfriend, girlfriend, relative, lover, spouse, neighbor. It wasn’t rape.
The second stage is anger.
Survivors can live in a room full of anger, resentment, bitterness, self-blame and self-loathing for weeks, months, sometimes years. They have recognized what has happened and the emotions are often overwhelming.
Bargaining is the third stage.
Bargaining is giving ourselves false hope because we cannot deal with our reality. We look to recover what was lost or taken. We lost our sense of wholeness and cannot deal with our brokenness, so we jump into a relationship, alcohol, drugs, work, sex…believing that if we do something, we will get what we once had. Bargaining looks different for everyone, but regardless of what the behavior is, the hope is trying to get back what cannot be recovered.
Fourth stage is depression
Nearly every survivor will combat depression in some form. Disinterest in previously enjoyed activities, frequent crying spells, trouble sleeping, sleeping too much, changes in appetite. There are numerous symptoms of depression and most survivors will describe it in two words: dark numbness.
The fifth stage is acceptance.
Acceptance doesn’t mean that we’re happy or that we don’t revisit the other stages from time to time. Acceptance means acknowledging that something has lost and we are not the same person as before. A new way of living must be learned and while the road is long, a first step was taken.
As a survivor, do you remember a certain stage you may have experienced? Do you remember moving through that part of your life? What got you through? When did you turn the corner? Who helped you?
In your letter, remember that the survivor is in a raw place, perhaps not even certain of what just happened. Focus not on the darkness, but what brought you to the next place, on what acceptance looked like for you. What brought you into the light?
call for submissions for Alex zine.
alex zine
why gender, and what is alex looking for? gender is something everybody has and few understand, despite the volumes written on the subject already. alex is looking for personal essays, poems, or other forms of expression that get at what gender means to YOU and how do you LIVE gender. topics could be about anything, and might gesture at: what is gender? how does it affect you? do you feel like you have a gender? how do you want others to see you and how do you see yourself? do your thoughts on your own gender shift? what is getting dressed like? what is it like to walk around as you? how do your political ideas about gender enter your daily life (or do they)? what else springs to mind when you think about the topic? tell some stories. this is a good chance to write something a “normal” editor wouldn’t take on, something you’re still sorting out. this is a great chance to write about something that scares you.
and one about Gender
see links and descriptions below.
dear sister anthology
Many survivors already know this: that after you are raped, you are never the same person again. More specifically, someone has died and new person is born. And like a newborn, the new person must learn first how to survive and then eventually, live.
The five stages of grief is a psychological theory. It outlines and supposes five stages of emotional battle the can occurs in the aftermath of loss.
The first stage is denial.
Survivors may tell themselves it never happened. It wasn’t rape. The person who did this is my friend, my boyfriend, girlfriend, relative, lover, spouse, neighbor. It wasn’t rape.
The second stage is anger.
Survivors can live in a room full of anger, resentment, bitterness, self-blame and self-loathing for weeks, months, sometimes years. They have recognized what has happened and the emotions are often overwhelming.
Bargaining is the third stage.
Bargaining is giving ourselves false hope because we cannot deal with our reality. We look to recover what was lost or taken. We lost our sense of wholeness and cannot deal with our brokenness, so we jump into a relationship, alcohol, drugs, work, sex…believing that if we do something, we will get what we once had. Bargaining looks different for everyone, but regardless of what the behavior is, the hope is trying to get back what cannot be recovered.
Fourth stage is depression
Nearly every survivor will combat depression in some form. Disinterest in previously enjoyed activities, frequent crying spells, trouble sleeping, sleeping too much, changes in appetite. There are numerous symptoms of depression and most survivors will describe it in two words: dark numbness.
The fifth stage is acceptance.
Acceptance doesn’t mean that we’re happy or that we don’t revisit the other stages from time to time. Acceptance means acknowledging that something has lost and we are not the same person as before. A new way of living must be learned and while the road is long, a first step was taken.
As a survivor, do you remember a certain stage you may have experienced? Do you remember moving through that part of your life? What got you through? When did you turn the corner? Who helped you?
In your letter, remember that the survivor is in a raw place, perhaps not even certain of what just happened. Focus not on the darkness, but what brought you to the next place, on what acceptance looked like for you. What brought you into the light?
call for submissions for Alex zine.
alex zine
why gender, and what is alex looking for? gender is something everybody has and few understand, despite the volumes written on the subject already. alex is looking for personal essays, poems, or other forms of expression that get at what gender means to YOU and how do you LIVE gender. topics could be about anything, and might gesture at: what is gender? how does it affect you? do you feel like you have a gender? how do you want others to see you and how do you see yourself? do your thoughts on your own gender shift? what is getting dressed like? what is it like to walk around as you? how do your political ideas about gender enter your daily life (or do they)? what else springs to mind when you think about the topic? tell some stories. this is a good chance to write something a “normal” editor wouldn’t take on, something you’re still sorting out. this is a great chance to write about something that scares you.
Friday, November 5, 2010
teaching workshop at Queer Influx, columbus ohio
I'll be teaching a workshop Nov. 13 at the Queer Influx conference in Columbus!
Check it out at http://queerinflux.wordpress.com/convergence-schedule/
Check it out at http://queerinflux.wordpress.com/convergence-schedule/
Saturday, September 4, 2010
new books + zines for the distro!
I have a bunch of new zines and some new books for the distro! at riot grrrr distro
Including SCAM! The First 4 Issues!
Also, I just looked at Mimi Distro, and it is so great! Check it out at mimizinedistro.wordpress.com
Including SCAM! The First 4 Issues!
Also, I just looked at Mimi Distro, and it is so great! Check it out at mimizinedistro.wordpress.com
Monday, August 30, 2010
Polyamory and Patriarchy Zine Questionnaire
This is a zine an amazing aquaintance of mine is putting together.
Please send your stories to: polypatriarchyzine@gmail.com, or mail them to 4951 Catharine St., Philadelphia, PA 19143.
Polyamory and Patriarchy Zine Questionnaire
These questions are for a zine I’m writing about polyamory and patriarchy. So often, people feel either that polyamory is the only revolutionary way to be intimate, or the worst way. I’d like to hear what you’ve learned from polyamory – ways it felt liberatory, and ways it may have felt like familiar oppressive gender roles dressed up in revolutionary language. My agenda isn’t to discredit polyamory, but to identify how much we have to learn about truly liberatory relationships.
These questions are fairly personal and ask you to revisit some painful memories, so please take your time, answer only what you feel comfortable answering, and let me know how you want your anonymity protected. Please use pseudonyms! Do give me contact info, though, if you want to review how I use your material before the zine is published.
1. Let’s start with gender. What gender roles did you learn from your family of origin? From the media? From your chosen community? How do you express gender now – is it different than how you were socialized to express gender?
2. What were your reasons for first trying polyamory? Was it your idea or a partner’s? Did you have any models in your community for successful polyamorous relationships?
3. What was the most empowering experience you’ve had in polyamory?
4. What was the hardest situation to handle in a polyamorous relationship? Looking back, what would you have done differently, if anything?
5. What kinds of insecurities did polyamory raise? Did they concern your gender or body image? How did you handle these insecurities?
6. How have you felt most empowered in polyamory? How has it felt expansive, liberatory, or healing?
7. Do you have a different kind of intimacy with lovers than with friends? Who are you more likely to turn to for emotional support?
8. How do your expectations change based on what kind of relationship you’re in? Do you have different standards of behavior for partners and lovers?
9. Has polyamory ever made you feel silenced, or unable to ask for what you needed?
What have your relationships with your lover’s other lovers been like? How have you handled feelings of jealousy and competition? How have you handled your partner’s jealousy?
10. Tell me a little about your best relationship, polyamorous or otherwise, and what made it work so well.
11. Today, what is your ideal relationship?
12. Do you want to see the zine before it’s published? Do you want a copy mailed to you? If so, let me know how to reach you.
Please send your stories to: polypatriarchyzine@gmail.com, or mail them to 4951 Catharine St., Philadelphia, PA 19143.
I also welcome your analysis and thoughts about sexual politics, polyamory, and this project – thanks!
Please send your stories to: polypatriarchyzine@gmail.com, or mail them to 4951 Catharine St., Philadelphia, PA 19143.
Polyamory and Patriarchy Zine Questionnaire
These questions are for a zine I’m writing about polyamory and patriarchy. So often, people feel either that polyamory is the only revolutionary way to be intimate, or the worst way. I’d like to hear what you’ve learned from polyamory – ways it felt liberatory, and ways it may have felt like familiar oppressive gender roles dressed up in revolutionary language. My agenda isn’t to discredit polyamory, but to identify how much we have to learn about truly liberatory relationships.
These questions are fairly personal and ask you to revisit some painful memories, so please take your time, answer only what you feel comfortable answering, and let me know how you want your anonymity protected. Please use pseudonyms! Do give me contact info, though, if you want to review how I use your material before the zine is published.
1. Let’s start with gender. What gender roles did you learn from your family of origin? From the media? From your chosen community? How do you express gender now – is it different than how you were socialized to express gender?
2. What were your reasons for first trying polyamory? Was it your idea or a partner’s? Did you have any models in your community for successful polyamorous relationships?
3. What was the most empowering experience you’ve had in polyamory?
4. What was the hardest situation to handle in a polyamorous relationship? Looking back, what would you have done differently, if anything?
5. What kinds of insecurities did polyamory raise? Did they concern your gender or body image? How did you handle these insecurities?
6. How have you felt most empowered in polyamory? How has it felt expansive, liberatory, or healing?
7. Do you have a different kind of intimacy with lovers than with friends? Who are you more likely to turn to for emotional support?
8. How do your expectations change based on what kind of relationship you’re in? Do you have different standards of behavior for partners and lovers?
9. Has polyamory ever made you feel silenced, or unable to ask for what you needed?
What have your relationships with your lover’s other lovers been like? How have you handled feelings of jealousy and competition? How have you handled your partner’s jealousy?
10. Tell me a little about your best relationship, polyamorous or otherwise, and what made it work so well.
11. Today, what is your ideal relationship?
12. Do you want to see the zine before it’s published? Do you want a copy mailed to you? If so, let me know how to reach you.
Please send your stories to: polypatriarchyzine@gmail.com, or mail them to 4951 Catharine St., Philadelphia, PA 19143.
I also welcome your analysis and thoughts about sexual politics, polyamory, and this project – thanks!
Monday, August 23, 2010
community accountability zine call for submissions
I am so glad someone is doing this zine! I have been trying to find time to try and put together this exact thing!
Please submit!!!
It's Down to This
For info and submissions contact: responsezine@gmail.com
“It’s Down to This” is a new zine compilation that aims to give space to step back, take a deep breath and reflect on where we’re at.
Reflecting on our experiences with community accountability processes, survivor support, or general efforts to cultivate community response to sexual violence- this is a space to talk about our experiences with this work, what we have learned, where we want to go from here, what we feel, what we want others to be able to hear, see, think about, engage with.
It is an attempt to further give voice to our efforts and experiences in doing this work, to give space and voice to silence. To know and hear how we have survived in this work, how we have sustained this work, or why we burned out. To further document our attempts at figuring out what community accountability looks like, or what it even is. To be able to reflect and grow from our mistakes and epiphanies.
SEEKING: stories, essays, interviews, comics, artwork and thoughts reflecting on working around accountability and community response to sexual violence:
What has it looked like? What has it entailed? What could it look like? Who does it involve? In what ways? How is a community responsible? How is a community involved? What can an accountability process look like? What has it looked like? What works? What doesn’t? What were the fuck-ups, the successes?
*These questions are asked with the assumption that confidentiality will be respected and that stories will not be shared if they are not yours to share.
*The word ‘community’ is used with the awareness that it is often used problematically.
Looking for submissions that:
- explore the importance of accountability and support work as an act of community building and collective liberation, that express the importance of this work within social justice movements.
-reflect on the support, empowerment, recovery and growth that have come out of this work
-reflect on the pain, trauma and frustration of this work or which is inherent in this work.
-develop ideas and methods of sustainability around this work
-look at the social and political contexts in which community accountability and response to sexual violence and partner abuse grows and exists.
-share our stories
Anonymity and confidentiality will be respected.
DEADLINE: October 22nd, 2010
For info and submissions contact: responsezine@gmail.com
Feel free to send in ideas/proposals and ask for feedback!
Please submit!!!
It's Down to This
For info and submissions contact: responsezine@gmail.com
“It’s Down to This” is a new zine compilation that aims to give space to step back, take a deep breath and reflect on where we’re at.
Reflecting on our experiences with community accountability processes, survivor support, or general efforts to cultivate community response to sexual violence- this is a space to talk about our experiences with this work, what we have learned, where we want to go from here, what we feel, what we want others to be able to hear, see, think about, engage with.
It is an attempt to further give voice to our efforts and experiences in doing this work, to give space and voice to silence. To know and hear how we have survived in this work, how we have sustained this work, or why we burned out. To further document our attempts at figuring out what community accountability looks like, or what it even is. To be able to reflect and grow from our mistakes and epiphanies.
SEEKING: stories, essays, interviews, comics, artwork and thoughts reflecting on working around accountability and community response to sexual violence:
What has it looked like? What has it entailed? What could it look like? Who does it involve? In what ways? How is a community responsible? How is a community involved? What can an accountability process look like? What has it looked like? What works? What doesn’t? What were the fuck-ups, the successes?
*These questions are asked with the assumption that confidentiality will be respected and that stories will not be shared if they are not yours to share.
*The word ‘community’ is used with the awareness that it is often used problematically.
Looking for submissions that:
- explore the importance of accountability and support work as an act of community building and collective liberation, that express the importance of this work within social justice movements.
-reflect on the support, empowerment, recovery and growth that have come out of this work
-reflect on the pain, trauma and frustration of this work or which is inherent in this work.
-develop ideas and methods of sustainability around this work
-look at the social and political contexts in which community accountability and response to sexual violence and partner abuse grows and exists.
-share our stories
Anonymity and confidentiality will be respected.
DEADLINE: October 22nd, 2010
For info and submissions contact: responsezine@gmail.com
Feel free to send in ideas/proposals and ask for feedback!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
upcoming Snarlas shows
Here's where we're playing....
Aug. 19 Pittsburgh with Surrender. at Zach's house. I'm not sure of the address
Aug 20 (maybe)Athens OH 35 Brown St
Sept 16 Baria KY, maybe
Sept 19 Ida work party, Tennesse (they need more people to come to this work party. check it out at www.workhardstayhard.com
Sept 21 Chatanooga - probably at Sluggos
Sept 23 Asheville NC, Buccannen St house (I don't know how to spell it)
Aug. 19 Pittsburgh with Surrender. at Zach's house. I'm not sure of the address
Aug 20 (maybe)Athens OH 35 Brown St
Sept 16 Baria KY, maybe
Sept 19 Ida work party, Tennesse (they need more people to come to this work party. check it out at www.workhardstayhard.com
Sept 21 Chatanooga - probably at Sluggos
Sept 23 Asheville NC, Buccannen St house (I don't know how to spell it)
Monday, August 9, 2010
call for submissions - Substance: on addiction and recovery
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS ON ADDICTION AND RECOVERY
Substance: On Addiction and Recovery is a collection of peoples’ experiences with addiction and recovery in radical and/or marginalized communities. Not just a text to break the silence, Substance is an opportunity for those affected by substance abuse to make meaning of our lives and create opportunities for lasting social change. Substance: On Addiction and Recovery will be a book that transcends the mainstream discourse regarding addiction and recovery and forges new pathways towards healing and the reclamation of our lives.
I am open to essays, poetry, personal narratives, photography, art, comics, collage, and more.
Please be in touch with questions and submission ideas: substancebook at gmail dot com!
Potential topics:
• personal narratives of addiction and/or recovery • support groups • radical sobriety • harm reduction • silence and stigma • withdrawal and detoxification • the intersections of race/class/sexual orientation/gender identity/disability status and addiction • creating and sustaining community support networks • how addiction intersects with activism, sexuality, health, sexual and intimate partner violence, mental illness, privilege, oppression, identity, capitalism, the state, work, and
creativity • current or historic examples of community-based groups that focus on the politics of addiction or support of community members • healing from addiction • self-medication • overdose and death • incarceration and criminalization •
In addition to pieces by individuals, I'd like to include a few pieces about the work that community-based groups have done to address the politics of addiction and recovery and to support those dealing with substance abuse. If you are a member of such a group, please feel free to write.
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS MARCH 7, 2011
Additionally, if you know anyone who would like to donate funds of any amount to support the printing of this book, please have them contact substancebook at gmail dot com!
Please forward this message on, and spread the word!
Substance: On Addiction and Recovery is a collection of peoples’ experiences with addiction and recovery in radical and/or marginalized communities. Not just a text to break the silence, Substance is an opportunity for those affected by substance abuse to make meaning of our lives and create opportunities for lasting social change. Substance: On Addiction and Recovery will be a book that transcends the mainstream discourse regarding addiction and recovery and forges new pathways towards healing and the reclamation of our lives.
I am open to essays, poetry, personal narratives, photography, art, comics, collage, and more.
Please be in touch with questions and submission ideas: substancebook at gmail dot com!
Potential topics:
• personal narratives of addiction and/or recovery • support groups • radical sobriety • harm reduction • silence and stigma • withdrawal and detoxification • the intersections of race/class/sexual orientation/gender identity/disability status and addiction • creating and sustaining community support networks • how addiction intersects with activism, sexuality, health, sexual and intimate partner violence, mental illness, privilege, oppression, identity, capitalism, the state, work, and
creativity • current or historic examples of community-based groups that focus on the politics of addiction or support of community members • healing from addiction • self-medication • overdose and death • incarceration and criminalization •
In addition to pieces by individuals, I'd like to include a few pieces about the work that community-based groups have done to address the politics of addiction and recovery and to support those dealing with substance abuse. If you are a member of such a group, please feel free to write.
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS MARCH 7, 2011
Additionally, if you know anyone who would like to donate funds of any amount to support the printing of this book, please have them contact substancebook at gmail dot com!
Please forward this message on, and spread the word!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
clarification
I just want to make a clarification about something I wrote in my letter to Microcosm and the blog about it. In it, I talked about writing a blog awhile ago and then removing it the next day because I didn't know where the information came from. I want to clarify and say that I trusted the person who gave me the information, and I removed the blog because I wanted to do more research on my own so that I would be able to discuss it from a place of personal knowledge rather than second hand. I do believe that second hand information is extremely valid, and not everyone can or should feel like they have to do their own research into a situation to stand up against it. I feel like people feeling like they have to do their own research is part of what perpetuates the whole dynamic where survivors are always having to defend themselves and perpetrators are always getting the benefit of the doubt.
Because I have a place of power within our community, I wanted to make sure I felt well versed in the situation before making a public statement about it.
In my letter to Microcosm, I referred to Ciara's blog as inflamatory, which I really regret. I think inflaming people is essential and brave, and I think I meant it in that framework, but obviously, I should have thought deeper, because most people think of inflamitory as a bad word. Continuing to stand up against abuse when people all around you are ignoring it is frustrating and sickening, and I am very proud of and suppport the work Ciara has done. I apologize for any misunderstanding or backlash my words have caused.
Because I have a place of power within our community, I wanted to make sure I felt well versed in the situation before making a public statement about it.
In my letter to Microcosm, I referred to Ciara's blog as inflamatory, which I really regret. I think inflaming people is essential and brave, and I think I meant it in that framework, but obviously, I should have thought deeper, because most people think of inflamitory as a bad word. Continuing to stand up against abuse when people all around you are ignoring it is frustrating and sickening, and I am very proud of and suppport the work Ciara has done. I apologize for any misunderstanding or backlash my words have caused.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Microcosm
This is about Joe Biel and Microcosm.
A number of years ago I read Alex's zine Brainscan 21. Alex was Joe's long-term partner and wife and worked with Microcosm. It was about how she came to realize, with the help of her therapist, that he was emotionally abusive and manipulative in their relationship and business. It wasn't a big surprise to me, because when I had seen them together, they really reminded me of me and my former emotionally abusive partner. After I read the zine, I wrote to Alex and asked if she thought I should remove my stuff from Microcosm, and she said she didn't really think I should have to do that. In retrospect, I wish I had.
I believed Alex's zine. I wanted to believe that Joe might change, or that his behavior could possibly be situational and not show up as abusive in other relationships. I also said to myself "all publishers and record store guys are scumbags." I saw that Microcosm had more members than in the past, and was being collectively run, and I hoped that this meant Joe was stepping aside and giving up power in order to deal with his control issues. I had heard he was in therapy.
The truth was, I benefited from being published and distributed by Microcosm. I was overwhelmed by dealing with abuse in my immediate community, and didn't want to look too closely at my complacency regarding Microcosm.
Early this year, I got involved in trying to set up an accountabiliy process for Joe. He had said that he had done all that was requested of him and that he didn't know how to stop rumors or how to communicate with Alex that he had changed, since she didn't want contact.
Attached below is the final statement of the attempted accountability process.
I am trying to figure out what to do about Microcosm and distributing my zines with them. Below the statement from the accountability process is a letter I wrote to Microcosm a few weeks ago.
Microcosm is collectively run by like 8 people or something, and Joe does not have final say in things, however, as I say in my letter, I think collectives have to stand up and confront abuse by members within their collectives. Microcosm as a collective, does not do this.
I don't want people within the Microcosm collective who do believe Alex, and who know that Joe does have abusive and manipulative behaviors, to suffer, however, I can no longer support a collective that will not stand up against abuse.
I won't be publishing my next book with Microcosm. I am going to give them until the end of the year to come up with a collective statement confronting/admitting Joe's abuse and manipulation, and/or for Joe to legally remove himself from the collective. If by the end of the year, this isn't done, I will be removing my zines from Microcosm. I will also be reprinting Support and Learning Good Consent on my own.
Statement from the Athens Support Network:
In January, 2010, we convened to help with the accountability process of Joe Biel. We had been given the understanding, from Joe, that he was in therapy, had met Alex's demands, and didn't know how to proceed since she did not want contact. We confirmed that Joe had met most or all of Alex's logistical/legal demands, but in order to confirm whether or not he had identified and changed his behavior, we set about some written excercises. Our process was straightforward and formal, working on identifying behavior and making amends. Joe cooperated with the "identifying behavior" exercises - vacilating between what we perceived as willingness and defensiveness. We did not make it past the "identifying behavior" section of the process, as it became clear that a much deeper conversation/process needed to happen and we were unable to commit to the time and energy it would take. We think that if another process was to take place, it would need to be face to face and would need to have people in his immediate community actively involved. We believe that these people would need to have professional training and experience, and have a large amount of time to commit to the process. We do not believe it is the community's responsibility to sacrifice themselves for this. We do think that it is the responsibility of Joe's friends and other people who benefit from acquaintance with Joe to recognize that the accusations concerning his abusive behavior are valid, that he still has problems with control and manipulation that he is working on, and to point out to him when he is behaving in these manners, even if it is not negatively affecting them. We also belive it is up to Joe to actively encourage and support this type of dialogue with his friends, co-workers and acquaintances.
Joe is in therapy, and we feel that he is making progress through therapy. He has identifed a large number of behavior issues and has done work and continues to do work to change them. He believes that he honors Alex's experience. We, however, feel that he still has extreme problems with control, manipulation, defensiveness, and portraing himself as the victim. We feel that he often minimizes and belittles Alex's experience, and sometimes seeks to redefine it as communication problems rather than emotional abuse (see blog response post, Feb 5). In Brainscan, Alex's counselor identifed Joe as "using classic examples of distraction while arguing like some sort of sleight of hand trick with words". We also noticed this in our working with him.
Joe has a number of counter-charges against Alex. While we were unable to explore all these charges, they are consistent with the actions of someone trying to regain power when their power has been taken away from them due to emotional abuse.
We do believe Joe is working to understand and change his behaviors. We do not believe this gives him a clean slate.
letter I sent to Microcosm before I got the statement from the accountability team
Dear Microcosm,
I'm sorry about the confusing request for Joe to change the legal ownership to the collective. I guess I was just looking for a simple answer to a complicated question.
I believe that Joe was emotionally abusive controling and manipulative to Alex. I also believe that he still has these problems, even if they do not show up in his current intimate relationship. I believe that he is working on these issues in therapy. I also believe that he doesn't take as much responsibility as I think he should.
I beleive that collectives, even when they are just collective businesses, are responsible for confronting issues of patriarchy (and other forms of domination) within their collectives, and working on change and transparency with their members. I believe that Joe's behavior stems from patriarchy, even if he is not really sexist - the communication/manipulation models he uses are, in my view, patriarchtical.
In order to feel comfortable continuing to be published by Microcosm, I would need to know either from each collective member or from the collective as a whole (with a minority disenting opinion) that they don't think Alex was crazy or that the attempts to deal with the situation are a witchhunt. I would need to know from each member, or the collective as a whole (with a minority disenting opinion) that the collective recognizes that Joe still has issues with control and manipulation.
I would need to understand better what the collective structure is - like who has the ability to hire and fire.
I would like it if the collective members got involved in a new accountability process or some kind of process where people who are close to Joe can point out, in a constructive way, where they see these issues arising.
I need to feel like the collective takes this seriously and does not put the burden of instigating change on the survivor/s, or on people negatively affected by Joe's behavior.
For the most part, I enjoyed working with Joe at Microcosm. When Brainscan came out, I wanted to ignore it because I liked working with Microcosm. I know that sometimes a person can be abusive in a relationship, and the same behavior can be ok in another relationship, and I just wanted to hope for the best. However, I did have an incident with Joe, back then, that made me doubt that it was an isolated problem. I can't remember the exact specifics, but I think I had been to Portland and SF and had been around to stores, none of which had Doris stuff, so I sold it to them. I think it was right before the SF zine fest, and when Joe went to the Bay Area and found my zines/books in the stores, he got upset (I'm not sure if that's exactly when it was, that's just my vague memory). I do remember clearly having a tense phone conversation, where I felt like he was extremely defensive, and although he probably wasn't actually raising his voice, it felt like he was yelling at me. We made an agreement about where I could/could not sell books, and I decided to never talk to him on the phone again if I had a potentially conflicting issue.
As I'm sure you all probably know, a number of months ago, I got involved in an accountabiliy process with Joe. I'd like you to know how that came about.
Two people had contacted me, expressing concerns over Joe's past behavior. One of these emails had been from someone who was part of an organizaiton that was about to make a public statement about Joe's behavior. I read a blog by Ciara that was very inflamitory. I wrote a blog about how upset I was that Joe was continuing this behavior, then the next morning removed the blog because I realized I didn't know exactly where Ciara had gotten her info. Joe wrote to me and said he was sad about my blog, he explained that he'd been in therapy, that he took responsibility for his actions, and that he didn't know how to resolve things with Alex since there was no accoutability process that could facilitate closure.
I felt that it was important to get an accountability process going imediately. I tried to find people in Portland to do it, and couldn't. I offered to help head of a new accountability process. We were working on the assumption that the behaviors were in the past and resolution would be basic communicating with all parties involved. I know there were problems with the communication between the accountability people and Microcosm, and I apologize.
Early in the accountability process, I sent Joe a personal statement - it was a very personal account of my own experience with an abusive/controling relationship and how I didn't want my experience to color the accountability process, but would like it if my experience could lend understanding, it ended like this:This statement doesn't need a response (and please don't respond telling me how my experience is different from what you are being held accountable for. I know that), but if you have questions that are in a spirit of deeper understanding, feel free to ask.
Joe didn't notice this part of the statement. He went though my statement, adding in where he felt like it was or wasn't what his experience was, and also talking about his own understanding of abuse, with a link to an article he thought I should read, and he wrote about his own experiences in general.
Another instance of disregarding boundries/not noticing boundries happened when we were discussing the cover for the Doris Anthology - he had forwarded me the internal discussion of what people did/didn't like about the cover. I asked him not to forward the internal discussion, because it sucked to have to read everyone not liking something, and would be nicer if he could just sum it up. He said since everyone thought different things, he didn't have any other way to do it except to forward me the whole dialogue.
It is funny because when someone else in the collective said they heard I was having problems with something about it, I explained it to them, and they said they would never send a whole dialoge like that.
This wasn't the hugest deal in the world at all, but is just a continuation and example of how these ignoring/not seeing personal boundrys are still a problem.
I believe that Joe is capable of addressing these issues and changing his behavior. I believe that it is going to take the work of people around him bringing to attention the small and large examples of these behaviors, as well as Joe's willingness to be open to criticism, constructive or angry.
I don't have any smooth conclusion for this. If the collective could let me know how/if they want to address these issues and who will be the point person for talking with me about it, I would appreciate it.
thanks
cindy
A number of years ago I read Alex's zine Brainscan 21. Alex was Joe's long-term partner and wife and worked with Microcosm. It was about how she came to realize, with the help of her therapist, that he was emotionally abusive and manipulative in their relationship and business. It wasn't a big surprise to me, because when I had seen them together, they really reminded me of me and my former emotionally abusive partner. After I read the zine, I wrote to Alex and asked if she thought I should remove my stuff from Microcosm, and she said she didn't really think I should have to do that. In retrospect, I wish I had.
I believed Alex's zine. I wanted to believe that Joe might change, or that his behavior could possibly be situational and not show up as abusive in other relationships. I also said to myself "all publishers and record store guys are scumbags." I saw that Microcosm had more members than in the past, and was being collectively run, and I hoped that this meant Joe was stepping aside and giving up power in order to deal with his control issues. I had heard he was in therapy.
The truth was, I benefited from being published and distributed by Microcosm. I was overwhelmed by dealing with abuse in my immediate community, and didn't want to look too closely at my complacency regarding Microcosm.
Early this year, I got involved in trying to set up an accountabiliy process for Joe. He had said that he had done all that was requested of him and that he didn't know how to stop rumors or how to communicate with Alex that he had changed, since she didn't want contact.
Attached below is the final statement of the attempted accountability process.
I am trying to figure out what to do about Microcosm and distributing my zines with them. Below the statement from the accountability process is a letter I wrote to Microcosm a few weeks ago.
Microcosm is collectively run by like 8 people or something, and Joe does not have final say in things, however, as I say in my letter, I think collectives have to stand up and confront abuse by members within their collectives. Microcosm as a collective, does not do this.
I don't want people within the Microcosm collective who do believe Alex, and who know that Joe does have abusive and manipulative behaviors, to suffer, however, I can no longer support a collective that will not stand up against abuse.
I won't be publishing my next book with Microcosm. I am going to give them until the end of the year to come up with a collective statement confronting/admitting Joe's abuse and manipulation, and/or for Joe to legally remove himself from the collective. If by the end of the year, this isn't done, I will be removing my zines from Microcosm. I will also be reprinting Support and Learning Good Consent on my own.
Statement from the Athens Support Network:
In January, 2010, we convened to help with the accountability process of Joe Biel. We had been given the understanding, from Joe, that he was in therapy, had met Alex's demands, and didn't know how to proceed since she did not want contact. We confirmed that Joe had met most or all of Alex's logistical/legal demands, but in order to confirm whether or not he had identified and changed his behavior, we set about some written excercises. Our process was straightforward and formal, working on identifying behavior and making amends. Joe cooperated with the "identifying behavior" exercises - vacilating between what we perceived as willingness and defensiveness. We did not make it past the "identifying behavior" section of the process, as it became clear that a much deeper conversation/process needed to happen and we were unable to commit to the time and energy it would take. We think that if another process was to take place, it would need to be face to face and would need to have people in his immediate community actively involved. We believe that these people would need to have professional training and experience, and have a large amount of time to commit to the process. We do not believe it is the community's responsibility to sacrifice themselves for this. We do think that it is the responsibility of Joe's friends and other people who benefit from acquaintance with Joe to recognize that the accusations concerning his abusive behavior are valid, that he still has problems with control and manipulation that he is working on, and to point out to him when he is behaving in these manners, even if it is not negatively affecting them. We also belive it is up to Joe to actively encourage and support this type of dialogue with his friends, co-workers and acquaintances.
Joe is in therapy, and we feel that he is making progress through therapy. He has identifed a large number of behavior issues and has done work and continues to do work to change them. He believes that he honors Alex's experience. We, however, feel that he still has extreme problems with control, manipulation, defensiveness, and portraing himself as the victim. We feel that he often minimizes and belittles Alex's experience, and sometimes seeks to redefine it as communication problems rather than emotional abuse (see blog response post, Feb 5). In Brainscan, Alex's counselor identifed Joe as "using classic examples of distraction while arguing like some sort of sleight of hand trick with words". We also noticed this in our working with him.
Joe has a number of counter-charges against Alex. While we were unable to explore all these charges, they are consistent with the actions of someone trying to regain power when their power has been taken away from them due to emotional abuse.
We do believe Joe is working to understand and change his behaviors. We do not believe this gives him a clean slate.
letter I sent to Microcosm before I got the statement from the accountability team
Dear Microcosm,
I'm sorry about the confusing request for Joe to change the legal ownership to the collective. I guess I was just looking for a simple answer to a complicated question.
I believe that Joe was emotionally abusive controling and manipulative to Alex. I also believe that he still has these problems, even if they do not show up in his current intimate relationship. I believe that he is working on these issues in therapy. I also believe that he doesn't take as much responsibility as I think he should.
I beleive that collectives, even when they are just collective businesses, are responsible for confronting issues of patriarchy (and other forms of domination) within their collectives, and working on change and transparency with their members. I believe that Joe's behavior stems from patriarchy, even if he is not really sexist - the communication/manipulation models he uses are, in my view, patriarchtical.
In order to feel comfortable continuing to be published by Microcosm, I would need to know either from each collective member or from the collective as a whole (with a minority disenting opinion) that they don't think Alex was crazy or that the attempts to deal with the situation are a witchhunt. I would need to know from each member, or the collective as a whole (with a minority disenting opinion) that the collective recognizes that Joe still has issues with control and manipulation.
I would need to understand better what the collective structure is - like who has the ability to hire and fire.
I would like it if the collective members got involved in a new accountability process or some kind of process where people who are close to Joe can point out, in a constructive way, where they see these issues arising.
I need to feel like the collective takes this seriously and does not put the burden of instigating change on the survivor/s, or on people negatively affected by Joe's behavior.
For the most part, I enjoyed working with Joe at Microcosm. When Brainscan came out, I wanted to ignore it because I liked working with Microcosm. I know that sometimes a person can be abusive in a relationship, and the same behavior can be ok in another relationship, and I just wanted to hope for the best. However, I did have an incident with Joe, back then, that made me doubt that it was an isolated problem. I can't remember the exact specifics, but I think I had been to Portland and SF and had been around to stores, none of which had Doris stuff, so I sold it to them. I think it was right before the SF zine fest, and when Joe went to the Bay Area and found my zines/books in the stores, he got upset (I'm not sure if that's exactly when it was, that's just my vague memory). I do remember clearly having a tense phone conversation, where I felt like he was extremely defensive, and although he probably wasn't actually raising his voice, it felt like he was yelling at me. We made an agreement about where I could/could not sell books, and I decided to never talk to him on the phone again if I had a potentially conflicting issue.
As I'm sure you all probably know, a number of months ago, I got involved in an accountabiliy process with Joe. I'd like you to know how that came about.
Two people had contacted me, expressing concerns over Joe's past behavior. One of these emails had been from someone who was part of an organizaiton that was about to make a public statement about Joe's behavior. I read a blog by Ciara that was very inflamitory. I wrote a blog about how upset I was that Joe was continuing this behavior, then the next morning removed the blog because I realized I didn't know exactly where Ciara had gotten her info. Joe wrote to me and said he was sad about my blog, he explained that he'd been in therapy, that he took responsibility for his actions, and that he didn't know how to resolve things with Alex since there was no accoutability process that could facilitate closure.
I felt that it was important to get an accountability process going imediately. I tried to find people in Portland to do it, and couldn't. I offered to help head of a new accountability process. We were working on the assumption that the behaviors were in the past and resolution would be basic communicating with all parties involved. I know there were problems with the communication between the accountability people and Microcosm, and I apologize.
Early in the accountability process, I sent Joe a personal statement - it was a very personal account of my own experience with an abusive/controling relationship and how I didn't want my experience to color the accountability process, but would like it if my experience could lend understanding, it ended like this:This statement doesn't need a response (and please don't respond telling me how my experience is different from what you are being held accountable for. I know that), but if you have questions that are in a spirit of deeper understanding, feel free to ask.
Joe didn't notice this part of the statement. He went though my statement, adding in where he felt like it was or wasn't what his experience was, and also talking about his own understanding of abuse, with a link to an article he thought I should read, and he wrote about his own experiences in general.
Another instance of disregarding boundries/not noticing boundries happened when we were discussing the cover for the Doris Anthology - he had forwarded me the internal discussion of what people did/didn't like about the cover. I asked him not to forward the internal discussion, because it sucked to have to read everyone not liking something, and would be nicer if he could just sum it up. He said since everyone thought different things, he didn't have any other way to do it except to forward me the whole dialogue.
It is funny because when someone else in the collective said they heard I was having problems with something about it, I explained it to them, and they said they would never send a whole dialoge like that.
This wasn't the hugest deal in the world at all, but is just a continuation and example of how these ignoring/not seeing personal boundrys are still a problem.
I believe that Joe is capable of addressing these issues and changing his behavior. I believe that it is going to take the work of people around him bringing to attention the small and large examples of these behaviors, as well as Joe's willingness to be open to criticism, constructive or angry.
I don't have any smooth conclusion for this. If the collective could let me know how/if they want to address these issues and who will be the point person for talking with me about it, I would appreciate it.
thanks
cindy
Friday, June 4, 2010
new zines to distro
ok! New Zines to Riot Grrr Distro!
Vag
I think this zine would have made me less scared to travel, back when I was scared of the unknown. I wish there were more travel zines by girls and queers and trannies. In this one, Biz travels though 40 states. Sometimes alone, sometimes with friends or their band. There are small sweet stories of places and people and the things that make life.
2.50 u.s. 3.50 intl
Embarrazine! and When We Were Young
comics by my friends Max Wheeler and Chris Monday. Max's is about his dad's trip to Mexico in 1976, Chris's is about causing harmless trouble and having fun
very sweet comics. Max says "it's people's history!
2.60 u.s. 3.60 intl
Towards a Less Fucked Up World: Sobriety and Anarchist Struggle
1.50 u.s. 2.50 intl
Negrita #2
My friend Gloria wrote this zine a long time ago and it is still kick-ass. It has stories about hitchiking, about how many dudes interrupt and talk over and ignore women and what you can do to change it, how important it is to acknowledge racism and some fucked up things people have said to her, a story about girl competition, body image, fasting, and more. All very funny and serious.
1.50 u.s. 2.50 intl
Rad Dad 17
3.75 u.s. 4.30 intl
Ker-bloom! 83
Artnoose and 5 friends enroll in a med study for $1,000 they are infected with a cold virus and stay for a week in a hotel where doctors study their reactions.
2.00 u.s., 3.00 intl
Vag
I think this zine would have made me less scared to travel, back when I was scared of the unknown. I wish there were more travel zines by girls and queers and trannies. In this one, Biz travels though 40 states. Sometimes alone, sometimes with friends or their band. There are small sweet stories of places and people and the things that make life.
2.50 u.s. 3.50 intl
Embarrazine! and When We Were Young
comics by my friends Max Wheeler and Chris Monday. Max's is about his dad's trip to Mexico in 1976, Chris's is about causing harmless trouble and having fun
very sweet comics. Max says "it's people's history!
2.60 u.s. 3.60 intl
Towards a Less Fucked Up World: Sobriety and Anarchist Struggle
1.50 u.s. 2.50 intl
Negrita #2
My friend Gloria wrote this zine a long time ago and it is still kick-ass. It has stories about hitchiking, about how many dudes interrupt and talk over and ignore women and what you can do to change it, how important it is to acknowledge racism and some fucked up things people have said to her, a story about girl competition, body image, fasting, and more. All very funny and serious.
1.50 u.s. 2.50 intl
Rad Dad 17
3.75 u.s. 4.30 intl
Ker-bloom! 83
Artnoose and 5 friends enroll in a med study for $1,000 they are infected with a cold virus and stay for a week in a hotel where doctors study their reactions.
2.00 u.s., 3.00 intl
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
new zines for distro
new zines to the distro at riotgrrrdistro
dad.
Timothy wrote this zine four years after his dad died of cancer. He wrote about his dad every day for a month, and this zine is selections from that writing. His dad was from S.Africa and had been a white, anti-apartied activist before moving to the u.s.
So there are parts about that and part about Timothy wondering what it would have been like to come out to his dad as being trans. Wishes and regrets and so much more.
I wish I had read this zine after my mom died, because it would have helped me to understand what it might be like four years later.
2.40 u.s., 3.40 intl
Brainscan 19
from being the girl scribbling in her notebook to the girl runnning around getting stuff done - helping to organize the Portland Zine Symposium, the weird thing about meeting and making friends with people who's zines you've read, and the ways we represent ourselves. Important tips and ideas that came out of a mental helath workshop she went to. Doing a zine workshop for highschoolers and at the Portland Rock and Roll camp for girls, and how great the camp was.
2.75 u.s., 3.60 intl
Brainscan 20
Utah stories: about home can be like memories threatening to consume you. but "I am not afraid of your ghosts. I am not afraid of who I used to be."
Alex has a beautiful way of writing these stories - coffee shop crushes, rediculous drinking games, unrequited love, friendship, friendship break up, optimism and small adventures.
2.75 u.s., 3.60 intl
Brainscan 22: a practical body modification
This issue is all about IUD's. some factual information and then her detailed story about what it was like to get one. I think it would be really useful for anyone considering getting an IUD, and also it's just good to hear about what it is like going to the gynecologist office, because it's something that doesn't get talked about much.
2.75 u.s., 3.60 intl
Iran: 100 Years of Modern Iran (1891-1992)
like all the Simple History zines, this is a great introduction to the history of Iran, and makes further study seem possible.
2.75 u.s. 3.60 intl
Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2:DIY Resource for zines and zine culture
A little book that's about making zines, with tips about writing and editing, layout, copyright, photocopiers, binding, block printing, paper making, mail art and a zillion other things.
7.00 u.s., 10.00 intl
dad.
Timothy wrote this zine four years after his dad died of cancer. He wrote about his dad every day for a month, and this zine is selections from that writing. His dad was from S.Africa and had been a white, anti-apartied activist before moving to the u.s.
So there are parts about that and part about Timothy wondering what it would have been like to come out to his dad as being trans. Wishes and regrets and so much more.
I wish I had read this zine after my mom died, because it would have helped me to understand what it might be like four years later.
2.40 u.s., 3.40 intl
Brainscan 19
from being the girl scribbling in her notebook to the girl runnning around getting stuff done - helping to organize the Portland Zine Symposium, the weird thing about meeting and making friends with people who's zines you've read, and the ways we represent ourselves. Important tips and ideas that came out of a mental helath workshop she went to. Doing a zine workshop for highschoolers and at the Portland Rock and Roll camp for girls, and how great the camp was.
2.75 u.s., 3.60 intl
Brainscan 20
Utah stories: about home can be like memories threatening to consume you. but "I am not afraid of your ghosts. I am not afraid of who I used to be."
Alex has a beautiful way of writing these stories - coffee shop crushes, rediculous drinking games, unrequited love, friendship, friendship break up, optimism and small adventures.
2.75 u.s., 3.60 intl
Brainscan 22: a practical body modification
This issue is all about IUD's. some factual information and then her detailed story about what it was like to get one. I think it would be really useful for anyone considering getting an IUD, and also it's just good to hear about what it is like going to the gynecologist office, because it's something that doesn't get talked about much.
2.75 u.s., 3.60 intl
Iran: 100 Years of Modern Iran (1891-1992)
like all the Simple History zines, this is a great introduction to the history of Iran, and makes further study seem possible.
2.75 u.s. 3.60 intl
Stolen Sharpie Revolution 2:DIY Resource for zines and zine culture
A little book that's about making zines, with tips about writing and editing, layout, copyright, photocopiers, binding, block printing, paper making, mail art and a zillion other things.
7.00 u.s., 10.00 intl
Sunday, February 21, 2010
new zines for distro
New zines to the distro at riot grrrr distro
Toothworm #4: I, Turdshiner
My favorite zine I've seen in awhile. Disturbing and beautiful, small stories about injuries on the inside and out "Band-Aids won't stick to an ugly mouth of exposed tissue. Crisis is a mountain or a pyramid, do what you got to."
abuse and "is coping really a viable option". sex and puking and tour the lies we uphold. priveledge and queerness and what it looks like to watch her father sick from addiction and withdrawing. "Right and wrong, fear and love, beauty and ugly, safety and threat, care and coercion. All the hate that brought me here.
I read this zine and then put it down and then read it again, trying to get all the essence of it.
2.75 us, 3.60 intl
I'm Queer As Fuck and I'm Going to Carve a Space in Your Brain for Trannies
Two articles that are introducing trans issues, and talking about ways to be a trans ally.
One article is about pronouns, and the other is called Respect/Etiquette/Support, and discusses issues like Outing, Self-Education, Passing, Respecting Self-Identification, etc.
I forgot which zines I took this articles from, which is pretty inexcusable, but true.
.90 us and .90 intl if ordered with other zines
Tuff Town #2
pocket sized with pretty printed cover, hand sewn binding and full of care. Sweet stories like trying to take city busses from Goleta to LA and getting stranded we decided this was how we would tell if we could be friends with people or not;
whether or not they thought this was stupid. A small, two girl bike trip along the ocean and it feels like the ocean, windswept with strange characters. She talks about not always talking about real tings because how can you? the horror of screaming alcohoic father and the same man closing his eyes when he plays Neil Young on guitar.
families, skateboarding, music, going to jail for dumpstering, the shitty unrealness of macho whiteboy politics and the realness of what is in our bodies, the realness of actual struggles for liberation.
1.60 or 2.40 intl
Don't Be A Dick
A zine about rape culture, male socialization, a critique of traditional porn, the importance of consent.
It is so important that guys start doing this work, and this is a really good introduction zine about these issues.
excerpt from intro: "This is a zine intended primarily for straight, non-trans men to do something about sexual violence and rape in their own lives. In a way, I'm writing this for my past self - I could have used something like this a couple of years ago..."
1.75 us, 2.60 intl
Toothworm #4: I, Turdshiner
My favorite zine I've seen in awhile. Disturbing and beautiful, small stories about injuries on the inside and out "Band-Aids won't stick to an ugly mouth of exposed tissue. Crisis is a mountain or a pyramid, do what you got to."
abuse and "is coping really a viable option". sex and puking and tour the lies we uphold. priveledge and queerness and what it looks like to watch her father sick from addiction and withdrawing. "Right and wrong, fear and love, beauty and ugly, safety and threat, care and coercion. All the hate that brought me here.
I read this zine and then put it down and then read it again, trying to get all the essence of it.
2.75 us, 3.60 intl
I'm Queer As Fuck and I'm Going to Carve a Space in Your Brain for Trannies
Two articles that are introducing trans issues, and talking about ways to be a trans ally.
One article is about pronouns, and the other is called Respect/Etiquette/Support, and discusses issues like Outing, Self-Education, Passing, Respecting Self-Identification, etc.
I forgot which zines I took this articles from, which is pretty inexcusable, but true.
.90 us and .90 intl if ordered with other zines
Tuff Town #2
pocket sized with pretty printed cover, hand sewn binding and full of care. Sweet stories like trying to take city busses from Goleta to LA and getting stranded we decided this was how we would tell if we could be friends with people or not;
whether or not they thought this was stupid. A small, two girl bike trip along the ocean and it feels like the ocean, windswept with strange characters. She talks about not always talking about real tings because how can you? the horror of screaming alcohoic father and the same man closing his eyes when he plays Neil Young on guitar.
families, skateboarding, music, going to jail for dumpstering, the shitty unrealness of macho whiteboy politics and the realness of what is in our bodies, the realness of actual struggles for liberation.
1.60 or 2.40 intl
Don't Be A Dick
A zine about rape culture, male socialization, a critique of traditional porn, the importance of consent.
It is so important that guys start doing this work, and this is a really good introduction zine about these issues.
excerpt from intro: "This is a zine intended primarily for straight, non-trans men to do something about sexual violence and rape in their own lives. In a way, I'm writing this for my past self - I could have used something like this a couple of years ago..."
1.75 us, 2.60 intl
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Class Study Group
A friend of mine started a study group with some other people in Pittsburgh about class. Here's a link to the readings they are doing so you can start your own study group in your town.
Class Class link
Class Class link
Saturday, January 16, 2010
sick zine, call for submissions
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS ON PHYSICAL ILLNESS
Sick: A Compilation Zine on Physical Illness collects peoples' experiences with illness to help establish a collective voice of those impacted by illness within radical/left/diy communities. The zine is meant to be a resource for those who are living with illness as well as those who have not directly experienced it themselves. We're doing a second issue of Sick now and are looking for submissions.
Submissions should be 750-2500 words. Somewhat longer pieces may be considered, or may be hosted on the Sick zine website. We are open to submissions in other media, such as comics, drawings, photography, or collage. For more information on the previous edition and the ongoing project, see our website: http://sickzine.blogspot.com
Please be in touch with questions and submission ideas: sickzine at gmail dot com
(Some) Potential Topics:
Personal narratives of living with illness • Illness and support within left/ radical / DIY scenes • Current or historic examples of community-based groups that focus on the politics of illness or support of community members • Intersections of race / gender / sexuality / class / culture and illness • Experiences with doctors, hospitals and treatments • Body image / identity and illness • Bridging the space between disability and illness • Disempowerment / empowerment of illness • Mental health and physical illness • The experiences of being a caregiver • Living with multiple diagnoses • Insurance • The financial burden of illness • Sex and illness • Illness and creativity • The invisibility of illness • Providing support to someone living with illness • Creating and sustaining community support networks
In addition to pieces by individuals, we'd like to include a few pieces about the work that community-based groups have done to address the politics of illness and to support those dealing with illness. If you are a member of such a group, please feel free to write!
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS ARPIL 17th, 2010
Please forward this message on, and spread the word!
Additionally, if you know anyone who would like to donate funds of any amount to support the printing of this issue, please have them contact sickzine at gmail dot com
Sick: A Compilation Zine on Physical Illness collects peoples' experiences with illness to help establish a collective voice of those impacted by illness within radical/left/diy communities. The zine is meant to be a resource for those who are living with illness as well as those who have not directly experienced it themselves. We're doing a second issue of Sick now and are looking for submissions.
Submissions should be 750-2500 words. Somewhat longer pieces may be considered, or may be hosted on the Sick zine website. We are open to submissions in other media, such as comics, drawings, photography, or collage. For more information on the previous edition and the ongoing project, see our website: http://sickzine.blogspot.com
Please be in touch with questions and submission ideas: sickzine at gmail dot com
(Some) Potential Topics:
Personal narratives of living with illness • Illness and support within left/ radical / DIY scenes • Current or historic examples of community-based groups that focus on the politics of illness or support of community members • Intersections of race / gender / sexuality / class / culture and illness • Experiences with doctors, hospitals and treatments • Body image / identity and illness • Bridging the space between disability and illness • Disempowerment / empowerment of illness • Mental health and physical illness • The experiences of being a caregiver • Living with multiple diagnoses • Insurance • The financial burden of illness • Sex and illness • Illness and creativity • The invisibility of illness • Providing support to someone living with illness • Creating and sustaining community support networks
In addition to pieces by individuals, we'd like to include a few pieces about the work that community-based groups have done to address the politics of illness and to support those dealing with illness. If you are a member of such a group, please feel free to write!
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS ARPIL 17th, 2010
Please forward this message on, and spread the word!
Additionally, if you know anyone who would like to donate funds of any amount to support the printing of this issue, please have them contact sickzine at gmail dot com
Saturday, January 9, 2010
new zines to the distro
New zines to the riotgrrrrdistro
Rad Dad 16
Rad Dad won the "best zine of 2009", and I'm so proud! It's a great compilation zine about being a father and a radical. It "Brings together voices that are asking different questions and telling different stories about what it means to be a parent in a fractured, unequal, comsumerist society." written by "...queer parents, parents of color, radical feminist parents, parents who are redefining what family means."
Adrienne Skye Rogers interviews her dad about, among other things, growing up as a Communist's son, what he remembered about his father's arrest (during the McCarthy Era, he was arrested for conspiracy to overthow the US government).
there's a story by James Allardice about doing a charity bike ride with his dad, and how their roles changed during it, as he started taking care of his dad in new ways. also: Top Ten Books for the Whole Family, a review of My Baby Rides the Short Bus, and more.
Rad Dad #15
a story by Mark Ali about teaching English, talking to students about how people judge eachother outside first, inside last, and how he made decisions in defiance of the expectations of him. There's an article about kids on the playground, dealing with bullies with "a diversity of tactics, escalating to direct action". There's an article where a new parent asks different revolutionary parents "If you could communicate one thing to a radical parent to be, what would it be?", Concrete Things You can Do to Support Parents or ChildCare Givers
and more.
Rad Dad #14
has an interview with Claude Marks, a revolutionary who was (I think) an underground revolutionary in the 70's; an article about objects and consumerism; one about a kid who was murdered by cops, and how the father wishes he could honestly explain the racist world to his daughtor; one called Principles for Unconventional Parenting.
3.75 us, 4.30 intl
Kerbloom! #80
These little pretty zines have been coming out forever, every two months. They are done on letterpress, which is the kind of printing press where you have to put each letter in one at a time.
Issue 80 is about being sober, and whether she is secretly straigtedge even though she doesn't like hardcore music or straightedge thugs. It's pretty funny and sweed.
2.60 us, 3.60 intl
Ker-bloom 81: Artnoose and the Terrible Horrible No-good Very Bad Year
"It was suppose to be my Bounce Back Year. Instead it seemed like my Knock Down Year." failed relationship, loss of personal power, her Inner Nietzsche, wolves wearing human skin. It ends with the Dream Shop of 2010.
2.60 us, 3.60 intl
Scenery is Free #1
I don't normally like travel zines very much, but this one is from Malasia, and written in
English, and the English in it is so strange and beautiful that even a rant about consumerism becomes like poetry, and allows me to rethink the thoughts again.
Like this: "Please don't heritage to email us before May 2006 because we want to go to United State to do shitty jobs at White House in Washington DC. Then we go to Los Vegas, Hollywood and California for gambling, shopping and surfing. If they are allowed us enter their country. That's cool. It's about dealing with all the people who living in a world full of illusions and afraid by their shadows."
Mostly this issue is about traveling around Europe. It's pretty great.
3.50 us, 5.00 intl
Rad Dad 16
Rad Dad won the "best zine of 2009", and I'm so proud! It's a great compilation zine about being a father and a radical. It "Brings together voices that are asking different questions and telling different stories about what it means to be a parent in a fractured, unequal, comsumerist society." written by "...queer parents, parents of color, radical feminist parents, parents who are redefining what family means."
Adrienne Skye Rogers interviews her dad about, among other things, growing up as a Communist's son, what he remembered about his father's arrest (during the McCarthy Era, he was arrested for conspiracy to overthow the US government).
there's a story by James Allardice about doing a charity bike ride with his dad, and how their roles changed during it, as he started taking care of his dad in new ways. also: Top Ten Books for the Whole Family, a review of My Baby Rides the Short Bus, and more.
Rad Dad #15
a story by Mark Ali about teaching English, talking to students about how people judge eachother outside first, inside last, and how he made decisions in defiance of the expectations of him. There's an article about kids on the playground, dealing with bullies with "a diversity of tactics, escalating to direct action". There's an article where a new parent asks different revolutionary parents "If you could communicate one thing to a radical parent to be, what would it be?", Concrete Things You can Do to Support Parents or ChildCare Givers
and more.
Rad Dad #14
has an interview with Claude Marks, a revolutionary who was (I think) an underground revolutionary in the 70's; an article about objects and consumerism; one about a kid who was murdered by cops, and how the father wishes he could honestly explain the racist world to his daughtor; one called Principles for Unconventional Parenting.
3.75 us, 4.30 intl
Kerbloom! #80
These little pretty zines have been coming out forever, every two months. They are done on letterpress, which is the kind of printing press where you have to put each letter in one at a time.
Issue 80 is about being sober, and whether she is secretly straigtedge even though she doesn't like hardcore music or straightedge thugs. It's pretty funny and sweed.
2.60 us, 3.60 intl
Ker-bloom 81: Artnoose and the Terrible Horrible No-good Very Bad Year
"It was suppose to be my Bounce Back Year. Instead it seemed like my Knock Down Year." failed relationship, loss of personal power, her Inner Nietzsche, wolves wearing human skin. It ends with the Dream Shop of 2010.
2.60 us, 3.60 intl
Scenery is Free #1
I don't normally like travel zines very much, but this one is from Malasia, and written in
English, and the English in it is so strange and beautiful that even a rant about consumerism becomes like poetry, and allows me to rethink the thoughts again.
Like this: "Please don't heritage to email us before May 2006 because we want to go to United State to do shitty jobs at White House in Washington DC. Then we go to Los Vegas, Hollywood and California for gambling, shopping and surfing. If they are allowed us enter their country. That's cool. It's about dealing with all the people who living in a world full of illusions and afraid by their shadows."
Mostly this issue is about traveling around Europe. It's pretty great.
3.50 us, 5.00 intl
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