The Impact of Zines: A Conversation With the Founders of Indie Publications ‘Rice & Spice’ and ‘Réapparition Journal’
GRAPHIC by JANICE KIM
Publishing companies like HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster might print the works of many beloved authors from across the planet, but a new literary revolution has sparked amongst younger artists and writers. Small-circulation, independently published magazines and journals, commonly referred to as zines, have surged in popularity in the past few decades. These smaller-scale publications provide a medium through which anyone—young or old, novice or advanced—can share their work without the need of established publishers.
Writers Sydney Ling and Taruni Tangirala are doing just this. Founders of Rice & Spice and Réapparition Journal, respectively, these young women are telling the stories of marginalized communities that they find lacking representation in the media today. Sydney aims to fight against Asian-American cultural stereotypes and misrepresentation, and Taruni works to elevate the voices of people with chronic and mental illnesses. Both founders spoke with us about how they created their zines, the issues they focus on, and the power of zines.
Both Sydney and Taruni grew captivated with the unconventional presentation of writing in zines. “I discovered them last spring or summer, and they really just drew me in,” Sydney remarks, “I discovered them through Instagram... and I really liked the aesthetic and the look, and what the zine community meant. A lot of them are very DIY instead of a professional, editorial, Vogue vibes, and they’re really just about creating change and expressing yourself through whatever you love to do.”
Sydney Ling, photos courtesy of Sydney Ling
Zines have become increasingly popular with the rise of digital writing and small-circulation print, particularly amongst young people. “I think the main way that we differentiate literary journals and zines from large media outlets is their accessibility,” Taruni explains, “Literally anyone can publish their work in literary journals, as long as the work has merit. You can just be a teenage girl writing in your bedroom, and you can be published in the same literary journal as a professional writer… you will have a voice, and your work can be read worldwide.”
Fueled by passion and purpose, both young women grew their zines into platforms to share voices of communities underrepresented in popular media. Sydney recalls, “I was just doing infographics and stuff like that, and I decided to bridge [my love for writing and creating infographics] together into Rice & Spice. That blossomed into creating a platform where Asian-Americans can express themselves through media and art. We’re definitely underrepresented in culture, entertainment, and media.”
Taruni, similarly, found zines to be a meaningful approach to amplifying the voices of those with chronic and mental illnesses. “I started this journal with the mindset that I wanted there to be a platform where writers with chronic illnesses or with mental illnesses, even healthcare workers who regularly deal with people who have these illnesses, can get their own voice out. There’s no middleman, no larger media agenda—it’s just them and their voice.”
Taruni Tangirala, photos courtesy of Taruni Tangirala
Taruni describes what the presence of chronic illness means for not only those affected directly but also for those around them. “All of us know someone in our lives who has a chronic illness, or who suffers from mental illness of some sort. It’s so universal... and yet, we still have this fear of it, and everyone has these preconceived notions of what someone with a chronic illness is like,” she says. From firsthand experience, Taruni remembers how moving it was to hear other women share their stories with chronic and mental illness in the various conversations she has had with those featured by Réapparition Journal, and how compelled she felt to elevate these voices. “Hearing the stories of all these women, and being able to empathize with them and relate with them, was really inspiring,” she says, “When it’s so ubiquitous and universal, you tend to think a lot about what you can do as a person to amplify these stories. Because as a writer, it’s one thing to write about these issues yourself and to try and get your work out there that talks about these issues, but it’s another thing to amplify the voices of people who are actually going through these issues every day.” She emphasizes the importance of letting people speak for themselves.
Sydney’s story stems from her frustration with the exclusion of Asian identities in popular culture and media. “When you’re younger, and you’re reading books and watching movies, there’s no one who looks like you, there’s no one who has the same lifestyle as you. For Asian representation back in the day, in movies, it was just Mulan and Ravi from Jessie—that was it! Even in history lessons, we’d all just be a sidebar, ‘Did you know...’ And I didn’t even realize that, because the whitewashing of our education and our media had made me feel like that’s right,” she recalls. Upon the release of the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians, Sydney realized just how underrepresented Asians were in popular culture, “My aunt said, ‘I think it’s been 25 years since a completely, all-Asian cast has been in Hollywood.’ And I was like, wow, I never really thought of that… I realized that we’re starting to have a bit more representation, but we have a long way to go. That’s how I came around to creating [Rice & Spice], where we can have more Asian-American representation.”
“Zines are really authentic in that way: they’re so honest to the human experience, which no other format can really capture. It’s really empowering to people because their work is not just being filtered out by some corporate agenda.” — Taruni Tangirala
Today, a variety of widespread stereotypes are directed towards the Asian community, such as what Sydney describes as “the smart, studying engineer or medical worker… the nerdy kid with acne and glasses, wearing the same gray shirt every day, … or the obedient housewife.” She observes that while the inclusion of the Asian community in popular culture has improved, it’s important to also think about this representation critically. “There has been progress—there’s been Crazy Rich Asians and Never Have I Ever, and whatnot—but there’s that criticism of Crazy Rich Asians where they’re all just really rich! And how the majority of us don’t live like that. There’s been so much criticism of the representation that we have now, even in POC or LGBT in general. Whenever we have representation, it’s tokenized, a check off the box, like, ‘We got the Asian character, we’re all set, you know?’” Rather than regarding diversity as a to-do list item, Sydney hopes the media embraces a true, authentic depiction of the Asian community, one that does not rely on unfounded stereotypes and that instead focuses on their cultural values. “We have to start thinking about tokenism,” she says, “and what actual representation means.”
Rice & Spice magazine, photo courtesy of Sydney Ling
Meanwhile, Taruni points out how she hopes to see a transformation in the treatment of those suffering from chronic and mental illnesses. “One of the biggest fabricated stereotypes that go around is that people with chronic illness or mental illness are just lazy,” Taruni says, “and that they lack the conviction to go about their life like a normal person. And that is just wrong on so many different levels.” Beyond the misconceptions of these illnesses themselves, subtle remarks can also often leave dangerously lasting impressions on those attempting to heal. “A lot of times, it’s the subtle hints [people] give, the subtle jabs, like, ‘Oh, you can’t do this.’ It’s those subtleties, the microaggressions, that get to people.” Taruni stresses the importance of treating those with chronic and mental illness like any other person, “If someone is going through chronic or mental illness, it’s already a huge burden on their lives. It already takes a lot away from them. And on top of that, if there are these stigmas, and if people are treating you like a kicked puppy and like someone who can’t do things right, that just perpetuates that stigma even further.”
Sydney and Taruni have identified zines as an effective medium in starting conversations about these issues. “Anyone can publish in a literary journal as long as they’ve put their heart into their work,” Taruni emphasizes. “Like Sydney said, this isn’t a large-scale media operation where there are so many filters. Zines are really authentic in that way: they’re so honest to the human experience, which no other format can really capture. It’s really empowering to people because their work is not just being filtered out by some corporate agenda.”
Sydney goes on to mention how young people, through writing, can make a difference. “I know this sounds a bit cliché, but I think that our generation really has the power to change things. Gen-Z has grown up with this culture... We grew up reading Harry Potter and Divergent and Percy Jackson, all about a bunch of kids who, at first, don’t seem to have the agency to solve all these world problems, but do. And now we have the mindset that we can create change, especially with the progressiveness of our culture. That’s really been ingrained into us from the start.”
Taruni’s workspace, photo courtesy of Taruni Tangirala
Zines, Sydney and Taruni believe, are also uniquely designed to provide a safer platform for expression for underrepresented and marginalized voices, specifically for racial minorities. According to Taruni, “At the typical literary magazine or zine, you really want to hear an authentic voice, and you’re not looking for much beyond that with regards to the identity of the artist. I think that really contributes to the rise in advocacy for marginalized groups; we’re able to provide a platform for people who don’t have the same experience as the majority.” Nowadays, these groups are encouraged to harness the power of storytelling to relay their personal experiences and struggles. The ability to do so lies just within the reach of their keyboard when it comes to zines. “Anyone can create a zine or literary magazine or blog,” Sydney continues. “There’s no filtering, you know, there are so many zines out there now about Black power or queer representation or Latinx representation.” Through zines, underrepresented groups can take back some of the power without having to answer to anyone else. As Sydney says, “If you want your voice to be heard, if you have something you care about, you can just create a platform about it … you’re the one who controls it, you’re the artist. And I think that is such a powerful thing because now we’re finally seeing how underrepresented and marginalized voices want to be heard.”
“I know this sounds a bit cliché, but I think that our generation really has the power to change things. Gen-Z has grown up with this culture... We grew up reading Harry Potter and Divergent and Percy Jackson, all about a bunch of kids who, at first, don’t seem to have the agency to solve all these world problems, but do. And now we have the mindset that we can create change, especially with the progressiveness of our culture. That’s really been ingrained into us from the start.” — Sydney Ling
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of zines is the possibility for anyone to create their own. Taruni shares her advice with aspiring zine creators and young writers, emphasizing the importance of reading, “A great reader makes a great writer… if you read a lot, you’ll already be entrenched in this literary world. And the second thing I would say is don’t have hesitation; don’t feel like you’re not good enough to do it, or that someone else will do it. You are absolutely enough, and you can do anything you want to! Don’t feel shy about putting your own voice and ideas out there.” Sydney also tells young people to “just do it!” She continues, “That goes hand in hand with what Taruni said: no hesitation. When you’re trying to create something, you often have that feeling of, ‘Am I good enough? Are people actually going to see this?’ But when you actually set out to create that, you’ll realize, wow, I can really do something.”
Through pursuing their passions for amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, Sydney and Taruni are making a change with their platforms Rice & Spice and Réapparition Journal respectively. “In our journal, we’ve published a lady going through depression in the UK to a retired physician to a high school girl,” Taruni notes, regarding Réapparition Journal, “It’s just incredible, the platform you can give to so many different voices.” And as for new and upcoming writers, Sydney and Taruni hope to see more young people unleashing their inner voices to produce meaningful work that leaves some sort of impact, no matter how big or small. As Sydney says, “Even if 10 people care about it, even if 100 people care about it, you’re still leaving footsteps on the world.”
STORY ISHITA SHAH
COVER GRAPHIC JANICE KIM