Ritual: Reflections On The Things We Do
Anthology, Edited by Joe Carlough, 24 pgs, displacedsnail.com, $6
This zine contains texts and poems from various writers that explore the idea of ‘ritual.’ Though this theme should unify the content, it was difficult for me to really get into the writing.
From describing full moon rituals to intricate political art projects and daily habits, many kinds of rituals are on display in this anthology. The longest piece describes an artist’s journey in attempting to sequin all the names of people killed by police officers in America, a process she eventually discovers through three years of daily work and education on the matter, would be depressingly impossible to complete. The heaviness of this journey, which discusses race relations in America, seems to clash with the next section, which is a poem following another author’s head injury and daily walks with his dog.
Overall, this anthology would have benefited with more context on each piece as well as an introduction and perhaps even an outro, to tie in all the writing.