The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson

Hi my fellow bookworms!

(c) Scribner, 2018

Earlier this year, I read The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson. I was under the impression it would help motivate me to clean up my home, similar to reading or watching Marie Kondo. Instead, the book took a more solemn approach to cleaning - one that cleans not only for yourself, but to rid yourself of items that your descendants (or others) will not want or have to clean up after you pass on. What a sad topic!

While an interesting, yet kind of depressing read, I did take note, however, that in the book was mentioned a tradition in Stockholm that takes place on the 14th of August. Annually, there is a large book sale that takes place in the center of the city, featuring street-wide tables with books that people want to pass onto new owners. I love this idea! A great way to offload books that no longer spark joy to you or have relevance in your life, and also a great way to find more books that interest you! 

(c) Visit Stockholm, 2023

I looked more into the festival and am not sure if this is a resident-only event, but there is an annual Book Weekend called Stockholm's Bookmässa. According to the International League of Ancient Libraries, the tradition of an annual antiquarian book fair dates back to the late 1950's, hosted in the halls of the Academy of Arts. The Instagram for the City Stockholm states that this annual, long-awaited national literary tradition occurs in late February to early March. If you plan to visit Stockholm to browse their book sale, plan to go around then, as it looks like it is a blast!

If you are interested in reading this self-help / motivational book, find it at your local library, bookstore, or online. It recently became a TV show hosted on Peacock last year, if you are interested in giving it a watch after (or before - I won't judge) reading it. She also wrote a sequel, titled The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly. While I enjoyed the first book, I'm not sure if I will visit the sequel any time soon. (I am craving happier reads as we near the fall season.)

What have you been up to? Any fun, new reads to share?

Until next time - Happy Reading! :)

(c) Margareta Magnusson,2022

About the Author: Margareta Magnusson

Margareta Magnusson is, in her own words, aged between 80 and 100. Born in Sweden, she has lived all over the world. Margareta graduated from Beckman’s College of Design and her art has been exhibited in galleries from Hong Kong to Singapore. She has five children and lives in Stockholm. She is the author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly.

Zines, Zines, Zines!

Hello my fellow bookworms!

I wanted to share with you today part of a Zine Making Workshop I went to today, at Secret World Books out in Highland Park, Illinois. The workshop featured a short history of Zines presentation by Emily Steffen of Chicago Zine Fest!

Chicago Zine Fest (2024) defines a zine as:

"A zine (an abbreviation of the word fanzine, or magazine; pronounced “zeen”) is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier on a variety of colored paper stock. A popular definition includes that circulation must be 5,000 or less, although in practice the significant majority are produced in editions of less than 100, and profit is not the primary intent of publication. Zines are written in a variety of formats, from computer-printed text to comics to handwritten text. Topics covered are broad, including fanfiction, politics, art and design, ephemera, personal journals, social theory, single topic obsession, or sexual content far enough outside of the mainstream to be prohibitive of inclusion in more traditional media. The time and materials necessary to create a zine are seldom matched by revenue from sale of zines."

Some brief history tidbits that I picked up during our presentation include:

• The first zine makers trace back to the 1700's with Benjamin Franklin! Remember Poor Richards Almanac? That was printed and produced without a publisher, and it is widely known today! For more information on the beginnings of zines, check out this short blurb in the Virginian-Pilot from August 4, 1995.
  

• Science-fiction authors helped to contribute to zines, due to the fiction they wanted to published. It was deemed "too fantastical," so authors like H. P. Lovecraft took it upon themselves to publish their work without the help of a publisher. Thank goodness they did so, otherwise our science-fiction, fantasy, and horror novels would not be what they are today!
  

• Zines helped the grrrl riot movement in the 90's, a movement of punk girls and women, allowing women of all ages to express themselves freely about topics that were never explored in the mainstream, such as sexuality, abuse, politics, and a general way to document what was happening to them at the time. Check out this thoughtful article by Ashwanta Jackson, titled Start a Riot (and a Zine), Grrrl, from JSTOR, for more background information. 
  

• If you want to create your own zine, do it! There are a lot of how-to's and videos online. Vice has a nice article titled A Beginner's Guide to Making Zines that helps to fill in what to do. Some tips from Emily included:
• DO NOT USE PENCILS! They erase and go everywhere, and is generally not a good medium.
• If you use alcohol inks, put paper underneath your zine paper, as the inks will bleed through.
• Fold and crease over a couple times, both ways. Ensure your creases are perfect. (No one wants an odd shaped zine - especially if you are buying one!)
• Folding zines by yourself over and over can take away the natural oil from your hands. Use a bone folder, such as this one from Amazon. It can help you score and crease without pain and your hands can stay nice and naturally oily without issue!
  
• If you can make your zine memorable and stand out from others, do so! I loved the zines by Rachel Bard that Emily brought to the workshop, such as a little matchbook zine about burning out or one about an acorn (I am not sure what the story was there, it was too delicate to touch). They were cute, pretty, and I would love to add them to my own library! (Note to self: Buy some of Rachel's work! Isn't the seashell adorable?)
• Revamp your social media image and then be sure to add your social media to your zine! If people like your work, you want them to be able to contact you / ask for more. 

• If you want to sell your own zine, try so at Quimby's Bookstore. Ask them for a form to do so and submit. Who knows, you may be making some extra income on the side, while meeting a whole new group of people!

• Also, you should check out the Chicago Zine Fest, which is coming up on October 5, 2024! They are also looking for volunteers, if you should choose to help out.
  

There was time after the presentation to create my own zine, which was a really cool activity and opportunity! I hope you enjoyed learning a little about zines today. Who knows, maybe your local library will bring zines to their collection! ;)

Until next time, Happy Reading!