Today is the day I have had pencilled in my diary - it is zine day - another new zine from me. This time around I've put together a zine of poetry and artwork.
decorum explores a few obsessions: the language of historical costume, the process of painting, visiting art galleries, the intricacies of nature, vintage photography, dreams. A dozen poems with connections and overlapping ideas. There's a spring-like air about many of them. I think they are perhaps the most positive poems I've written in recent times. Colourful and maybe quietly revealing. I'm experimenting with mixing ideas and the things that nudge me awake.
Always a little apprehensive about making something with just my own input, I have edited and left the poems, then came back to them for a final polish. I hope you enjoy reading them.
The artwork came about quite easily, perhaps because the poems are very visually inspired. I have included a couple of my own paintings and collage artwork. The front image is one that captures the mood of
decorum. Each zine I put together is a gentle learning process.
Why do I self-publish? Many artists put together zines - I like this opportunity to share both artwork and poems. Several of the poems in
decorum have appeared previously on my
nevering blog, several are completely new and previously unpublished. Due to my family commitments, I don't get to poetry events and so this zine is my tiny way of putting something out there. One day yes perhaps a full-length poetry collection might happen, but to be honest I don't think I'm ready yet. Yes, I have been writing for many years but I want that first 'proper book' to be good, my best. In the meantime, I do have poems published in poetry journals from time to time, and am very grateful to the editors for reading my work. Making a little book like
decorum allows me to share with an audience that might not read poetry journals. I can combine and present exactly as I wish, and with digital printing it is not so costly though still time consuming to put together, hand stitch the binding etc.... I've used lovely papers for this one and each zine comes with a professionally printed art postcard.
I like making zines and( I like collecting them too).
decorum is now available in my
shop - I've also added a few other new pieces today.
