Hot off the presses!

When Language Runs Dry #2: The second issue of this edited collection includes 4 new essays, a beautiful 16 page comic, a workshop piece on communication and support, contributor bios and reading/resource list. Themes include self acceptance, and sustaining self-care, support, and motivation over the long term.

When Language Runs Dry #2

While we are busy putting the finishing touches on the second issue of the chronic pain zine, here is a sneak peek at the cover:

Please come see us this weekend at the Portland Zine Symposium, we’ll be sharing a table with Ben who's amazing book, Sick: A Compilation Zine on Physical Illness, just came out through Microcosm Publishing. We will have #2 with us then!

L. and Corinne printing covers for issue #2.

Zine review

We're so excited to have been reviewed in the most recent issue of Maximum Rocknroll:

When Language Runs Dry #1
What does it mean to have chronic pain and to be a part of a subculture like punk that often ignores issues of disability/immobility? How can allies of those who experience chronic pain make changes in their actions and in their communities to better suit the needs of all involved? How does chronic pain come to mark one’s identity and render them invisible to our larger culture? How are those who do not experience this pain implicated in the erasure of other peoples’ identities? This zine’s first piece is a perfect starting point for thinking about these issues, as the author lays out her definitions of pain before and after being diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease. Concepts of pain that were once tangible and rooted in concrete injuries with direct solutions for healing and easily identifiable modes of prevention may no longer feel relevant with the onset of chronic pain. This compilation of seven writings on chronic pain and illness is essential reading for those who experience chronic pain, as well as for their allies who aim to gain greater understanding of the pain experience. As a person who has never experienced chronic pain or serious illness, I found this zine to be helpful in its ability to illuminate both the emotional and physical challenges that people face, as well as the questions people like myself must examine in order to better care for our loved ones. The essays inside cover issues of capitalism’s influence on the way we view illness, the impact of race/gender/class on peoples’ experiences with pain, as well as, societal pressures to be “brave” in the face of trauma. The contributors aim to put words to unspeakable experiences and indescribable sensations. For those who are searching for concrete ways to heal from chronic pain, and for those who seek a direct plan for helping those who have chronic pain, this zine may not contain the answers. If anything, the writing within points exactly to the intangible and amorphous qualities of chronic pain, healing and support. It is imperative that people begin having dialogs about how to support each other in the realm of health and accessibility, and zines like this one are important steps in understanding the needs of community members. I’m excited that this is an ongoing project and can’t wait for the next issue.

-Diane Anastasio
from Maximum Rocknroll #310

Nov. 20th: Zine Release and Discussion

When Language Runs Dry: a zine for people with chronic pain and their allies

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for more than six months. It is often mysterious and goes undiagnosed, but can stem from injury, illness, surgical complications, or can be an inherited condition. Because it is a condition that is invisible, pain often goes without treatment or validation. The chronic pain experience is not just about the physical sensations, but also has serious emotional and social implications.

Finding good information and meaningful dialog about chronic pain can be challenging. Many of the resources out there are very clinical, too general, or are written from outside the pain experience. There are few voices by folks with chronic pain about their struggles and how they keep living as full a life as possible. This zine attempts to begin to fill the empty space with a diversity of voices telling their stories. We hope that by publishing these essays people will feel a greater sense of permission to speak out. Further, we hope to create more community for those with chronic pain and their allies.

This zine is a collection of 7 essays about chronic pain and caregiving. Issue one contains essays on identity, invisibility, capitalism, bravery and hopefulness as they relate to the experience of chronic pain. Additional essays on caregiving and care in activist communities.

Beautiful two color covers. 48 pages, 1/2 letter sized. Published in Aug. 2008. Available through etsy.

Claire, Katie and Jeremy screen printing covers