Killer Zine: Langdon Olgar
Wow, this is amazing. Langdon Olgar is put together by the women who organized the anti-street harassment group, Hollaback London, to raise funds for that and other feminist organizations. This fanzine is engaging and empowering at the same time. It looks incredible. I am not sure what printing method they used but it resembles a literary journal mashed up with an old issue of Vague magazine. The content moves from the theoretical to the personal: women’s stories of survival, assault, of existing in this rape culture and what that actually means. This is about resisting psychic death, about reinforcing your existence in the face of doubt, fear and misogyny. “It was a compliment, love. Relax and enjoy it!”
It’s hard for me to put into words how good this is. The writing about street harassment is just amazing, how it contextualizes it with the wider feminist struggle and with women’s various forms of self-expression in the face of repression and fear. There are so many different voices represented and expressed. Every piece is powerful and well thought-out. This is an incendiary document!
The artwork is what brought to mind Vague magazine — it has that cut-up, post-punk/Situationist feel. There was one line that really stuck with me, that seemed like it was alluding to the misogyny inherent in Vice magazine: “Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean you’re not consuming it.” Obviously, this contains mostly female voices, but there are interviews with allies, including an interesting talk with Ian MacKaye about the Fugazi song “Suggestion,” and one with a man about what it means for him to identify as a feminist.
You can order Langdon Olgar at ldn.ihollaback.org/langdon-olgar, and they are taking submissions for the next issue before April 1st.
