The Way the Lights Went Out: A Hurricane Sandy Zine Benefit

The Way the Lights Went Out: A Hurricane Sandy Zine Benefit

RSVP: http://bit.ly/sandyzinebenefit

This event will be both a zine reading and zine sale to benefit The Ali Forney Center, a Manhattan-based organization which provides housing to homeless LGBT youth. Part of the Center’s facility is located near the Hudson River and was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. The event will include readings by zinesters as well as the sale of zines generously donated by many zinesters. 100% of proceeds will go to this important community resource.

We are aware of recent critiques of the Ali Forney Center*, and we concur with TransRadical blog** that it is crucial to rebuild AFC in order to continue creating safe and welcoming communities for LGBTQ youth everywhere.

READERS:

Kate Angell (My Feminist Friends, A Thousand Times Yes)
Jamie Varriale Vélez (Sinvergüenza)
Jenna Freedman (Lower East Side Librarian, Barnard Zine Library)
+ more!

ZINE DONORS:

Stranger Danger Zine Distro, Kathleen McIntyre (The Worst), Lauren Denitzio (Get it Together), Kate Wadkins (International Girl Gang Underground), For the Birds Collective, Kate Angell, Amber Dearest (Fight Boredom Distro, The Triumph of our Tired Eyes), Maranda Elizabeth (Telegram), PonyBoy Press, Aimee Lusty (Booklyn, Pen15 Press), Amanda Stefanski, Jami Sailor (Your Secretary), Jordan Alam (The Cowation), Alycia Sellie (Brooklyn College Zine Library), Cindy Crabb (Doris), Natty Koper & Sivan Sabach (Bangarang This), Chella Quint (Adventures in Menstruating), Shawn Smith (Black Lesbians in the 70s Zine), Elvis Bakaitis (Homos in Herstory), Sarah Rose (Tazewell’s Favorite Eccentric, Once Upon a Distro), Maud Pryor (Marmalade Umlaut), Jenna Freedman

Zinesters are welcome to contact us with zines to donate! 100% of event proceeds will be donated to hurricane relief.

CONTACT
Kate Angell at myfeministfriends@gmail.com
Kate Wadkins at mskatherinewadkins@gmail.com

(more info to be updated on the Facebook event page)

* http://transradical.tumblr.com/post/20347951835/i-meeting-with-the-deputy-executive-director-of
** http://lizvseverything.tumblr.com/post/35113227079/please-reblog-ali-forney-drop-in-center-of-homeless

GRATITUDE DAY 1: P.O.C. ZINE PROJECT

Race Riot tour banner by Cristy C. Road

POC Zine Project's mission is to make all zines by (People of Color) easy to find, distribute and share. We are an experiment in activism and community though materiality.

POC Zine Project produces community-building experiences, curates a traveling POC zine exhibition, is establishing an archive, and produces a website that shares POC zines while providing grants, tools and events for zinesters.

I've had the pleasure of collaborating with founder Daniela Capistrano and People of Color (POC) Zine Project since 2010. In the past 2 years, POCZP has grown from a nascent group of zine enthusiasts with a mission, to an absurdly well-organized, determined group of artists, makers, historians & theorists. They are changing the ways we write, tell, and make history--from zines, to the academy, to the culture at large.

Earlier this Fall, POC Zine Project took the Race Riot! Tour through 14 American cities, bringing people of color-authored zines to populations all over the country. POCZP also partnered with homeless activist Carey Fuller to release a zine series in Spring of 2013 by and for people living at/below the poverty line, as a community-building tool and training resource for agencies, academic programs, grassroots collectives and anyone else interested in ending poverty. Follow POCZP's social channels to stay informed about new and legacy zines by people of color, the 2013 Race Riot! tour through the Southwest/West Coast, and more:

poczineproject.tumblr.com
facebook.com/poczineproject
twitter.com/poczineproject

Jenna Freedman of Barnard Zine Library, Daniela Capistrano of POC Zine Project, & myself
@ "Meet Me at the Race Riot," Barnard College

Working with POC Zine Project has helped me better understand coalition-building between people of color-led movements and white allies. The depth of knowledge, experience, and partnership that Daniela and POCZP have brought into my own life is immeasurable. Thank you for all that you have done, and all that you continue to do!

12 DAYS OF GRATITUDE

NEVER BE UNGRATEFUL, Y'ALL

2012 was a hard year, right? Especially for New Yorkers.

In the month or so after Hurricane Sandy, and in tandem with the holiday season, I've been feeling grateful in a profound way. In the spirit of our fallen hero, Adam Yauch a.k.a. MCA (who passed away this May), I will be writing about one person, project, or thing that I am grateful for, each day until Christmas.

Stay tuned! Post #1 of 12 Days of Gratitude to follow.

PUNK ANTERIORS: GENEALOGY, THEORY, PERFORMANCE

18 months in the making: Punk Anteriors: Genealogy, Theory, Performance, a special double issue of Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory has been published.

I've mentioned a few times over the past year that I would have a big announcement to make, eventually. I submitted my article "'Freakin' Out': Remaking Masculinity through Punk in Detroit" to the editorial board of Punk Anteriors back in July 2011 and have been diligently working on edits in between peer reviews and board reviews, and reviews of reviews. Finally, it's gone to print!

My article is a 21-page piece that riffs off of themes found in my Master's Thesis, which I wrote for the Women's & Gender History program at Sarah Lawrence College. It seems cliché to use words like "honored" in times like these, but I am, truly honored and humbled to be published in my first academic journal alongside such a superb group of writers and culture-makers.

That list includes: editors Fiona I.B. Ngô & Elizabeth A. Stinson, Mimi Thi Nguyen, Nia King, Alice Bag, commentary by Osa Atoe, Jasmine Mahmoud, Gigi McGraw, and Lisa Darms. The "Soundtracks" section, with extras and mix tapes, includes Lydia Brawner & Elizabeth Stinson, Mariam Bastani, Iraya Robles, Ceci Moss, Mimi Thi Nguyen, and myself. Still, there are reviews by Joshua Javier Guzmán, Jessica N. Pabón, and Ethan Youngerman.

If you have academic or university access, you can download the issue here. Information is forthcoming about how to obtain a print issue. My mix for the "Soundtracks" section, titled making sure the FREAKY ladies get represented, will appear here, in the form of a Wisdom Tooth mix tape.

SPEAKING AT NYU TONIGHT!

This evening I'll be presenting in NYU's "Gender and Performance" class on zines, and specifically, my zine International Girl Gang Underground. The class has been instructed to author a zine as their final project, so I'll be speaking about my motivations for creating IGGU (with co-editor Stacy Konkiel) as well as leading a zine how-to segment and leaving plenty of time for questions.

I broke out these "Frankenstein" zine pages to show the students--you know the ones, made up of layers of glue, ink, and cut-up paper. The ones you eventually xerox to become your first set of flats. It's interesting to see these pages as objects unto themselves.

It's exciting for me to have the chance to discuss my zine--and zines in general--in an academic context. That said, contact me if you are looking for someone to lead a workshop / presentation / event at your university on these topics!

PUBLISH OR PERISH

WEIRD WORLD photo zine--my photos at left.

December is the month for print!

Booklyn Artist Alliance has just released WEIRD WORLD, a photo zine to accompany the exhibition by the same name. The zine features 21 artists--many from the show itself, but some hangers-on, too, myself included. I'm happy to be a part of anything Aimee curates, and also to finally publish some of my photos in print.

You can purchase WEIRD WORLD at the newly-launched Booklyn web store, and in person next weekend at the Booklyn Book Shop (details below):

I also contributed a drawing to the Women Who Rock Coloring Book Vol. 2, to benefit Girls Rock! Rhode Island--a project I am really passionate about. Girls Rock! RI had an opening party for the coloring book last night, with performances by graduates of Girls Rock! and drawings from the book projected on the wall. Might make an awesome holiday gift? So check 'em out online at Etsy.

Women Who Rock Coloring Book Vol. 2 release party (photo via)

Cover art courtesy of Girls Rock! Rhode Island

AND--if you've made it this far in the post, I will be announcing the major project that I've worked on in the past year, which will finally be available at the end of December. Stay tuned!

ZINES: A Facebook List

I recently began curating a list of zines for Facebook users to subscribe to. Feel free to contact me if you'd like to be included.

ZINES Facebook list

NEW YORK SUMMER HITS!

Aimee Lusty & Scott Meyers' studio (with Briscoe)

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

Sharon Butler's studio during Bushwick Open Studios

Bushwick, Brooklyn

Ad-Rock peforms at Death by Audio (Pussy Riot benefit)

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

8-Ball Zine Fair

East Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Bushwick Sunset

Braid performs at St. Vitus

Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Atlantic Beach

Stephen Powers AKA ESPO

Downtown Brooklyn

Keith Haring at Brooklyn Museum

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

C.L.I.T. Fest

Highland Park / New Brunswick, NJ

Lost Weekend performs at C.L.I.T. Fest

Island Park, NY

Sleepies at Rippers

Rockaway Beach, Queens

PERMANENT WAVE FEST

Poster courtesy Permanent Wave

SATURDAY, AUG. 18, 2012

PERMANENT WAVE FEST: DAY 2
Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
89 Varet Street, Brooklyn, New York 11206

2:15pm: How to Succeed in Show Booking Without Really Crying 

There are quite a few ladies putting on badass DIY shows in NYC that showcase female musicians. We've rounded some of them up for a discussion about all the elements that go into putting on successful shows, from working with bands and venues to promoting to ensuring that the event is a safe space. Bring your questions!

Presented by Kiri Oliver (Permanent Wave), Heidi Vanderlee (Permanent Wave), Niina Pollari (Permanent Wave, Mustard Beak), Mindy Abovitz (Tom Tom Magazine), and Kate Wadkins (For the Birds Collective, International Girl Gang Underground)

For information on the other workshops & RSVP, see FACEBOOK or BUST MAGAZINE

ZINES + PRESS

BRAIN WAVES is the current cover photo on the Recession Art website, an unexpected surprise! And news to us is that one of our zines (Caroline Paquita's Womanimalistic) is featured as a feminist lit pick for the upcoming show at Recession Art CultureFix, Still Figuring it Out: a feminist coming of age, curated by RAC's own Ana Cecilia Alvarez. Which is exciting.

Additionally, The Wall Street Journal interviewed me about zine culture, as well as the Brooklyn College Library Zine Collection's grand unveiling last Tuesday, with the debut of Fold, Staple, Share. My comments didn't make it into the article, but For the Birds' zine So You Want to Start a Feminist Collective... did grace the cover of the Greater New York section.

At the Fold, Staple, Share opening, I read a newly edited version of "This is a Thank You Song," which originated as a piece on this blog. I plan on sharing the new version of that article here soon, as it focuses even more on the idea of creating safer spaces.

BROOKLYN COLLEGE ZINE COLLECTION OPENING: TUES., JULY 31

FOLD, STAPLE, SHARE OPENS TONIGHT

READINGS AT 7PM!

Brooklyn College Library Unveils Zine Collection: 

Opening Celebration to Include Zine Readings and Exhibition,

July 31, 2012 7-9pm

Brooklyn, NY -- In celebration of the newly-established Brooklyn College Library Zine Collection, an opening celebration will be held on Tuesday, July 31 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, in Brooklyn College Library’s Christoph M. Kimmich Reading Room (1^st floor). The event, which is open to the public, will feature zine readings, refreshments, an exhibition, and will represent the official unveiling of the browsing collection.

Zines (a contraction of “magazines”) are independent publications often authored/assembled by an individual or small group, reproduced on a photocopier, and distributed inexpensively in small runs, or traded from person to person. Zine collections are increasingly being established by librarians and archivists in an effort to include underrepresented perspectives and unique points of view in library collections.

The exhibition, entitled Fold, Staple, Share: Highlights from the Brooklyn College Library Zine Collection, will run throughout the summer and fall semesters and will spotlight notable zines from the collection, as well as information about zine-making and zine culture.

The reading on July 31 will feature local Brooklyn zinesters Kate Angell, Elvis Bakaitis, Tommy Pico, and Kate Wadkins, as well as Brooklyn College students Afrah Ahmed, Emma Karin Eriksson, and Tzirel Norman, among others.

The Brooklyn College Library Zine Collection specializes in zines that relate to Brooklyn, zines by Brooklyn College students and alumni, zines about zines, and other zines that relate to the student body and curriculum of Brooklyn College. The Zine Collection was founded in 2011 by Alycia Sellie, Media and Cultural Studies Librarian at Brooklyn College Library, with assistance from two cohorts of summer zine interns: Devon Nevola and Robin Potter (2011), and Sarah Rappo and Erica Saunders (2012). Whenever possible, two copies of each zine are collected: one will be in the open browsing collection, accessible whenever the library is open; the other will be placed in Special Collections at the library, accessible by appointment.

For more information on the Brooklyn College Library Zine Collection, please contact Alycia Sellie or visit http://brooklyncollegezines.commons.gc.cuny.edu/

Contact:  Alycia Sellie
Media and Cultural Studies Librarian
Brooklyn College Library

zinecollection@brooklyn.cuny.edu
(718) 758-8217

DETAILS FOR TOMORROW NIGHT'S READING @ C.L.I.T. FEST

as reported by P.O.C. Zine Project

POC ZINE PROJECT Reading At The Eighth Annual C.L.I.T (Combating Latent Inequality Together) FEST On July 13, 2012! 

We’re excited to help announce that C.L.I.T FEST is going down in Highland Park, NJ, at the Reformed Church on July 13th-15th and that War in a Dress aka Julia B. will be representing as a reader for POC ZINE PROJECT in-between some incredible bands. 

SHOW/READING DETAILS 

DAY 1-FRIDAY, JULY 13TH 

Show: 6-10pm 

@ Reformed Church of Highland Park
19 S. 2nd Ave. Highland Park, New Jersey  

BANDS 

AYE NAKO (NY)
HOP ALONG
3JANE (NJ)
LOST WEEKEND (NJ)
WORRIERS (NY)
TINY TEETH (NJ) 

READERS 

C.L.I.T. FEST ZINE READING
taking place in-between bands

Julia B. of POC Zine Project has a day job in academia, but spends a lot of time talking too much – once upon a time for posterity and small change in spoken-word venues, these days anywhere she pleases for less and more meaningful reasons. They can be found online at War in a Dress.

Rachel Levy is a zinester with roots in New York City and Baltimore, Maryland. She co-edits Hoax, a compilation zine dedicated to bringing feminism into everyday life. Rachel has also written various perzines on the topics such as queer identities and histories, community building and creative participation in activist spaces, “call-out culture,” and more. C.L.I.T. Fest rules and she is super stoked to participate!

Cristy C. Road is a 29-year-old, Brooklyn-based Cuban-American illustrator and writer who’s been contributing to queer arts, punk, writing, & activism since 1996. Road published a zine, Greenzine for ten years, and has released three books: Indestructible, Distance Makes the Heart Grow Sick, andBad Habits. She’s currently working on a Tarot Card deck with author Michelle Tea, a graphic memoir entitled Spit and Passion, and her band The Homewreckers.

Sari co-edits the feminist compilation zine Hoax and writes the perzine You’ve Got A Friend In Pennsylvania. They are currently zine-ing about topics such as sexual assault, queer relationships, dealing with the intricacies of femininity & masculinity as a non-binary trans* person, challenging the oppressive dynamics of punk, and a queer feminist Harry Potter fan fic centered around Hermione Granger. They are way excited to be a C.L.I.T. Festvolunteer and workshop facilitator!

Jamie Varriale Vélez of Rock and the Single Girl is having a slight existential crisis, but is fortunately managing to power through it and stay productive. She reads about punk subculture and identity politics, and studies/writes about/occasionally plays music to keep from worrying about the future too much.

Kate Wadkins is a Brooklyn-based writer, artist, and cultural worker who believes in the political and artistic power of zines. She curated this zine reading in tandem with C.L.I.T. Fest to highlight the myriad contributions of, and the vibrant scenes created by, feminists, queers, trans, and people of color, whose voices are often minimized or erased altogether in punk scenes, narratives, and history. You can find her online at katewadkins.com. 

Each reader will have 5-7 minutes to read a piece. 

ABOUT C.L.I.T FEST NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 2012

C.L.I.T FEST is a three day DIY event that showcases bands, workshops, tablers, and artists across the country to actively combat againt sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, and other forms of discrimination.

We intend to foster a more inclusive and safe environment/community and open a dialogue to combat these issues and support those who survive them.

All proceeds will go to WOMEN AWARE, a shelter and support service in New Brunswick, NJ for survivors of domestic violence.  

FOR INFO ABOUT ALL EVENTS & TO GET UPDATES: 

On Tumblr: http://clitfestnb.tumblr.com/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CLIT-FEST-NEW-BRUNSWICK-NJ-2012/345569188812125
Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/306337122767150/ 

****POC ZINE PROJECT COMMUNITY: WE ARE GOING ON TOUR THIS FALL**** 

To get the latest updates and receive city-specific details during the tour, you can send us your email address for the mailing list through Tumblr or Facebook. Let us know if you want to volunteer at our shows, zine readings and more! 

And if you’re at the C.L.I.T FEST reading on 7/13, introduce yourself to Julia B. and give your contact info for POC ZINE PROJECT. 

Whether you’re a POC zinester, ally or identify as anything else, we would love to see you during the tour and keep you informed about what we’re up to :) 

ALLY SHOUT-OUT 

Thanks again to Kate Wadkins for including POC ZINE PROJECT and helping to produce C.L.I.T FEST NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 2012. You rock, chica! <3 

GET INSPIRED WITH SOME TUNES 

This is part one of two of a playlist featuring a few of the bands playing C.L.I.T FEST NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 2012. 

COMBATING LATENT INEQUALITY TOGETHER FEST PT. 1 from devalina on 8tracks.

FOR MORE INFO ON MY WHEREABOUTS DURING C.L.I.T. FEST CLICK HERE OR SEE MY POST AT FOR THE BIRDS.

COMBATING LATENT INEQUALITY TOGETHER

6 days from now, Combating Latent Inequality Together Fest will begin in New Brunswick, New Jersey. I am happy to announce my own involvement with this majorly exciting event. I curated Friday night's zine reading, featuring Julia B. of People of Color Zine Project; Rachel Levy and Sari of Hoax Zine; Cristy C. Road, author and artist; and my long-time collaborator Jamie Varriale Vélez of Rock and the Single Girl. I will also be participating in two workshops: "ART LABOR: A Discussion of Art Practice, Presence, Preservation and Perseverance" and "Winging It: Nurturing Authentic Communication in Feminist Organizing" with For the Birds.

I am so grateful that C.L.I.T. Fest is happening in the Metropolitan Area this summer. All of the organizers have already done a phenomenal job, but I am particularly proud of my sister, Jess, for her immense growth as an activist and artist in the past year. I feel lucky to be organizing alongside her.

You live and you fight, or you die. In this "once-in-a-lifetime" podcast, the C.L.I.T. Fest team not only addresses the intricacies of organizing the event, but why these conversations are so important, why support is vital in our communities. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

Details after the jump--

BRAIN WAVES: CLOSING TODAY

The BRAIN WAVES exhibition at RAC (Recession Art Culturefix) will be closing today, Sunday, July 1. Gallery hours are from 2pm-8pm.

We had a great opening on June 8. RAC was filled up with BRAIN WAVES artists, supporters, and tons of my favorite artists + zinesters from around New York.

First visitor of the night was the tireless Mr. Jason Andrew.

Madeleine Dahl is one of the 3 great RAC interns I've met during the span of the show.

Madeleine interviewed me in one of the most on-point and fun-to-answer interviews I've been asked to do.

You can find that on the RAC website,
along with an article of Madeleine's highlights from the show,
and a sweet hat-tip from RAC intern Erin Keane about ways to hang 3-dimensional art.

Jason Roy's print edition, April 15th-21st, Athens, Georgia.

Me & Melanie Kress, Curator of RAC and tons of other great projects (like Concrete Utopia and i am not a good enough feminist) celebrate after a successful opening.

Come visit us for our last day today, from 2pm-8pm.

9 Clinton Street

New York, NY

10002

BRAIN WAVES: OPENING @ RECESSION ART CULTUREFIX

Print by Lauren Denitzio
crossposted with BRAIN WAVES

BRAIN WAVES
the zine & print collection
newly located at Recession Art CultureFix

OPENING FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 7PM – 9PM

featuring:
Abe's Penny (Anna & Tess Knoebel) / Jon Bocksel / Lauren Denitzio / Nina Hartmann / Aimee Lusty / Kathleen McIntyre / Caroline Paquita / Jess Poplawski / Jason Roy / Cynthia Schemmer / Mike Taylor / Leah Wishnia / Audra Wolowiec & Christine Shan Shan Hou

Curated by Kate Wadkins, BRAIN WAVES is a collection of zines, artist books, prints and other ephemera. With an emphasis on and enthusiasm for print culture, BRAIN WAVES aims to further the creative work of emerging local artists and writers. Previously located at STOREFRONT in Bushwick and now debuting on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, BRAIN WAVES is thoroughly influenced by the voices and vibrancy of its New York neighborhood.

@ Recession Art CultureFix
9 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002

brainwaveszines.tumblr.com