Snapshots of Late Summer

I’ve been experimenting with writing more and more lately, and one of those experiments was a sort of practice in observation and reporting. I take many walks a day with my dog, and there is so much that passes by without notice, or, if noticed, without acknowledgment.

In Snapshots, I aimed to focus my creative lens on gathering information, told in the form of short, self-contained stories that work together to form a larger image of the human experience. Many of the stories contain ephemeral, existential, and eerie undertones, diverting from the standard practice of optimistic observation.

My inspiration for this form of writing was Deborah Levy’s novel Hot Milk. Her prose is fever-dream-like, and the simple narrative allows undertones of distrust and discomfort to play out beautifully in contrast with the scenery she transcribes.

In designing this zine, I wanted to lean into this slightly off-putting undertone by using bright, clashing colors and images that evoke not understanding but displacement. The design and writing are meant to challenge one’s perception of daily, trivial events and introduce a creative filter through which the world is a beautiful, yet mysterious, place.

I used free images sourced from Unsplash, fonts from Pangram Pangram, and ChatGPT to help source factual information and edit errors.