How Writing Became AmaZINE...

Let’s take a trip back to fall of 2023 when I was taking a writing workshop all about creative non-fiction in zines. That class (and my classmates will probably second this) changed the way I write, the way I think about writing, and my perspective of art in daily life. I guess you could say I am a zine super-fan after all. I never could have thought that my life was art, or had any relevancy in a reader’s mind. After being introduced to digital creation in literature, I found myself engaged more in the act of writing. I had never been so excited to do homework, and so free to take literary risks within my writing. Digital Literacy and zines have an undertone of meaning within community engagement, identity, and freedom of expression. 

There are an array of ideas, colors, and textures on each page of a zine that tells a unique story, captures a moment in time, or challenges societal norms. Zine culture is a celebration of diversity, a platform where artists, writers, and activists come together to share their perspectives, unfiltered and uncensored. Deriving off of the DIY movement, zines are an attainable, accessible, and an abstract way to engage in literature that retains many elements of the common core. Since zines and digital literature are more accessible and relevant for novice writers to attain within publishable works and conceptualization, there is a rather exciting nature to them for students. Specifically, Rebekah Buchanan references this idea in her article, “Zines in the Classroom: Reading Culture” when stating, “They present short, attention-getting narratives, and they are written in language and vernacular most students understand and appreciate. Students can interact with zines and zine creators in personal ways, creating a sense of involvement and connection not found in traditional stories and texts,” (71). When we as educators strive to curate meaningful literature experiences, drawing on the backgrounds of students, there is a greater likely that students will engage in literacy and curriculum within the English-Language Arts departments. Zines and digital learning are ways to bridge everyday functions to daily practices and acknowledge the social, political, and historical nature of literacy (Buchanan 76). 

There is also an understanding of zines and digital learning to be centers that foster areas of community, identity and expression. They provide a unique avenue for self-expression within the structured confines of a classroom. By introducing zine-making and digital storytelling as an educational tool, teachers tap into a medium that allows students to explore and communicate their thoughts, ideas, and personal experiences in a visual, non-traditional, format. In a historical context, these formats of literacy have been used as a form of social justice, bringing areas of voice and awareness to issues that may have been censored or silenced by society at the time. Movements such as women’s rights, the punk scene, and more have been emphasized in society through multi-modal outlets of literature. In zines specifically, Queer zines, feminist zines, and zines by and for people of color create a space where diverse perspectives can be explored and shared. There is a curation of these elements in Karin H. deGravelles et. al’s article, “Novelzine: Reading and Writing Community” to which the authors allude to an idea that zines, “craft community, identity and expression, since it’s often done by smaller writers with less publishing access, the censorship and critique of the works lessens, and the community it belongs to is found” (61). In a world where representation matters, zine culture stands as a portal of inclusivity, amplifying voices that have been systemically silenced. Zines become an expression of identity and a beacon of community. 

Here is an example of a feminist zine: More Than A Woman (Alfaris et. al 2018)

The hands-on nature of zine and digital creation encourages students to think outside the literary template and develop a sense of ownership over their work. Its’ low-stakes nature curates an environment where students can focus on the underlying meanings and understandings of literacy and structure rather than their academic-style writing. James S. Chisholm and Brandie Trent recognize this power in digital works in their journal, Digital Storytelling in a Place-Based Composition Course, where they say that digital video composing and other multi modal literacies “helped learners explore and orchestrate meanings among print and non-print literacies, participate in authentic literacy practices, acquire social capital re lated to the presentation and reception of their digital videos, and consider themselves as authors” (309). Along with the focus on skills and engagement rather than traditional direction of text, the tactile nature of zines specifically adds an intimate and personal dimension to the reading experience, allowing students to recognize the power in content creation and the impact it can have in and out of the classroom environment. 

Here is an example of Digital Video Composing: Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) (Luhrmann 1998)

I would like to thank Lane Hall and my other classmates that were in my workshop in fall of 2023 (shoutout Melanie, Kayla and Eli from the 2025 English Ed. cohort!) There was a time where I felt like my story didn’t matter, and that way I saw the world felt isolated from everyone else, but our class made me realize that I have power in literature, that my experiences and thoughts did have meaning. I realized that the moments I considered ordinary were labeled as art, and the relevancy of my life resonated with other people. I am so lucky that I get to work alongside some of the best writers I have met throughout my academic journey. I hope that I can create meaningful experiences in writing with my students, and let them know that their lives and experiences can too be considered art (and I hope to use the works of my peers in the process). 

Zines and other digital media formats are not just publications or another literary assignment; they are a movement that continues to inspire and empower those who dare to pick up a pair of scissors, a stapler, or a pen and let their creativity run on the pages.

P.S. The Milwaukee Zine Fest is this April!