POC ZINE PROJECT

Posts tagged POCZP News

SCENE REPORT: Pocket Zine Workshop with Girl Scout Troop 30280

booksare

By Joyce Hatton, POCZP Midwest Coordinator

Back in February of 2013, Joyce independently led a pocket zine workshop with Girl Scout Troop 30280, an all Native Girl Scout Troop in Fargo, North Dakota. Here is her recap:

On Wednesday February 20th I taught Girl Scout Troop 30280 how to make pocket zines. It was especially meaningful to me because Troop 30280 is an all Native Girl Scout Troop. I was grateful for an opportunity to pass on zine making skills to youth of color. (I wrote more about the troop here).

I met with them at the Native American Center, where the troop holds their meetings. The girls in the troop range from about 5 to 11 years old. One of the first questions I asked was how many of the girls were artists or writers, and all of them said they were!

I told them a little bit about the history of zines, which they weren’t very impressed with. They were, however, very impressed when I got out a stack of an unfolded pocket zines I’d written and told them “On this one sheet of paper, I wrote a book. And I published this book myself. I made twenty copies of my book for two dollars.”

I told them how cool zines were because they can be about anything you want. I asked some of the girls what they were interested in, and what they would want to make theirs about—overall the group was pretty interested in animals.

So I told them “You can make a zine about your favorite animal, and then you can copy it, publish it, and give it to your friends. Zines are a really cool way to teach your friends about things that you’re interested in.”

The girls seemed to be really excited about that. I felt like a broken record reiterating that “you can write about anything at all, anything that is important to you,” and “there’s no wrong way to make a zine,” but I really wanted to dissolve the fear of doing it perfectly so the girls could just dive in. Dive in they did!

Here are some pictures of the zines they made that evening: 

Photo #1: A. doesn’t like to draw, so she wrote about animals in the zoo.

Photo #2: I was really impressed with the art in D.’s zine. She told me all about her technique for finger-painting with markers.

Photo #3: S. loves to read, so she wrote her zine about books. The book on the cover is called “Book of Doom.

Photo #4: The picture of this zine is cropped to keep identifying information out. M. had a huge blond streak in her hair, and talked about her mom’s salon quite a bit.

Photo #5: N. started out drawing animals, but decided to draw animals pooping.

———————

MAKE YOUR OWN POCKET AKA MINI-ZINE

Video by pinkyshow

DO YOU WANT TO BE A POCZP COORDINATOR LIKE JOYCE?

If you are in the Midwest and want to support POCZP with Joyce, let us know! We are also looking for representatives in every state, as well as regional  support, as we build toward the National POC Zinester & Ally Conference/Convergence. Ideally you have some experience with organizing events and building community, but experience is not required. All are welcome. Priority will be given to people of color who apply but allies are definitely welcome.

Contact poczineproject@gmail.com for more details with “regional coordinator” as the subject line.

If you are outside the U.S. and want to be a part of our emerging POCZP Global Ambassadors program, email poczineproject@gmail.com as well to stay informed as opportunities arise.

SUPPORT POC ZINE PROJECT

If everyone in our community gave $1, we would more than meet our fundraising goal for 2013. If you have it to spare, we appreciate your support. All funds go to our 2013 tour, the Legacy Series and the poverty zine series.

DONATE link via PayPal: http://bit.ly/SHdmyh

Meet POCZP’s West Coast Coordinator Liz Mayorga! Part of POC Zine Project’s advocacy is empowering new and seasoned zinesters of color in the U.S. (and soon worldwide) to share their stories while supporting other POC. Liz is the second official regional coordinator for POCZP (meet Joyce, our Midwest Coordinator, here). We are excited to share developments as this part of our experiment in activism and community through materiality unfolds.  LIZ, IN HER OWN WORDS Liz was born in Los Angeles, California, but moved back and forth between Mexico and LA throughout her childhood. She is the youngest of three and the only female in a traditional, Catholic, Mexican-American family. Though her brothers taught her how to throw a good punch, she was often confused by the strict gender roles in rural Mexican society, which told her to be passive and meek. Luckily, Los Angeles was a place where contradiction could exist, a place where you could an aggressive girl, and a Mexican Punk. LA and the influence of popular culture gave Liz an identity she could be proud of. She moved to the Bay Area for school, but ended up falling in love with SF Zine Fest, and community of artists. They pushed her to pursue her passion for Art and Literature. Liz now writes fiction and non-fiction, makes comics (check out Inked), and is a working illustrator. Her inspiration comes from her crazy family and Chican@ Pop Culture. She is the Co-Director of San Francisco Zine Fest (SFZF) and is now happy to be a part of the POC Zine Project. See Liz in action at a recent POCZP Youth Zine workshop in San Francisco, where she led activities with assistance from POCZP intern Itoro Udofia. Liz hopes to expand and connect the DIY West Coast community and serve as a resource. She wants DIY projects (and zines) by people of color to be especially accessible to youth, because she needed community this open and empowering as a teenager. It is also a goal of hers to promote multi-media as a part of zine/DIY culture and expand the limits of what a zine could be, because artists, especially artists with a story to tell, need to be more visible. Learn more about Liz here: lizmayorga.com COMMUNITY: Join us in welcoming Liz. We are excited to support zine culture and POC storytelling on the West Coast! We will have several events in this region during the 2013 Race Riot! tour. Stay tuned for details … DO YOU WANT TO BE A COORDINATOR LIKE LIZ? If you want to support POCZP with Liz, other coordinators, interns and our touring members, let us know! We are also looking for representatives in every state, as well as regional  support, as we build toward the National POC Zinester & Ally Conference/Convergence. Ideally you have some experience with organizing events and building community, but experience is not required. All are welcome. Priority will be given to people of color who apply but allies are definitely welcome. Contact poczineproject@gmail.com for more details with “regional coordinator” as the subject line. If you are outside the U.S. and want to be a part of our emerging POCZP Global Ambassadors program, email poczineproject@gmail.com as well to stay informed as opportunities arise. SUPPORT POC ZINE PROJECT If everyone in our community gave $1, we would more than meet our fundraising goal for 2013. If you have it to spare, we appreciate your support. All funds go to our 2013 tour, the Legacy Series and the poverty zine series. DONATE link via PayPal: http://bit.ly/SHdmyh

Meet POCZP’s West Coast Coordinator Liz Mayorga!

Part of POC Zine Project’s advocacy is empowering new and seasoned zinesters of color in the U.S. (and soon worldwide) to share their stories while supporting other POC. Liz is the second official regional coordinator for POCZP (meet Joyce, our Midwest Coordinator, here). We are excited to share developments as this part of our experiment in activism and community through materiality unfolds. 

LIZ, IN HER OWN WORDS

Liz was born in Los Angeles, California, but moved back and forth between Mexico and LA throughout her childhood. She is the youngest of three and the only female in a traditional, Catholic, Mexican-American family.

Though her brothers taught her how to throw a good punch, she was often confused by the strict gender roles in rural Mexican society, which told her to be passive and meek. Luckily, Los Angeles was a place where contradiction could exist, a place where you could an aggressive girl, and a Mexican Punk. LA and the influence of popular culture gave Liz an identity she could be proud of.

She moved to the Bay Area for school, but ended up falling in love with SF Zine Fest, and community of artists. They pushed her to pursue her passion for Art and Literature.

Liz now writes fiction and non-fiction, makes comics (check out Inked), and is a working illustrator. Her inspiration comes from her crazy family and Chican@ Pop Culture. She is the Co-Director of San Francisco Zine Fest (SFZF) and is now happy to be a part of the POC Zine Project.

See Liz in action at a recent POCZP Youth Zine workshop in San Francisco, where she led activities with assistance from POCZP intern Itoro Udofia.

Liz hopes to expand and connect the DIY West Coast community and serve as a resource. She wants DIY projects (and zines) by people of color to be especially accessible to youth, because she needed community this open and empowering as a teenager.

It is also a goal of hers to promote multi-media as a part of zine/DIY culture and expand the limits of what a zine could be, because artists, especially artists with a story to tell, need to be more visible.

Learn more about Liz here: lizmayorga.com

COMMUNITY: Join us in welcoming Liz. We are excited to support zine culture and POC storytelling on the West Coast! We will have several events in this region during the 2013 Race Riot! tour. Stay tuned for details …

DO YOU WANT TO BE A COORDINATOR LIKE LIZ?

If you want to support POCZP with Liz, other coordinators, interns and our touring members, let us know!

We are also looking for representatives in every state, as well as regional  support, as we build toward the National POC Zinester & Ally Conference/Convergence. Ideally you have some experience with organizing events and building community, but experience is not required. All are welcome. Priority will be given to people of color who apply but allies are definitely welcome.

Contact poczineproject@gmail.com for more details with “regional coordinator” as the subject line.

If you are outside the U.S. and want to be a part of our emerging POCZP Global Ambassadors program, email poczineproject@gmail.com as well to stay informed as opportunities arise.

SUPPORT POC ZINE PROJECT

If everyone in our community gave $1, we would more than meet our fundraising goal for 2013. If you have it to spare, we appreciate your support. All funds go to our 2013 tour, the Legacy Series and the poverty zine series.

DONATE link via PayPal: http://bit.ly/SHdmyh

Just last month, Hatton was named Midwest coordinator of The POC Zine Project, a nationwide organization dedicated to making zines by people of color easy to find and enjoy.

“Joyce embodies somebody with a lot of strength and a lot of courage. And frankly, she’s also somebody who’s in a position to do a lot of good where she is at,” said Daniela Capistrano, POC Zine Project’s executive director/founder.

Big thanks to Diane Miller of the High Plains Reader for covering POCZP efforts in the Midwest.

Read more: http://hpr1.com/arts/article/zines_an_inside_look/

COMMUNITY: Learn more about POCZP internship & volunteer opportunities here. We are still accepting applications. 

If you are interested in POCZP leading a workshop or other event in collaboration with your organization - worldwide - email poczineproject@gmail.com.

SCENE REPORT: Oasis for Girls and The POC Zine Workshop

By Liz Mayorga, POCZP West Coast Coordinator 

Photos by Itoro Udofia, POCZP Intern

The Oasis for Girls Program, located on Mission St in San Francisco, serves under-resourced girls and young women ages 11-24. They focus on empowering women by helping them reach their full potential through lifeskills, art, and career planning. They are part of Writer’s Corps, which brings professional writers to teach youth.

These writers are placed in a community setting to encourage youth to explore their talents and dreams. Oasis for girls creates a safe space within that spectrum for African American, Arab, Latina, Native, Ascian-Pacific Islander, low-income, immigrant women, transgender and queer women. And I felt honored to work with them as part of the POC Zine Project on March 27, 2013.

Oasis for Girls and The POC Zine Workshop Students and Roseli Ilano, WritersCorps Teaching Artist, Oasis for Girls, (center) at the POCZP Youth Zine Workshop on March 27, 2013, at the San Francisco Arts Commission

Itoro and I had the pleasure of leading a POCZP Youth Zine Workshop for Oasis for Girls. We met Roseli Ilano, the Writer’s Corps teacher, at the San Francisco Arts Commission. She greeted us with a warm smile, and introduced us to eight students, all young women of color from different High Schools in San Francisco.

Roseli lead us into a conference room, asked the girls to take a seat, and everyone introduced themselves, awkwardly, like the way we do when we’re in conference rooms, but it didn’t take long for this group to open up. Roseli created a level of comfort that not only encouraged the girls to speak, but helped me and Itoro feel at home.

We started by talking about The POC Zine Project, it’s mission, and our involvement in it. We covered how zines allow people to write between different worlds and form communities, and why they’re so important to communities of color. We highlighted these points with examples of work by Tomás Moniz, Mimi Thi Nguyen, and Osa Atoe.

The girls were impressed to hear about a father who writes about his daughters and his own struggle to help them stay strong and true to themselves, were surprised to hear about a Professor who started off as a zinester, and a musician who broke all norms and expectations by following her passion and creating the fanzine she wanted see. Most of all, they were happy to see people writing about people and topics we’re told to ignore.

After a brief history of zines as a radical self-expression and DIY publishing, we showed examples of Youth Zines and moved on to create one-page minis. This part of the workshop started with a circle and ended with a circle. Itoro asked, “If you could write about anything, what would you write?” We went around sharing the topics that were on our minds.

The topics varied from sexuality to social-economic issues, how women were too often blamed for being assaulted, and how their experience of San Francisco was nothing like the San Francisco people expected to see.

Roseli asked the girls to arrange the art supplies. As they did and prepared to create their minis, I asked them to make two or three zines, and proposed for them to write about the most important women in their lives, unless they wanted to write about something else. Most of the girls wrote about the women they admired, their mothers and grandmothers, their friends and role models.

We ended the workshop by going around the circle again, sharing our minis, our stories with each another.

I can safely say that Itoro and I gained a lot from working with this group of women. Making zines is gratifying, but it doesn’t come close to the satisfaction I feel when working with other people, especially youth, on art projects. Roseli and the girls were a wonderful group: curious, intelligent, engaging, and they had a lot to say.

I felt privileged to be there, to be a part of their circle, and to see their zines.

TESTIMONIAL

“The POC Zine Project creates a space for young women of color to explore their stories in a fun and fresh medium- a medium where the only rule is to take risks and let your creativity soar.

Our young women raised their voices, told their truths, and shared their dreams on paper, fully supported by the POC Zine Project workshop facilitators. In the process they not only learned about the radical history of zinemaking, but became a part of it.” - Roseli Ilano, WritersCorps Teaching Artist, Oasis For Girls

For more information on the Oasis for Girls program:

Phone: (415) 701-7991

FAX: (415) 701-0131

MAIL: Oasis For Girls, 1008 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103

OR WALK-IN: Office Hours are Mondays – Fridays from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm

EMAIL: sfoasis@sfoasis.org

On the Web: www.sfoasis.org

Blog: sfoasis.blogspot.com

ABOUT LIZ MAYORGA

Liz Mayorga is an MFA Writing candidate at California College of the Arts. She writes and illustrates comics and storybooks, often featuring monsters. Her inspiration comes from her crazy family and Chican@ Pop Culture.

She is the Co-Director of San Francisco Zine Fest, and is now happy to be part of the POC Zine Project.

Learn more about her here: lizmayorga.com

COMMUNITY: Learn more about POCZP internship & volunteer opportunities here. We are still accepting applications. 

If you are interested in POCZP leading a workshop or other event in collaboration with your organization - worldwide - email poczineproject@gmail.com. 

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Not Enough Fest in NOLA This event is happening in in New Orleans TOMORROW 4/26! Organized by POCZP member Osa Atoe & No More Fiction, Not Enough Fest will be held at The Big Top, 1638 Clio Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. $5-25 sliding scale at 7pm. INFO: http://nomorefiction.tumblr.com/notenough Osa Atoe started Not Enough Fest. Debuting this spring, the fest will feature all brand-new bands fronted by women or queer people. Atoe created Not Enough Fest to further No More Fiction’s mission and goals: supporting all-girl, mixed gender, female-fronted, queer and feminist DIY punk bands locally and nationally (read more here).  No More Fiction began in 2009 to create woman-positive and queer-positive spaces in New Orleans for local DIY bands and for bands on tour. No More Fiction is inspired by the riot grrrl movement and by the existence of Girl Gang Productions a group of queer women who put on queer punk shows and drag shows in New Orleans up until around 2006.  Aside from booking shows, No More Fiction has held workshops open exclusively to women, queers and people of color to encourage their participation in DIY music making.  Want to collaborate? Email: nomorefiction@gmail.com Not Enough Fest would not be happening without the support of Queerspiracy. Look them up & get involved: http://nolaqueers.tumblr.com/ Help spread the word about Not Enough Fest! <3

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Not Enough Fest in NOLA

This event is happening in in New Orleans TOMORROW 4/26! Organized by POCZP member Osa Atoe & No More Fiction, Not Enough Fest will be held at The Big Top, 1638 Clio Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. $5-25 sliding scale at 7pm.

INFO: http://nomorefiction.tumblr.com/notenough

Osa Atoe started Not Enough Fest. Debuting this spring, the fest will feature all brand-new bands fronted by women or queer people.

Atoe created Not Enough Fest to further No More Fiction’s mission and goals: supporting all-girl, mixed gender, female-fronted, queer and feminist DIY punk bands locally and nationally (read more here). 

No More Fiction began in 2009 to create woman-positive and queer-positive spaces in New Orleans for local DIY bands and for bands on tour. No More Fiction is inspired by the riot grrrl movement and by the existence of Girl Gang Productions a group of queer women who put on queer punk shows and drag shows in New Orleans up until around 2006. 

Aside from booking shows, No More Fiction has held workshops open exclusively to women, queers and people of color to encourage their participation in DIY music making. 

Want to collaborate? Email: nomorefiction@gmail.com

Not Enough Fest would not be happening without the support of Queerspiracy. Look them up & get involved: http://nolaqueers.tumblr.com/

Help spread the word about Not Enough Fest! <3

Follow the Fargo-Moorhead Zine Fest Tumblr!

fargomoorheadzinefest:

Want to make a zine, but not sure what to make it about? Struggling with writer’s block? Convinced that _you_ have nothing worth saying? Don’t think your art/drawing skills are up to par? Still not sure what the…

FMZF was founded by Joyce Hatton, Midwest Coordinator of the POC Zine Project. YAY!

See POCZP member Cristy C. Road on tour with Sister Spit: The Next Generation!

Go support Cristy C. Road (and say hi! - tell her POCZP sent ya! xo) as she continues her queer literary and artistic journey with Sister Spit: The Next Generation!

This year’s tour features Michelle Tea, Ali Liebegott, Dave End, Texta Queen, Daniel Levesque, and of course CCR!

As Cristy aptly put it:

Too many queer boners in one sentence? Its okay, the universe prefers it that way. Come out and listen to us read and perform from our latest projects, laugh a little, rage a little, gaze into your lovers eyes and cry a little……

Tour dates are listed below (CHECK THIS CALENDAR FOR MOST UP TO DATE LISTINGS & VENUES). More info can be found at the RADAR PRODUCTIONS Website.

March 31, 2013  2 PM

San Francisco Public Library

Koret Auditorium

100 Larkin St. San Francisco, CA 94102

April 1, 2013 7:30pm

Rock, Paper, Scissors Collective

2278 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, California 94612

April 2, 2013 7PM

Pasadena City College/Creveling Lounge

1570 East Colorado Boulevard  Pasadena, CA 91106 

April 3, 2013 2PM Panel/ 7PM Show

UC Riverside

900 University Avenue  Riverside, CA 92521

April 6, 2013  8 PM

Richard Hugo House

1634 11th Avenue  Seattle, WA 98122

April 7, 2013 8PM

The Intercultural Firehouse at IFCC

Portland, OR

April 8, 2013 4:30pm

University of Oregon

585 E. 13th Avenue Eugene, OR 97403-1279

April 9, 2013 7pm

The Voice Shop

1296 N Wishon, Fresno, California 93728 

April 10, 2013 7PM

Otis College of Art and Design

9045 Lincoln Boulevard  Los Angeles, CA 90045

April 11, 2013 7:30PM

REDCAT Theater

631 West 2nd Street  Los Angeles, CA 90012

April 12, 2013 7:30PM

MADHAUS Gallery

624 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, California 90802

April 14, 2013 3PM

New Museum

235 Bowery, New York, New York 10002

April 15, 2013 7:30PM

Pride Center

332 Hudson Avenue, Albany, New York 12210

April 16, 2013 7PM

Gladstone Hotel

214 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario

April 18, 2013 7pm

Ann Arbor

April 19, 2013 6PM

A Room of One’s Own Bookstore

315 W. Gorham St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703

April 20, 2013 9:30PM

Part of the CIMMFEST

The Hideout

Chicago, Illinois

April 21, 2013 7PM

Rachel’s Cafe

300 E Third St, Bloomington, Indiana 47402

Meet POCZP&#8217;s Midwest Coordinator Joyce Hatton! Part of POC Zine Project&#8217;s advocacy is empowering new and seasoned zinesters of color in the U.S. (and soon worldwide) to share their stories while supporting other POC. Joyce is the first regional coordinator for POCZP and we are excited to share developments as this part of our experiment in activism and community through materiality unfolds.  JOYCE, IN HER OWN WORDS I was raised in South Dakota.  Being a black person raised in South Dakota is a big old can of worms.  I currently live in Moorhead, MN, border city of the better known Fargo, ND.  I lived in Philadelphia for a bit, but then the drugs got the better of me, also the fact that I didn&#8217;t get every job I applied for (the low unemployment rates of the Dakotas spoiled her) so I returned to Moorhead.  I spent time on an organic vegetable farm in California until I got cancer and returned to Moorhead.Cancer did what my ongoing mental health issues couldn&#8217;t do: it forced me to get sober and confront the trauma in my life, some of which began with being raised black in South Dakota.  Growing up as a black, non-heteronormative, radical female in small town South Dakota, I experienced some difficulties.  In addition to the overt racism, many of my (almost exclusively white) friends said and did racist things out of ignorance.  I had no idea how to handle it.  Since my mother grew up in Jim Crow-era South her advice was for me to keep my mouth shut.  For her, that was the way to stay safe.  On top of that, my family wasn&#8217;t a very safe space because they let me know there would be hell to pay if I wasn&#8217;t straight.  And I constantly argued with my mother about feminism and other ideas that I felt defined who I was.Last fall I was fairly distraught.  For various reasons I felt disillusioned and aimless. I ended up in the psych hospital, and while I was there I made a zine. It felt so self-validating, empowering, and uplifting. Shortly after making it, I discovered POCZP.  It kept me interested in zines because I found so many connections that validated what I was experiencing, and helped me learn about myself, and ideas I cared about.  I felt like I was part of a community, and I felt re-radicalized.   My goals for working with POCZP are to: 1) to build community in Fargo-Moorhead, share POC zines, and create safe spaces for POC and allies to have an honest, open sharing of ideas and experiences. 2) find ways effectively and easily share the POCZP&#8217;s mission and zine making with physically, emotionally, or ideologically isolated POC in rural areas and small towns in the Midwest. CONNECT WITH JOYCE:  http://airhornoftruthandlove.tumblr.com https://www.facebook.com/TransformingMyMouthIntoAStrident &#8212;&#8212;&#8212; COMMUNITY: Join us in welcoming Joyce. We are excited to support zine culture and POC storytelling in the Midwest! Although our 2013 Race Riot! tour does not have a tour date in this region, our National POC Zinester &amp; Ally Conference/Convergence will be held in the Midwest. Stay tuned for details &#8230; DO YOU WANT TO BE A COORDINATOR LIKE JOYCE? If you are in the Midwest and want to support POCZP with Joyce, let us know! We are also looking for representatives in every state, as well as regional  support, as we build toward the National POC Zinester &amp; Ally Conference/Convergence. Ideally you have some experience with organizing events and building community, but experience is not required. All are welcome. Priority will be given to people of color who apply but allies are definitely welcome. Contact poczineproject@gmail.com for more details with &#8220;regional coordinator&#8221; as the subject line. If you are outside the U.S. and want to be a part of our emerging POCZP Global Ambassadors program, email poczineproject@gmail.com as well to stay informed as opportunities arise. SUPPORT POC ZINE PROJECT If everyone in our community gave $1, we would more than meet our fundraising goal for 2013. If you have it to spare, we appreciate your support. All funds go to our 2013 tour, the Legacy Series and the poverty zine series. DONATE link via PayPal: http://bit.ly/SHdmyh

Meet POCZP’s Midwest Coordinator Joyce Hatton!

Part of POC Zine Project’s advocacy is empowering new and seasoned zinesters of color in the U.S. (and soon worldwide) to share their stories while supporting other POC. Joyce is the first regional coordinator for POCZP and we are excited to share developments as this part of our experiment in activism and community through materiality unfolds. 

JOYCE, IN HER OWN WORDS

I was raised in South Dakota.  Being a black person raised in South Dakota is a big old can of worms.  

I currently live in Moorhead, MN, border city of the better known Fargo, ND.  I lived in Philadelphia for a bit, but then the drugs got the better of me, also the fact that I didn’t get every job I applied for (the low unemployment rates of the Dakotas spoiled her) so I returned to Moorhead.  I spent time on an organic vegetable farm in California until I got cancer and returned to Moorhead.

Cancer did what my ongoing mental health issues couldn’t do: it forced me to get sober and confront the trauma in my life, some of which began with being raised black in South Dakota.  

Growing up as a black, non-heteronormative, radical female in small town South Dakota, I experienced some difficulties.  In addition to the overt racism, many of my (almost exclusively white) friends said and did racist things out of ignorance.  I had no idea how to handle it.  Since my mother grew up in Jim Crow-era South her advice was for me to keep my mouth shut.  For her, that was the way to stay safe.  On top of that, my family wasn’t a very safe space because they let me know there would be hell to pay if I wasn’t straight.  And I constantly argued with my mother about feminism and other ideas that I felt defined who I was.

Last fall I was fairly distraught.  For various reasons I felt disillusioned and aimless. I ended up in the psych hospital, and while I was there I made a zine. It felt so self-validating, empowering, and uplifting. Shortly after making it, I discovered POCZP.  It kept me interested in zines because I found so many connections that validated what I was experiencing, and helped me learn about myself, and ideas I cared about.  I felt like I was part of a community, and I felt re-radicalized.  
 
My goals for working with POCZP are to:

1) to build community in Fargo-Moorhead, share POC zines, and create safe spaces for POC and allies to have an honest, open sharing of ideas and experiences.

2) find ways effectively and easily share the POCZP’s mission and zine making with physically, emotionally, or ideologically isolated POC in rural areas and small towns in the Midwest.

CONNECT WITH JOYCE: 

http://airhornoftruthandlove.tumblr.com

https://www.facebook.com/TransformingMyMouthIntoAStrident

———

COMMUNITY: Join us in welcoming Joyce. We are excited to support zine culture and POC storytelling in the Midwest! Although our 2013 Race Riot! tour does not have a tour date in this region, our National POC Zinester & Ally Conference/Convergence will be held in the Midwest. Stay tuned for details …

DO YOU WANT TO BE A COORDINATOR LIKE JOYCE?

If you are in the Midwest and want to support POCZP with Joyce, let us know! We are also looking for representatives in every state, as well as regional  support, as we build toward the National POC Zinester & Ally Conference/Convergence. Ideally you have some experience with organizing events and building community, but experience is not required. All are welcome. Priority will be given to people of color who apply but allies are definitely welcome.

Contact poczineproject@gmail.com for more details with “regional coordinator” as the subject line.

If you are outside the U.S. and want to be a part of our emerging POCZP Global Ambassadors program, email poczineproject@gmail.com as well to stay informed as opportunities arise.

SUPPORT POC ZINE PROJECT

If everyone in our community gave $1, we would more than meet our fundraising goal for 2013. If you have it to spare, we appreciate your support. All funds go to our 2013 tour, the Legacy Series and the poverty zine series.

DONATE link via PayPal: http://bit.ly/SHdmyh

VIDEO: POC Zine Project member Pati Garcia aka Chula Doula at 2013 L.A. Zine Fest, interview with XGames.com 

[Jump to 1:48 in if you just want Pati’s part]

XGames.com was at L.A. Zine Fest interviewing folks about not only the intersection of skate culture and zine culture, but also about DIY culture in general. 

They stopped by the POCZP table during our panel time, and caught Chula Doula who agreed to be interviewed. We didn’t know this was going to make it into their recap video but it did! Awesome!

This is the message that Alxis, who made this video for XGames.com, sent us after the fest:

I hope you like it, I put all my favorite artist and zines. I think what you all are doing is great, important and inspired work, I hope this turns some young minds on to what you’re doing. 
Thanks,
Alxis

We also hope that through this video more folks from all backgrounds discover POCZP and zines by people of color, more info about zine culture and are inspired to be creators in ways that make sense for them.

ABOUT CHULA DOULA

Pati Garcia is a Certified Sexological bodyworker/Somatic Sex Educator, self-identifies as genderqueer/fluid two spirit of Peruvian-Mexican descent, loves to dig feet in the earth and throw love into the cosmos. Pati holds space for life unraveling and unwinding as a birth doula. Pati follows only the spirit led path and refuses to compromise pleasure for any reason at all. Radical feminist doula bodyworker, workshop facilitator. Wanna see your cervix?? Ask them how.

DISCLAIMER

POCZP is not affiliated in any way with XGames.com and did not benefit financially by participating in their video. We were not obligated to share this clip and do not endorse all statements made in this video.

2013 Chicago Zine Fest recap: POC Zine Project edition + watch us receive Quimby’s Long Arm Stapler Award!

On March 8, 2013, POC Zine Project received the 2013 Long Arm Stapler Award bestowed by Quimby’s Bookstore during Chicago Zine Fest.

[If you watch the video until the very end, you will be rewarded with a geeky surprise <3]

POCZP touring members who attended CZF this year were POCZP founder Daniela Capistrano, Mimi Thi Nguyen, Osa Atoe, Adzua-Gette (who co-produces kWUEEN sHADEZ zine) and Suzy X. We also met up with Tomas Moniz (Rad Dad zine), who participated in our panel at this year’s L.A. Zine Fest. 

Spotted: Reunited and it feels so good! #czf2013 #poczines

Quimby’s Bookstore before the Long Arm Stapler Award ceremony: Tomas Moniz, Mimi Thi Nguyen, Osa Atoe, Ashley, Antonio and Donte (who helped organize/supported our #raceriottour event in 2012 at multikulti in Chicago)

Suzy X. and @inzombia Mimi Thi Nguyen listen to @shotgunseamstress present at #czf2013 #poczines

Suzy X and Mimi Thi Nguyen sit with the audience during Osa Atoe’s portion of our presentation at #CZF2013 

Check out more photos in the slideshow at the bottom of this post.

POCZP presented “Lessons from the 2012 ‘Race Riot!’ Tour” at Chicago Zine Fest, which is referenced in this video. You can view the prezi from that event here, which discloses financial information about last year’s tour:



After our presentation we had plenty of time to continue tabling and connecting with other folks supporting #poczines.

We're at #czf2013 y'all xo

Daniela, Mimi, Osa and Adzua-Gette tabling at #CZF2013

Here are just some of the POC and allies we reconnected with at CZF who we are looking forward to collaborating with this year and beyond:

+ Marya Errin Jones, zinster/producer of ABQ Zine Fest 

Marya is going to support our 2013 Race Riot! tour date/logistics in Albuquerque, New Mexico! Read her open letter Quentin Tarantino, you won’t regret it.

+ Ryan J Eilbeck, musician and writer

It was great to see Ryan again. He helped us organize our 2012 Race Riot! tour date in Columbus.

+ Chaun Webster from Minneapolis, Founder and Director of Free Poet’s Press 

This was our first time meeting Chaun, who told Daniela in a conversation about empowering POC through independent media creation that “zines are the mixtape of the publishing world.”

We look forward to exploring a possible collaboration with Chaun.

COMMUNITY: If you met us at #CZF2013 and would like to further discuss possible collaborations or have any questions, let us know! poczineproject@gmail.com. 

MORE PHOTOS, YES <3

In the slideshow below are a few more snapshots from our time at this year’s Chicago Zine Fest <3 Big thanks & love to all the CZF organizers for inviting us back for the second year in a row and producing such an amazing event.

ABOUT THE RACE RIOT! TOUR

POC Zine Project held it’s first-ever Race Riot! Tour in 2012, producing 20 events in 14 cities, which included speaking engagements at six universities. 

View photos from the POC Zine Project: 2012 Race Riot! Tour tour finale at Death By Audio in Brooklyn and access all the tour stop recaps here: 
http://bit.ly/V4X6oq

STAY INFORMED WITH POCZP
We will be taking the Race Riot! tour through 12 more cities in 2013. Stay tuned for updates!

Facebook.com/POCZineProject
Twitter.com/poczineproject
poczineproject.tumblr.com

SUPPORT POC ZINE PROJECT
We are a 100% volunteer entity. If everyone in our community gave $1, we would more than meet our fundraising goals for the 2013 poverty zine series and the second leg of our Race Riot! tour. If you have it to spare, we appreciate your support.

DONATE link via PayPal: http://bit.ly/SHdmyh

You can also send well-concealed cash or a check!
Email poczineproject@gmail.com for details or if you have questions.

Info about the poverty zine series:
http://bit.ly/RLVTVt

VISIT QUIMBY’S BOOKSTORE
http://www.quimbys.com/

ABOUT THE LONG ARM STAPLER AWARD
Quimby’s Long Arm Stapler Award is an annual honor bestowed upon a group or individual dedicated to self-publishing and the first amendment. Each year’s recipient must show the following qualities:

+ enthusiasm for and commitment to self -publishing, which includes active participation + at some level of self-publishing.
+ cause for inspiration within other self-publishers.
+ a high level of quality in output.