Library Zines
A curated booklist by your favorite SPL librarians!
August 2023
Art & Photography | LGBTQ+ | Nature & Environment | Politics & Activism | Somerville, Boston, & Beyond!
Art & Photography
Accordion Issue 1, Art and Space edited by Maggie Jensen
This “free and experimental platform” is a space where creators of various backgrounds forge to discuss, write, and share their art. |
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Inspirado by Marissa Falco and Megan Mary Creamer
Artists Marissa Falco and Megan Creamer answer questions about an array of topics in art and inspiration, like work habits, the creative process, perfectionism, and deadlines. |
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Mock Wallpaper by Pat Falco
This companion piece to an art show by Pat Falco looks into the history of housing struggles in Boston and "the menace of the three decker.” |
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Property Materials 4.2 by J. Bagist
A compilation of works by artists exploring the topics of computing, technology, the internet, reality, and their disintegration. |
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That Whole Doggone Space Thing by Erik van Blokland aka LettError
A whimsical collection of short stories and drawings by type designer Erik van Blockland. Stories include robot book pirates, travel, advertisements for planetary shopping, and more. |
LGBTQ+
A Self-Defense Study Guide for Trans Women and Gender Non-Conforming/Nonbinary AMAB Folks by TransFighters
This helpful guide contains practical self-defense techniques, like posturing, de-escalation, and grappling tips, offering realistic advice for the realities faced by trans and nonbinary folks. |
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Being by Zach Ellis
A lyrical memoir about what it means to be transgender, creator Ellis discusses personal subjects like relationships, growing up, adjusting to change, and more. |
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How to Support Your Non-Binary Family Member by Alyssa Giannini
Geared more-so for parents, this informative guide serves as an introduction to nonbinary gender and discusses how to support the nonbinary individuals in your life. |
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Rainbow Crayons: A Queer Teacher's Story in Little Boxes by Abby Neale
A funny, thoughtful, and touching zine for queer and genderqueer teachers based on the personal experiences of creator Abby Neale. |
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Top: A Comic About Gender and Surgery by Rainer Bloodgood
In this down-to-earth comic book, creator Bloodgood walks the reader through their top surgery, offering tokens of wisdom about the process. |
Nature & Environment
A Beginner's Guide to Tree Watching by Skye Henterly
Treewatching is described as the art of “simply taking notice of the trees.” In this informative guide, you’ll learn treewatching basics, like identifying tree types, materials for treewatching, and observations to make during your practice. |
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Boston Coastline: Future Past: A Walking Data Visualization Connecting the Past and Future Coastlines of Boston led by Catherine D'Ignazio & Andi Sutton
A compilation of maps and other visual observations of Boston’s changing coastline and predictions for the future of Boston’s coastline. |
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Mushrooms are Ama-Zine by Heather Anacker and Krista Feld
In this celebration of fungi, you’ll learn amazing facts and read personal meditations about the wide world of mushrooms, plus view original “shroom” art. |
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Nontoxic Housecleaning by Raleigh Briggs
A very handy, user-friendly guide to making safe, nontoxic, cost-reducing cleaning products at home. Recipes include all-purpose cleaners, floor cleaners, upholstery cleaners, and more. |
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Otherwise: On Reconnecting to Life, Facing the Climate Crisis, and Shaping the Future by Emma Lucille Percy
This sequel and companion to All Together: A Primer for Connecting to Place & Cultivating Ecological Citizenship (2017) delves more deeply into topics of ecological identity, climate grief, and hope for the future. |
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Plant Parenthood by Heather Anacker & Krista Feld
A zine for current and wannabe plant parents which covers a variety of subjects related to plant care, like plant intelligence, propagation, hardy houseplants, and even instructions for a hanging planter craft. |
Politics & Activism
Economic Meltdown: Or, What an Iceberg Can Tell Us About the Economy by Katherine Gibson
Created by activists, scholars, and artists, this collection explores “creative responses to the oppressions of the dominant economic paradigm.” |
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Jane: Documents from Chicago's Clandestine Abortion Service, 1968 - 1973 published by Microcosm Publishing
A re-printing of brochures and pamphlets from Jane, a Chicago abortion service from the late 1960s - early 1970s, plus interviews with women who worked with Jane and a discussion on feminist politics and abortion. |
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The Prison-Industrial Complex & the Global Economy by Eve Goldberg and Linda Evans
A thorough examination of the economic motives behind extensive and excessive imprisonment in the United States. |
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We Never Wanted Him Here: A Brief History of Protests, Takedowns, and Counter-Proposals to the Commemoration of Christopher Columbus in the United States by Elizabeth Borneman, C.X. Hua, and Lily Xie
A compilation of three case studies involving historic moments in counter-Columbianism in America over the years. |
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50 Years: Roe v. Wade by Greer Muldowney
These musings on the shifting political and cultural icons that have had a longer lifespan than Roe v. Wade provokes us to ask why certain things have endured, and why they may not in the future. |
Somerville, Boston, & Beyond!
Elfland: A Zine by Lena Warnke and Martha Schnee
Photos, essays, drawings, ephemera, and more documenting “Eflland,” a DIY community art project in Somerville, MA in a vacant lot near Market Basket. |
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Roxbury: A Memoir by Randall Horton
This memoir by local author, Randall Horton, speaks of redemption and the bonds of love between a father and son. |
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Somerville Speakout excerpts from the Somerville Journal
Collected from the Somerville Journal, this selection of “Somerville Speakouts” shares concerns and complaints from Somerville residents, providing unique insight into the community. |
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Streets Paved With Gold: Life Stories From Somerville, MA by Judy Bugarin et al.
A collection of short essays by seven local seniors who reside in Somerville, MA, written as part of the 2017 Somerville Memoir Project. |
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Through the Words of My Neighbors by Sharon Amuguni
Part of local artist Sharon Amuguni’s project exploring and documenting the everyday lives of Somerville residents. |
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