MEET OUR FIRST CLASS OF OUR PUBLISHING PROGRAM
In 2023 we launched our publishing program, a 9-week course where attendees could learn all about creating their own print project start to finish. As of the Spring 2024, we’ve had over With over 105 attendees and have had the pleasure of helping publish 10 projects. View a handful of these projects below.
CLASS OF 2024
LAMB BY Haley Struwe
Haley Struwe's poetry debut is a fearlessly honest examination of the non place between ending and beginning, and an exploration of the brilliant, bottomless trench of being. At once a quiet introspection and a deep dive into the most uncomfortable corners of the psyche, LAMB serves as a tribute to yesterday, a warm embrace of the now, and an unshaken acceptance of whatever lies ahead.
About Haley
As a writer and photographer living in the heartland, my goal is to capture my life as I live it, so as not to forget the mundane, in-between moments. My work revolves around awareness, and it encourages one to take a moment to just be - to invite into one's heart the idea that everything is as it should be.
"The Art of 'To Taste'"BY KRISTEN LEE
Asian parents don’t always say, “I love you”, but my parents always made sure there was a warm meal ready for me come dinner time. Cooking is a very important love language in the Asian household, and I’m trying to learn how to be more fluent in it. This zine is a personal collection of my mom’s recipes that I don’t want to forget. Sik fan lah (Let’s eat)!
About Kristen
Kristen Lee is a Chinese American second generation immigrant, a gay musician, a science teacher, and a media artist based in Anaheim, CA. She lovesss food, having grown up in the San Gabriel Valley surrounded by an array of authentic Asian flavors (dumplings, dim sum, oh my!) and a boba shop on every corner. As an artist, Kristen is inspired by humans who are healing, carving their own path, and learning who they are. The Art of ‘To Taste' is her debut zine publication.
CLASS OF 2023
“Suburbia” by sam cedar
Suburbia is a book of photography and design created by Sam Cedar between 02/21 and 12/22. It’s home to a collection of raw ideas and images - scanned, distorted, collaged, and scribbled over. Owed to internet culture, DIY tattoos, vintage porn, circus clowns, and kids who hate the suburbs, Suburbia is an aesthetic examination of the culture of suburban consumerism and its effects on subcultural imagery.
“epic fail compilation” by Syd Christopher
Epic Fail Compilation is an anthology zine featuring 19 different artists talking about their experiences with failure. I wanted to provide a place for readers and contributors to laugh off moments where we messed up, or mourn for the failures we're still thinking about years later. From DUIs, to failing law school, to bad haircuts, to being ghosted, to feeling passive aggressive when someone tells you "don't give up!" --- I've got it all in this zine!
“The Little wizard” by Wittney Eugenie
Emotions exist. Can you believe it? Not only do they exist, but the uncomfortable ones are important too! Who would've thought feelings of jealousy, fear, anxiety, and anger are just as valid as those of joy, excitement, curiosity, and love. When you spend so much time shoving away uncomfortable emotions, as I have, you forget you have them. That if you ignore these emotions, they feel worse. You can forget how to express them. For me, I never learned. Through this book, 'The Little Wizard and the Mystical Black Cat', a young black boy learns from the fathers of the forest. They teach him that it's okay to be angry, and they teach him a better way to express his anger.
“la muralla” by julie flores
“I wrote this book to shed light on the injustices happening at the border. Witnessing these events first-hand was truly eye-opening and heartbreaking. My goal is to humanize the ongoing crisis by sharing the stories of those affected, particularly women and children facing the greatest struggles and suffering. I hope to see more people show interest in this issue and find ways to assist. Let's use our voices to help those who feel ignored and empower those who are in the shadows.”
“reality star zine” by Alyssa Alcala
Reality Star Zine is a zine about Alcala’s love and escapism that she feels with reality tv. This obsession started young and has never left but with every passion, there is a thin line between love and unhealthy obsession. This project is her guide to differentiating the two.
“& also with you” by Alyshia T. Gonzalez
“I wanted this chapbook to feel like a mixtape, messy in a way that only a first work can be. Love, lust, heartbreak, and rediscovery are all raw and tender feelings. They deserve to be allowed their own breath to be angry, to question, to settle. I hope reading this feels like a song, your own iambic pentameter, a place not only allowing imperfection but welcoming it in. It is a discipline to understand yourself outside of what others have done to you. Welcome to your great beginning or fruitful end. The choice has always been with you.”
“Connections magazine” by Brandon Barzola
After attending so many concerts over the past year and meeting so many people to share the experience with, I realized just how much we take live music for granted. Since I’ve gotten involved in the local music scene of Connecticut, I’ve met and befriended so many talented artists. This is where Connections enters the picture. I’m grateful The Luna Collective hosted this publishing program, because I’ve always wanted to produce my own music publication (or at least be a part of one). Being genuinely invested in their work and growth as artists — I thought this could be a good opportunity to share their story through a medium I’m passionate about. For me, this project is about how important music is in helping us connect with one another.
“RED IS ONLY A COLOR” BY BD SALVAS
This chapbook explores the transition from adolescence to adulthood and the bumps along the way.