Correspondence as Memories

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While blotter paper sits on the back burner, I would like to share with you another zine submission that I received. This submission is from Jackie over at Letters & Journals, titled "Correspondence as... Memories."

Thanks Jackie, for your wonderful reflection on the lasting power of letters!

Correspondence as a Message of Love

It is with a bit of sadness that I inform you, dear readers, that blotter paper has been placed on indefinite hold due to an insufficient response to last year's calls for submissions. While I do plan on picking up the project again later this year, it is unclear what will come of it. In the meantime, I want to publish some of the brilliant work I did receive here, on Everyday Correspondence.

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This magnificent hand drawn piece, by Laura Alvarez, is titled "Correspondence as a Message of Love." The grey border is from the template, which will be removed should blotter paper ever move to print. I hope it doesn't get in the way.

Enjoy!

blotter paper: Second Call for Submissions!

blotter paper is still accepting submissions for its inaugural issue! The theme for the issue is "Correspondence as..."

Please use this form to request a submission packet. The deadline for receiving submissions is January 9, 2010.

EDIT: New deadline is January 21, 2010.

PocketMod, or, When You Need a Journal, NOW

I recently came across PocketMod in my zine research. PocketMod is a method of creating an 8 page journal out of a single piece of paper, the perfect size for a pocket notepad. The folding (and one cutting) instructions are in the above image. The PocketMod website, however, contains much more than just the folding instructions. It has an online journal customizer, to add page titles and games, like Sudoku, should you so desire.

This obviously isn't going to be the layout design for the new zine, but I did think it was handy.

I have zero affiliation with PocketMod or its creators.

blotter paper: Invitation for Submissions!

The theme for the inaugural issue of blotter paper is, “Correspondence as...” Submissions should focus on a unique angle of correspondence. Examples would be: correspondence as art, correspondence as communication, correspondence as documentation, correspondence as technological rebellion, whatever you as the creator of your submission want it to be!

Please contact me via this form to request a submission packet. Submissions are due January 9, 2010.

I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

EDIT: New deadline is January 21, 2010!

Zine: Title Announcement

blotter paper

That's it. That's the title of the new Everyday Correspondence community zine. And with your help, it's going to be spectacular.

This title came to me in the middle of the night, and after a moment of reflection, I decided that it was perfect. Just as blotter paper absorbs ink from a recently penned page, leaving an imprint of the written work, I see this zine acting like an imprint of the community's creativity.

Everyday Correspondence Community Project Proposal

Dear Readers,

These last few days, I've been giving serious thought to producing a zine for and from the Everyday Correspondence community. For those of you unfamiliar with the medium, think of mainstream magazines like Newsweek and People as the big studio movies of the periodicals industry. A zine would be like a student art film, shot on a camera phone and edited on her parents' computer.

The idea is to put out a call for submissions around a TBD central issue theme. And then for me to put them together, add whatever necessary elements for the zine to be cohesive, and then publish it at my local FedEx Kinkos. Distribution would be by mail.

Why? Because while the internet is well and good, sometimes it's nice to have something to read on a road trip, to place on your coffee table, to write on with a pen, to cut out an amazing picture, and to hold in your hands as you to say, "I helped make this."

So, before I get too far with this idea, is anyone interested in participating?

Itching for collaboration,

James