Mini-Zine Review: Does This Count?

Does This Count? Poetry From a Non Poet
Don Leach
12 pages
https://notmovingpictures.blogspot.com
https://www.instagram.com/notmovingpics/

‘Does This Count? Poetry From a Non Poet’ is a ~10cm x 14cm black and white zine of short poems written by a self-identified non-poet. (Does that make them non-poems?)

If you have followed me for a while, you will know the long and wary history I have with poetry. I know what I like, though I can’t often articulate why. I love a metaphor, but that doesn’t mean they are my forte. If you speak to my of meter, then my face may just go blank while I float off to my happy place. With that in mind, this zine had me smiling from the get go and completely into the idea of poetry from a non-poet. I feel like I could do the same.

We open up with a brief introduction from Don, in which he writes about not caring for poetry growing up but getting into writing lyrics as a teenager. These lyrics were never put to music, but then Don discovered spoken word, and things made sense… From there we delve into haiku – or rather, sort of haiku. I don’t know much about haiku, but I’m pretty sure there are rules about syllables. But it only fits that poems from a non-poet would be, well, not-haikus.

Each poem is given its own page an is accompanied by simple line art. Each poem is in its own font, which makes the part of me that took graphic communications wake up and feel both curious as well as confused. The poems range in subject matter, though many of them touch on relationships and interactions between people. As will pretty much every poetry zine I’ve read, some went over my head. Yet others struck me, making me ponder the words and their implications in my own life.

I’d state a favourite poem, but I think that might be giving away more than I care to about my current mindset.

All up, I quite like this zine. Something about ‘poems from a non poet’ helps me to relax and not feel like I have to understand everything that is going on in each piece. I also like the humour that goes with writing something like this. A sort of ‘I’m not sure if I’m doing this right’ feeling that I think we can all identify with. It made me smile and made me feel like trying my hand at writing poetry – or not-exactly-poetry – again, which makes it a win for me.

Mini-Zines Review: Kim Rounsefell Self-Help List Zines

50 Ways to Protect Your Body Image, 70 Acts of Self-Care, 50 Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery
Kim Rounsefell
https://thankubody.au/collections/vendors?q=Kim%20Rounsefell
https://nourishandtreat.au/pages/about-kim
One-page tri-fold

50 Ways to Protect Your Body Image, 70 Acts of Self-Care, and 50 Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery are all ~11cm x 9.5cm full-colour, tri-fold zines full of prompts for the title subject.

I should note here that these were not packaged or listed as a set as such. There are enough similarities for me to want to review them together.

These three zines in gorgeous pastels (I love pastels) with cutie doodles on the covers are all list zines about the title topics. Whether you need some self-care time, some self-discovery time, to protect your body image, or all of the above – these minis are the zines for you! They open up in the traditional tri-fold fashion to reveal easy-to-read numbered lists that follow a quick little intro to the subject at hand.

As I mentioned, I love pastels. I also love lists and doodles, so these three zines are like a trifecta of awesomeness for me. None of these subjects are strengths of mine, so I am so happy to get help with ideas on all counts. Each zine held both ideas that I had heard before (but appreciate being reminded!) as well as completely new-to me ideas. You can pick them up for a quick scan for a few ideas or sit down and take the whole lot in. I love the size of these, too. How small they are in size as well as thickness makes it easy for me to tuck them into my planner.

As you can probably tell at this point, I really adore these little minis in every way. They are a cute, portable, friendly way to remind myself that that I don’t need to have it ‘all together’ because there are zines like these out there to help. Definitely check them out.

Happy Mini Zine March 2023!

Happy Mini-Zine March!

Eight years. Wow. Eight years, and I am still absolutely going to use the Mini-Zine March video from 2021 because my health is a dumpster fire, my energy battery is constantly low, and, well, I just like it.

If you’re not familiar, eight years ago I started declaring the entire month of March as a celebration month for all the amazing and awesome zines that fall under the half size mark. From the one-page wonders to the chunky monkey quarter sized, mini-zines are amazing, fun, easy to stick in your pocket, and more.

Unfortunately, I am currently in no condition to make this the year that there is a prompts list to follow. Still, we continue on with mini-zine focus for the month. Please don’t be shy about getting in touch or tagging me with the mini-zine creations you make (or review or otherwise feature) this month with #minizinemarch

Enjoy!

Happy Mail Tuesday – Pyjama Day Edition

Hello and welcome to a very relaxed Happy Mail Monday with comfy pj time and (mostly) relaxed vibes. Check out the awesome zine mail and pretties that have arrived from old zine friends and new around the world.

Like what I do here? Consider supporting me and Sea Green Zines on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/seagreenzines

Thank you so much for watching.


Awesome People/Places/Spaces Mentioned:

*Billy – https://iknowbilly.com
**https://www.youtube.com/user/iknowbilly

*JEM Hast – https://www.instagram.com/jem.hast/

*Not Moving Pictures – https://www.instagram.com/notmovingpics/

*Izalixe – https://www.instagram.com/izalixe/
**https://www.youtube.com/user/izalixe

*Sarah Hoffman – https://www.instagram.com/sarahehoffman/
**https://www.sarahehoffman.com

*Alison – https://www.instagram.com/bubblegumzinearchive/


My PO Box:

Nyx
PO Box 378
Murray Bridge, SA 5253
Australia


You Can Find Me At:

seagreenzines@gmail.com
https://seagreenzines.carrd.co

Call for Submission: ‘Container’ Zine

Container is an annual publication celebrating the work of nonbinary creatives. This year’s theme is “growth”, and I would love to see any and all work you have! Past editions of Container have explored fluidity and joy, and have had a range of submissions, from textile art to music to tattoo flash and more.
If you’d like to find out more, please head to @container.indd on instagram, or send me a DM.

Submissions are open now, and close on the 20th of March.

Mars 🙂
(they/he)
@fifthmars (instagram)

Call for Submissions: Porch Beers Press Mix Issue 1

Find out more HERE

“Hey Porch Beer Drinkers! Since its inception, I have wanted to make Porch Beers Press something bigger than myself. One such project is going to come to fruition in 2023 (details in the upcoming months). However, I’d love to test the waters and see who all is out there that might be a good fit.

I came up with the idea of the Porch Beers Press Mix, inspired heavily by the Hello America seasonal compilations and the literary mags and underground newspapers I read in my youth. Without further ado…. the details:

Porch Beers Press Mix
Issue 1: The Art of Drowning

Take your inspiration from the Billy Collins poem “The Art of Drowning.” Take it from the title, or the concept, or a turn of phrase. Or hell, don’t take it at all, I’m not a cop.

Here are your limits:

Prose/nonfiction: 1000 words
Poetry: no more than three poems totaling 1000 words together
Artwork/photography/comics: able to fit 5.5′ X 8.5′ and 300 DPI (final product will be in black and white)
Anything else: email me for details

Please include a 2-3 sentence short bio as well with your piece.

Contributors will receive a physical copy of the final zine. Deadline for your contribution is April 1, 2023. Email any finished pieces or questions to porchbeerszine@gmail.com with the subject line “Issue 1 submission.”

Nyx Reads Podcast | Ep 02: Dreams/Nightmares Part 1

Hello and welcome to the very first Nyx Reads, where I turn paper zines into audio so you can access zines in one more way in the world.

In this episode, I read the first half of the Dreams/Nightmares split zine by taking you into the world of dreams and what they have meant to me over the years.


Like what I do here? Consider supporting me and Sea Green Zines on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/seagreenzines

Thank you so much for listening.


Awesome Mentions:

*Nichole – 😦


My PO Box:

Nyx
PO Box 378
Murray Bridge, SA 5253
Australia


You Can Find Me At:

seagreenzines@gmail.com
https://seagreenzines.carrd.co

Channel Art by Latibule: https://latibuleart.carrd.co

A Small Update

Hello, dear and wonderful friends!

As much as I had hoped to avoid these kinds of posts this year, it seems my wishes and reality don’t quite mesh together completely.

As I mentioned last week, I am in the midst of dealing with a flare up. Flare ups can mean a variety of different things to different people. And flares aren’t always the same…

I won’t go into too many details here, but I will say that I am sorry that I am just not up to posting Happy Mail Monday today. I do have some lovely mail to show to you, but people deserve better than me showing off their amazing creations while I’m tired and in pain.

So for now, I will thank everyone who has commented and sent messages wishing me well. It’s not yet been a year since my diagnosis, and I am still very much getting my mind around how my life has changed.

I’m going to set Happy Mail Monday for next week rather than trying to push through and make one tomorrow. I will say I’m crossing fingers for Episode 2 of Nyx Reads.

Thank you once again to everyone for all your wonderful understanding and patience with me. This is just one stumble, and I will be working hard to get Sea Green Zines to everything it can be. ❤

Call for Submissions: Pegged Zine Issue 2

Be sure to check out Pegged Zine Instagram to keep up to date with all submission announcements.

Submission guidelines reminder:

*Submissions window opens 17th of December and has no set closing date. Keep an eye on social media for this;
*Full colour is fine;
*We will resize and reframe images and texts to fit in with the collaged presentation of the zine, see your copy of Pegged 1# for examples;
*Keep word counts humble, remember we are going for an A5 zine and we want the text size to be not too small for the sake of accessibility;
*Please let us know how you want to be credited, if at all. Otherwise you will become ANON;
*All proceeds from the zines will go to the next print. All contributors will get posted one free copy, with postage covered by the sales;
*Zines will also go to public archives and zine libraries.

*anything not covered or weird, we’ll be in touch x

Flare Up

Hello, dear friends. This is just a little note to let you know that I’ve been dealing with a flare up this week. Things are feeling like they are improving slowly, so I should be back with you for Happy Mail Monday.