Students work on their own projects while listening to Riot Grrrl bands at a recent Friday Forum on Zines in anticipation of SUNY Fredonia's inaugural zine fest.
By Giulianna J. Lalomio
Does self-publishing art and writing sound exciting? If so, you’re in luck and welcome to join Fredonia Zine Fest (FZF).
Hosted by the Department of English, SUNY Fredonia’s first-ever zine fest on Saturday, March 7, from noon to 4 p.m., in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room, is a celebration of all things “zine.” FZF, which is free and open to the public, concludes with an open mic hosted by the student group Writers’ Ring from 4 to 5 p.m.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, a zine is a self-published short magazine often created from print media clippings, hand-drawn art, poems, short stories and whatever else the author/artist may want to include in their vision.
Students and faculty alike have a deep appreciation for the modest zine.
"Zines are radical! Small yet loud! They are not one thing. Or maybe they are? Material artifacts, I suppose, of resistance, curiosity and community.” - Lecturer Rachel “Mara” Beneway
A student enrolled in the Senior Writing Capstone, Lain Pelonero, says, “I’m drawn to zines because they allow anybody to share their voice in a creative way that is unique to them.”
“Zines, being self-published, allow for full creative control by the individual and makes them one of the few remaining forms of subculture that hasn’t been overly commodified or watered down,” explained Pelonero, a Writing major, with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, from East Amherst, NY.
Mara Beneway, event organizer for FZF and a new faculty member in the English department, reflects that, “Zines are radical! Small yet loud! They are not one thing. Or maybe they are? Material artifacts, I suppose, of resistance, curiosity and community.”
Event participants are encouraged to bring zines to either trade or generally share. There is no defined payment method for vendors, but cash and Venmo are likely supported.
Schedule of events:
- Noon to 4 p.m. —students and local vendors
- 1 to 1:20 p.m. —Justin Hoock, “Rock a Little: Music Zine”
- 2 to 2:20 p.m. — Burning Books: James Coughlin, “A City of Distant Neighbors”
- 3 to 3:20 p.m. — Amanda Shepp, Zines at Fredonia: A Retrospective
- Concluding FZF will be an open mic, hosted by Writers’ Ring, from 4 to 5 p.m.
All presenters are current or former Fredonia students; they include Justin Hoock (‘28), James Coughlin (2016), Amanda Shepp (2010) and (Rachel) Mara Beneway (2016).
For more information, please email Lecturer Professor Rachel “Mara” Beneway.
