Bloom, #1

The first issue (of many, I hope) of Rhonda's first zine in over a dozen years tells the story of her 42-hour labor and delivery. I am a childless lady who loves birthing stories, not to mention zines by librarians, so even if Rhonda wasn't someone I adore, I would have been all over Bloom.

I loved reading Rhonda's account of having a jalapeño popper craving, her water breaking, her disappointments and joys along the way (sad not to be able to have the baby at the birthing center!), her goddessy natural labor, the love between her and her partner, the happiness that her 1/4 Asian daughter was born with epicanthic folded eyes, how Violet got her name, and perhaps most of all how Violet's older brother cat welcomed her. Roger sounds like an epic sweetie. (Did I mention that I don't have kids, but I do have cats?)

Since Rhonda is a 1990s zine girl, her zine has a lot of old school elements

• The last page has a big blank space labeled "a note to you." The copy Rhonda gave me for my personal zine collection was filled in...with a handwritten note to me.
• It's cut and paste all the way
• A listing of what was in her go-have-the-baby bag
• Recipes (old school, but still pretty common)
• DIY craft projects (also still common)

The only thing missing is a soundtrack listing!

Keep an eye for a record in the Barnard/Columbia Libraries catalog, which Rhonda is welcome to create or amend herself. She was kind enough to supply her own Library of Congress Subject Headings, which is so hot:
Childbirth--Psychological aspects.
Childbirth--New York (N.Y.)--Anecdotes.

♥ ♥ ♥

You can get the zine for $2 or a trade. Contact crafterslane@y. (You can figure out which popular email provider the y is short for, can't you?)