Mutual Aid, vending machines, zines, cataclysms and then some
Phew!
That’s about all I have to say right now. I haven’t posted in about 5 months. I’ve been too busy. New job, moving again, and trying to get involved with local mutual aid. Finished Lower Heaven 3 as well in the midst of it, waiting to see proof copies and can’t wait! Here’s the cover if you missed it, this is me going nuts in Photoshop for like 12 hours and making a document with 479 layers:
Like everyone else I’ve been on the COVID rollercoaster. I probably don’t need to go into it but everyday feels like a problem so big it makes you collapse with stress before you can make any progress on it. I am not taking anything for granted and so have been throwing my all into community work to connect all of the skillful people I know locally and try and create alternative systems of doing for ourselves.
I have, as I have so many times before, completely immersed myself in projects to the point of decimating my free time and engendering a nihilistic view of my own health, but hey, we might only do this once and I’m definitely not going to be on the sidelines.
It’s Sunday night and I’ve been projecteering all day, keeping the plates spinning on everything I’ve brought on. I have to get some sleep so here is the short list:
Restocked the Curio Machines, which have been deployed for about 2 months now, and adding the first load of Component 5 zines (that’s why I’m updating, Free Radical Books' Zine Division is launching and wants you and your words!)
Checked the results of the first boosted post for WNC Renters Help, about our call for ratings and reviews of local landlords. This is one of the mutual aid groups I’ve been a part of since the pandemic and what it’s come around to is setting up a page for local renters to read and submit reviews of rental agencies and individual landlords, as a way to hold them more accountable to people who live in their houses. There is a huge housing crisis in Watauga County and this is one direct action we can take to make it better. We’ve got a wiki launch page set up for the effort with the whole platform of solutions I and my other group members are standing for: WNC Renters Help on the Booneiverse
That link goes to another website I set up, the Booneiverse, Boone’s own wikipedia platform. For about seven years I’ve been consumed with how you bring small town community into the digital space, and make organizing cool things with cool people easier. This is my latest attempt, and a go at creating simple utility for Watauga County residents online. I’m going to crack it eventually, and while I haven’t launched this officially to the world I feel good about it and really love the wikidot platform for this. With any diligence at all, I can make this work and then have a business setting up wikis for other small towns? Like all essentials nowadays, dreams are expensive but I really believe in the potential in using this tool to make an internet that actually serves people’s interests, you know, anything beyond rank profit motive and further wealth consolidation. And it sounds like a really cool job.
I’ve had some freelancing going on, and have my first client on the east coast- still just getting started and its only been a few hours a month but its nice to be able to make a little extra using my brain for cool projects on both sides of the country.
And there is more I am sure, but I am tired- been getting notes together for Lower Heaven 4, which will be titled Everything is Consummated, because I am going to finish this damn thing regardless of anything. I’ve been thinking about the ending of this series for so long my thoughts on it are spread out over like 5 years of notebooks and I have a good outline already, so my goal is to have #4 and the finale done by this time next year, and be a published author right about when my thirties start.
Here’s hoping at least. Have a good night y’all- let’s write some zines, create a new season for our society, and have fun doing it.
-Ben
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