Radical Zines on Social Change

Adela C. Licona's English 389 class, titled Introduction to Publishing: Community, Collaboration, and Social Change, does not shy away from confronting the topics facing students of every background. In her course description, Licona writes, "In this course, students will produce collaborative self-publications for particular audiences that address issues determined to be of shared interests and importance. To do so, we will explore publishing practices over time and across race, class, gender, and sexuality to consider how writers (especially those not traditionally considered ‘authors’) and their publishing practices, productions, and technologies seek to challenge existing social orders. We will examine questions about who can be (and is) considered an author, as well as whose knowledges get circulated: how, and where. Students will explore self-, community, and grassroots publications as distinct publication routes and as action-oriented tools to consider how the wor(l)d might be changed by what some consider radical publishing practices that aim to reach particular and often non-traditional audiences."

Inspired by other zine projects across the country that promote an inclusive look at publishing, Licona's class produced zines that cover erotic writing, student perspectives, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ writing, and more. For the first time, these zines are now catalogued and part of our Poetry Center collection on the center shelf where we house literary magazines and journals. If you're interested in the brilliant work being done in the interest of social justice and change on campus, come check our the ENGL 389 Zines in our stacks. 

        

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