Process: zine making, i dated a sociopath and all i got was these poems

I wrote these poems throughout 2015 when I was hosting and performing at the Los Angeles Word Salon (LAWS).  The weekly themes, community, and impending deadlines helped me compile a decent amount of decent poems in a short period of time.

Here’s a preview of the first few pages of “i dated a sociopath and all i got was these poems” by Lorna Alkana:

The poems developed and dissolved as I performed, practiced, and thought about them over the past few years.  I honed their tones, and worked to reconstruct their personas in cadence.  Twas cathartic.  I liked joining the tacit stage conversations that happen at open-mics and mixed-genre showcases.

The idea of taking the poems out of my head and off stage ruminated, and the project progressed bit by bit for a few years.  I compiled all of the poem brainstorms and drafts scattered throughout different notebooks and typed them up.  I saved them in a way I could easily reference/revisit them (which is an important step I sometimes forget).

This month, inspired by Valentine’s Day, some peace of mind from finding out I got into the grad school program I wanted, and the megalomaniac-and-cronies stomping around the white house, I prioritized this project.

I divided the poems into three zines, “i dated a sociopath and all i got was these poems” 1, 2, and 3 (#alligotpoems).  I thought about adding images.  Really planned on it.  Tried it out.  It just didn’t seem right for the tone; it seemed like my drawings projected a tone that I’d like the poems to construct alone/with the reader.

The poems are organized into narrative arcs in each zine individually and across the whole of the collection.

These zines along with my others and my art will be available for purchase once I launch my new Lorna art store which is in the works:  LornaPhone.com. The goal to launch/begin launch process is Feb 14, 2017.  Let it be written.

You Can Find Me…

Facebook: @LornaAlkanaArt and @LAWordSalon and @AffectComic
Twitter: @LornaPhone and @LAWordSalon
Instagram: @Lornaphone and @LAWordSalon
Youtube: Lorna Alkana

I update my Exhibition Page with events and galleries Lorna Alkana Art is featured in.
Check out the Disclosure Page to see a chronological evolution of my blog and art.

I share new art/discussions about the process of works in progress, and I post segments with Comic Lorna in my audiobio comic series called, Affect.