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Mini-Zine Review: promiscuous agriculture

promiscuous agriculture: a gardening experiment
@celuran
celuran@gmail.com

That title! You have to be curious when you read that title.

Promiscuous Agriculture is a zine about gardening by the very generous Celuran who stopped by to say hello at the Melbourne Art Book Fair. It’s filled with notes on various veggies Celuran planted along with garden bed sketches and pictures of the plants.

To be frank, I really didn’t know if this zine was going to be for me considering my complete lack of a green thumb. As it turned out, I quite enjoyed it. I liked the feel of it being like a gardener’s journal. I like how she encouraged you to create your own garden but didn’t push it on you or make you feel guilty for not producing your own food.

If you’re wondering what ‘promiscuous agriculture’ is, then don’t worry. The middle spread tells you what it is as well as giving you a few tips if you’d like to start a garden bed (or more) of your own.

I know I probably mention this a lot, but colour printing suited this zine well. When you’re talking about plants and gardening (especially to a black thumb non-gardener like me), colour pictures are helpful. (Colour-coded garden bed diagrams are also appreciated.) Another nice touch (again, especially for people like me) is the recommendation of her favourite gardening book at the end.

Something that truly made me smile is how she used green staples to bind it. Green staples for a gardening zine. I love it!

All up, I think I may need more copies of this because I have some gardening friends who will enjoy it, too.

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Currently

I realised that it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, and I wanted to do something a little more relaxed today. I had a trial of anti-anxiety meds for the first time in a long time, and the side effects proved to be too much. So I’m coming off them and having a bit of a time of it at the moment. Here’s to gentle days when we need them…

The zine showcase at the Melbourne Art Book Fair was exhausting but a lot of fun.

Mini-Zine March is swiftly coming to a close already. Hannah Brown participated if you’d like to check out what Hannah has been working on for the month.

I’m working on a new zine that should be finished this week or next. I started making an ‘intro to bullet journalling’ book for a friend of mine, and the encouragement from friends of mine prompted me to dive in and make a zine of the project.

My friend has her book now (and loves it), but the original book was an odd shape. So now I’m making it into A5 size to scan and print. I had thought that the whole thing might make me sick of bullet journals, but it really hasn’t.

Well that’s me for now. I appreciate your understanding while I deal with the very much ‘ugh’ side of anti-anxiety meds. I’ll be back tomorrow for the final week of Mini-Zine March reviews!

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Happy Mail Monday – Variety Edition!

I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to send out even more mail so I can have more weeks like this. Hehe. ^_^

A letter from Chris arrived early last week and was such a nice surprise. We’ve been exchanging zines, so I assumed that he’d send whenever he had a zine to send. Lo and behold, he sent a letter to keep in touch between projects.

Sober Booooooooob! I was not expecting this zine at all (special surprise mail booty dance), and it took a lot of will power to not drop everything I was doing at the time to sit down and read this one. I mean, that title! As someone who enjoys Sober Bob’s Instagram videos, I am completely certain I’m going to enjoy this zine just as much.

More Sober Bob mail! I have a little conspiracy theory when it comes to sending mail between Queensland and Victoria, so I wasn’t expecting these for a while. Yet here they are!

Anyway, Sober Bob makes stickers (and pins! – I have a magpie to commemorate my first ever concussion (caused by a magpie)) and, well, I do really love stickers… Hehe. Anyway, get in contact with Sober Bob on Facebook to have a peek and get your own pack. Free postage in Australia!

Last but certainly not least is a lovely thank you postcard. I’m thinking I need to make or get some postcards because it’s such a nice little thing to receive in the mail, and I always have plenty of people to thank for their awesomeness.

Especially all the wonderful people who send me mail! Many, many thanks as always.

See you tomorrow with more zine-y goodness.

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Call for Art Submissions: Arospec Poetry Network

***

The Arospec Poetry Network is seeking submissions from arospec visual artists to illustrate the second issue of its collective art/poetry zine “Don’t Talk To Me Of Love”.

This issue will center around the theme of freedom.

Artists have the choice between directly submitting original content related to this theme, or getting in touch with our members to work in closer relation and illustrate a particular piece of poetry.

We accept traditional art, digital art, photography, comics (1 to 2 pages), … You can always get in touch if you’re not sure whether you’re artwork would fit our zine.

All rights will remain with the artists. Since the zine is going to be a free publication, we cannot offer financial compensation. Submissions limited to three pieces at a time.

Due date for submissions is May 1st.
The zine should be released in June

You can contact us and/or send in your submissions per e-mail: meenilevi@gmail.com or through tumblr: @arospecpoetrynet.

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Calling Zine Makers, Libraries, Distros, And the Like

I’m at the very beginning stages of working on a new zine project. As part of this, I would like to include A5/A6 spaces (maybe even A7, if that works for you) that feature things like:

*Zines that have a rolling call for submissions (even if your zine changes theme/topic from issue to issue, an overarching ‘flier’ for the whole series would be awesome)
*Zine distros – whether you want to say ‘check out my distro’, are looking for zines to sell in your distro, or both!
*Zine libraries – again, whether it’s a ‘check us out’, ‘looking for zine donations’, or both, I’d love to see it
*Zine people who want to be included in an ‘open to trades’ section. I’m thinking name, preferred contact (or your mailing addy, if that’s the way you roll), and a few likes/dislikes.

The key thing here is that things be ‘undated’ (hence sharing a zine series rather than one specific call for submissions) so things aren’t out of date before I get the chance to create the thing.

Ideally, I’d like things to be images with text on them because of the limited space involved (with the exception of the trades section, which will be text only). But I want to be flexible, too. This project is really in its early days, so I’m still figuring a lot out.

If you want to get involved straight away (please do!) then you can shoot me an email (theauthor at inkyblots.com)

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The Freedom APA

Freedom APA is an alternative press association with one expectation: participate where, when and how you are able.

Annual Membership: Participation by sending items for the mailing a minimum of once per membership year PLUS $15 for US membership; $25 for rest of world. Items for the mailing bundle may include mail art, printed journals, chapbooks, zines, cds, dvds, cassettes, envelopes, postcards, bookmarks, recipes, stamps, letters, or whatever you choose to create.

Four bundles are mailed per year. The next mailing is scheduled for June 2017. If you send materials for the June bundle, 22 items are needed.

Membership dues may be sent via Paypal: singinggrove@conknet.com

Checks may be made payable to: Frederick Moe 36 West Main Street Warner NH 03278.

$6 postpaid for a sample bundle if you’re curious to check it out before jumping in.

Freedom APA is intended to be fun & embrace the spirit of personal journalism, zine making, letter writing, graphic arts, mail art, DIY printing, poetry, homemade music, creative projects, podcasting & more. Freedom APA is not an organization nor will Freedom APA have officers or by-laws. We have however add volunteer “staff” as Freedom APA grows.

With your support, this will be an enjoyable mailing circle project full of creativity. Freedom APA is a postal activity.

Please share with your friends!

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Call for Submissions: Cat & Dog Zine

pawprints

Looking for:
*stories (up to 500 words)
*poems (page in length)
*artwork
*love letters

Topics may include:
-how they came to be in your life
-their therapeutic presence
– how they help ease your anxiety, depression and provide comfort
-the special bond you share
-their unconditional love
-the playful/weird/cute things they do
-if they are a service dog/cat
-if they have a physical disability, mental illness and/or health issues
-do you refer to them as your: pet, baby/child/family, companion, friend/best friend, room mate, healer, etc.
-if you have more than one cat or dog
-anything else you wish to share about them

Contributors will receive a free issue of the zine upon completion.
If interested, email Xyendrarocks44@hotmail.com

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Call for Submissions: Star Wars Essay Zine

starwarsessayzine

We’re looking to compile a zine containing essays about Star Wars! If you have anything sitting around in your drafts folder, like a 10-page saved rant over the internet about why Attack of the Clones IS good, or why Ahsoka Tano should have her own spin-off movie, please send them to us! Essays can be about anything, could be written informally, funny, or seriously, as long as it is Star Wars. Write about the movies or the expanded universe (both legends and reboot timeline)!

We accept any length, but we would like it around 2,000 words. We accept any topic too, including how race/gender/sexuality and other social/political ideals tie with the SW universe.

Once your essay is accepted, you get a physical copy of the zine!

Email your submissions to notyourleo@outlook.com (could be an attached file or in the body of the email)(accepting .doc/.docx/.pdf/.rtf)

New Deadline: 10 April 2017

Please spread the word! Thank you!

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Zine Review: Opinionated Nobody #8

Opinionated Nobody #8
Rebecca McCormick
http://zinewiki.com/Opinionated_nobody

Opinionated Nobody 8 is a perzine by Rebecca and covers topics like making a new zine while needing to write a novel for an MA, mental health/illness and medication, counselling, Christmas, and Star Wars.

Rebecca’s writing style is very much like that of catching up with an old friend. I could just imagine her dropping onto a seat across from me with her cuppa and saying the first lines of her zine – “I’ve been wanting to write a new zine for ages…” – in easy conversation instead of writing them. Her writing makes me feel comfortable and welcome in her world, even while she’s sharing some vulnerable things.

In that way, it reminded me of Pieces. While I try to avoid comparisons, I think this is a good thing to have in common with another perzine.

In the inside front cover, Rebecca includes a note (no spoilers here) that is an update to things mentioned in the zine. I really like the added touch and it made me smile. It’s something so small, and yet it reminded me that zines, by their handmade nature, can grow and change even as we create them.

This is another one of those zines that I’ve had for a little while but feel like I’ve opened up to read it at just the right time. As I’ve recently had to go back on anti-anxiety medication, I appreciate Rebecca writing about her own experiences doing that as well as writing about her counsellor as well.

If you like perzines – especially ones that touch on mental health/illness, reading, tattoos, and Star Wars – then I think you should check this one out.