want to trade?

Hi--I'm Laura-Marie. I live in Sacramento, California with my husband Erik and our cat Kitty. I'm 33 years old and have been making zines for 20 years now. Wow, saying that makes me feel really old. I have a handful of zines available for trade. Just let me know what you're interested in and what your address is and we can arrange something.

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I make perzine Erik and Laura-Marie Magazine as well as mental health zine functionally ill. ELM is on issue 45, and that one includes book reviews, zine reviews, lots of poems, and autobiographical material about an annulment, walks, moving, jobs. And there are three dreams.

Functionally ill is on issue 5--issue 5 just came out. It's small at 16 pages, quarter size, but text heavy. It's about being rediagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, applying for Medi-Cal, dealing with bureaucracy, what my anxiety feels like, and losing services.


Here are descriptions of functionally ill's back issues.

Issue one describes what depression, mania, and the voices are like for me. It details a visit to a county clinic, a psychiatric evaluation over the phone, and my intake appointment at the mental health clinic.

Issue two includes the essay “problems with mental illness” about mental illness as a concept and as a construction. I tell all about my first psychiatrist appointment. I write about my first support group meeting and about medication. It ends with a poem about suicide called “don’t make me say the title.”

Issue three is smaller. I give updates about what’s happened since issues one and two, and touch upon subjects like identifying and control. I offer a transcription of my voices. I talk about DBT, Somatherapy, and The Icarus Project.

Issue four is about seeing a new therapist: what she's like, how we interact, what works for me, and what doesn't. Themes are how we present ourselves, communication, trust, and therapy's efficacy. It's text heavy, quarter size, 28 pages, and features cover art by artist Bryan Babylon.

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You can read my blog at http://dangerouscompassions.blogspot.com/. It has links to many zine-related websites, which might interest you.

All my zines are available for trade, so don't be shy.

Peace and good wishes to all.
Laura-Marie