Journal #3 Scrapbooks and Zines as Everyday Writing

       Katriel and Farrell begin their article on scrapbooks by explaining how scrapbooks can be classified as “a genre of self”. They explain how, similar to everyday writing, scrapbooks experience a mode of self narration.  Taylor mentions how everyday writing can fit into multiple genres, and I  would argue that Katriel and Farrell believe scrapbooks can be put in multiple genres of “self” as well. Scrapbooks have a uniqueness about them, which differs from other everyday writing texts, they express a culturally shared genre. Typically, a scrapbook is seen as a collaboration of pictures, possibly from a certain stage in life. For example, a scrapbook might be just of a child’s first year. In this specific scrapbook, the maker (of the scrapbook) might choose to have the first page be a picture of the child’s birth. And from there, add mementos such as the hospital band and maybe include a caption under the picture with the baby’s height and weight. The next few pages would be the baby’s first month, second month etc. following a chronological order. I feel that Katriel and Farrell contribute to our conversations in class about everyday writing because they are using the works of scrapbooking as an everyday thing and are establishing descriptions of how scrapbooking can be personal to the person making the book and or the person sharing the book. They even describe scrapbooks to be, “a masking of autonomy amid the pretenses of a commodified age”. They explain that a scrapbooks “aim” is, “the unity and coherence of life for a developing character” which I found to be particularly interesting. Given, the scrapbook acquires a certain period of a persons life on a personal level, I would argue a scrapbook can be seen as an everyday text.

       I would argue a “zine” is also a piece of everyday writing. The website describes a zine as a “DIY magazine” and I think that makes it more everyday then a typical magazine you would purchase at the grocery check out line. A magazine contains articles and stories we might read once or twice, but it appears a zine has more value since it is so original. It serves more of a purpose than a 60 page magazine, partially filled with advertisements and perfume samples.