bureau 39
i had been wanting to do a zine for quite some time ever since I had the experience of making spew II in high school. i worked with a group of kids at the war resisters league and together we put together a pretty cool zine, where i had the gift of interviewing daddy-o from stetsasonic. i always loved the idea of publishing with whatever you had available.
i put out a call for submissions and was happy to garner the interest of writers and poets such as suheir hammad and tony medina. after i selected the material and images, i proceeded to use what i had at my disposal to publish them.
this mode of operation was very much in line with bandit queen press’s first title, the organist’s daughter. I handmade, 100 individually unique copies. some were bought, some gifted. a bandit queen press publication is a book that is in dialogue with its tools, content, medium and its surroundings: constantly.
what i’m most proud about with bureau 39 is the varied group of people i brought together under one project.
psst…pas på mig means “take care of me”, in danish…it’s on signs throughout dk to alert drivers to the fact that there are possibly children at play…this sign is an oldie and much loved by many.
bureau 39 crew:
suheir hammad: the brooklyn-born palestianian writer represents a woman warrior who is not afraid to speak her mind for LIFE.
willie perdomo: his work is authentic new york. there is something about the words he uses and the way in which he chooses to use them that reconstructs a harlem that is quickly disappearing. a harlem that was accessible to the working class and called itself home to a variety of immigrants, both from with the u.s. and without.
tony medina: mixing the grotesque imagery of modern politics and social issues, medina has consistently, throughout the years, represented a class of people who are misrepresented and underrepresented: the economically disenfranchised and people of color. his humor, tenderness and love always speaks a different truth.
stine haynes: stine haynes is by far one of the most talented writers i have had the pleasure of meeting. i look forward to working with her on more creative endeavors and am very excited to see the development of her career. her enthusiasm and commitment to this project from the beginning has been a valuable resource.
karen r. good: is prairie view’s (sounds like “prayer”: it’s in texas) gift to the world. a town, a city, not even a planet could ask for a better representative. karen r. good is a rare and special soul. this is a woman whose every move is a statement of good taste and integrity. her writing is an america i am longing to hear more from.
chris luppi: whenever chris luppi read his work aloud in the several writing classes we would take together in our four years of college, i would become transfixed and transformed. slow, deliberate and loving is how i will describe this gentleman’s work. the world is in for a treat when he begins to let his seeds of creation out into the world.
mark valley: i first met mark at this cafe we both worked at around midtown in the early 90s. this wasn’t just any cafe either. it was the cafe that officially made new york city a serious coffee town. we talked about kerouc and bekowski in between making shots of espresso and his running to auditions. our love of writing + life brought us together. the only time i ever saw mark perform, was many years ago, in a small theater in the west village. he played kerouc. it was an indelible performance. mark is one of those rare individuals who lifts vibrations wherever he goes.
glen garner: glen is half-danish, half-new yorker. his original illustrations have always shown a quirkiness and irreverence that is intriguing to say the least. glen has provided an artistic camaraderie during my years here in copenhagen. i am delighted that we were able to join forces on this endeavor.
elisa donovon: otherwise known as the roller-skating freshman i met my first year in college. ours is a relationship based on creativity where although opinions may sometimes differ, our mutual respect for the other demands that we reach a point of understanding. elisa has inspired me from the very first day she rolled into our west village classroom, and lucky for me, i got to hang out with her in the east village during the glorious 90s. she rocks.
there were visual artists who submitted original artwork. the norwegian illustrator gina marie thorstensen‘s visual for love is a fish is fresh. andre amtoft’s admit one is a keeper and amidst the many images are ones from my personal collection– from family photos to trips to new orleans. danish american illustrator glen garner also contributed original artwork. each copy of bureau 39 has an original tear-out work of art.
i would like to give a special thanks to all of the contributors. and there were many: who contributed time, support, love and talent.
thanks for visiting!