Zinester Interview 07Fallopian Falafel is produced by Hadass S. Ben-Ari, Jerusalem, Israel
How would you describe your zine?
Fallopian Falafel - Eshet Chayil Zine is a free zone for expression by women. Although it's based in Israel and most submissions are by Israeli Jewish women, it's intended for audiences all over the world. Because I don't like to censor anyone, and I don't have a set agenda, I would describe my zine as being colorful (both in the appearance and the written content and style), and includes articles and pieces about various topics from different view-points and opinions, with rich variety and nuance.
What can your zine do that a mainstream publication can't? In Israel, mainstream media have rigid agendas - they are either extremely right or extremely left. My zine is both and neither due to the variety of the articles, as I mentioned above. Also most mainstream publications are in Hebrew. My zine may include some Hebrew articles, but most of the content is English, and as such, it is accessible to world-wide audiences. I also place an emphasis on riot grrrl culture which is something that I never see or read about in mainstream publications. I also like to give women an opportunity to express themselves about topics that interest them or an important to them, something that they would not have a chance to do in other media.
Does the look of a zine matter? Maybe initially, it does. But if the content is good, it really does not matter. I think what's important is that it's legible and well-bound. If it's a handwritten zine, and the writing is atrocious, I can't possibly enjoy it if I have to decipher my way through it. I also can't enjoy it if it falls apart in my hands every time I turn a page, so it has to be bound properly. The overall look of a zine is just icing on the cake, so the main thing is that the cake itself be yummy.
Please recommend a zine for us and tell us why.
I strongly recommend Amber's zines Culture Slut and Fight Boredom! Amber is an extremely creative riot grrrl from Canada. Her zines are quarter size, laid out in the traditional cut and past method, mostly written with a typewriter. Both zines were my inspiration to start creating more material in the spirit of DIY, such as my perzine The Purple Myrtle Squeegy (hadassegol.blogspot.com) and randomly produce flyers, art and other miscellaneous items. Amber's zines are full of ideas and activities, activism, DIY past-times, recipes and all the good stuff (hello-amber.blogspot.com).
