What I take with me.

My goal for this course is to have created my own online magazine by week 14, however I found one of the most important values to that future presentation in Anne Moor's article "Be A Zinester." On the surface I want to challenge my contemporaries as I find my strength in writing, but the most important thing that we do as documenters of fiction or non-fiction stories is that we record many versions of history as we see it, whether we are exposing the unlikely reality based or the otherworldly, we are contributing to the culture of our time. Sometimes the thought is overwhelming. Then, I am comfronted by editors who claim to be able to tell good writing from everything else and I realize that publishing myself is a step that I have to take if I honestly believe that my work is worth reading, that way I can truely find out instead of waiting on some dusty old fart to do me a favor.

I am not by any means claiming the lordship of all authors. I am simply saying that I would like for my website to go on to show the improvement of my own and other writers work as it preserves "the oral histories of conspiracy theorists" and everything to the far end of the spectrum. I would like the website to comprise of the type of writing that digs into the senses and emotional memory of every reader. I want to publish writing that readers want to forget but can't. I'm sure we all do.

Good writing isn't always grammatically correct first time out of the gate and packaging sometimes needs to start out with bare bones materials to get off of the ground. Throughout this article Ms. Moore only suggested form in reference to the style of presentation where she mentioned collages or writing in the margins...because the writing of these "hidden histories" are about the message of obscurity/genre of art.

Zines Zines and More Zines

Be A Zinester by Anne Elizabethe Moore seemed to go more deeply into the history of Zines then the previous article assigned. She states in the beginning the reasonings for creating zines and I agreed with her wholeheartedly. Zines are made because someone out there wants their voice to be heard and it doesn't matter who they are or where they're living.

This is definitely one of the reasons why I want to create my own zine, like I've previously stated. I want my voice to be heard and for the work that I feature to say something about myself. The reason for a zine to be published is for something that the editor or creator cares deeply about to be placed out there for the masses to grab hold of.

What interested me the most was when Ms. Moore spoke of the male-female ratio in sci-fi and comics. I guess I've always known that women were kept out of certain industries, even the publishing one, seeing as its a "man's world." What I didn't know was that a Riot Grrl magazines were printed so that women had their place in this world. They broke the mold, so to speak, and printed feminist ideas. Riot Grrl magazines went against the grain and gave women a place in the publishing world. This also allowed for more female friendly reading that wasn't just Vogue or Cosmo. I really admire the women who decided to do this. It has to be a difficult thing and one has to have such passion in order to do it. Women still face marginalization, more noticeably when it comes to salaries in the workplace. This just shows how by women banding together to start zines which allow them to choose what types of ideas and work they'd like to showcase it evens the playing field.

In a way I'm new to the whole zine thing and the history of it all is so interesting. Sci-fi fan zines, and Ray Bradbury printing his own zine. It really seems like a lot, but when I think about the desire that people have to have their work seen, or have themselves heard, it doesn't seem like such a crazy thing.

Clarification

On your syllabus, you'll note that for the next class you're supposed to bring a "report" on zines you found at Quimby's. This doesn't have to be a long piece, just something to record your thoughts on what you saw in the store, what ideas it gave you, etc. This is something you'll hand in to me. If you're in fiction writing classes, this is similar to some of the response pieces you've done.

On top of that, please bring in four to six pages of your own writing. This doesn't have to be new work.

Thanks,
Jonathan

2/5 to 2/12

I hope some of the things that Duncan, Terri and Caroline said on Tuesday night were helpful to you all as you start to cement your ideas for your projects. What I hope came across was their passion for what they're doing, and their desire to work in the way that made the most sense to them. This is, I think, key for this class. As Duncan said, "Forget about the grade, for get about what Jonathan wants you to do," and do whatever project seems to be speaking to you the most.

As for your assignment for 2/12, you'll see on your syllabus, it's to bring in some of your own work. Please bring at least four, and no more than six pages of your own writing.

See you then.

Just for Fun?

Listening to Duncan from the podcast speak about what him and his partner are doing really interested me. One of the things that struck me the most was how it started out as just something to do. It's so strange how two people can realize a lack of something which people desire and just go for it. That's basically what Duncan and his partner did. I think that's the name of it, I couldn't actually hear it that well for some reason. Anyway, they discovered a need for something in the Chicago Area and just like that they went for it.

The idea that a project can be started in a blink of an eye and because something so instrumental in a community is really encouraging. Sometimes it seems that things never work out that way but hearing how well received their program is actually gives me some hope. This leads me to something else, the small press projects. I'm really excited to get started on mine and try to make it the best that I possibly can. Duncan and his friend really gave me an extra push just because of how well they seem to be doing with their arts podcast. Instead of this whole thing seeming impossible it really seems possible. I've wanted to have my own online literary magazine since last semester and now, instead of just thinking about it I'm actually go to do it and try to do it well.

When Duncan also noted how serious people started to get over what they were doing and how shocked he was I became even more interested. Some things can start out as just a fun ride, but then they turn into this serious thing that people are really paying attention to and valuing the opinions of the contributors. That has to change the entire tone of a project. I also really took to heart what he said about it being fun. If it's not fun anymore then it's not worth it. These projects that every member of the class is undertaking should be fun and should be something that we all want to continue and want them to grow into something greater, but what's the point of having these things do well if they aren't fun for us to participate in any longer? I definitely agree with what Duncan said about that and know the feeling of when something that I loved so much becomes just painful and devastating. I've had that happen in my life and moved on from it to something different.

I think most people feel that if they start something they have to see it all the way until the end whether they are enjoying it or not. That's not true. There comes a time when you've got to let go and that's hard to recognize. I'm glad that I did otherwise I wouldn't be here writing this blog, or thinking about a Lit Zine, or writing a novel. I'd be stuck in some dance studio in a black leotard and pink tights with a ballet master slapping my shoulders and telling me that my ass is too big.

I don't know if anything that I've said makes any sense or even relates to the discussion last night. I really hope that it does.

Fiction Writers Are Ego-Whores

It's true and you know it. Even I am. We love to hear our own writing and see people reading it. So we'll do pretty much whatever we can to get our work read. Everything except betray our huge egos by publishing what we consider to be crap. Lower art. Blogs and zines are classic examples of our egotism. The main purpose is to get your voice heard. Does anyone really consider whether anyone else cares what their saying? Maybe. But from what I've seen, there are a lot of people who talk just to hear themselves speak. People with too much to say and no one to listen. Or rather, too much to write and no one to read.

Where do we draw the line of what is 'selling out' and what is not? It depends on what kind of writing you consider to be crap. In my opinion, any author who writes with no regard for his audience, writes crap. They are writing solely for themselves, and they just as well keep it to themselves. In others' opinions, writing for the undereducated, easily entertained masses is writing crap. While I certainly prefer to read literature, works that are written with audience in mind, but written to make them think, not just entertain - moneywise, writing for the masses is genius. If James Patterson would hire me, I'd take the job in a second. Pay off all my tuition in a month. Am I a sell-out? Am I lowering my standards? Am I unintelligent and, therefore, in a different class than my peers? Maybe. But I at least know that I need money to survive in this world. Sure the idea of bartering for goods and services has always sounded beautiful. But realistically, unless I know a farmer, it's not going to feed me and my family.

These people that are out there publishing zines, I totally support them. For the most part. I think the idea that they are 'fighting the man' is a little too self-important for my taste. And is it possible that they are people scorned by the conglomerates? Are they not in with Random House because they don't support what the conglomerates are about, or do they not support what they are about as a front because they couldn't make it into the large houses? What I don't understand is the need to 'fight the man'. Ever since I've known about independent presses, I've heard about this constant struggle against the conglomerates. I don't get it. Why do people feel the need to contrast themselves to something else in order to feel like an individual, different, unique? I've never heard any argument against the indies. Only against the big guys. As far as I know, all the conglomerates have done is sell books. Books that the indies think are garbage. Is that really such a crime as to spawn as much hatred as the indies have? Is this a one-sided argument? Or do the conglomerates hate the indies just as much? I want to hear the other side of this argument so I don't have to play devil's advocate anymore.

Everyzine Is Wonderful, In Its Own Way

This whole zine scene is new to me.  This reading was really my first in-depth foray into this field - I've heard of zines but they were really off my radar.  Until I get to know more, I can't really make a very good (personal) judgement as to their significance.  My initial reaction is that anything new is worthwhile until it is proven not to be, and the fact that zines have been around for quite some time seems validate their importance.  The two main factors for me are the independence of a zine, and its cultural significance.  

First, I really love that the zinester has no corporate flunkies dictating what needs to be addressed in order to hit any ratings mark.  There are no advertisers or investors trying to attend meetings and influencing the heart of the works.  The captain at the helm can go in any direction, but he/she must realize that steering too far off course will result in stormy readership.  It is like - but on a much smaller scale - a moneyless form of capitalism: supply and demand.  If the zinester does not fulfill his/her obligation to what the readers want to read, the readers will go elsewhere.  I could be wrong on this.  Like I said, I don't know enough to make a full-on opinion.  But I totally love the independence.

Second, it is obvious to me that the zine is culturally significant.  My views on why will surely change as time goes on, but right now we are talking about it, right?  I agree with Anna that zines might be a precursor to the blog.  But I'm not sure that that means a final goodbye to the zine, just as internet hasn't said goodbye to the book.  There is something to having binded paper in your hands, being disconnected from anything electronic, and reading.  Readng anything.  I really enjoy turning my cell ringer off and then taking a magazine to lunch, or a book on the train.  I don't know, there's just something about it.