I Don't Do Boxes No. 3: Act Out!
Publication Year
2015
Geographic Location
Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Language
English
Number of Pages
43
Physical Description
Half-page mixed media zine with both full-colour and black and white pages. The front and back covers appear to be made of cardstock. The front cover is a full-colour watercolour and ink illustration with an abstract crowd of people standing inside of a roughly oval-shaped rainbow gradient set against a pink background. There are two people standing on the outside edges of the gradient, holding up the edges of a banner which reads "Act Out", the zine series title. The back cover depicts full-colour abstract characters in the same style holding various picket signs, with the character in the foreground holding up a sign that likewise has the zine's title, "Act Out" written on it in rainbow lettering. In both instances, the letter "O" has been modified to be the Transgender symbol.
The zine itself contains a myriad of content, including stories, poems, essays, scrapbook illustrations, photography full-panel illustrations, and short comics.
The zine itself contains a myriad of content, including stories, poems, essays, scrapbook illustrations, photography full-panel illustrations, and short comics.
Summary
Dear Reader,
In this third issue of I Don't Do Boxes: Act Out, we're speaking out about all the things we were told we couldn't say and we're armed with all things we were told wasn't meant for us. Our editorial team sent out a call for submissions for queer creatives to send us poems, essays, stories, and art surrounding the theme of acting out.
We all struggle with taking action - whether it's getting out of bed, writing our scolarship essays, correcting pronouns, or saying what we really think. And as queer people in the south, we're constantly on the brink of choosing between action and safety, between justice and survival.
And no matter if you're acting out of rage, love, or fear, it can be terrifying. But actions don't have to be grand to matter. Acting out doesn't just mean protesting in the street- it's any way that you use the power that you have. It's building your own community where there is none. It's rewriting histories to include people who've always been left out. It's creating art. It's letting yourself be loved for who you are when you've always believed you're wrong. It's resistance. It's allowing yourself to exist, unfiltered, with or without boxes.
We hope that the varying perspectives in this issue will help our readers continue to explore ways of acting out. You already have the power - it's just how you decide to use it.
Finally, a note on survival: it's okay if the person you need to fight for most is yourself. If you need permission to reach out, here it is. Exhaust every resource to keep yourself from burning. As your battle dies down, breathe and pull another from the open flame.
Collect others. Heal together. Survival is the greatest act. The rest is an encore.
"It is our duty to fight for our freed.
It is our duty to win.
We must love and protect each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains."
- Assata Shakur.
Sincerely,
The I Don't Do Boxes Team
In this third issue of I Don't Do Boxes: Act Out, we're speaking out about all the things we were told we couldn't say and we're armed with all things we were told wasn't meant for us. Our editorial team sent out a call for submissions for queer creatives to send us poems, essays, stories, and art surrounding the theme of acting out.
We all struggle with taking action - whether it's getting out of bed, writing our scolarship essays, correcting pronouns, or saying what we really think. And as queer people in the south, we're constantly on the brink of choosing between action and safety, between justice and survival.
And no matter if you're acting out of rage, love, or fear, it can be terrifying. But actions don't have to be grand to matter. Acting out doesn't just mean protesting in the street- it's any way that you use the power that you have. It's building your own community where there is none. It's rewriting histories to include people who've always been left out. It's creating art. It's letting yourself be loved for who you are when you've always believed you're wrong. It's resistance. It's allowing yourself to exist, unfiltered, with or without boxes.
We hope that the varying perspectives in this issue will help our readers continue to explore ways of acting out. You already have the power - it's just how you decide to use it.
Finally, a note on survival: it's okay if the person you need to fight for most is yourself. If you need permission to reach out, here it is. Exhaust every resource to keep yourself from burning. As your battle dies down, breathe and pull another from the open flame.
Collect others. Heal together. Survival is the greatest act. The rest is an encore.
"It is our duty to fight for our freed.
It is our duty to win.
We must love and protect each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains."
- Assata Shakur.
Sincerely,
The I Don't Do Boxes Team
Copies in library
| QUR 7724 (Available) | Click to view circulation history |
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