by Chloe Hodson
Dear Reader,
I hope you are having the kind of day where you peel your entire orange in one piece, or the kind of day where someone lets you go first.
And so begins the lovely first issue of Social Animals, a zine meant to not only engage the reader, but have them participate. I am a sucker, like most people, for wonderful first lines and that, my readers, is a fantastic first line. It made me feel as if I had just received a hug by someone who cared how my day was going.
The author warns in her introductory letter to her readers that this zine is different than those they have experienced in the past. She's right, to say the least. In this zine you will find personal experiences written in the second person, tidbits of motivation and writing exercises to get the ideas flowing.
Not only does the author want the reader to voice themselves, she is providing a forum for it on Tumblr (Social Animals Zine). The Tumblr is full of updates for her upcoming second issue, as well as questions for you to answer.
I have to say that I really enjoy the fact that this author wants us to think! To go as far as to create a Tumblr for this purpose (so simple, and yet, I had never thought of it!). As someone who loves to write, I am impressed and motivated by the prompts given in this zine. Also, the personal inserts from the author is definitely what grabs my attention - you don't know what's coming up as you turn the page! If you are someone who loves to write, or just likes to read good writing, pick up this zine!
Step One: Believe you have something worth saying.
I was rolling in the field of the flowers that were my mother's fears and insecurities that had just so recently been watered with tequila rain.
Good Day Sunshine
by Whitney Billings
I want to be in the hospital because the air is the cleanest you can get. I want to be int he hospital because they bring you your food, they talk like you matter, and they pit you to sleep if you're in pain. No one drinks or yells or hits you there. Hospitals fix things. Hospitals fix broken things.
You know when you read something, it doesn't matter where, and the words envelope you even though they hurt? That's what this zine did to me, reader. Reading this personal zine felt like heartbreak and hope. It has some beautiful photos that tie into the poems and stories/memories told. It is a text heavy zine filled with personal moments that flow like poetry...and some actual poetry. Seriously though, the lines...
I was rolling in the field of the flowers that were my mother's fears and insecurities that had just so recently been watered with tequila rain.
The zine is clear and to the point, and moments like these that make you want to curl up into the words.
As I mentioned, this is a personal zine. I feel the need to warn that it might have a trigger for some readers. Everything about this zine is so powerful - proving yet again that through heartbreak and disappointment, there is the strength to move forward. This author's writing is the proof of that. I highly recommend this zine as it is now one of my personal favorites.
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