This spring, the Williams Sustainable Growers published the third issue of our zine, Germination. This issue’s theme was ‘identity.’ It addressed topics of gender, sexuality, race, favorite foods, and future careers, among other things. And it included everything from poetry to doodling, surveys to various rambling, mixed-media articles.
As the zine’s editor, of course I am partial to this particular type of publication, for the purpose of self expression alone. But I have to say that I think the theme of ‘identity’ is especially well suited to a zine. As a self-published, anti-consumerism media, I think it makes a space to really represent pieces of our identity on the printed page.
Almost by definition, zines have small print runs. They are often distributed through informal networks. I gave a copy to my parents. When I came home from school last week, I found it--in its bright purple glory-- displayed next to the telephone. I couldn’t help but feel proud to see Germination and everything that I like to think it stands for (creativity, self-determination, food justice...) sitting there for all to encounter.
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