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AFRS 3110, Black European Cultural Studies

This guide accompanies zine instruction for Monica Miller's Africana Studies class, held at Barnard College in Fall 2023. Guide by Jenna Freedman.

Read and Discuss

Zine sampler! Read/skim a zine for five minutes. [Content: curse words, sexuality, nudity, trauma]

Present it to the class, using these guiding questions, or your own

  • What does the zine say about its creator--directly or indirectly?
  • Why do you think they chose a zine as their medium?
  • Are there graphics in the zine? Handwriting? Collages? Do they complement or complicate the text?
  • What might be the lasting impact of this zine--on the creator, you, other readers, the world?

Zines Are

Nijsten, Nina. Scissors & Chainsaws No. 2 : Diary Comic Zine Made in July 2020 During International Zine Month. Gent, Belgium: Nina Nijsten, 2020.

A Little More About Zines

History

Sandner, David. “Zines to the Future! The Secret History of Zines.” StoryMapJS. Accessed October 6, 2020.

Note: sharing this timeline is not a 100% endorsement. It's useful, but I have some issues.