One Minute Zine Reviews

Zine Review: Two Love Fragments

2012-02-28T17:51:00.000-05:00

patrokolos has created a beautiful, unbound half sized zineof meditations on love, growing older, and connectedness. The two lovefragments (titled if we grow old together and life in the water) flow withemotion, depth and poetry. In this chaotic culture, zines like Two LoveFragments nourish our souls. Check Sweet Candy Distro for availability.

Zine Review: I Love Bad Movies 1 & 2

2012-02-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

When I was a child I used to watch old movies on our black& white television with my father late at night: The Incredible Shrinking Man, Revenge of the Creature, Tarantula, This Island Earth and dozens more. Nothing was moreexciting than a movies about aliens or giant spiders or old castles with secretpassageways. In my adult life, I’ve realized (through spending way more time infront of a screen than is healthy for anyone) that probably 99% of all Hollywood films are wastes of time. How these scripts gotwritten and films financed has always been a mystery to me. Yet they grossbillions for an industry that thrives on recycling every cliché in the book.

Conversely (maybe perversely) I occasionally love to watch BMovies (or grade Z movies) to remind myself of the insanity of the culture welive in as reflected through the fantasy of filmmakers. Plus, it’s fun to makefun (what a negative pleasure). The zineI Love Bad Movies is co-edited with great skill by Matt Carman and KseniyaYarosh. They’ve assembled a stellar crew of writers (and films) to explore,mostly centered on the 1980’s onwards. Most of these movies can still be foundused on VHS (or DVD) in flea markets or stashed in the basement of the fewremaining bricks & mortar DVD shops. Anja Verdugo illustrates thepsychedelic splatter flick Shrooms withsuck veracity I feel like I’ve seen the movie (and I probably have – in someparallel universe). The inner workings of Sleepaway Camp, The Darwin Awards, The Stuffand many more create the crux of highly literate reviews. Written by fans forfans (or maybe just the curious) I LoveBad Movies is a joy to read cover to cover.

For more information see www.ilovebadmovies.com

Zine Review: Gardener's Delight

2012-02-26T18:00:00.000-05:00

Gardener’s Delight #1

Gardener’s Delight is an offsized zine (4” X 11.5”) boundwith twine. This is the percet time of year for planning a garden while we waitfor Spring to emerge. Gardener’s Delight is meticulously written, edited andillustrated and focuses on the joy of connecting with the soil and growingone’s own food, herbs, flowers and plants. There is a section of preparing soilfor planting, how to plant, suggestions for what to plant, and a resourceguide. Whether you are growing in a community garden, your backyard, orindoors, Gardener’s Delight has an abundance of practical information to share.For more information email flissc@gmail.com

Audio Review:

Zine Review: Show Me The Money #36

2012-02-25T19:42:00.000-05:00

Show Me The Money #36

half sized / 46 pages

Tony Hunnicutt

PO Box 48161

Minneapolis MN 55448

Hands down: We need more zines like Show Me The Money. The media spinslies, disinformation, deception and distraction every day regarding theeconomy and its impact upon our social well-being. We are taught through mediato emulate and venerate the wealthiest of Americans and their corporate /capitalist ways. It’s what we are not shown, the stories that are not reported,that we need to pay attention to.

Show Me The Money #36includes articles on evil stockbrokers, Crisis in the West part three, theEnvironmental Corner, the enduring layoff scoreboard, and a wealth of facts.There’s also a “publications received” page. This may sound cliché, but this isthe type of zine that the government and economists probably don’t won’t you toread. Which is precisely why you need to read this.

How To Make a Zine part one by The Radical Uprise

2012-02-24T13:20:00.001-05:00

www.theradicaluprise.com

Zine Review: The Transcribed Photographs

2012-02-22T11:08:00.000-05:00

The Transcribed Photographs

From Venus

www.fromvenus.ca

There was a time when music didn’t need videos. Silence didn’t need to be broken. Screens didn’t need to be glowing in our living rooms, or reflected in our eyes 24/7. There was a time when you could go out to dinner or wait in a lobby without the electronic intrusion of a television. There was a time when you could spend hours standing in front of one painting, or photograph, uninterrupted & immersed in its messages.

The Transcribed Photographs is an exhibit of poetic description, expressing the photographs that the artist desired to capture on film, or to compose. The opening page quotes Anais Nin “We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” Descriptive poetry is encased in frames throughout this inventive zine that whispers to your imagination to create the visuals. The Transcribed Photographs is an invitation to take a guided journey through your own inner landscape.

Zine Review: Hobby Horse

2012-02-21T20:46:00.001-05:00

Simon Yates has an eye for the curious and unusual andshares his interests through publishing HobbyHorse. Unlike the prancing pony toys of childhood, you’ll have to hang ontight once you step into this roller coaster. The two issues Simon graciouslysent to me are packed with intriguing articles referencing a copious range oftopics. Reading Hobby Horse one learns about the development of transatlanticcables in the 19^th century and the roles of William Thompson (LordKelvin) and Wildman Whitehouse in making modern transatlantic communication areality. There’s a story describing the Lizard Man of Matobo National Park in

Zimbabwe

.Yates shares a biography of the enigmatic astronomer and mathematician Hypatiaof Alexandria. In Hobby Horse you can learn how to build an Aeolian harp and apsychedelic “dream machine”. Where else can you find all of this coolinformation in one place? Nowhere.

Zines like Hobby Horse embody the possibilities and endlesscreativity that zines have to offer readers. For more information write to POBox 1879 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012.

Zine Review: Cloud Factory #1

2012-02-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

I’m going to say this publically and honestly, baring mysoul to the zine world & bracing for the fallout – I get very nervous when prisoners write to me. First of all, theydon’t know me personally. I have no idea what their intentions are in writingto a stranger. I don’t know what horrible, possibly violent, crime they havebeen found guilty of. I have visions of a legion of sociopathic men behind barswho now know my address. It scares the hell out of me.

However when I get beyond my anxiety, reality is somewhatdifferent. I can not even imagine what it feels like to be known by a numberrather than a name. The “justice” system is flawed and fails people thatcollide with it time and time again. Way too many people are warehoused injails and prisons with no treatment, hope, or vocation. The punishment weinflict upon people is brutal and rarely equal to the “offense”. Some peoplebehind bars have broken no law whatsoever. Many are poor, indigent, have the“wrong” color skin, pissed someone off, were at the wrong place at the wrongtime, or the “authorities” just decided who was guilty and built a case aroundthat decision. I’m an empathic, intelligent human being who can questionconventional thought and social norms and yet society has instilled a terror inme of anyone who is incarcerated. That’s some powerful mojo.

Cloud Factory #1, acollaborative zine between Ryan Homsley (who is in jail) and Laura Walker (whois not) is a revelation in humanity. Ryan generously shares glimpses into hisdaily life and thoughts. Ryan’s artwork is surreal and edgy. His essays arenuanced and poetic. Ryan and Laura pose one another questions and slowlythrough the written word and the magic of mail, both create a strong connection.Readers of Cloud Factory are witness to the beauty of an unfoldingcommunication.

I don’t want to say too much about Cloud Factory other thanI highly recommend reading a copy for yourself. It has opened my eyes and changed my mind about responding to prisoners. You can write to Ryan Homsley#747267 MCDC 1120 SW Third Ave Portland OR 97204. Laura Walker (who also publishes the Welcome to Bend zine) can bereached at PO Box 8030 Bend Oregon 97708.

Audio Review: Junk Zine #6

2012-02-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

Contact JamesDawson at PO Box 292 Malden WA 99149.

Zine Review: Never Kneel #2

2012-02-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

Zine Review – NeverKneel Number 2

By Seth Graham

half letter sized, 14 pages

deathcultart@aol.com

I absolutely need to read issues one and three ofSeth’s zine. Why? Because in issue 2’s fourteen slim pages, Seth expresses somany thoughts and ideas that I have grown up with around “God” and religion andreading Never Kneel was extremely affirming that I finally feel I’m not theonly one who feels / thinks this way.

I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian family, was drawntoward Catholicism for a time, became an atheist and then evolved into aheathen / pagan / animist hybrid. I still believe in a God, even if that God isthe energy of the universe that pulses through us. As for the God(s) that allreligions reference? They are human created mythologies, mostly created tocontrol society and people’s beliefs and behaviors. Original sin and the needfor personal salvation from an external spiritual source (that you somehowinternalize by saying the right prayers) is a human-made construct.

Never Kneel givesus permission to think differently about God & religion. I’ll say amen tothat.

Booklet review: Some More Adventures of Super Heart

2012-02-13T19:30:00.000-05:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day comes this crisp little zine from Evan at www.cosmicrockbooklets.com

From the website: CosmicRock Booklets is a small, independent booklet making venture. The booklets are for children and grownups to share. CosmicRock booklets are for packing light on a picnic or plane ride and for using as coloring books in a pinch. They are for not worrying if a booklet gets left behind at the play-ground, gets spilled on, or accidentally gets returned with the library books.

This is a very kid friendly booklet and a message with (pun intended) heart. Kids know the joy of reading a good story and they'll enjoy this one.

Zine review: 404 not found #2

2012-02-12T19:07:00.000-05:00

40 pp / $1

David Hatton

PO Box 2318

Pleasant Hill CA 94523

Serving on a jury is a public service that most Americansare eligible for (even obligated to do) and that few will actually experience.Author David Hatton dissects his time as a juror in a murder trial (The People v. Reginald D. Robinson). Inclear language David recounts the facts of the case (the charges, the victim,circumstances) and outlines both the prosecution and defense arguments. As thezine progressed I found myself drawn into the legal proceedings. I live a goodmystery and this case, built largely on circumstantial evidence, had some remarkableelements. While I would have appreciated knowing a little more about the jurydeliberation / decision making process, overall 404 not found #2 is a very informativezine.

Zine Review: Wrong Number #1

2012-02-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

Wrong Number #1

by Belka808

8 pages / $1

I took a chance and ordered Wrong Number Zine #1 since it has a title similar to a brilliantbook by Franklin Rosemont (An Open Entrance to the Shut Palace of WrongNumbers) which is a series of essays pondering the serendipitous nature ofwrongly placed telephone calls and their cosmic significance in Mr. Rosemont’slife. Turns out Wrong Numbers Zinewas named for just such occurrences. WrongNumber Zine is published in a newsletter format (a print zine style that Iam appreciating more every day). The artwork and layout are eye catching &the content is highly readable. Within its eight pages Belka808 discusses theart of drinking tea, favorite books, street sticker art, being a southpaw,there are zine reviews and much more.

Here’s a direct link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BelkasKawaiiKiosk?section_id=10551606

Zine Review: Six Letters Addressed to You

2012-02-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

six letters addressed to you

by Patrokolos

An issue that rumbles through the culture that I worry aboutas a middle aged man is: communication - the deep, personal communication thatis possible between two or more human beings. The emergence of Twitter andtexting seems antithetical to deeper communication, and letter writing is quicklybecoming relegated to a museum of forgotten art.

When I discover a zine like six letters addressed to you bypatrokolos, my faith is rekindled. This zine is comprised of six handwrittenletters to people past and present in the author’s life. From the firstsentence it is compelling reading. Whether talking about nature, anarchy,family, or life experiences, patrokolos always spirals back to the heart ofrelationship and connectedness. His revelations are intimate, moving, and authentic– this kind of fierce zen honesty is healing.

Copies of six letters addressed to you can be found at SweetCandy Distro and I highly recommend placing this high on the priority list. Ifyou’re out there reading this patrikolos – share more letters, please!

New project: Cuneiform APA

2012-02-06T20:56:00.003-05:00

Cuneiform APA: Circulating Unedited Notes Expressing Ideas For Original ReadingMaterial

Cuneiform Amateur Press Association will be launchedin 2012 and is open to people who participate by contributing material on atri-quarterly basis. Due dates for material will be February 1, June 1, andOctober 1. Mailing should occur later during those months. Contributors arewelcome to send up to 4 double-sided printed 8 X 11 pages of original materialrelated to the following topics:

· Zines & ZineReviews

· Micro journals andpresses

· Issues related topaper publishing / publishing in general in the digital age

· Obscure andlesser known books, authors, zines, and music

· Letters andwriting / Postal mail / Mail art

· Personalreflections and musings

· Other topicsrelated to philosophy, reading, life, the universe, and everything.

Central mailer for 2012 willbe Frederick Moe. Please mail a minimum of 30 copies of your material toCuneiform APA attn: Frederick Moe 36 West Main Street Warner NH 03278. Pleasecontact singinggrove@conknet.com with queries, etc.

Copies of Cuneiform will bemailed to each member who contributes material and a couple of dollars towardmailing.

Zine Review: Welcome to Bend #7 - the Yoga Issue

2012-02-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Bend #7 - The Yoga Issue

PO Box 8030 Bend OR 97708

72 pp / $4

This is the first issue of Welcome to Bend I have read. Laura Walker has created a detailed, generous zine focusing on interviews with people involved with yoga in Bend Oregon. Full disclosure: Yoga is not my “thing”. However I immensely enjoyed the interview with Uma Kelppingher where she states “By reducing yoga to aerobics practice with incense and well produced soundtracks, we diminish the incredible gifts offered to us by adopting yoga not merely as a practice, but as a perspective.” She continues with a discussion of centering into clarity and embracing love as a way of being. There’s an intriguing interview with Vasudeva, an improvisational music ensemble. Welcome to Bend #7 includes a beautifully illustrated centerfold on the seven chakras, our energy centers. This zine is exceptionally well illustrated and designed with a plethora of articles on Kundalini, Bikram Yoga, Laughing Yoga and more. This is a highly valuable resource for anyone interested in yoga, whether you are in Bend or elsewhere on the planet.

More zines from smallghosts

2012-02-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

There are some visionaries working on the papernet out therein this blue wild world, and small ghosts is one of them. A cynical mind mightthink: what is this stuff? Put your cynical mind away and learn how todream.

Book of Stones is a nearlymicroscopic zine detailing the properties of howlite, agates, hematite andother geological wonders accompanied by an illustration of each one. How to Become a Smooth Operating NomadCriminal is a mini zine gleaned from various sources and is nowhere near assinister as it sounds (then again the culture / thought police are not just around us, we have internalizedpolitical / spiritual / artistic oppression so it is within us … so is the new definition of criminal someone whochallenges the status quo in word and action?) This zine is full of thoughts toponder. A Mystery by Joe Sexton is avisual zine filled with quirky images. And finally, Teenage Diary by Karlene Nicolajsen uses language to convey

thoughts and emotions known only to our inner selves … it’s a cinematic andvivid work of (literary) art. Amazing.

For more information email mail@smallghosts.ca

Zine Review: Les Carnets de Rastapopoulos #8

2012-02-02T20:59:00.000-05:00

Back in the day before the internet (some of us remember that far back & then some) people used to … write letters. Imagine that! Sometimes people would find pen-pals from all over the world with which to share stories, culture, and friendship using only the tools of paper and ink with the occasional photo or mixtape. Some people still embrace this method of correspondence even in the digital age (shocking!)

I’ve been fortunate these past few weeks to receive some surprisingly high quality zines. Robert sent me Les Carnets de Rastapopoulous #8 and I was instantly immersed in the world of rediscovering pen pals and the joys of letter writing as both communication and artform.

I won’t go into more detail other than to say this zine gets my highest recommendation for graphics, writing, content, and spirit. Write for your copy today! Les Carnets de Rastopopoulos 2-7 Larch Street Ottawa, Ontario, K1R6W4 CANADA.

Zine Review: Grimm

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sarah Bracken has created a mini zine about the lives of Jacoband Wilheim Grimm, who collected oral folktales in Europein the early 1800’s. Many of these stories were centuries old, full ofallegories and allusions that still mystify us today because they relate to thedeep ancestral psyche within all of us. Sarah’s zine is a beautiful productionwith text in German and English, and includes Sarah's lovely original linocuts. Grimm is an excellent overview of the brothers' biography limited to an edition of only twenty copies! Formore information check out www.brackensarah.comor www.babybeefartpress.com

Audio Review:

Zine Review: Super Structure #1

2012-01-28T20:22:00.000-05:00

Super Structure #1

Available for $1 from

Azazel Macabre

PO Box 10298

Columbia MO 65201

Super Structure #1 carries one of the most promisingsubtitles ever: “chaotic musings on film culture & lived philosophy”. Verycool … bring it on! Super Structure #1 is a half letter sized collage / cut& paste zine with tasty graphics and written analysis of films like BladeRunner and Apocalypse Now juxtaposed with the philosophical musings of Derrida.The surreal artwork and creative approach here are excellent, yet this zinelost me toward the end when it devolved into something about cinematic murders& executions and Italian sex flicks.

Zine Review: Love Letter #4

2012-01-28T14:52:00.002-05:00

Love Letter #4: Tea Time

$4 from

Jennifer Busby

5804 North Borthwick Ave

Portland Oregon 97217

My wonderful wife NanSea has started a tradition with ourgranddaughters: witch’s tea, which is exactly what it sounds like - a tea partywhere everyone wears witch’s hats and is part of the secret sisterhood. I cantell they’re having a blast and learning to appreciate the joys of teaat the same time.

Jennifer’s Love Letter #4: Tea Time is a perfectintroduction to how to create your own tea party. The graphics are fun, theadvice is astute (forget plastic cups … don’t mix lemon and milk). There arerecipes and resources as well. I’m hoping this zine is your cup of tea.

Audio Review: Lab Findings

2012-01-26T13:10:00.000-05:00

Lab Findings c/o
Kobb Labs
PO Box 30231
Pensacola FL 32503

(? this is just a guess:
$2 / loc / trade)

Zine Review: WTF Records

2012-01-22T10:10:00.003-05:00

WTF Records Issue #1

www.turntabling.net

Full disclosure: I am an aficionado of Dana Countryman’s Cool & Strange Music zine & theIncredibly Strange Music books from RE/search Publications. Therefore themoment I stumbled across the WTF Records zine, without a blink of hesitation Iordered it.

Vinyl records will always be my “media of choice” in the waythat iPods / mp3s might be the media ofchoice for teenagers who are growing up now in thirty years, regardless of what technological formats have arisen to supplant iPods in the intervening decades. There ismagic in the LP grooves, in letting the needle drop. So too, there is magic inthe endless diversity of records that were created and released in the golden era ofvinyl.

WTF Records features some of the most oddball, quirky, peculiar,bordering on depraved records and record jackets ever pressed. Finding titleslike “A.A. Allen Preaching God is aKiller” and “My Lips Are For Blowing”in a dusty flea market somewhere is akin to unearthing shards of the holygrail. One wonders how these records ever came to exist, and how by some strokeof serendipity, into your hands (and ears).

Joe Wallace covers everything like a sardonic journalistintroducing you to the most beloved archives in the library. There’s Christmas with Colonel Sanders and The Six Million Dollar Man, sex andbondage with the Ohio Players, the dour female stalking records of ConwayTwitty … this zine is a virtual feast of weirdness and wonder. One request toJoe, our tourguide – more, please!!!

Audio Review: Hex Magazine #8

2012-01-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

www.hexmagazine.com

Two zines by Kelsey Pike

2012-01-19T20:18:00.000-05:00

One of my joys in discovering zines is learningabout a skill, a craft, something that reflects my interest in connecting withcreativity. Kelsey Pike’s PapermakingWith Your Hands illuminates thetechnique of making homemade paper from recycled or plant materials. This zineguides readers through papermaking from pulping through drying, and eventeaches you how to build homemade molds & deckles and couching tables.

Kelsey’s second zine ReliefPrinting With Your Hands demonstrates methods of carving templates andblock printing. She also includes howto make a collagraph (a print made from materials glued to cardboard) and howto print using styrofoam. Both ofthese zines are well illustrated with easy to follow, readable step by stepprocesses. Kelsey’s blog is here KelseyElsiePike.blogspot.com and her zines areavailable through etsy.

Documentary: Chuck Kramer visits Firefly Press

2012-01-18T21:19:00.001-05:00

Zine Review: Cheer the Eff Up

2012-01-18T16:41:00.000-05:00

Cheer The Eff Up

lots of pages / half legal / $3

by Jonas

PO Box 633

Chicago IL 60690

Jonas wrote a zine for his soon to be born child (adaughter, if Jason’s psychic mom was correct) & in the process revisits hispast and present relationships with family and friends. Jonas is an observantstoryteller whose expressive writing cuts to the heart of the matter. A fewpages into the zine, Jonas recounts a visit to an abortion clinic with hisfriend Amanda. The raw terror of their encounter with protesters had my pulseracing.Writing with fierce honesty, Jonas tells his child “You needto be strong and not scared and not fall into those bullshit gender roles andrules that people around here fall into. Pink for girls, blue for guys. No way.Pick whatever color you want. Don’t starve yourself to look like the anorexicnightmares everyone else calls models.” This is advice that I wish my (adult)daughter would understand and pass on to her daughters.

Cheer The Eff Up is a chronicle of selfexamination & personal revelations. Many of us have taken paths frompunk-ass dreamers to corporate whores. It is the nature, and bane, of thiscapitalist culture. But it is not the nature of adulthood or parenthood, whichinvolves finding one’s voice and using it with integrity. Jonas has done bothwithin this zine. So Cheer the Eff Up.

Audio Review: Visual Music Review #1

2012-01-16T18:41:00.000-05:00

Zine Review: Cereal Boxes & Milk Crates ...

2012-01-15T19:49:00.000-05:00

Cereal Boxes and Milk Crates Zine Libraries and Infoshopsare NOW

I think this zine was written a few years ago, so theresources may be somewhat out of date, however the discussions about various incarnations of zine libraries and infoshops is obviously still relevant. I am a former public library trustee and can attest firsthandthat the culture needs alternatives to typical public libraries, or perhapspublic libraries need to embrace the zine / punk / comics / art / independent pressand print culture. In a distracted, capitalist, technology oriented world,people desperately need places to unplug, unwind, connect with one another, andconnect with resources and information they won’t easily find elsewhere. Everycommunity needs a zine library or an info shop! Google and wikipedia are notthe founts of all knowledge (and definitely not wisdom). CerealBoxes and Milk Crates Zine Libraries and Infoshops are NOW is colorful,well designed and an enjoyable read.

Audio Review: The Empire Builder

2012-01-14T20:06:00.000-05:00

Zine Review: Rewild Your Life #1

2012-01-12T17:04:00.001-05:00

We humans have all settled into this mess we have createdcalled “civilization”. Derrick Jensen & many others have been callingattention to civilization and its discontents, which are countless. We humansare the only species that is neurotic, depressed, genocidal, and ableannihilate all life on this planet any time we wish. This reality has lived inthe recesses of our minds since 1945 and is incredibly horrific.

On a brighter note, RewildYour Life examines how we have been socially controlled and disconnectedfrom nature itself in recent times. Reconnecting with Nature can free us fromour economic and mental slavery – following the joy of adventure, finding waysto be spontaneously wild. We can allow our Earth Walker / Forest Dweller /Urban Wild Man & Woman to emerge from the mindfuck prisons our culture hasbuilt for us (and that we gladly or sometimes unknowingly sustain).

Rewild Your Life isa brief zine full of great photography / graphics and is essential reading. Ihope it truly is issue “one” … and that more are on the horizon. Copies areavailable from http://www.etsy.com/listing/88897284/rewild-your-life-issue-1-zine

Zine Review: Dodo Comics #2

2012-01-11T20:57:00.000-05:00

Dodo Comics No. 2 Fall 2011

by Grant Thomas

$3 from www.grantthomasonline.com

I’m someone who reallydoesn’t understand most comic zines. I’ve encountered a few that arebrilliant and delightful, like the Trees and Hills anthologies, but most comicsleave me scratching my head. Oh, right … these reviews aren’t about me.There goes my incessant narcissistic thing again.

Grant Thomas’ DodoComics No. 2 falls into the ‘delightful’ camp – thankfully he discusses andshares insights into each piece in the zine. Dodo Comics No. 2 includes“Homage to Leone” inspired by spaghetti westerns (I could hear theMorriconne melodies in my mind’s ear as I read). “Drawing From Life” revisitsthe horrors of college art classes (all too real!), Visions of Johanna’s Concert (Bob, is that you?) is a comic in the pantoum form which I hadn’t encounteredbefore, and Why Have You Shut Your Eyes whichspeaks volumes in a few brief images and words to anyone who is familiar withmeditation and the demons that we evoke when opening our consciousness.

Grant is also a musician … I highly recommend perusing hiswebsite for issues of Dodo Comics, samples of music, and more. My Life In Records looks intriguing and couldbe the title of my autobiography …

Zine Review: Keepers Kanzine

2012-01-08T12:50:00.000-05:00

One word review: scrumptious.

Keepers Kanzine is a vivid, friendly, crisply printed zinepublished by Lady Bee. Where else can you find mouth watering recipes forGingered Pear Jam, Peach Preserves, Applesauce Jar Cakes and Blueberry PieFilling? Or Rising River Farm’s Original Beet Sandwich? Oh, and entertaininggraphics on every page along with practical canning tips, stories and quotes?Keepers Kanzine is fun and educational, and to me that’s a recipe for a zinethat I hope has a long shelf life and many more issues to come. For moreinformation email keepers.kanzine@comcast.net

Mini zine mini review

2012-01-07T16:00:00.002-05:00

A Short Zine About How Leonard Cohen Is Totally Awesome

Full disclosure: I enjoy Leonard Cohen’s music and poetryimmensely. Hannah’s brief 1/8 size fanzine recounts attending a Leonard Cohen concertat the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. This zine is typewritten and sprinkledwith handwritten Cohen lyrics. I’m pleased to see a zine (even this brief) about Cohen, who knows how to distill intense and beautiful emotions into poetry & music, and is an artist in every sense. A Short Zine About How Leonard Cohen IsTotally Awesome is available from HannahMadeIt on etsy.com

Zines by Burgin Mathews

2012-01-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

One of my personal favorite “genres” of zine writing is themusic zine - not the fanzines that deify a specific band or style of music, butzines that delve into lesser explored paths and aspects of the musical worldaround us. Two exceptional examples of this type of journalism are AngryViolist and David Tighe’s zines.

So my curiosity was piqued when I stumbled across Singing Governors, Fiddling Senators andOther Country Music Politicians by Burgin Mathews on etsy. He charts acourse from Tennesseebrothers Bob and Alf Taylor to Al Gore, Sr. relating stories of musicians whowere also politicians and politicians who were musicians. Something aboutfiddling politicians make them more accessible, more human, and informs us thatthey, like us, have a soul. Music is the universal language (not Esperanto –sorry!) and we feel comfort and familiarity with those who are fluent in thatlanguage.

Burgin introduces this history of fiddling politicians witha nod to Kinky Freeman, which sets the tone for a highly enjoyable read. Iremember in the folky days of my youth finding & eyeing some of the LPsmentioned in this zine – Senator Sam Erwin, Senator William Byrd … andunfortunately placing the LPs back in the record bin. Now, I wish I had made adifferent choice.

Burgin is also the author of Thirty Birmingham Songs, a zine that compiles the background ofthree dozen tunes about Birmingham Alabama. Numerous musical genresand recordings are represented here from the 1920’s to the present. Thirty Birmingham Songs is culturaljournalism at its finest – methodicallyresearched, descriptively written, educational and enjoyable. Music of place isessential to building community … I wonder how many songs have been writtenabout New Hampshire?

For more information check out www.ladymuleskinnerpress.com

Zine Review: Show & Tell #9

2012-01-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

Zine Review – Show& Tell #9

half letter sized, 36 pages

www.rachelcarman.com

I’ve read and enjoyed issues 6, 7 & 8 of Rachel LeeCarman’s Show & Tell zine (madewith Yin Bend Oregon).Issue #9 seems just as creative, with beautiful graphics and illustrations,however after reading cover to cover it feels disorganized and scattered. Thismight be because unlike the previous issues there is no central theme to #9other than a sort of chronicle of Rachel’s year. The best parts are about atree sit smudging ceremony / blessing and a yummy hummus recipe. A quote byKurt Vonnegut in Rachel's introduction seems to sum this issue up accurately: “Here we are, inthe amber of the moment, there is no why.”

Digressive thought: There’s nothing wrong with beingovercome by “the great motherfucking sad”. Embrace all emotions, take off themask, live in the moment of Being.

Audio Review: I Love Bad Movies #4

2012-01-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

A Good Mail Day

2011-12-28T21:21:00.003-05:00

Regular readers of One Minute Zine Reviews willknow that I love an excellent mail day – a day when delightful surprises arrivein my postbox. Canadian zinester small ghostssent me a generous package of creations just before Christmas. Some of these areexquisitely produced mini-zines created from folding and cutting one 8 1/2 X 11sheet.

Our Favourite Books : a reading playlist is exactly that – an eclectic list of books whichincludes dozens of authors (some of my personal favorites are represented here– Joan Didion, Jack Kerouac, Rilke) and seems like a comprehensive season’sworth of literature. How to Disappear and Live off the Gridshares survival tricks from 1970’s freedom guides (i.e. avoid the law, avoidcops, use aliases, write in code, avoid people). I’m not sure how practical anyof this advice is for the very wired 2010s.

Catalogue isan homage to the Whole Earth Catalog with some fun graphics (mystery bones!Stereos!) Found No. 3 features morecool graphics and collages. Sleep Walksis a 45 page thread-bound literary journal which opens with “all works hereinremain the sole property of their creators, printed with permission &pleasure, without profit & for sake of joy & soul, glories to you!”

The poems & stories in Sleep Walks are trulyhypnotic – some, like “blood on the tracks” “Irene” and “what love is” areamong the best writing I have encountered this year. My only complaint is thatmuch of Sleep Walks is almost unreadable --- no, not due to quality, but due tothe photo-reduced small print which make this old dude’s eyes tired! All of the above andmore titles are available from mail@smallghosts.ca.

Zine Review: The Film One

2011-12-26T21:00:00.000-05:00

Zine Review : TheFilm One by Mat Pringle

Mat Pringle has assembled a wondrous anthology of 26 illustratorsand their favorite films in this zine. Their eclectic tastes in movies range from Raidersof the Lost Ark to The Wicker Man (the original version not the ghastlyremake). It was fun to find some of my own favorite films represented: StopMaking Sense, Juliet of the Spirits, Kitchen Stories. Mat’s zines aremeticulously edited and the range of artists involved in the project isimpressive. I’m looking forward to his next project "The Book One". For moreinformation surf over to www.matpringle.blogspot.com

Audio Review: Staircase Wit #4

2011-12-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

Zine Review: Biblio-Curiosa #2

2011-12-18T10:30:00.000-05:00

Who are F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre and T. Mullet Ellis? Chris Mikul not only knows who they are, but has read their exceedingly obscure books.

Chris recently published Biblio-Curiosa #2, a zine where he delves into the murky world of oddball books and mostly forgotten authors. I imagine Chris as the kind of bibliographic detective who shuffles through stacks of crumbling, dilapidated books in the attics of eccentric aunts, or rummaging beneath dusty trinket tables at inauspicious flea markets sleuthing for unusual titles wearing vintage Holmesian attire. The reality of course is probably much different, yet this is the image conjured in my mind’s eye by his tempered discoveries.

In the digital age, anyone can self publish anything rather than enduring the whims and mercies of traditional publishing houses. Back in the day (read pre Y2K) getting a book published was a lot of work. Some people read these books with unflinching pleasure when they were originally published. In Biblio-Curiosa #2, Chris relates what is known (or guessed) about the life of novelist, poet and short story writer F. Gynplaine MacIntyre, am imposing and gregarious figure who may unfortunately be remembered for his exit from life rather than his literary output. Chris then unearths a mystery about pulp paperback The Yellow Yasmak by Gina Dewall (or is it Murder in Mid Air by Dexter Dayle? Or perhaps written by neither pseudonym?). Moving forward unscathed, Chris delves headfirst into a potboiler of an intricately plotted novel titled Zalma by T. Mullett Ellis.

The writers chronicled in Biblio-Curiosa were passionate about the printed word, overflowing with imagination, and struck a chord with adventurous readers. This ardent literature should not be languishing in the cellars of history, and Chris Mikul does yeomen’s work as biblio-archeologist bringing these titles back into the prospective reader’s consciousness.

2012: The Revenge of Mail - A Proposal from DJ Frederick

2011-12-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

Since 2011 was “the revenge of print” year perhaps 2012 could be “the revenge of mail”.

The US postal service is closing offices and reducing services, citing declining use of the postal service through unreliable statistics and touting budget shortfalls and general mismanagement. Who loses when post offices close? Everybody.

Now is the time to pick up a pen, find some paper, dust off the typewriter, write a letter. make some art, get in touch with a friend, or mail someone that book or zine you’ve been meaning to send.

We all know the pleasures of receiving mail that someone actually took the time to compose or create versus an email that we stare at on a screen. 2012 could be the year of reconnecting with physical media and mail in specific. Please imagine what a world without the post office would look like.

Thanks for your consideration & I’ll see you at the mailbox.

Zine Review: Let's Get Lost #1

2011-12-12T14:29:00.000-05:00

Let’s Get Lost #1: Freight Train Diary

by Victoria Yee Howe

http://www.herakliapress.com/lgl.html

Let’s Get Lost is a small, beautifully printed zine that chronicles Victoria’s adventures hopping trains, planning and waiting to hop trains, and travels in the western United States. Let’s Get Lost includes panoramic photographs, railroad maps, and even a sticker of a song titled “The Freight Train Speaks” by Elva S. Daniels. This zine is visually striking, however the writing sometimes becomes monotonous. Victoria’s narrative weaves between past & present, and the best passages carry the immediacy and intimacy of living in the moment. If living rough, catching trains and open highways beckon your wanderlust, Let’s Get Lost should be an alluring read.

Audio Review: Write Back Soon Zine

2011-12-12T07:13:00.001-05:00

Zine Review: Paper Crush #4

2011-12-09T18:05:00.001-05:00

Postcards (old and new) have held a special place in my heart with their intriguing variety of scenes, artwork, and messages. Postcards were the “tweets” of their era when people corresponded about their lives in longhand through the mail (and thankfully some people still do!). Sending or receiving a postcard is more personal and reflects a much more personal connection than receiving an email. A trip to your mailbox can be a joyful daily ritual fraught with anticipation and curiosity.

Krissy’s zine Paper Crush #4 treats the reader to some postcard history and I learned about their evolution from when people were not allowed to write on the address side of the card to the present day. I learned that there is even a classification for the study and collection of postcards – Deltiology. Krissy even includes a vintage postcard with Paper Crush #4. How cool is that?

For more information check out www.ponyboypress.com

Zine Review: 2011 Twin Cities Zine Fest Encyclopedia

2011-12-06T14:36:00.000-05:00

I enjoy compilation zines immensely and because I live in rural New Hampshire and rarely travel, I’ve never had the joy of attending a zine fest. The closest Zine Fest geographically is in Boston, a city that I avoid like Walmart on Black Friday (or any day of the year).

2011 Twin Cities Zine Fest Encyclopedia is a glimpse into what I’ve been missing. 2011 Twin Cities Zine Fest Encyclopedia is a project curated by Lacey Hedtke. Articles in the 76 page encyclopedia range from the sublime to the silly … most of it made me smile and laugh with wry recognition. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll discover between its covers: Serious DIYers and pizza lovers will learn how to make a pizza oven out of sand, mud and rocks with Fritz Bogott. Ryan Dow shares an example of jam comics. Robnoxious teaches how to bind a paperback book. Mike Toft unveiled a twelve step program for how to be miserable – and oddly enough I could see myself in all twelve steps. It’s scary when that happens. Sarah Morean’s article on how to start a zine fest is perfect for an old recluse like me – in the event that I get inspired, she details step by step how to organize your own!

This is just scratching the surface of the exceptional contents of the 2011 Twin Cities Zine Fest Encyclopedia. It reminds me of early issues of Mother Earth News from back in the day that featured a little of everything. Or snippets from the Whole Earth Catalogue. This is a zine that you can open randomly and thoroughly enjoy.

Zine review: The Aardvark #3

2011-12-06T06:36:00.000-05:00

The Aardvark #3

full size / 20 pp $2

Manual Publications

PO Box 771

College Park MD 20740

I don’t know what the scientific evidence is, however in the past two decades I have subjectively observed a decline in not only the quantity of people who read for enjoyment or education, but also the quality of the reading process itself. People’s attention spans have been subverted by television and the internet, e-readers, ipads, and an endless array of gadgetry.

The tactile and tangible experience of reading books is a joy, one that humans have connected with for hundreds of years. Deep reading involves attention, thought, and reflection with minimal distraction. Deep reading is an essential ability that shapes critical thinking and comprehension skills.

Art Vark’s newsletter / zine The Aardvark is an affirming, literate publication that asks us to be mindful of the relationship between reading and technology, and our own reading habits and choices. The Aardvark is a celebration of words on paper. Corporate CEOs like Steve Jobs (RIP) and whomever is the CEO of Amazon would have us abandon the ship of books and paper like passengers fleeing the Titanic. The problem is: corporate technocrats haven’t thought about the societal implications of such a rash act. They have only thought about billions in profits to be gleaned from digital culture consumers.

The Aardvark moves fluently through philosophical discussions and introduces the reader to some thought provoking, overlooked tomes. There is more substance within its 20 pages than I’ve read in some full length books. If you care about the act of reading, and the future of reading, I propose immersing yourself in these pages.

I recognize the irony of cheerleading for the world of paper on a blog. Yet I seek balance – this blog is also a paper zine and even a radio show. I do 95% of my reading away from a screen, and will always choose paper over an “e-anything”. As we plunge deeper into the digital age, paper zines like The Aardvark may become archaic, or they may not – they may become the impetus for thoughtful discourse that moves us in a direction of equilibrium and reason.

A Plea For Sanity and True Connectedness

2011-12-05T06:30:00.001-05:00

Book Review: Think It Over

2011-12-04T15:21:00.001-05:00

Think It Over: An Introduction to the Industrial Workers of the World is a small booklet by Tim Acott, printed at the Eberhardt Press. Full disclosure: I am highly sympathetic to worker’s rights. A century ago we had seven day work weeks, sixteen hour workdays, no vacations, no health care for workers, no safety, low wages and no protections for working people. Oh wait a minute – it sure feels a lot like that NOW.

While I support most of Tim Acott’s ideas, I’m not so sure I support his ideology. This booklet seems filled with “black and white thinking” … it’s either “this” or “that”. Personally I think this type of divisional thinking is outmoded. Nostalgic pining for the days of the Wobblys isn’t going to bring back worker prosperity. 100 years of unions have not achieved much change in the socioeconomic system. Old ways of thinking are not going to evolve the essential changes we need to create a sustainable culture.

On the other hand, our corporate profit and greed driven economy has turned most Americans into zombie consumerists and placed us on a collision course with disaster. We’ve seen it firsthand in the past 30 years, and even moreso since the crash of 2008 and non-recovery since. It’s just a preview of what is to come.

Nicely printed 30 page booklet – but Think It Over doesn’t leave much to think about in the long run, or really stimulate thinking for yourself. I suggest watching the Zeitgeist films instead.

Zine Review – Drastic Frivol #1: Travel

2011-12-03T07:50:00.000-05:00

Drastic Frivol is a digest sized, collaborative 46 page zine co-written by Erik Guttman and David Bowler. Each take turns presenting vivid first person essays. Rarely have I opened a zine and been completely transported to another place and time. Within seconds I was riding on a dusty, heat drenched Guatemalan road carrying a cargo of rescued cats. Journeys through France and Germany, The Gambia, and even Afghanistan follow.

The narratives in Drastic Frivol flow together like small streams of consciousness in a parched desert. Philosophical musings about the nature of place merge with searching for ways to express the sense of wanderlust --- but something more. Drastic Frivol presents moments of awe both internal and external … those moments that one seeks through connection with a foreign place, of being fully present where one is in the world, in the moment.

Drastic Frivol is infused with captivating, literate prose writing and comes with my highest recommendation.

Drastic Frivol is available by request. Please send email to erik@spybeam.org. The cost for the zine itself is USD $2 or EUR 1.50. Postal costs are in addition: US $1.50, Mexico $2.25, Canada $2.00, Germany EUR 1.45 and the rest of the world $3.00.

Zine Review: Angry Violist #4

2011-11-27T13:42:00.001-05:00

Angry Violist #4

22 pp / $4

angryviolist.wordpress.com

Angry Violist #4

22 pp / $4

angryviolist.wordpress.com

Zines that exude passion for making and appreciating music are scarce and wondrous. Angry Violist is a zine for anyone who enjoys veering off the path of mainstream music into new sonic territory. Angry Violist #4 features absorbing articles with a spotlight on Krautrock bands, an excellent point for point comparison of punk music vs. folk music, an interview with Vicki Aspinall of the Raincoats & more. As an auld folkie, I had never thought about the similarities between folk & punk music, and now I’ll listen to punk with a different sense and awareness.

The introductory pages reads “This zine is for string players who are angry at being forced into some straight-laced classical music mould & who make (or want to make) ugly, experimental and non-conventional sounds with their beloved violin/viola/cello and for anyone who likes interesting, non-conformist, far out music.” Can I get an amen, somebody, or at least a right on? Angry Violist is a zine that remind me why I love paper zines – quality writing, variety, and to learn something new.

Audio Review: DIY or Don't We #3

2011-11-24T18:58:00.000-05:00

PO Box 743

Olympia WA 98507

Zine Review: Rad Dad #20

2011-11-20T20:47:00.000-05:00

Rad Dad #20

RadDadZine

In a culture that seems hellbent on dehumanization and consumerism, there needs to be voices of fatherhood, for fatherhood. Everyone benfits when men work not only for social change but for personal change. Children need fully present, flesh-and-blood fathers.

Rad Dad is a voice in the proverbial world of publishing wilderness, a zine for connecting with positive, progressing parenting. Issue #20 is 38 pages, illustrated by Brian Heagney with articles by editor Tomas Moniz and numerous contributors. Our challenge as fathers is to raise children and grandchildren in loving ways, being radically honest with them and ourselves. The tide of capitalist, materialist, negative, narcissistic culture is against us. Reading these articles makes me feel less alone. Rad Dad is highly recommended for anyone who has an interest in raising healthy, open-minded children. That should be all of us.

Zine Review: Eefing Yodeling Throat Singing & Hollerin'

2011-11-19T19:33:00.000-05:00

Eefing, Yodeling, Throat Singing & Hollerin’: A Musical Miscellany

Send some bucks to

David Tighe

4804 Memorial Drive

NE Calgary Alberta

T2A 2R1 Canada

Beyond the realm of the bland banality that passes for pop music in western monoculture, there is a world of music to be rediscovered. David Tighe is an explorer of and journalist from the musical outback.

Eefing, Yodeling, Throat Singing & Hollerin’: A Musical Miscellany is a quarter sized zine that reads like a mini National Geographic for the about-to-be musically initiated. The zine starts with David’s being shown an lp by Billy Hutch, His Harmonica and Orchestra titled “Eefing Down Home”. This discovery leads to research on the vocal technique of eefing and its potential origins. Further musings revisit Throat Singing (I enjoyed the mention of Paul Pena and the documentary Genghis Blues) and then plunge into the natural history of yodeling.

Back in the day, Citizen Kafka and Pat Conte used to co-host the coolest radio show on the planet called The Secret Museum of the Airwaves, exploring seldom heard cultural pathways. David’s zine is like an abridged secret museum on paper. Can elephants play bagpipes? Is the Esperanto language alive and musical? Was Hawaii the 49^th State? Eefing, Yodeling, Throat Singing & Hollerin’: A Musical Miscellany presents astute writing, great surrealist artwork, discographies, and leaves this reader wishing some of the articles had been expanded upon. It is a laudable point of departure, and I hope David shares more of his explorations with us via zine form in the future. Highest recommendation – no hesitation.

The Bibliophiliac's Little Book of Basic Book Craft Skills

2011-11-17T19:25:00.001-05:00

The Bibliophiliac’s Little Book of Basic Book Craft Skills

By Meliors Simms

$2 + shipping www.meliors.net

Slim, beautiful, informative zine that introduces the reader to the tools of book crafting.

Book artist Meliors states “It’s intended as a public service in the interest of better book making.” Meliors discusses materials, cutting, folding, adhesives, and what you need to know to start your making your own handmade books. The Bibliophiliac’s Little Book of Basic Book Craft Skills is cleanly written, easy to understand, and includes a few resources for beginners.

The revolution will not be televised - it will be creatively printed, shaped & bound! Get out your paper & get to work!

Audio Review: Paridolia

2011-11-16T07:15:00.000-05:00

28 pages, digest
$3 US / $4 Can/Mex / $5 World
Jack Cheiky
1496 Elmwood
Lakewood OH 44107

Zine Review: The Music One by Mat Pringle

2011-11-14T13:48:00.001-05:00

The Music One: A Mat Pringle Zine
40 pp / http://matpringle.blogspot.com/

I could write this review using one word: delightful. No – two words. Intensely delightful. My heart soared like a kid in a candy store to find some of my favorite musicians anthologized here with beautiful illustrations and some words of the artists’ thoughts on the musician / LP chosen for their illustration. Mat Pringle writes in the introduction “Take a handful of music-obsessed illustrators and designers and ask them to do a portrait of the favourite band or musician and what do you get? This zine.”

Among the musical and artistic pleasures found within:

Mulatu Astatke by Lewis Heriz
Canned Heat by Darryl Norsen
Nick Cave by Matthew Williams
Francois de Roubaix by James Fry
Voice of Seven Thunders by Alex Jako

and many more. My one complaint (if complaint it is) – a zine like this would benefit from a mixtape soundtrack ... music and art and words to expand the consciousness beyond the tedium of radio playlists. Only 150 copies of The Music One were printed. Forgo this zine at your own peril, ‘tis a creation of beauty.

Zine Review: Hawaii 1778-1959 From Western Discovery to Statehood

2011-11-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

Hawaii 1778-1959

From Western Discovery to Statehood

The Simple History Series #5

By J. Gerlach

34pp / $4 available from microcosm

So what did we learn in school today? I’m a New Englander and Hawaii was never even mentioned in my schoolbooks when I was growing up. Decades of American history get ignored, and as a culture we’re so distracted that we barely even know our recent past. Who, other than those whose lives were directly affected by it, can relate the recent history of Hurricane Katrina, for example, and the government’s non-response to those left ravaged, homeless and heartbroken in its wake?

We need to know where we came from, and what lessons can be learned from the past, in order to comprehend the present and chart course for the future. The Simple History Series #5 distills the history of Hawaii from Captain Cook through becoming the 50^th state. This is a brief, well written primer on Hawaii, and we learn about its tribes, kings, queen, and American economic and military conquests of the island. Native Hawaiians culture has been decimated, and this zine begins to explain how. It is a good point of departure, and invites deeper research and learning.

The New American Anthem ...

2011-11-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

Audio Review: Brooklyn!

2011-11-09T06:59:00.000-05:00

Zine Review: We'll Never Have Paris #7: Modern Fire

2011-11-05T19:56:00.000-04:00

I know I'm reading a great zine when my jaw drops at the end of a story with deep recognition of some shared human moment. We'll Never Have Paris is a non-fiction literary journal with writing that weaves together a sense of place, presence, longing and loss. Every prose piece (and the poetry) in this issue are infused with the creative spark. Shaheim Jackson considers fire in the modern world. Betsy Housten visits a one-off art installation at a disreputable, soon to be bulldozed motel and has an epiphany. Merlon Dunkster narrates his work experience at an art museum. Vincent McClosky dreams. These are a small selection of the hypnotic narratives found within the pages of We'll Never Have Paris. Writing of this caliber lingers in the consciousness long after the page has been turned. For more information contact neverhaveparis@gmail.com

Audio Review: Mooncake Pinhole

2011-11-04T20:47:00.000-04:00

Zine Review: Zine Name

2011-11-03T19:09:00.000-04:00

Zine Name is a fun 16 page template for your average zine, including pages for rants ranging “from here are some thins that made me laugh / cry / react in a crazy way” and “I hate _________ you should too and here’s why” to “continuing the epic saga of an unhappy love affair” … in other words just about everything you’d expect to find in a perzine. I suspect Zine Name was intended more as a tongue-in-cheek parody than a “how to” guide… either way Zine Name is funny and succinctly lays out the tried & true path of many a zine. Try hunting for a copy at Quimby’s if you’re interested in checking it out.

Video: Organizing the Bookshelf

2011-11-02T07:39:00.000-04:00

I found this via Martha Grover's blog ... way cool. This is what happens when you read too many books while tripping. Or something.

Zine Review: Zine Capsule

2011-10-30T19:32:00.000-04:00

Zine Capsule is a zine written and edited by Kim Schwenk with other contributors & is a brief but helpful resource on how to preserve our ever-ephemeral paper zines. There are numerous benefits to collecting and preserving zines through libraries and private collections (or collective collections). Zines are a snapshot (or a panorama) of our culture, meaningful creations full of passion and zeitgeist (but you know that!). Zine Capsule includes tips for archiving paper and techniques for long-term storage in both hardcopy and digital modes. Beware the pesky silverfish! For more information contact info@gzagg.org

This looks intriguing ...

2011-10-24T18:04:00.000-04:00

Now if I could only scratch together the $$$ to order this zine! Prism #2

Audio Review: Skills

2011-10-22T17:11:00.001-04:00

Zine Review: Libraries I Have Known by Ayun Halliday

2011-10-20T20:44:00.002-04:00

Libraries I Have Known

A zine by Ayun Halliday

$1 / 8pp

PO Box 22754 Brooklyn NY 11202

To my mind, the library is a sacred community space where all are welcomed. I have been a trustee of my public library, and spent most of my adolescence camped out in a reading room with a book open. Ayun Halliday’s handwritten / illustrated zine is a personal compendium of numerous libraries she has visited and is a fun read. I was happy to see my state of New Hampshire represented in the mix!

Zine Review: Dithering Doodles #1

2011-10-17T19:33:00.001-04:00

Dithering Doodles #1

36pp half sized

$3 from Steven Anderson

259 E 700 S

Salt Lake City Utah 84111

Steven was kind enough to send me issue #1 of his new handwritten / comic zine titled Dithering Doodles. I was pleased to learn he’s only a year or two younger than me and we grew up with some of the same pop culture icons – I had no clue that anyone else out there was hooked on Lost In Space & drew pictures of the Jupiter 2 like I did when I was a kid. Not to mention his love of finding old 45 rekkids! I started collecting 45s at the age of 8 and never looked back.

But this review isn’t about me (hey it’s not always about you I have to remind myself) it’s supposed to be about Dithering Doodles. I’m curious to see how he sustains this excellent zine with future issues. Some of the material felt a little like padding, though most of it had creative spark to spare. The You Tube moments are priceless – blending old and new media perfectly. Who remembers the Generation Gap? Steven does! Where will you find a rogue Christmas tree? In Dithering Doodles. Like a cool prize you used to get for collecting so many Bazooka Joe comics … send for your copy today.

Zine Review: Atlas of Childhood #2

2011-10-16T10:14:00.001-04:00

Celia Perez is the editor of Atlas of Childhood a zine about children’s books. If you have kids, grandkids, or just enjoy children’s and young adult literature, this zine is a wonderful resource. Issue #2 starts off with an article by Sandra Knauf of Greenwoman talking about her childhood comic books … which brought me right back to my own childhood, when I used to read Casper and Wendy and Richie Rich and watch HR Puffenstuf, Kung Fu and Dark Shadows on TV, so Sandra and I consumed some of the same media back in the day! Atlas of Childhood #2 also includes a very cool excerpt from the zine Mark of Cain : A Story About Ink and some in-depth book reviews. Atlas of Childhood is exceptionally well written, edited, and presented, and highly recommended by this old zinester granddad. For more information write to Celia at lesbouquinistes@gmail.com

Zine Review: Musical Mysteries

2011-10-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

On occasion, a zine arrives in the mailbox that might sit on my desk for weeks (or months), and when I finally pick it up, I’m completely captivated. A primary example is “How did Arthur Miles learn to throat sing and other musical mysteries?” by David, who edits / writes / publishes No Quarter. My father was a cowboy singer (from New Hampshire, no less) during the 1930’s and I am fond of the world of old 78’s that seem to come out of left field with deep music from the cobwebs of the last century. Even in the digital age, older songs and music are going undocumented or extinct. Thankfully, dedicated musicologists are unearthing gems and preserving them for future generations.

I once heard an April Fools report on NPR that sound preservationists had agreed that the best way to store and catalogue music is on durable 78 rpm shellac. In some ways, it might be true – we still have some of the recorded repertoire from a century ago, but with technology racing out of control, where will our era’s music be found (and in what format) a century from now?

This zine is 24 pages created in 24 hours. Totally absorbing. Who ever heard of a throat singing cowboy? And to add to the mystery, “Lonely Cowboy” is the only known recording of the enigma that is Arthur Miles.

For more information contact captianmissionismycopilot@hotmail.com

Arthur Miles - Lonely Cowboy, Part One

Zine Review: Functionally Ill

2011-10-09T14:27:00.000-04:00

In issue #9 of functionally ill, Laura-Marie talks about the excellent Icarus Project and becoming involved in advocacy groups with the support of a friend. She writes about the LGBTQ Mental Health Reducing Advocacy Project, Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Committee, and a disability rights gathering. Also, she poses a very significant question: “Do you think there’s a problem that I’m disabled by psychiatry and at the same time want services?”

In functionally ill #10 Laura details a conversation with her partner Erik about how her symptoms (or her crazy) manifests. She also talks about mad love and friends who cut themselves.

One significant way people are going to recover from mental health issues is by telling their stories, sharing what works and what doesn’t work, finding real supports and friends, creating mad run alternatives to the system and questioning the dominant paradigm in psychiatry that snowballs people with medications that soon turns people into walking zombies. Zines like functionally ill, peer to peer communication and networking are a significant part in changing that paradigm. For more information on her zine contact Laura-Marie at robotmad@gmail.com

Zine Review: Gag Me With A ... #3

2011-10-07T20:34:00.000-04:00

When someone has generously sent you their heartfelt work, even draws a little heart on their hand written note requesting a non-partisan review, can one with good conscience give some difficult feedback and offer objective, constructive criticism? Gawd I hope so. Tis ever my dilemma.

Gag Me With a … #3 The Summer Issue is a compilation zine that is thoughtfully edited and skillfully presented. Deirdree Prudence has put a lot of care into creating and editing this zine: it shows through on every page. The content is another story. I’m maybe getting too old or maybe I am too distant from the “punk” scene to appreciate the fierceness of some of the writing here. While the visuals in this issue are enticing, most of the writing left me scratching my head. I think there’s a saturation point where too much nihilism, rough living, smoking, drugging, drinking, moshing, etc just makes no sense to me. Personally, I just don’t want to live like that or read about it. We live in a culture that has violently trashed the earth, if we are to heal the earth and ourselves we need to stop trashing ourselves. While I appreciate the inclusive nature of Deirdree’s zine, including micro fiction, poetry, photography, etc, varying the subjects explored would go a long way toward making this zine more readable.

One piece that did grab my attention was “The Two Faces of Persephone Pomegranate” which illustrates so clearly the masks we present to the world every day while we hide our true selves from those around us. It’s a sad reflection on our culture that can’t seem to accept our real selves beneath the mask. In the end it tears us apart and fragments our souls. I could feel the author’s pain dripping from the page, living with the dichotomy of two selves.

Here’s the zine’s mission statement taken from facebook: Gag Me With A... was created to bring writers & artists together to share their hearts with the world, bringing smiles & laughter & a broader knowledge of the international counter-culture scene through reviews, short stories, deliciously eccentric true life stories & adorably strange mythologies to each & every reader who holds it in their hands.

What an amazing mission! I wish more zines that this kind of objective. Please bring on the mythology, the counter-culture, the laughter, and heart and Gag Me With A has the ingredients to evolve into something amazing.

More information can be found at http://gagmewitha.blogspot.com

Audio Review: Shotgun Seamstress #3

2011-10-03T20:14:00.000-04:00

Zine Review: The Fascinating History of Perfume

2011-10-03T13:14:00.001-04:00

The old saying “you learn something new every day” may be cliché but it is true. I enjoy finding zines about subjects I never thought of investigating (Moe Bowstern’s Alaskan fishing adventures chronicled in Xtra Tuf for example).

Devan Elyse Bennett has created a slim 12 page tome on perfume. What, I thought, could be more trite and banal than perfume? Yet from ancient times onward, scents and concoctions have been intricately entwined with human development. This zine is a broad (and true to it’s title – fascinating) overture on the subject. My one complaint – the illustrations photocopied way too grainy and dark. If this was intentional for artistic sensibilities, it doesn’t work. If unintentional, reprinting the zine for clarity gets my vote. It feels like the illustrations have something important to add to the informative text, and they are lost in xerography. More information (and a potpourri of good reading) can be found at http://ballbusterzinesinc.blogspot.com

Zine Review: Pukka Joint Massif

2011-09-30T19:26:00.001-04:00

Pukka Joint Massif #3 is a classic cut n paste zine featuring crisp black & white graphics both straight up and manipulated to imaginative effect. PJM is a substantial, half sized zine full of comment and reviews of mail art and zines along with relevant contact information. PMJ is the first cousin of the Node Pajomo zine, which I didn’t realize until reading the introduction thoroughly. If you are at all invested in keeping mail art and paper zines alive and healthy, I suggest sending a few bucks for recent copies of both Pukka Joint Massif and Node Pajomo to PO Box 2632 Bellingham WA 98227-2632.

There is no email contact or website for this zine. I recognize the irony of using internet blogs to promote the papernet, and both PJM and Node Pajomo abstain from that irony by staying strictly offline. If 2011 is the Revenge of Print, maybe 2012 could be the Revenge of Mail … we could write real letters and maybe help save the postal service in the process … before a tremendous resource is lost to the tyranny of technology, budget slashing and governmental neglect.

Zine Review: Martha Stewart's Prison Reader of Blather & Malarkey

2011-09-26T16:48:00.015-04:00

Dear Tar,

I’m calling you Tar because you said I could call you Tar. You don’t sound like a boring person unless you’re a lot like me. I had three kids, own my house (well the bank owns it), and write for my own sanity.

Anyone who bursts on the scene with a zine titled Martha Stewart’s Prison Reader of Blather & Malarkey is worthy of my attention. You’ve created an amazing zine here in every sense. I wish more zines had cool quotes and a table of contents. I wish more zines had a vision of presenting a variety of writing – essays, fiction, poetry, parables. I also wish more zines had patron saints of Jackalicism.

While we’re still above ground we need to struggle against depression and oppression. I appreciate how your zine does both, with a twist of lemon. Your welcoming comments made me think you were Richard Brautigan reincarnated “I’ve waited my whole life for you to get to this very sentence.” And your Zounds! A Confession echoes my own recent musings about the current and future state of ink on paper. I will never abandon books and print for the tyranny of technology.

I’m looking forward to future issues – if they’re going to be this engaging, bring on the Blather. And the Malarkey.

Note: Readers can find this zine by clicking on this link http://msprobam.tumblr.com/zine or by sending $3 cash to Tarnation Collins @ PO BOX 4377, Tulsa, OK 74159

Audio Review: The Radical Uprise Issue 2

2011-09-20T20:23:00.002-04:00

Zine Review: 8-Track Mind #101

2011-09-18T21:46:00.001-04:00

After a decade since the “final” issue of the classic zine “8-Track Mind”, Russ Forster has created issue #101 – not so much about 8-tracks but a meditation on zines vs. blogs. Electronic vs. paper communications and information sharing is one of the sweeping issues of our time, which is given little attention by the media or educational institutions. For decades the cultural clamor has been to mindlessly embrace all new technology – and in the space of just 20 years we have seen a serious change (possibly disruption) in the way people read, think, communicate and process information. The internet generation has spawned less dialogue, a bloated glut of disinformation, and people making snap judgments and opinions based on very little truth. Twitter seeks to limit people to 140 characters of expression. Libraries of rare and significant books are being replaced with computer screens. People don’t write letters any more. And we’re not getting any smarter, or wiser from any of it.

We’re sacrificing our souls (8-tracks) for convenience (mp3s) and sacrificing our physical connection with objects like records and tapes for bits & bytes in devices and downloads that make corporations like Apple billions in profit.

Ok, this is sounding more like an editorial than a review (it is). Zines like 8-Track Mind are the panacea for a blog-infested world. (You may be reading this on my blog or in my paper zine … truth is, my paper zine will be here long after the blog is deleted … also … how many of you are actually reading this blog, anyway?)

This issue is packed with 38 pages of writing taking a long look at the analog vs. digital culture. Contributors include Malcom Riviera, Peter Bergman, Kim Cooper, Dan Sutherland and many others. My heart soars when I read thought provoking zines like 8-Track Mind. I may not be more enlightened after pondering it all, but at least it affirms there is still much coolness to be found in the zine world … and that’s just fine with me.

Zine Review: 45 Jive #5

2011-09-14T20:48:00.002-04:00

Full disclosure: I'm a record geek and most of all I love those 7 inch vinyl "45's" ... so when I heard about this zine it was imperative that I take a look. 45 Jive #5 (great rhyme!) includes an essay on 1960's songwriter Ellie Greenwich, reviews of obscure 45s from back in the day, a spotlight on early Motown tunes and an essay on one of my personal favorite guitarists of all time, Gabor Szabo. Music zines that turn you on to new sounds are a delight to discover, and this slim zine edited by Tuna is well worth seeking out. For more information email amoeba45jive@yahoo.com.

Here's a tune I discovered through the zine! Electric Garden by Dawn Chorus.

Zine Review: Zine Dump #28

2011-09-13T18:52:00.000-04:00

One way to support recursive writing is to write a zine review about zine reviews. Or better yet – a zine review about zine reviews of zine reviews. This is so much fun, it could go on ad infinitum.

Guy Lillian III was kind enough to send me Zine Dump #28 – the print version (it is also available from efanzines.com). Of course, your intrepid DJ prefers the paper realm.

Guy’s writing is straightforward and crisp. Most of the zines reviewed are connected with sci-fi fandom. He shares enough information so that readers can form a real sense of the zine and its contents from Alexiad to Warp 78. Though I am not much of a traditional science fiction reader, it is affirming to know that communities of print are crystallizing around adventurous literature. Zine Dump is a highly enjoyable resource.

Write to Guy Lillian III at 5915 River Road Shreveport LA 71105.

Zine Review: Sowing and Dawning #4

2011-09-09T20:13:00.002-04:00

Back in the day, when I was 16 years old, I stumbled across a book at the library that was so intriguing I read it in one sitting and turning each page thought “I wish I could write like that.” That book was In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan. Of course, we can’t write like that, since each person’s wordcrafting is unique – every one of us brings our own distinctive voice to the printed page.

There is no one writing in zine circles today like Rick Visser – and that’s a wonderful thing. Sowing & Dawning #4 is the most ambitious perzine I have read in 2011. Sowing & Dawning is prosaic and literate, spellbinding and dreamlike … a substantial journal that sprawls across two books (book one and book two) sewn into a paper holder. Creating our lives is an ongoing art of being in the moment, and Rick is an artist. Since in this narcissistic culture+ we spend so much time documenting our lives from the banal to the crass, it is heartening to see someone document their life with such clear, inclusive flourishes of language and attention to atmosphere and emotion.

You can check out his blog to order via paypal at tapereelsforeyes.blogspot.com. Rick states that he would prefer to receive letters, zines, mixtapes, maps, baked goods, dried goods, books as barter for his zines. Write to Rick Visser 146 Knickerbocker Ave Apt. #1 Brooklyn NY 11237.

Zine Review: Yard Sale! #10

2011-09-05T12:18:00.002-04:00

Harley R. Pageot's life path has been entwined with the music he has loved, from grunge to punk to indie rock and indie pop. His relationship with musical endeavors is central to Yard Sale! #10, a well produced zine. I enjoyed Harley's clean, minimalist writing style. He recounts an interesting story about playing skating songs on a CBC Radio 3 live broadcast. and how he and his friends created the Broken Arts Collective with the vision of bringing together diverse artists. Yard Sale! is published four times a year and is an ambitious project.

Annie Murphy - I Still Live

2011-09-02T12:40:00.000-04:00

I Still Live - Biography of a Spiritualist by Annie Murray illustrates the story of Acsha W. Sprague who was born in Vermont in 1827 and became s well-known spiritualist speaker. She began work as a teacher at the age of twelve and taught until she was twenty. She then became very ill and was crippled by a "scrofulous disease of the joints," which was possibly a form of arthritis. As her condition worsened, she became bedridden. At the age of twenty-seven, she had a spiritual awakening in which she was told that angels were around her and needed her to tell others of their message of eternal life. Her health gradually improved and she embarked on a lecture career, carrying out her mission. Sprague was considered a trance lecturer and gave her first public speech at South Reading in July of 1854. She was a reformer on such topics as the position of women and conditions in slums and prisons, and an advocate of temperance and the abolition of slavery. She was considered a religious leader for the Spiritualist movement, which attracted many women because it enabled them to speak in public before audiences of both men and women. Sprague was also a poet. Much of her work still remains unpublished today. Some of her poetry was published in "The Banner of Light," "The World," and "The Green Mountain Sibyl." She died of a severe illness, designated as brain fever, at the age of thirty-four.

Annie Murphy has created a book like no other, infused with sensitivity and transcendence. She weaves Ascha's story into her own (and back again) through hypnotic drawings, and carefully chosen words. The result is both lucid and dreamlike. Books that merge art, history, biography, philosophy and personal journeys so seamlessly are exceptionally rare. I Still Live is 60 pages, oversized, and available from sparkplugcomicbooks.com. I Still Live gets my highest recommendation.

Zine Review: The Juniper #14

2011-08-28T20:34:00.000-04:00

I'm finally sitting down to review this slender and friendly zine written by Dan Murphy. The Juniper 14 starts out with Dan saying "Cooperation is a pretty good mechanism for survival." If only most of western culture felt the same! Dan gives words to thoughts and topics I have pondered most of my adult life. We live in an era where the choices we make will affect the very viability of our species. To support endless war or to wage peace? To continue to allow countless millions to starve to death or learn how to feed ourselves safely and sanely? To care for the ecosystem like it is the last precious thing on earth ... or have the earth spin into the future with thousands of species (including humans) extinct.

The change that needs to be embraced is not one huge change, but billions of small changes in our lives. Unplugging and being present in the here and now.

The Juniper is a step toward positive change. A newsletter for gentle souls who seek harmony with the earth. Oh, and also for people who want to learn how to build a portable stove, make buckwheat stuffing, and edamame hummus.

There's a link to Dan's blog over in the "cool places to visit" section.

Audio Review: Notes from the Underground by Stephen Dunscombe

2011-08-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

Audio Review: Operations Manual - They're Greatest Hits

2011-08-17T18:28:00.005-04:00

Zine Review: Operations Manual vol. VIII

2011-08-13T17:50:00.000-04:00

The world is full of information that I wasn't aware of, and wasn't aware that I needed to know. After reading Operations Manual VIII: Die Auferstehungs-Ausgabe I am now able to levitate, make an Illuminati pyramid hat for my cats, create a secret society, plan my next Deer Island vacation and win the "ten people who claimed to be Jesus" quiz on Family Feud.

Seriously (?) I have to ask myself: how cool is this zine? And how cool is it that Marc sent me four issues?

If the old cliche variety is the spice of life is true, then Operations Manual is the spice of zines. Graphs, charts, comics, sarcasm, a fuck-it list (I'll do it in the next lifetime) ... there's a lot of creative content packed into issue VIII. Not sold on this zine yet? It's free. Check out the link in the sidebar.

More reviews of Operations Manual to come. Piece Out.

Audio Review: Shards of Glass In Your Eye #5

2011-08-07T15:41:00.009-04:00

Listen here:
http://www.divshare.com/download/15471850-70c

or here:
http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/53626

Zine Review: The CIA Makes Science Fiction Unexciting #3

2011-08-04T20:30:00.000-04:00

Gena Mason is the author of this well produced and well researched zine that brings you information about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, data mining, wiretapping, eugenics, and numerous incidents in which our rights to privacy have been raped by the government. Is any of this really news? No. It's all in the public domain. At times this zine goes way out there - talking about chips implanted in human subjects that transmit data about our dreams - but I'm guessing that 75% of this zine is based in reality.
I get paranoid just writing a review about it, wondering what lists it'll land me on.

This zine is available from Microcosm.

Zine Review: Crescent City Stories

2011-08-02T18:50:00.001-04:00

Nicki Sabalu created the Crescent City Stories zine in August 2007, almost two years after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and created historical proportions of devastation. Since 2005, a patchwork mosaic has emerged slowly of the death of dreams and the restoration efforts embodied through Katrina survivors. For authentic journalism on the subject of Hurricane Katrina's effects on New Orleans I suggest watching Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke.

Crescent City Stories is a small, handwritten zine that captures snapshot moments and feelings from the time Nicki spent helping New Orleans residents in the aftermath of the storm. It was way too brief a zine for its subject matter, and while I realize this is essentially a "perzine" is it cries out for more stories and other voices. Copies are available from Ms. Valerie Park, my distro of choice.

Ut-oh: The Zine Reviewer Dilemma

2011-07-20T19:33:00.001-04:00

First, I want to say I am grateful for people who send me zines to review. Delighted bordering on Ecstatic.

I wrestle with whether or not being overly "critical" is something I want to do with One Minute Zine Reviews. While I celebrate the work people are creating with paper, I don't subscribe to the theory that all zines are created equal. In order for me to write a thoughtful (I hope) review of a zine I need to connect with it in a fundamental way. If I can not relate to a zine yet it expands my universe and stimulates my mind, I will revisit it until I can distill words to share with others. If I can not relate to a zine, and would never order / buy a copy for myself, I sit with an ethical quandary: To review or not to review. That is the question.

A number of zines that fall into the latter category have been arriving lately. To those who reach out to me I say a heartfelt "thank you" ... even though I may not review your zine.

Speaking of thank you ...

Thank You Issue 2

... the communique that accompanied this zine said "just looking for some feedback on this issue. Good, bad, or ugly."

That invitation resolved my ethical dilemma about this review. The zine is beautiful, my review is possibly ugly.

Who this zine might appeal to: sex and/or skateboard obsessed adolescents who live in Casper Wyoming.

Great visual / graphic presentation. Awesome advertisement section. Otherwise: Zero captivating content. Maybe the content will evolve. Maybe people in Casper Wyoming love this stuff. The one thought I had as I stashed this zine in my "to recycle or give to someone else" pile is ... I wonder if Dirty Dave has read it. And what he might have to say.

You can email thankyouzine@yahoo.com for more information.

Zine Review: Twilight World #10

2011-07-16T10:28:00.001-04:00

One of my pleasures is receiving a zine that I know I'm going to enjoy before I even crack the cover, and Don-O doesn't disappoint with Twilight World Number Ten. Most comic books & the film Xanadu are not my thing, yet Don-O's writing makes them seem fascinating through his boundless enthusiasm. In this issue he recounts adventures in Sedona AZ doing battle with panoramic vistas, strange vortexes and bad Mexican food, a brief stint working in a comic store (with the bosses wife from hell - who can't relate?) a review of a monster box set from the Firesign Theatre (I have got to check these guys out) & more. Take a trip through Don's creations (if you dare) by checking the link out over in the blog margin.

Zine Review: Smiling Disease

2011-07-13T20:39:00.002-04:00

Have you ever been enticed by or happily surprised at discovering artwork, graffiti, or stickers placed where you least expect them? Smiling Disease is a comprehensive guide guide to public stickering condensed into a few well conceived pages. Scott guides you through the process of creating stickers, placing them strategically, and the ethics of stickering. In an era where corporations constantly inoculate us with their consumerist messages, Smiling Disease shows you how to speak your mind creatively through art or word. Smiling Disease is available through Microcosm.

Zine Review: Bookstore Thief

2011-07-10T17:28:00.003-04:00

Bookstore Thief recounts an armed robbery at a bookshop where Carrie worked over a decade ago. Take a breath and ask yourself: a robbery at a bookshop? Without heroics or histrionics, Carrie chronicles her experiences during the robbery and the aftereffects on the bookselling crew, which quickly divided into two distinct groups - those who had been present at the robbery, and those who had not. Bookstore Thief is infused with a clear, philosophical narrative.

Zine Review: Somnambulist #17

2011-07-08T20:00:00.000-04:00

Martha Grover graciously sent me Somnambulist #17 for review. This is the second or third issue of Somnambulist I have read, and I’m noticing the small qualities I appreciate about this zine:

The writing is consistently cohesive and crisp (how’s that for alliteration?)
The design and layout are clean and reader-friendly
There’s a “what’s in this issue” page
You can subscribe to it!

Somnambulist #17 features a story by Jordan Karnes about infatuation with the very dead John Lennon and a very alive boyfriend named Jon. It’s a rare story that makes you laugh and cringe at the same time. Martha Grover writes about the plastic gyre, something most of us would rather not think about … and that’s just the first 9 pages. You can contact Martha at PO Box 14871 Portland OR 97293 or visit her zine blog at somnambulistzine.blogspot.com … until I can afford a subscription I’m hoping Martha sends me her future zine creations!

Zine Review: Philly Dudes Collective

2011-07-06T20:16:00.000-04:00

"Women's issues" are human issues - men included. We all interrelate on every level (unless you live in some post-feminist Utopian society). The Philly Dudes Collective states that their mission, in part, is to "create safe spaces for open, critical & honest discussions on the subject of masculinity ... we do not seek to create a consensus of ideas but rather open a dialogue". Their zine chronicles the collectives open workshops which have explored sexism & the punk ethic, sexual assault, and white male privilege. Men confronting rape and assault is essential. After all, probably 95% of all sexual assaults are perpetrated by men. Institutional patriarchy has harmed every culture for 5,000 years and is still going strong - hell, there are countries where women can't even legally drive. We live in an era when we need to embrace true and positive masculinity. This means expressing emotions, feeling deeply, using our leadership and relationship skills to create balance and harmony in the world. You might call me a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

contact: philly_dudes@riseup.net

Audio Review: Hot Dog Dayz #2

2011-07-05T21:01:00.001-04:00

Audio Review: The Boxwooder by Jake Warner

2011-07-02T12:35:00.000-04:00

The Influencing Machine

2011-07-01T11:53:00.000-04:00

The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media from WW Norton on Vimeo.