Before you begin this blog, you will need the materials you ordered from Colophon Books and you should have watched the following videos:

• Binding Tutorial
• Binding Materials (ignore the part about commonplace books at the end!)
• Making a Zine

Having watched these videos, try your hand at binding your own set of gatherings with the materials you have purchased. Write blog addressing some of the following:

• What was the process of handling these materials like? Had you made anything by hand before?
• What do you feel is the importance of directly engaging with the material objects that compose the book? How does this alter how you think about book production in general, and interacting with printed books in particular?
• What do you think drives people to make Zines, and in what ways do they seem different from pamphlets, magazines, or even artist books?
• Finally, consider the role of digital media in making this kind of embodied work possible. Do you think it would have been better or worse learning to bind papers in real life? What does it take to record a successful how-to/instructional video like Joanna’s or the Making a Zine?

Blog posts should be at least 250 words long and engage thoughtfully and meaningfully with the content. All blogs are due before midnight the day before class (Tuesday). Aim to respond to at least 2 peers before class begins (~5:30pm) so we can be ready for engaging discussion.

To create a post, make sure you’re SIGNED IN, and then use the +New sign at the top of the page. Please make sure you select the category for the blog number we’re using so everything stays organized! You will also be required to add a featured image — this can be anything you like, preferably an image that has a Creative Commons license.