Coming and Crying, Melissa Gira Grant and Meaghan O’Connell
Compiled and edited by Melissa Gira Grant, writer, and Meaghan O’Connell, a writer and Tumblr employee, Coming and Crying is a book about… Well, sex. As Grant and O’Connell put it, it’s about stories from “the messy, awkward, hilarious, painful, and ultimately true side of sex.” But, frankly, the sex part of the book is not what I find most compelling—Rather, the fact that it was put together through a community of bloggers who were willing to be frank about their sexuality in a fun and honest manner is what fascinates me. Funded solely via Kickstarter, the two women had a projected goal of $3000 and ended up raising over $17,000. While the book is not yet available to anyone who didn’t originally back the project on Kickstarter, this is one project that you need to be watching. You can follow the editors at their respective blogs—melissagira.com and meaghano.com.
First Kiss, Marisa Meltzer and Elizabeth Spiridakis
Edited by Marisa Meltzer, author of Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music, and Elizabeth Spiridakis, a fashion blogger for the New York Times, First Kiss is a collection of first kiss anecdotes. But this isn’t just any ‘zine—The list of contributors includes the likes of Tavi Gevinson, Vice co-founder Gavin McInnes, New York Times music critic Jon Cara- manica, Spencer Tweedy (the son of Wilco member Jeff Tweedy), Emily Gould, Lesley Arfin, and 43 others. The stories are perfectly awkward and hilarious. It’s almost painfully nostalgic to read some of them, probably because of the variety of age groups the ‘zine represents. For example, Gevinson and Tweedy are both only 14 years old, and while the term “nai?ve” might be a little harsh, the level of accuracy in the descriptions will undoubtedly make you blush all over again. The ‘zine is $5 plus shipping. Go to firstkisszine.tumblr.com to purchase.
You Are Among Friends, Lindsay J. Markel
Speaking of ‘zines, if you’re a girl you need to have You Are Among Friends in your personal library. Lindsay Markel published the original ‘zine version in the summer of 2008 and, in 2009, decided to turn it into a book. Markel’s subtitle, “Advice for the Little Sisters I Never Had” per- fectly sums up her content. Markel covers everything from sisterhood, sex, marriage, credit cards, religion and drugs in a friendly, open and incredibly loving voice. It also includes five pages full of recommended books, music and other resources. You can download the podcast ver- sion of the ‘zine for free at www.youareamongfriends.com or purchase the extended version in book format for $7.99 plus shipping at www.lulu.com
