Volume III of the femzine, ‘Writing in the Margins,” debuted to a full house at the New College Four Winds cafe. The femzine focused on erotic autonomy, beauty and self-care.
This year’s zine was overflowing with submissions. Students who attended the event received a copy of the zine and heard live readings from the zine’s contributors.
After each speaker, the floor was opened up for questions and discussion.
“As an organizer [of the femzine], I was a bit nervous about the event itself,” thesis student Wilmarie Ríos-Jaime said. “I wanted people to feel comfortable talking about topics that can often be uncomfortable, so I was kind of worried about our ability to foster a safe space where people felt that they could share themselves with others safely and honestly.”
The zine was created as a part of the Feminist Writing Tutorial sponsored by Professor of Sociology Queen Zabriskie. The event was both a celebration of the physical creation of the zine, the hard work that went into it, and the coming together of people in the New College community.
Some of the students involved got to share creative sides of themselves that they may not show often or ever.
“Once the event took off, I really enjoyed the performances,” Rios-Jaime added. “Especially because a lot of my close friends took the mic … It’s always a humbling experience to see and hear people that you love share something that’s so deeply them.”
Thesis student Paula Cooper who helped organize the femzine and was a part of the tutorial said the project was “a labor of love.”