Stories From the Inside Issue 1
Compiled by Dawn Graham
https://www.staykind.com/
Stories From the Inside is a 7 inch x 8.5 inch black and white collaboration zine with x-rays, scans, test results, and the stories that go along with them.
Full disclosure: I have a piece included in this zine.
I’d really love to know if Dawn created the font (is it a font?) for the title of this zine because it is very cool and utterly perfect for the zine.
After the inside title page, we jump right into stories of broken bones, brain scans, and botched surgeries. Each story has a page to itself with the page opposite featuring the scan or other image to go along with it.
This zine presents a strange combo for me. On one hand, I’m fascinated by the images and what they represent. (Especially Olivia M’s visual field scans, which are a new-to-me thing.) On the other hand, it’s hard to read about others’ pain. I’m someone who can’t tolerate watching ‘fail’ videos that involve injury. Reading this zine, I felt the ‘there’s nothing I can do to help’ feelings and tension. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re sensitive in the ways I am, it’s something to keep in mind when checking out this zine.
I may be reading into things too much, but I really like the deeper meanings of the title. There’s the literal stories from inside the body – the x-rays, the pins, the staples. But there’s also the reminder of all the stories and experiences that we carry out of sight. It’s another way of reminding us that we should never judge on sight alone because no one knows what another person is carrying on the inside.
Ramble aside.
Stories From the Inside is an interesting zine that combines medical curiosity and personal stories. Even better, it end with an invitation to submit to the next issue.
Pick up a copy and submit to the next issue.
