I've sort of given up formally reviewing zines over in the Invisible City Zines District, but since I still get review copies of things in the mail every once in a while, I figure here's as good a place as any to talk about ones that strike me.

I really like An Inside Job, a tiny zine of dream comics by Eli "Hob" Bishop (who also does the weblog Weather Head). It adheres to the standard of dream comic excellence set by Rick Veitch's Rare Bit Fiends or Jesse Reklaw's Slow Wave.

The other really remarkable zine that's come in the mail lately has been Here, a magazine archiving "the stories behind where you are." They sent me Issue 6, which features a heartbreaking article about the "Lord God bird," an interesting roundtable on gentrification, and little autobiographical sketches submitted by readers about the places where they live (in a style reminiscent of the reader-written section of The Sun).

Labels: comics, dreams, magazines

Wednesday, February 26, 2003
5:28 PM
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This week is your last chance to participate in my top-secret dream recordings project.

Follow the link for the relevant details. They are all the same as they were in September, except the deadline, which has been extended. New deadline: Friday, December 13th.

I have received enough recordings to proceed with the project, but I'd love a few more.

Labels: dreams

Tuesday, December 03, 2002
3:44 PM
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I'm working on a secret project.

Want to play along? Here are the rules:

1) Go to sleep.

2) Dream.

3) Wake up.

4) Record yourself retelling the dream.

5) Send the recording (in any format) to me at the address on this page. (If you record your dream in MP3 or WAV format, please don't e-mail it to me—put it on an FTP site and send me a link.)

All participants will receive a special gift around the winter holidays. I'm formally collecting recordings until the end of November, but participation is limited, and preference will go to those who submitted early.

You should expect your dream to be heard by other people (a small group), but I will be happy to honor requests for anonymity.

Grading update: 49 graded, 551 to go.

Labels: dreams, projects

Sunday, September 15, 2002
11:01 AM
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I woke up this morning and couldn't remember anything of the dreams I had last night. Not a single image, setting or occurrence. I know there are lots of people for whom this is the norm, but I am usually able to remember my dreams very well—usually I can recreate a long narrative arc, and even when I can't I can usually remember at least a few dream-incidents. But last night: nothing.

I feel like I'm keeping something from myself. It is as though I keep finding evidence that I erased my own memory, including the memory of why I decided to do it.

...

Isn't there an SF story somewhere that uses that premise?

Labels: dreams

Wednesday, July 24, 2002
3:33 PM
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I have kept a dream-log on and off for the past six years or so (ever since I read Rabid Eye, Rick Veitch's book of dream comics). Some of the dreams from the log make it online—I've been keeping a sporadic LiveJournal dreamlog since January.

These get linked from Like Sand Like Leaves, a directory page I set up with a few other dreamloggers I know.

I often dream about media: it's not uncommon for me to dream about nonexistent movies or albums. Recently I dreamed that Number None had recorded a new song called "Plan One From Inner Space." The next day Chris and I got together and I told him about the dream, and we proceeded to record a song with that title. A sort of feedback loop between dreamlife and real life?

Labels: dreams, personal

Sunday, July 14, 2002
9:35 AM
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