I love zines.
Zines are such an incredible format for one's work, art, life, beliefs. Their simplicity allows for almost anything to be "hung" on them. They are a publication of the people by the people for the people and provide an accessible and cheap way to freely share.
In 2020, I've committed to making (hopefully) hundreds of zines. All available free of charge. No hidden agenda. No sign-up list required. Just zines about all things: photography, illustrations, politics, values, dreams, stories, poetry, maps, sadness, rage, healing, queerness.
The zines I like to create are the simple, eight-page zine format, which is created from a single sheet of paper. Mostly, I use an 11" by 17" piece of paper. There are good YouTube Videos and online tutorials about how to fold them. All you gotta do is search: eight-page, single sheet zine.
I am working with my friend Midori to create a video / photo series on how to fold them cause I noticed that most (if not all) the videos are done by white folx. (Yeah, that's me too and it's why I want to make sure that there is a resource out there that has folx of color's hands folding the zines.)
This particular zine was created as part of a Queer Aritsts' Dinner I am throwing tonight. I wanted to provide my friends and guests with something they could take with them that helped them bring the flavor of dinner into their own homes and spaces.
As I sat down to make it, it dawned on me: recipes are stories and stories are political. So I didn't just want to create a recipe that provided an answer cause my politics rarely have an answer. Rather, my politics, like this zine, require me to listen, adapt, and make adjustments for life. And that's exactly how I cook and create.
What you'll find below is a guide for how to make three different kinds of pickles. Each one of these is being served in my home tonight. Maybe they will inspire you to make a pickle. Or maybe they'll serve as a way of seeing life in all its complex messiness.
This zine can be downloaded, printed, and shared for free. If you want to print, it should be on a Tabloid / Ledger sheet of paper (aka 11" by 17").
DELISH RELISH
Below are the photos I snapped as I made my Delish Relish. They are also in the zine above. The beautiful thing about an online space is that there is more space than a single sheet of paper. I thought y'all might want to see the photos in a bit more detail. They are still imprecise. They are also just a bit easier to see.
