The Zines of Summer
Zine librarians Jamez Terry and Kelly Costello
Weekend Edition Sunday, July 25, 2004 · Our summer reading series continues with Jamez Terry and Kelly Costello. Last December, they founded the Denver Zine Library, a collection of almost 5,000 independently produced mini-magazines, or "zines." Zine creators sometimes sign their work with a one-name handle (like a first name or nickname) or a pseudonym.
Some of Terry and Costello's favorite zines:
'Clutch'
Greig, a zine librarian based in Portland, Ore., uses a comic-book format to tell stories about the momentous and mundane events in his life.
Contact information: Greig -- P.O. Box 12409, Portland, OR 97212. Other zines by Greig: The Adventures of Nicole G.; What happened to the library?; Zine Librarian Zine; Homemade Polaroids
'Morgan Anne & Peter Pan' and 'Morgan Anne & the Pirates'
These two zines offer a new take on the children's classic, Peter Pan. The series introduce Morgan Anne, a character that ruled Never-Land before Peter arrived to reign over the island. When Morgan returns to Never-Land, she and Peter occasionally butt heads in their battles with Captain Hook and his pirate crew.
Contact: Jen -- 11 Ascot Court, Welland ON, L3C6K7 CANADA. Other zines by Jen: Tiki: Girl Without A Cause; Petra; Escaping Suburbia; I don't like it anymore; Visual Thought; How To Start A Revolution
'Portrait of a School Teacher'
The poems that comprise this zine describe Joe Verilli's experiences as a volunteer at a Connecticut public school.
Contact: Joseph Verrilli -- P.O. Box 1158, Bridgeport, CT 06601-1158. Other zines by Joe Verrilli: Shoes; Audio SHOES; Limited O.K.; Poems for an Old Friend; the History of Candles; This Groovy Movie
'Proof I Exist'
Produced by a college student named Billy, Proof I Exist is a personal zine, or per-zine, that features musings and descriptions of Billy's antics.
Contact: Billy -- 1357 W. Augusta #1, Chicago, IL 60622
Billy also runs Loop Distro, a publication distribution service (See Web Resources below).
Terry and Costello also have some novels on their reading lists. Terry is reading The Suburbs of Heaven by Merle Drown, a story about an unlucky, desperately poor family of five in New Hampshire. Costello is re-reading Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins, which takes place concurrently in Paris, Seattle and New Orleans and features a subplot about a character who's trying to cheat death.
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