No Shame Distro And For Your Own Good: Zine Analysis

Zines, smaller versions of magazines and pronounced like the 5 last letters of the original words, originated around the 1930s as a counter culture to the mainstream publications. Women of marginalized identities were able to use zines as a way of sharing their voices with the world and create dialogues with their peers (Arnold 2016). Now a days, zines have become more mainstream, but continue to uphold the principles of providing a space for women, and can vary from topics of the mundane to complex questions and reflection on identity. Through thorough exploration of Barnard’s zine library, I have come across multiple zines that reflect on the relationship between young women and their mother’s, and in some instances their connection to their cultures through their mother.