Zine Narratives: Subjectivities and Stories of Five Influential Zine Creators

Abstract

The goal of this research is to examine how zines--self-published alternative magazines that are part of Do It Yourself (DIY) independent media scenes-- are used to assert subjectivities. This research examines the entire bodies of work of five zinesters. It situates the work in New Literacy Studies, narrative research, and other zine scholarship. By exploring zinesters' works as they use it to perform literacy over time, this research redefines zines. It moves zines away from being seen as simply a way for young women to be active cultural producers and situates zines in autobiographical writing where life narratives are created and recreated as zinesters perform differing subjectivities over time. Through narrative analysis, this research looks at the following five zinesters and the subjectivities they perform at different stages in their zine career. Cindy Crabb creates a confessional space within her zines to tell secrets and stories around her body: specifically survivor narratives. Alex Wrekk positions herself as part of the punk scene and transforms her personal identity as she participates in the zine and punk scenes. Kelly Shortandqueer asserts transgender subject positions throughout his zines and the writing of his transnarrative. Lauren Martin creates autographic zines through her artist subjectivity. Davida Breier shares small stories throughout her zines, as is exemplified in her Intros. The results of this work allows for exploration into zines as a cultural literacy practice. More importantly, it examines and defines zines as life-long literacies--those literacy sites that people choose to participate within during varying times of their lives and not only during specific situational occurrences such as school or work--and zine creators as permanent writers. Zines allow a better understanding of what it means to perform literacy work in meaningful ways which permit participants to examine and reexamine, define and redefine, and construct and reconstruct subjectivities as they move through time and various social, cultural, and personal scenes.