Zines and whatnot

So, this week we started working on our final project: zines! If you were absent, you will need to find a group to work with, so Monday would again be very bad to miss. You were also given the option of having your final blog post be a draft that I'd give you feedback on. If I don't hear from you absentees by Friday evening (email, twitter or comment here), I'll just assume you want your paper to be your final, graded version.

This week, for your blog posts, you have the option of a) responding to the below prompt or b) writing about whatever you like. Either way, remember your PRIORS.

For homework, you need to be thinking out themes, title and group member ideas. These will be set in stone in class on Monday and then we'll start working.

Blog prompt: I'd like to hear what you guys read in your everyday lives. I don't mean stuff like Charles Dickens, I mean, what kind of blogs? what kind of websites? what kind of, well, stuff? Are there sites you visit on a regular basis? Why? And if there isn't, what kind of links do you see on Facebook (or wherever) that make you feel like clicking through.

Of course, you don't have to connect this to your zine, but you might think about it. What lessons from being a reader could you transfer to being an author?

Remember: we've got two more full weeks of class, so hang in, keep working and don't be an agent of oppression. See you Monday!

PS. Description of the zine project from the syllabus to help you frame your weekend thinking:

As a class, we will examine the genre of zines and their goals. We will then determine a name and theme for our class zine. After this, the class will split into committees. Each committee will be responsible for:

-Developing a sub-theme and sub-title for their issue

-Producing a zine including one written piece by each member as well as visuals

-Writing a 1-3-pg justification paper, explaining your naming, visual, and written choices as well as the group’s division of labor

All together, the zine will be worth 30% of your final grade. But it will follow a breakdown of discreet parts:

-Your own writing piece: 10%

-Participation in justification paper: 10%

-Completion of zine issue: 10%

Launch Party

When all the issues are in, we will have a class launch party, in which copies of everyone’s zine will be distributed. The class will also develop committees for planning this party, such as publicity (posters) and refreshments. I will help each committee individually create multiple copies of their zine prior to the launch party.