Shotgun Seamstress Zine Collection: Six Zines By & For Black Punks

by Osa Atoe

Shotgun Seamstress is one helluva zine. It's punk and life through the lens of Osa, a queer woman of color living in Portland, Oregon. It's got a little bit of everything, including a piece on Go-go music in D.C, which is all wrapped up into a story called the "Black Punk Zine That Never Happened". Osa helps us to understand why we shouldn't dis RuPaul, treats us to a Northwest scene report, and lists bands past and present that feature people of color. We'll be the first to acknowledge that unfortunately, punk today attracts few people of color proportionally, but zines like Shotgun Seamstress will certainly aid a change.

Genres: Music, Punk, Nonfiction

233 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Shotgun Seamstress is a zine and blog by, for and about Black punks, feminists, queers, musicians, artists and activists. The first issue came out in 2006 when writer/editor Osa Atoe lived in Portland, Oregon. The last four issues were released in New Orleans, her current home. Osa is an art teacher, a potter and show promoter for girl bands, queer bands and social justice fundraisers under the name No More Fiction. She was a Maximum Rocknroll columnist 2009-2011, has toured with the People of Color Zine Project and won the Printed Matter Award for Artists in 2009. Osa has also played in dozens of bands including New Bloods who put out a record on Kill Rock Stars in 2008.

Reviews

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've heard about Osa's work for a few years now, but never really picked it up because I thought it wasn't for (white, not punk) me. Well, it kinda isn't, but it is SO GOOD. Interesting from the cover of the first zine to the thank-yous on the last, I am so glad I bought this collection. There's so much to learn and commiserate with. If you pick this up, you will love it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book so much. my favourite books these days are the ones that make you start researching a ton of stuff....Osa Atoe wrote this for POC punks and as such i think i put off reading it since i am neither a POC nor a punk.
She did 6 issues of her zine Shotgun Seamstress and they are compiled here, each one is like a goldmine of interesting stuff. Got me to research Vaginal Cream Davis, Don Letts (theres a piece about him and the influence of reggae on punk in the UK, i didn't realize he was black), RuPaul, Death....and introduced me to ESG (the all girl party jam band from the 80s), Afropunk, the genius that is Kalup Linzy (thank god a ton of his work is on YouTube so i can study it carefully), and the photography of Alvin Baltrop (i think if you like Mapplethorpe and Nan Goldin this guy is your speed!), and the music and work of Brontez Purnell (and his band the younger lovers).
This book made me incredibly happy.

[Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recall buying this collection, as well as about 3 original issues of the zine, in the early 2010s when I was very involved in zine communities. I remembered that I had this book during a recent review of a long-time zine I wrote called Thou Shalt Not Talk about the White Boys Club: Challenging the Unwritten Rules of Punk. I mentioned Shotgun Seamstress as a recommended resource along with other Black and brown-led punk media.

Reading it in full again all these years later brought back memories of how important zines are, how valued Black women’s voices are in punk, and the ways in which identity categories often serve as a means to determine what “niche” one could fit into both in zine making and in punk circles. I think everyone interested in Black history, punk, zines, music, and alternate culture should read this collection.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important zines basically ever collected into a beautiful trade paperback. Crucial reading for all punks worldwide. A+++ would read again.