Early this October, the school’s Feminism Club created the first edition of Albuquerque Academy’s Femmie Zine, a self-published work of original texts and images. The zine is full of deep, passionate, and fun artwork and creative writing dealing with feminist concepts to understand and reflect on. Academy’s Feminism Club has been around for about a decade and has always been an inclusive space that advocates for equal treatment, rights, and opportunities for everyone.
Grace Mazer, C.J. Hoehn, and Hazel Duvall are the editors of this year’s edition. Over the course of this school year, they have collected pieces from members of the community and compiled a collection to put in the very first Femmie Zine. Hoehn says that they wanted to “[continue] the legacy of our feminist foremothers, who have been making zines since the ‘80s.” Although small, this zine is mighty. From front to back, its bright graphics and black and white photographs entice you to keep reading without putting it down. Mazer says that watching the zine “come to life has been so incredible.” Her favorite part by far has been “working with members to help them produce pieces they love.” The process of making such a small zine was more difficult than they imagined. The difficulties included the organization of the zine and the struggle with getting them printed. In spite of these difficulties, the final product does not disappoint.
Diving deeper into this publication, you can find abstract and concrete ideas relating to the cover’s command to “smash the patriarchy.” Other articles relate to home life, personal struggles, the complexity of sexism in today’s school environment, and Taylor Swift. The zine includes poems from many different authors, a compilation of photographs, discussions of songs from Beyonce, Fergie, and Taylor Swift, journal and diary-like creative writings about personal experiences (many of which are beautifully melancholy), and reflections on life from people in the Albuquerque Academy community–many of whom are your close friends and classmates.
The stories are relatable, heart-wrenching, and eye opening. Articles like “Your Teacher isn’t a B*tch, You’re Just Sexist” include actual opinions from students on campus while some articles like “Girling” break the fourth wall and define femininity. A strong sense of relatability can be felt with “Can we talk about how exhausting having divorced parents is?” and “The Societal Wall.” A buzz has already begun on campus about the zine. A female student recently shared with me how impressed she was with the “articles, drawings, and powerful messages that had spoken to me.” Its positive impact has shown how important this work of art is to share amongst the school community and beyond.
The 2023 edition of the Femmie Zine is a success. As the club gains members and the list of authors grows, the following years’ editions will be even more diverse. The head authors also shared that we can expect one more zine this year. It will hopefully come out in March for Women’s History Month. I look forward to next year’s edition, and while we wait, there is plenty of great artwork to ponder and creative writing to read and reread in this year’s Femmie Zine. You can find this zine online in the 10-12 announcements and in the library.
If you’re interested in getting involved with the feminism club, email C.J Hoehn ‘25, Grace Mazer ‘24, or Hazel Duvall ‘24 for more information.
