Convulsions
Perzine, Stance Ravening, 44 pgs, @twitchi_boi, $5
Brain injuries, neurological conditions, seizures, trauma — none of these issues get proper coverage in the media, and one imagines how difficult it is to describe for people with no lived experience of them.
Stance Ravening’s aesthetically daring Convulsions recounts the author’s struggles with epilepsy and brain trauma.
Handwritten and filled with drawings, it’s an interesting cross between a perzine and an art zine. While the layout and beautiful print job are definitely strong, I sometimes struggled to read their handwriting in neon inks printed on dark paper. I also wonder if this was perhaps a conscious choice, meant to replicate the confusion one would feel after experiencing a seizure.
Convulsions is a short read. I wanted to know more about Ravening’s experiences: How does this condition affect their daily life? What motivated them to share this difficult story with us? I hope to read more of their work soon.