Femmescapes #3
Zine, edited by Charles Theonia and Julieta Salgado,
bit.ly/femmescapeszine, 40pgs, $10.65
Femmescapes is a serial zine highlighting works from queer and trans people who celebrate and have harmony with femme-ness. In this issue, there are 10 contributors who share artwork, poetry, and stories. Femmescapes #3 has an energy, a power, and a community behind it. All the artists strongly state their individual presence, but cohesively bind together to make a pretty great zine.
Art from the LGBTQ community has always spoken strongly to me, being part of the community myself, and this zine really broadened the love. One of my favourite passages in Femmescapes is in Tommy Pico’s sample from Nature Poem: “Last night I had a dream that I was a ghost who gave blowjobs and that is pretty much the experience of dating in the city.”
The piece that stuck to me like honey was Oni Lem’s run-on poem, which just appears as you are flipping through the pages. It blends struggle, love, and dealing with the world in such a beautifully complex, yet easily under-stood way. How we all live and what we do counts, even if it feels mundane or unimportant.
The zine itself is sturdy with thick glossy paper. When I first saw the cover I thought the zine was called “Femmes in Space,” as the art work immediately brings science fiction to mind. It was made by the artist Farrah Fang, whose artwork you can find throughout the zine. Fang’s whole style gives off space-punk vibes. I think Femmescapes is a great medley and collection of queer and trans art, and I feel very privileged to have read it.