London Zine Symposium this Sunday!

We'll be there doing some live readings from Adventures in Menstruating #4. Details can be found at the website, and there's also a facebook group.

The London Zine Symposium is a lot of fun - there are always groovy people to hang out with, sexy vegan snacks to eat (in 2007 there was vegan 'cheese' cake that I will never forget) and beautiful handmade and/or self-published zines and books to browse, trade for or buy.

Throughout the day there will be readings and workshops.

12-6, The Rag Factory, London.

Chella

I Love New York

Last week I was lucky enough to be in New York having a whale of a time over Passover and Easter. At the start of the week, I arrived at my parents' house in NJ to find two awesome parcels waiting for me from Niku and Sage containing copies of Niku's collage zine I'd contributed to and my cycle girl on badges made by Sage. As I was getting ready for the readings later in the week, I found out it was Joanne Morton of the FCW network's birthday on the day of the reading, which gave me the idea to do the reading as a kind of an Adventures in Menstruating #4 launch party with goody bags, which I had great fun putting together with my best friend Matt the night before. They were little red paper bags tied with ribbon and contained a red ball and jacks, two red lollipops, and a badge among other bits and pieces and flyers. He also made a t-shirt for me with iron-on letters that spelled out 'Menarche Now!' - the slogan from Sarah's story in Adventures in Menstruating #2. Toys in Babeland donated a gift set including a reusable shopping bag (which gives the bearer 10% off every future purchase), vibrator, lube, and (most importantly) batteries, and my brother got me some classy chocolate-covered matzah. It was super cool having an all-male send off for my comedy menstrual gig, actually. And thus, a party was born.

My friend James read a really sweet intro and then helped me raffle off the t-shirt and the Toys in Babeland bag to raise some money for Bluestockings, and the menstrual comedy fans were really generous. It was a great atmosphere at the reading - a really warm and enthusiastic crowd, and (since I was only there for a few days) served as a welcome and a farewell for my flying visit. I was really psyched that Microcosm's Sparky got to NYC in time to attend because we'd never had the chance to meet in person before and she's really friendly! Huge props to long-time supporter Jenna from Radical Reference and the Barnard Zine Library who's attended the Bluestockings readings a few times now, and all the staff working that night for joining in and making me feel so at home.

Later that night (after a karaoke, pineapple juice and rum-themed send-off) at The Living Theatre I read some more on my own and also with a fellow baseball-loving, Doctor Who geek college pal. It seemed like a great small venue - I'd recommend it and will most likely head back there again to see other work. I met awesome people at both readings, including another woman who had a women's health-super-hero-alter-ego, some radical teachers, and wicked cool readers who were already familiar with the zines and well-versed in the menstrual hi jinks.

The next morning I finished the triptych with a visit to the anarchist bookfair where I donated zines to the Sex Workers Outreach Project and traded some more for some vegan chocolate peanut butter cups and screenprinted speculum stencil patches. I also got chatting with lovely people visiting from Wooden Shoe Books in Philly, who were the first shop to ever carry my zine, and picked up some info from Books Through Bars, ABC No Rio, and Teaching for Change (got a book of radical lesson plans).

Zines I picked up (awesomely, all trades, actually):

For the Mobile Menstrual Zine Library:

Where Have all the Placentas Gone?

Herbal Abortion: A Woman’s DIY Guide

What Your Momma (or your doctor or your teacher or anybody) Never Told You About Your Period

Girl Fuck - An Introduction to Girl on Girl Lovin'

I also got Dave Roche's newest zine, About My Disappearance 2, because he's awesome and I miss him but I hear he's having a whale of a time in Australia right now so I can't complain.

More details to follow on those zines as I read them.

This update was written while listening to old skool Rutgers zinester Rebecca’s set at The Core FM.

The new issue and all back issues are currently in stock at Bluestockings and Microcosm, and will soon be available at Erin's new distro.

I'll leave you with the Bluestockings bathroom - a joy to behold with a bathroom book, artwork, lots of space, an awesome minimalist bucket sink (you'll have to visit to see that part - it's inspired) and, if you're that way inclined, a hand-rolled cigarette lovingly left in the toilet-roll basket. Crazy.

I'll post more when the ridiculously long-winded jet lag of doom wears off.

Chella

Adventures in Menstru-reading

See what I did there?

I'm reading tonight at Bluestockings Bookstore, NYC, at 7 pm with the new issue of the zine. It's all gone a bit launch party styley and there'll be treats and goodybags with vouchers and raffle prizes.

Later tonight (at 10:40, to be exact) I'm reading at the Anarchist Bookfair's Arts Night at The Living Theatre. Somehow I'm on the poster as simply 'menstruation'. Not Adventures in Menstruating, not Chart Your Cycle, not Chella Quint... I am amazed and impressed that the event coordinators and poster designers consider the simple act or concept of garden variety menstruation itself enough of a draw to give it billing.

Hope to see you tonight!

Chella

Who knew Trey Parker and Matt Stone had their collective finger on THIS pulse?

This is a quote from our website:

Why is menstruation funny?

Um...for the same reasons a lot of other stuff is funny.

It's a taboo subject - the shock of it all always gets a giggle right away and, immature or not, the gross-out factor is still fun. It's the new fart joke. You wait and see.

And then I watched the most recent episode of South Park, which was awesome.

Here's a you tube link to the song at the end of the episode, since UK readers can't stream it, thanks to an irritating contract issue. I think, as usual, they've pretty much nailed it.

Chella

Prop THIS.

Adventures in Menstruating #4 will be available from next week and I've decided to dedicate it to the people who legalized gay marriage in Iowa. Come on, federal government, keep up.

Bluestockings gets its period

Our favourite bookstore had better break out the Diva cups for a week of menstrual mayhem with not one but two menses-themed events.

First up is Rachel Kauder Nalebuff reading from her collection of menarchic anecdotes, My Little Red Book, tonight. If you're in the area, go and check her out. Sadly, I'll still be in the UK, busy printing and packing issues of AIM #4 for my own trip to NY next week but I'll be there in spirit, Menarche Now! style.

To complete the menstrual cycle this Friday, I'll actually be at Bluestockings myself, with some comedy readings to launch Adventures in Menstruating #4. Join me for curious advertising and design trends, masculine hygiene products and more vintage ads. Both readings begin at 7 pm and are free, although donations to the awesome Bluestockings team are always welcome.

Two menstrual readings in one week? Mad props to the Bluestockings gang: That's more than most bookstores manage in a lifetime.

Chella

Meta Meta Meta

I think it's silly how pleased I am, but feel free to weigh in on this one yourselves -

Die Wunderbare Welt Des Wissens seems to be a blog of musings, events and things that caught the blogger's eye. It's certainly a Wonderful World of something, but I don't think my unintentional contribution showed particular wisdom...maybe just cheekiness.

I take a lot of pictures of the excellent Berlin graf every summer, and post them around on facebook and google photo and stuff...but it turns out I've now come full circle.



Thanks to my friend John who took a rubbish little doodle of mine and Illustrator-ed it into oblivion. It's such a shame we won't get to use it agan, so I'm really glad it lives in sticker form, in Berlin, where we spent part of our lovely honeymoon.

It's a shame one person felt the need to comment with, simply, 'Urgs.'

But it's nice to see that a different commenter has written a reply that's pretty right on in any language: "What's your problem? It's only natural." (Thank you, Sarah, for your fast and loose tranlations.)

not!menstrual

Anyone know who designed it? It's amazing where you can allow yourself to see tampons while you're editing the next issue of your menstrual comedy zine.

Correction, I guess...It's amazing where I can allow myself to see tampons while I'm editing the next issue of my menstrual comedy zine.

I just finished the cover and it's in for printing.

We've got an interesting new sponsor, as well - whole back cover ad!

Hehehe...kidding.

Sort of.

By anyway, that's where I've been the past couple of days I should have been posting.

Chella