Return of Saturn flier by Amber Dearest

Return of Saturn: An Afternoon of Queer Zine Readings is happening! We’ll be reading about astrology, Tarot, trauma recovery, chronic illnesses, disability, making magic, & more! Identical twins Maranda Elizabeth and Amber Dearest will be launching a split zine together to celebrate their 30th birthday, and Maranda will be offering PWYC Tarot readings afterward!

READERS

Maranda Elizabeth is a writer, zinester, identical twin, solitary weirdo witch, high school dropout, & recovering alcoholic (4 ½ years sober!). They write about mental health & illnesses; madness as spiritual gifts & skills; writing & creativity; friendship; recovery from trauma & chronic pain; magic & witchcraft & Tarot; self-care, support & $upport; and embracing weirdnesses.

In Telegram #38, Maranda writes about using the language of Tarot & astrology to describe themself instead of relying upon the DSM and other stories; re-connecting with their teenage self and unlearning internalized invalidation; their Return of Saturn, birth chart reading, and twin-life; learning how to dream; recovering from trauma and chronic pain; and turning 30.

Sarah Mangle is a writer, drawer and zine maker. She currently lives in Montreal. Her upcoming projects include The All Ages Colouring Book of Worries and Reassurances and a zine about exercise, saturn returns and feelings of failure.

Lynx Sainte-Marie is a disabled/chronically ill, non-binary/genderfluid, Afro+Goth Poet of the Jamaican diaspora with ancestral roots indigenous to Africa (West, East and South) and the British Isles. Lynx is the founder of QueerofGender (QofG), a grassroots organization and transnational visibility project, celebrating the various experiences of gender within LGBTTQQ2SIAP+ Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities. A writer, multimedium artist, activist, educator and community builder, Lynx’s work and art is informed by Black feminism(s), collective community love and social, disability and healing justice movements. Lynx’s latest project, Dreams of Orisha, a zine produced by QofG showcasing the artistic brilliance of Black queer and trans women and Black non-binary people of Canada, will be published early 2016.

Amber Dearest is a white cis queer writer based in Montreal. She’s been making zines for over a decade, including Culture Slut, The Triumph Of Our Tired Eyes, and the forthcoming Critical Breakfast. She writes about sobriety, coincidences, weird work, and learning how to be alone. She also runs Fight Boredom Distro, stocking zines by queers, feminists, anarchists, witches, and weirdos.

Morgan Sea is a trans lady from the Prairies who spent her Saturn returns sucking hormones in Montreal. She is a performance and visual artist who likes making comics, zines and community radio. Also, she’s a Leo and wants you to like her.

Amrit Brar is a Toronto-based illustrator and zinester who commonly publishes under the moniker Musterni, and is best known for her work on the Shitty Horoscopes zine series. Her current pet project, Inhuman Connections, explores racism, sexism, gender identity, and queerness alongside aliens, the occult, monstrosities, and ghosts.

LOCATION & ACCESSIBILITY

D-Beatstro (Facebook page here) is at 1292 Bloor Street West in a physically accessible building. The front door has a ramp, and measures 36″ wide, and the single-stall, gender-neutral bathroom is on the main floor with a 31″ wide door. The nearest subway station is Lansdowne, and the nearest accessible subway stations are one-stop away on either side: Dufferin Station, and Dundas West Station. Coming from Dundas West Station would require coming uphill a bit, but the path from Dufferin Station is flat. There will be scent-free soap in the bathroom. We will have chairs reserved for folks who need to sit to reduce pain and maintain comfort in their bodies. This event is all ages and alcohol-free!

We ask that you please attend this reading scent-free! Some of the readers have multiple chemical allergies, and being scent-free is one small act you can do to keep the space accessible for them. Please refrain from wearing perfumes & colognes, scented deodorants, scented hair products, etc. Check the ingredients of your stuff, and if “perfume / parfum / fragrance” is there, don’t wear it. And if you’re smoking at the event, please do so as far away from the entrance as possible.

If you don’t know what scent-free means, or you need a reminder, please read Making Space Accessible is an Act of Love for Our Communities by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha.

Facebook event here. Please invite your friends! And we’ll see you at the Toronto Queer Zine Fair the very next day!