I didn’t even know what a zine was until this year. If you haven’t heard of them, it is probably because you are too busy reading educational books and grading 10 million essays….or maybe you are just old and not cool like me. Either way, it’s never too late to learn something new.
My daughter is quite possibly the coolest person I know. She inherited all her cool DNA from her daddy, obviously. She told me about these amazing book stores full of homemade books. You know, the kind you make in school that you staple, fold, tape or glue together, except these are made by grown-ups. These books are known affectionately as zines (pronounced like the end of the word magazine).
She took me on a Facetime trip to a store and my mind was blown. I had to know more.
It turns out zines have been around for a long time. You can read a bit about their history here. As a history teacher, I love the fact that a zine is an independent way of publishing your views without having to “sell out” your ideas and beliefs to fit the mold of what a traditional publisher thinks will appeal to a wide audience. A zine could be a part of a revolution, a way of changing mindsets,or an art form for the sake of art instead of lining pockets.
During this same time, I enrolled in a training at my local service center (Region XII). As I was learning about the benefits of makerspace activities, all I could think of was wouldn’t it be amazing to have our own zine space to create?
So, an idea for a zine club at our school was formed. I’m going to post about our project as we go. It should be an adventure…at the very least.
Teaching Without Twitching 