My Old ‘Zine Days
April 20th, 2009 by autoPiloting
Back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s I was very involved with the printed ‘zine scene. For those who aren’t familiar with this scene, ‘zines were small independently-produced magazines that were put together by people all around the nation and mailed out to their friends and fans.
The people who produced ‘zines were all ages but most of them were around college age. They were using ‘zines as a way to express the thoughts that were concerning them during this difficult period of life. Some of these ‘zines were about personal issues like childhood abuse or dealing with being fat. Others were about social issues and political issues such as veganism or the green movement.
These ‘zines played an important role in my life at the time. The ones I made were often the only way that I felt that I could really express myself. I remember the excitement that I would feel every time I’d go to the copy shop to run off another black and white copy of my text for someone who actually wanted to read what I had to say.
I don’t write ‘zines anymore and I only occasionally get the chance to read them but they remain a really important part of my history as a writer. Without the space that they gave me to express myself, I may never have gained the confidence necessary to start really showing my words to others.
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May 14th, 2009 at 7:41 am
I have never heard of this before but it sounds awsome! I want to be able to write an article about how I feel. I think this would be a really good way for highschool and college students to express themselves in a healthy way!
May 14th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I also wrote little articles in the late 1990’s expressing how I felt. I would always be so happy when I saw people reading my articles because I felt like people where listening to what I had to say. I dont write anymore but I wish I did!!
May 14th, 2009 at 7:45 am
My daughter does this for her highschool news paper. She loves writing articles about her life. I think every highschool should let the kids express themselves in writing.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:50 am
A group of my friends have started a local newspaper where they can express how they feel about the events going on at our school. All the kids get so exited when the newspaper comes out. I think writing zines is a very healthy way to express themselves!
May 14th, 2009 at 7:53 am
I wrote zines back when I was in College. I loved the feeling of people reading what I had to say. I wish I could still write but I dont have the gutts to write the kind of things I wrote back in college!!