A Creative Community: Pocket Thoughts Annual #2

Pocket Thoughts Annual #2 (2020)

Kingston, Ontario, Canada-based Ryan Ewing’s Pocket Thoughts Annual is a yearly collaborative zine featuring pages of art, comics, poetry, and writing by other zine makers from around the world. Consider it a minicomics or zine sampler, or an amateur press association approach to making art-oriented zines. It’s a project parallel to his zine Pocket Thoughts, which offers similar content—artwork, comics, photography, poetry, and prose—created by Ewing himself.

This edition, which I received from A.J. Smith in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, one of the contributors, features work from 15 creators around the world. Most sell their zines via Etsy, and those who don’t are active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Checking out their online shops, it looks like creators represent Australia, Canada, and the United States. Not all are still actively selling (in fact, Smith isn’t any longer, which is a shame), but hopefully they continue to make zines.

All of the contributions are minicomic-sized pages, with two half-page submissions. Some combine text and image, and one is text only. Material addresses themes of inappropriate intimacy and relationships, self-medication, COVID-19, mental health, the afterlife, DIY media, the power of art, education and parenting, and the contents of our personal space.

It’s an interesting walk through a community of creative friends and people who probably trade amongst themselves. Some contributions are fun and funny, and some might provoke thought or evoke an emotion. Pocket Thoughts Annual is a great introduction to creators you might not have encountered otherwise—and now you can contact them directly to explore further. It’s also a good gauge of the kind of material Ewing appreciates and enjoys.

This edition is available for about $5 as part of a bundle of issues #1-5 from https://www.etsy.com/shop/PocketThoughts (look for Pocket Thoughts Annuals).

Easy and Elegant: Thuban Press Guide to Analog Self Publishing

Thuban Press Guide to Analog Self Publishing (2019)

This eight-page, handwritten and hand-drawn primer was created by Floral Park, New York-based minicomics artist Julia Gforer. Offering “step-by-step instructions to make your own book without a computer,” the DIY zine focuses on digest-sized publications, recommended for about 40 pages or fewer. “A book like this is ephemeral in exchange for being accessible,” Gforer writes.

With easy-to-follow instructions and steps, she walks fledgling zine makers through preparing pages on half of an 8.5”-by-11” inch sheet of paper, making sure the page count is divisible by four, preparing a dummy book so each side of an 8.5”-by-11” piece of paper includes pages whose page numbers add up to total n+1, where n is the number of pages total. (For example, a 12-page zine would pair pages 12 and 1, 11 and 2, 10 and 3, and so on. That’s really the trickiest bit, to ensure your pages sequence appropriately when you go to photocopy or print.

The primer reminded me slightly of Ron Rege, Jr.; Dave Choe; Brian Ralph; and Jordan Crane’s more widely ranging Re: A Guide to Reproduction, as well as Jessica Abel’s “DIY: Making Minicomics,” which takes on the more complicated minicomics format (four pages per side vs. two pages). Minicomics maestro Matt Feazell also offered a minicomic about making minicomics at one time.

But this is all you should need to get started, really. Gforer’s approach is easy and elegant, like this how-to zine. As Bread and Puppet Theater said in its 1984 “Why Cheap Art?” manifesto, which is quoted on the back cover, “Art has to be cheap and available to everybody. It needs to be everywhere because it is inside of the world.”

Available for $1 from http://www.thorazos.net; https://www.etsy.com/shop/thorazos.

Dancing Ecstatically: Iron Feather Journal #21

Iron Feather Journal #21 (2016)

This 40-page, digest-sized zine with spray-painted stencil covers was published in 2016. That might seem like quite a while ago, and it was, but the editor is currently working on #22—and plans to publish it later this year, in 2022. So this is indeed the most recent issue.

Publishing since 1987, Iron Feather Journal has gone through a number of formats. When I first encountered it, somewhere around issues #13-15, it was an incredibly thick, full-sized magazine format. Corresponding with editor Stevyn Prothero was by turns inspiring and overwhelming. I had so much to learn.

This issue is a little more back to basics, featuring a more diminutive trim size and handmade craftsmanship. I’ve always been impressed by Prothero’s combined love of DIY computer programming and electronics, the esoteric and the occult, and electronic music, bridging the best of hacking and phreaking culture, industrial music, rave culture, and other countercultures of the spirit. Computer scientists as DJs. And everyone’s dancing ecstatically. (This issue was accompanied by a 2016 compact disc by Multicast, Multicaster, which was released by Obliq Recordings. I have yet to listen to the CD, but I know where it is. Perhaps it’ll show up in my random record reviews.)

The zine contains a number of relatively short interviews with artists, musicians, technologists, and writers, including Kate Moussouris, Larry Niven (an extremely terse one-question interview!), Pinguino, and Unii. There are also several brief news reports on the activities of Steve Andrews, Multicast, and R programmer and artist Ben Young.

Among the longer features are Dave Alexander’s article, “Vintage Phonographic Toys,” an interesting survey of dolls, games, trading cards, and other toys incorporating records and record players; the UB World News Report, “Reality Check for Humanity,” which clearly delineates the differences between theism and atheism; a reprint of Anais Nin’s travel writing from a visit to Japan; a poem by Chris Mosdell, “Infernopolis;” and a brief play by Seth Iniguez, “Precoital Disclosure.”

Add to that a simplified language primer, a fascinating semi-fictional timeline, playlists offered by Cozmos Mudwulf and DJ Mayuko, a guide to license plates in Hokkaido, a legal psychedelic recipe, and an excerpt from The Black Art courtesy of John Major Jenkins, and you’ll develop a beginner’s sense of what interests and intrigues the editor.

This issue is available—complete with the CD—for $13 from Multicast’s Bandcamp. Other inquiries can be directed to Stevyn Prothero, 1-6-22 Yamato, Chitose, Hokkaido, 066-0066, Japan; http://ironfeather.com.

Nostalgia

(Digest, 52pp, $6)

This wonderfully thoughtful and intense fanzine was published in 2018 by Orange, Calif., native Adrian H. (@asphaltpearls, perhaps) to focus on his intense My Chemical Romance fandom a decade prior in 2008. 

A handy "Nutrition Facts" panel on the back cover suggests that the contents address the band's cultural impact and what made them special, plus leather jackets and boas, fan forums and masculinity—and that the zine includes discussion of poetry... and revenge.

It's all true. 

Recent Arrivals

It's been a good week-plus for zines and such. Here are some of the highlights:

Comicopia #108 (August 2008): The 18th anniversary issue of this international comics APA. ($6 133M) Savage Enterprises Publishing, 10 rue de la Valline, NDIP, Quebec, Canada J7V 9S5.

Musea #165 (August/September/October 2008): Writing on shared culture, the "art Olympics," and YouTube videos. (8S) Tom Hendricks, 4000 Hawthorne #5, Dallas, TX 75219.

Opuntia 66A (September 2008): Geology, pronghorns, and a literature scan. ($3 16S) Dale Speirs, Box 6830, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 2E7.

Rap Sheet #138 (September 2008): The official newsletter of the Small Press Syndicate. ($3 52S) Dale Martin, P.O. Box 442612, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Worry Stone #1: The first issue of Jerianne's new zine about the concerns of adulthood. (28XS) P.O. Box 330156, Murfreesboro, TN 37133.

Zen Baby #19: Christopher Robin's freewheeling zine of correspondence, poetry, news, reviews, and collage art. ($2 56M) P.O. Box 1611, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-1611.

Zine World #26: Perhaps the zine review zine of today. I contribute an article on censorship in California and Russia, as well as assorted zine reviews. ($4 62M) P.O. Box 330156, Murfreesboro, TN 37133.

ZYX #48 (December 2008): Progressive poetry, reviews, and collage art, including poems by A. D. Winans. (10M) Arnold Skemer, 58-09 205th St., Bayside, NY 11364.

ZYX #48

Arnold Skemer, 58-09 205th St., Bayside, NY 11364
(Free 10M)

Innovative poetry, and reviews of same. One of the best poetry zines I get.

Poet's Espresso: September 2008

1426 Telegraph Ave. #4, Stockton, CA 95204; Web; Email
($1, 28S)

Poetry from multiple poets in at least two languages, as well as local events listings.

Several Items from SSO Press

Yesterday, I received a wonderful envelope from the folks who share P.O. Box 2645 in Olympia, Wash. Among the items included were:

Well, I Don't See Why Not CD-R: "A compilation of unsigned/barely signed Northwest artists" released in July 2008. Musical groups include Twig Palace, Yes Please, the Hail Seizures, Ariel Birks, Blindfolder, and other bands. 17 songs available via Bicycle Records.

Basic Paper Airplane #2 (August 2008): Cut-and-paste perzine by Joshua Amberson, SSO Press, P.O. Box 2645, Olympia, WA 98507. (Trade 20S)

Jesus Christ Super Zine #1: Hand- and typewritten perzine by Ariel Birks, SSO Press, P.O. Box 2645, Olympia, WA 98507 (Trade 40S)

These are begging to be read and listened to, and full reviews will follow in the near future.

Xerography Debt #24

Davida Gypsy Breier, P.O. Box 11064, Baltimore, MD 21212
($2 16M)

The first issue of a new approach to Xerography Debt, this issue largely contains a lettercol-driven discussion of the intersection between zine culture and the Web. Breier and her team are moving the review aspect of XD to a new blog and will devote the pages of the print -- and PDF -- version to other matters. Contributors to the discussion include yours truly, James Dawson, Jeff Somers, Christopher Robin, and others. Somers also contributes items on post office etiquette, how to mail a zine "properly," and the longevity of online zine reviews. Sinasi Gunes's piece "Zines and Contemporary Art in Turkey" is a brief survey of zine culture in that country, and there are a couple of pages of calls for submissions. I might be most intrigued by the calls for submissions. Even if zine culture is being supplanted in some ways by the Web, there's still a place for the papernet, and this is a healthy expression of the Eternal Network. Oddly, this is the first issue of XD I've ever read, and I feel like I've been missing out -- but joined the party at an interesting point in time. To the future!

Opuntia #65.5

Dale Spiers, Box 6830, Calgary, AB, Canada T2P 2E7
($3 16S)

This edition of Opuntia is a perzine and contains correspondence from and with readers (Spiers responds within brackets in the text of the letters), an item on this year's World Wide Party -- I've not heard of this previously and will suitably recognize the next June 21! -- and offers journal entries covering roughly four months. This is the way I'll learn more about Spiers, for sure.

Brooklyn! #61

Fred Argoff, Penthouse L, 1170 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11230
($3 24S)

Another theme issue of this long-running Brooklyn-based zine, this edition focuses on industrial neighborhoods. Areas explored and depicted include Industry City, the Gowanus Canal, the English Kills, and Greenpoint.

Bundles of Wonder

I send packets of zines, minicomics, fliers, and ephemera to people in the zine scene -- the Eternal Network. If you'd like to be included, send no more than 25 copies of your zine, minicomic, flier, CD, or other item to me.

Unlike some of my projects, this isn't about documentation, but distribution. I just send stuff out; I don't keep records of what, much less to whom.

To receive my address in order to send material for inclusion, email me, and I'll smuggle you the essentials. If you'd like to receive a Bundle of Wonder, do the same, and when you get the address, send $5 for priority -- not random -- handling.

If you receive a packet (randomly or otherwise), I hope you enjoy it.

The White Buffalo Gazette #Ferry Across the Ocean of Existence

Mike Hill, 387 Jayson Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15228
($3 28S)

Thanks to John Porcellino, I learn about the most recent incarnation of the obscuro comix zine. Editor Mike Hill has collected work by Chad Woody, Steve Willis, Matt Feazell, Maximum Traffic, Clark Dissmeyer, Jim Siergey, Jeff Zenick, and Ed Bolman. This is a need to get for small-press comics readers. Send Mike your money!

A View #134

Michael Goetz, 1340 Brandywine Dr., Rockford, IL 61108
($1 16XS)

This is Michael's more adult comic. This edition includes single panels on breast feeding, condoms, stand-up comedy, Disney, ice cream, sex, religion, drinking, politics, and other topics. Simply drawn, and funny.

From the Reading Pile XXXV

Some reviews submitted recently to Zine World:

Blurt! #5: Lew's all over the place in this well-designed, verbose perzine. Past and present. Memory and diary. New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Texas. He shares stories about his childhood, school-age friendships, discovering punk rock, the dangers of tribute bands, student journalism, relationships on the wax and wane, making zines, couch surfing, being in a band, and other aspects of the punk-rock life. There's not a lot that's new here, but Lew's got a friendly perspective, and his use of adverbs without the "ly" at the end can be fun. The "Livin' on an Island" section makes me want to check out City Island in New York. A great zine for waiting rooms and bus stations. Lew Houston, 135 Wapwallopen Road, Nescopeck, PA 18535, email [$2 108XS 1:21]

Dwelling Portably (May 2008): Regardless of your living situation -- rural or urban -- reading this zine will inspire you to go back to the land -- and will give you the tools and ideas you need to do so inexpensively. Material in this issue covers Chinese-style wheelbarrows, peak forces on backpacks, grain storage, infected food and clean water, vehicle repair, and temporary housing. Wonderfully homespun, Dwelling Portably mixes personal experience and reader contributions. A must read. P.O. Box 190-D, Philomath, OR 97370 [ $1 16S :19]

Farming Uncle #109 (Spring 2008): Editor Louis Toro started an experimental "farmette" and homestead in Greenfield Park, NY, 41 years ago. His zine is a hodgepodge of agricultural clip art, personal and pen pal ads, get-rich-quick working from home schemes, all-caps moralizing, rural living how tos, nonviolent politics, and Native American activism. It's a cluttered cabinet, but it's fascinating -- and makes for an interesting parallel read to Dwelling Portably. My new favorite zine. Louis Toro, Box 427, Bronx, NY 10458 [$3 24S :23]

Local Comics #55: It's been awhile since I've seen one of Michael's comics, and it's great to see he's still stirring the pot. Over the years, his artwork, though simple, has gotten a little tighter. But his sense of humor -- boner jokes, visual gags, puns -- hasn't changed much at all. His use of partial puns, in which he puns off of a syllable or a part of a word versus the entire term, has increased somewhat. That just goes to show that you can find amusement anywhere -- and that puns might be finite. Basic, clever, funny. Michael Goetz, 1340 Brandywine Dr., Rockford, IL 61108 [Two stamps/trade 16XS :02]

Musea #160 (January-February 2008): If this issue is any indication, Tom Hendricks publishes a Christmas-themed short story at the end of the year. Even though the holiday story might be better read at holiday time -- it's July as I write this -- I did enjoy the piece. It's a story about injury, memory, music, and love -- and while it's somewhat predictable, it's gentle and caring. The issue even includes photographs and sheet music to add to the experience. Happy belated holidays, Tom! Tom Hendricks, 4000 Hawthorne #5, Dallas, TX 75219, email, Web [Free 13S :06]

Opuntia #64A-64B (October-November 2007): Given that these issues of Dale Speirs's zines have a whole number, they contain what's termed "sercon," or serious and constructive criticism. Other issues might be reviewzines, APAs, or perzines. These two editions, then, contain an actively footnoted two-part essay on the origin of life, in which Speirs addresses the various theories behind the origin of life and provides a good starter survey of the literature. Speirs also addresses his other interests, including science fiction, postal history, geoscience, and other topics. The Seen in the Literature items are useful synopses of scholarly articles. Worth checking out. Dale Speirs, Box 6830, Calgary, AB Canada T2P 2E7 [$3 16S :23]

The Out Orb Tribute to Carl Sagan: Combining his interests in the work of Carl Sagan, the TV Show Space: 1999, and Esperanto, long-time comics maker Tolbert created this mini sharing a story about Sagan going to Moonbase Alpha to oversee the construction of SETI antennas. I don't always "get" Yul's comics, but I sure am consistently impressed. His controlled use of hash-mark shading is interesting, and his stylized characters, while somewhat stiff, do resonate. Worth it for the drawings of spacecraft, the moonbase, and antennas alone. The Princess Di joke at the end is a pleasant touch. Yul Tolbert, P.O. Box 02222, Detroit, MI 48202, email, Web [Free 16XS :03]

Popular Reality Special Report Vol. 786 #2: Fans of old-school mail art and zinemakers such as Bob Black and Al Ackerman will get a kick out of this intriguing read. Along with cover model Mykel Board, readers are offered pieces on the military and mind control, a faux brochure on human-gorilla in-vitro fertilization, suicide, child abuse, and Cher. Equal parts parody and polittical commentary, it's not always easy to identify what's a joke and what's art. Highlights include the Christopher Robin poem, Suzy Crowbar's textual poaching, and the detourned Yuran Ass comic on the last page. Confusing and fascinating -- a wonderful combination. Poe-Pular Reality, P.O. Box 66426, Albany, NY 12206 [$3 24S :15]

Publick Occurrances #10: This excellently handmade comic -- a limited edition of 500 with what appear to be woodcut covers -- collects drawings done of students from the class of 1925 at the Manual Training High School in Peoria, Ill. Artist Danny Martin's ink work may itself be inspired by woodcuts and lends a sinister air to his recreations of the student portraits. About 50 students and faculty members are featured in this edition. Danny Martin, 746 E. 5th St. #23, Tucson, AZ 85719 [$2 or trade 20XS :01]

Show Me the Money! #26 (Fall, Winter, Spring 2007-2008): Even though I'd like to see more citations and footnotes for a lot of the facts, I was quite impressed by this well-researched zine. Hunnicutt strives to show the realities of our economic and political system and leans pretty far to the left while doing so. Highlights of this edition include his contention that America isn't a democracy but a kleptocratic plutocracy (the Anti-Renter movement of the 19th century bears further research), the comparison of 1929 and 2008, a look at friendly societies and other mutual aid groupss (this might be the best article in the issue), and the two poems near the back. The zine could use more variation in its content (kinds of articles) and design but offers tons of food for thought -- if not tools for activism. Tony Hunnicutt, P.O. Box 48161, Minneapolis, MN 55448 [Free 44S :31]

Tenacious: Art and Writings from Women in Prison #13 (Fall 2007): This zine collects writing and artwork by women in prison, so there are some common threads running throughout the stories. Pieces touch on gender relations between prisoners and guards, health concerns with HIV and Hepatitis C, separation from loved ones, illogical elements of the legal and prison systems, the will to improve one's life or situation in and out of prison, and children. Rachel Vickers's "Ode to Sole Mates" might be the most creative item, told from the perspective of a pair of tennis shoes. A mixed bag, but promising for people interested in women's and prison issues. V. Law, Black Star Publishing, P.O. Box 20388, New York, NY 10009, email [$2 32S :12]

Urban Spook #1: Originally issued in 2006, this is a self-published comic book that's accompanied by a CD featuring six tracks of music and narration, also by Monk. Titled "The Cash-for-Pussy Primer," the piece -- best read while listening to the CD -- details the experiences of a gourmet cheese seller who goes to Span to see an old female friend. The two solicit a prostitute, which leads to some introspection. The artwork is somewhat rough and hurried, but the overall combination more than makes up for the limitations of any of the individual parts. An excellent DIY multimedia project. If you're aware of others like this, please write the reviewer c/o Zine World. Augusto Monk, 305A Brockley Road, London, England SE4 2QZ, email, Web [$10 12S+CD :17]

Worn Fashion Journal #4: Not quite Harper's Bazaar with its portrayal of impractical spectacular runway fashion and not quite Readymade with its DIY thriftiness, Worn is a relatively new semiannual magazine that blends the inventiveness of punk rock and the aesthetics of high fashion. The zine itself is well designed and published on a heavier stock of paper to better present its full-color contents. Highlights include an appreciation of The Image Makers: Sixty Years of Hollywood Glamour, and introduction to log cabin quilt making, Sonya Topolnisky's article on simultaneous color,a piece on the aesthetics of psychobilly, a reminiscence by an auction house intern, and an outline of the chemistry behind dry cleaning. This isn't a world I'm familiar with, but I appreciate the entry point. Well done. Serah-Marie McMahon, 4903 De Grand Pre, Montreal, QC H2T 2H9 Canada, email, Web [$7.50 48M :17]

Secrets of the Subway Society

I've prepared a tri-fold pamphlet exposing some of the secrets of the Subway Masons, an elite group of underground hitchhikers who have penetrated almost every level of politics and society. If you'd like a copy of this pamphlet, let me know. I'll tell you the address to which you can send a first-class stamp or a SASE; upon receipt of either, I'll mail you the pamphlet.

People interested in helping distribute the pamphlet should contact me, as well. I'll email you a Word document you can print, photocopy, and distribute yourself.

Momentarily Delayed

The following poem of mine was recently published in the spring 2008 edition of Beatlick News. The fourth line is indented some, but I don't know how to do that in HTML yet.

Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Not I, said the girl with the mad-banged hair
as she stooped to retrieve
one half of the book
from the floor of the subway car.
The spine had cracked, the cover torn
and pages sat on the gum-marked tile
like a first-night deb
refusing to speak
a word of Ed Albee's lines

Using Zines to Construct and Craft Meaning

A piece I wrote in the early '90s, "From Fandom to Feminism: An Analysis of the Zine Press", has been reprinted as part of the current Stepping Out course book published by Pearson Professional Learning in Canada.

The course book is a 250-page guide to constructing and crafting meaning for writing instructors who specialize in grades 7-12 education. I originally reprinted the paper, which was written for a class while in university, in the spring 1997 issue of Media Diet (the print zine). Chip Rowe later included it in his Web site for The Book of Zines.

And now, it's included in a writing teachers' guide, accompanied by the following questions.

In your opinion or experience, is zines' material or topics likely to be useful to your subject area?

How important is it that -- as a teacher -- you stay abreast of popular culture influences, such as zines?

It's an honor to be reprinted in such a book, and if you're at all involved in writing education, please consider the Stepping Out resources for your class work.

From the Reading Pile XXXIV

Another batch for Zine World:

Dance of the Skeletons #4: This excellent zine about class struggle and labor issues focuses on the realities of unionism from an IWW and anarchist perspective in this issue. There are three pieces: A story about unionizing student film projectionists at Carleton University in Ottawa, an email interview with organizer Floyd Peterson, and the details of a direct action at Carlingwood Mall. The writing touches on the challenges of organizing, the need to connect with workers, ongoing union activity, and other topics. I'd pick up this zine again, if it's this good consistently. Johnny Aztec/Braden Cannon, 6020 Cherry St., Halifax, NS, B3H 2K3 Canada; Web; email [$2 or trade 52XS :11]

Dinotaur: In the summer of 2005, Lindsey and Virgil set out on a three-month search for dinosaurs. Inspired by the Nova Scotia Anti-Tourism project, they hitchhiked, snuck into museums and zoos, and otherwise tried to learn as much as they could for as little as possible. This zine collects writing, correspondence, and photocopy collages inspired by their travels. While I would have liked more of a trip diary -- Where did they go? What did they do? -- this is still a fun read. I particularly enjoyed the ideas behind the project, the love letter to paleontologist Dr. Philip J. Currie, and the literary email exchange. Makes me want to organize a trip of my own. Dinosaurs are where you find them. Lindsey and Virgil, 3-3627 Notre Dame O., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4C 1P6 [$1 32S :11]

Small Press Review Vol. 38, Nos. 7-8 (Issues 402-403)/Small Magazine Review Issues 154-155 (July/August 2006): Before the Internet and Web, with its infinite cacophany of blogs, online journals, and discussion forums, there was the small press. Zinemaking and being a small-press writer are labors of love, and every issue, the Small Press Review and its sister publication the Small Magazine Review hold that fact up to the cold light of day. So it's somewhat ironic that contributing editor Bob Grumman writes in this issue, "If (serious) poetry is to be saved, it will be computers that save it." True, the Web and print-on-demand publishing houses can help writers find their audiences more easily, but it is the writers who will save writing. The reviews and commentary in this long-running publication are celebrations of the people who make the chapbooks and little magazines -- who write the words -- we love to read. Thank you. Special thanks to Kaye Bache-Snyder for her accounting of money spent on participating in the small press. It's a worthwhile investment! Dustbooks, P.O. Box 100, Paradise, CA 95967; Web [$25/year 24M :20]

Smiling Disease: A Guide to Public Stickering: While it might seem silly to write a how to on stickering, Scott's friendly little pamphlet is actually quite useful. After discussing the logistics of making stickers, he offers some pretty decent advice: large stickers tend to be removed faster, don't patronize a printer who might be offended to see stickers they've made all over the place if you want to do business with them again, stickers put on straight can look like they're supposed to be there, don't sticker a mom-and-pop shop or people's private property, and clean the surface first. A quick and practical read. Scott, P.O. Box 18233, Portland, OR 97218; Web [$? 16S+five stickers :07]

Zine Show: In June 2006, this was the Irish zine event to participate in! Anto, who started the Early Irish Fanzines project, helped organize an evening of zine readings and performances at Anthology Books, which also hosted an exhibition. This exhibition catalog of sorts is a who's who of Irish zinemaking, dating back to the '70s. Several notable zines and related projects are described, including the Forgotten Zine Archive maintained by Ciaran. A wonderful introduction to the world of Irish zines. Anto, 3 Crestfield, Youghal, County Cork, Ireland; email [Free 8S :05]

From the Reading Pile XXXIII

I just submitted these reviews to Zine World, to which I haven't contributed for awhile. Lest they be too old to publish, I'm also posting them here.

5 Speed: Klyd Watkins, proprietor of the poetry Web site the Time Garden, has lived near Radnor Lake and Nashville for many years. His poetry, compared by Stephen Thomas to the work of A.R. Ammons and Charles Potts, touches on two primary themes in this collection of 24 poems: the fleeting glimpses of truth witnessed in the natural environs of Radnor Lake and the passing of time shared by people. I appreciate Watkins's inclusion of references to comments from his Web site in his work, particularly the pieces "Poam" and "I Asked for It." To quote "Chelsea's Softball Game at Whitfield Park -- 6/16/01," "As surely as civilization is neurally transmitted in little packets, there's no place right now I'd rather be." A poet to return to. The Temple Bookstore, 40 S. Colville, P.O. Box 1773, Walla Walla, WA 99362; Web [$5 56S :27]

Batteries Not Included Vol. 8 #9 (September 2006): Other than the slightly more political EIDOS, there are few sex zines as smart and intriguing as Batteries Not Included. In this issue, editor Richard Freeman jams more content in its teensy-typefaced pages than an average issue of Adult Video News. Richard Pacheco remembers his long career while watching a talk show featuring aging starlets he worked with; Cindi Loftus interviews porntrepreneur Kelly Madison; Freeman collects a number of news items about breast ironing, abuse in Liberia, and DontDateHimGirl.com; Kate Keene reviews a new (at the time) Jonathan Morgan movie; and Jean Roberta reviews a book by Jalaja Bonheim. There's a lot here. Bring your own batteries. 513 N. Central Ave., Fairborn, OH 45324; email [$3 12M :25]

First Class #26 (February 2006): Like most small-press litzines, First Class is a mixed bag. There's no unifying theme, and it's difficult to get a sense of what editor Christopher M. is going for in terms of tone and content. But there are highlights worth mentioning. Ed Galing's poem "Day Care" sheds some light on the internal monologues possible to an Alzheimer's patient. Richard Harvell's short story "Headhunter" is an intriguing consideration of the costs of fighting crime. And spiel's story "Soda Crackers," while not fully satisfying, makes for a good companion read to Galing's piece. Lastly, I was impressed by Larry Rapant's poem "A Matter of Faith," although I was disappointed by how quickly it ended -- and how. I'm not sure First Class is a need to read, but it has potential. Keep up the good work! Four-Sep Publications, P.O. Box 86, Friendship, IN 47021; Web; email [$6 56S :43]

The F-Word (Spring 2006): I don't always like feminist zines -- too strident, too exclusive, too stereotypical -- but I absolutely adore the F-Word. It's smart, wide-ranging, and very well written. Melody seems to be in New York City now, but when this issue went to press she was going to move to California and intern at Bitch magazine. The layout is slightly haphazard -- what's up with all the house ads? -- but the writing is lively. There's a profile of sex education activist Shelby Knox; interviews with poet Alix Olson, comedian Margaret Cho, feminist icon Gloria Steinem, musician Pamela Means, and journalist Maria Raha; and other articles worth reading. Gwendolyn Beetham's piece on "gender mainstreaming" in global politics is especially interesting. Melody Berger, Web; email [$3 52M :36]

The Mystery & Adventure Book Series Review #39 (Summer 2006): Even if you're not interested in children's series books, this zine is a wonderful read for anyone interested in self-publishing and the small press. Fred Woodworth has been publishing this for more than 25 years, and over time, he's really honed his skills as an editor and printer. This issue includes features about trying to track down the person who inspired a character in John Blaine's "100 Fathoms Under," the series book artist E.H. Kuhlhoff, the history of justified text, Norvin Pallas's Ted Wilford Books, and the burial of a time capsule containing 25 zines. The letter column shows there's an active community of other series book readers, and their discussions are in depth and insightful. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this wonderful zine. It's a piece of art. Fred Woodworth, P.O. Box 3012, Tucson, AZ 85702 [Free 52M :58]