| Connecting
hip hop to queers to humor to beat writing to trans issues
An interview with
the Urban Hermitt
by Elke Zobl
February 2003
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One
of my favourite zines!!! After I heard Hermitt reading at the Copy and Destroy
tour in San Diego, I have read almost all issues and am just reading his
book "Urban Hermitt: The Flow Chronicles" (published by Microcosm).
Order this fabulous zine at Microcosm
Publishing or email Hermitt at alienpeapod@yahoo.com. |
Can you tell me first of all a little bit about yourself? How old are
you, where are you originally from and where do you reside now?
i'm almost 25. born in quincy mass in the same hospital as donny walberg
from the new kids on the block. but i grew up in seattle and i've been
there for a long time. currently, i am traveling and looking for a new
place to live in america
What
do you do besides your zine?
i mc and freestyle hip hop. perform spoken word. i dj. skateboard. fuck.
cook. drink too much coffee. and i just had my first novel published.
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For
how long have you been running your zine now? How many issues did you
put out until now? Are you the only editor or is there a team?
i've been doing my zine since 1998. the last issue completed was number
15. i am the only editor. D.I.M. do it myself.
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What
made you decide to start this project? How did you come up with the idea
and the name?
back in the day (ie: 1998) i fell on my head while riding my bicycle and
got a concussion, then my grandpa died, and i got kicked outta my apartment.
life sucked BUT life also woke me up and made me realise that i need to
get off my ass and do something like a zine. Also, issue #36 of Cometbus
where Aaron goes to Europe inspired me to do a zine as well. I came up
with the name "Urban Hermitt" myself. To me, it means that i
live in the city, do urban things, and have many friends yet i can feel
alienated, lonely, and hide at home a lot. "Urban Hermitt" is
the ultimate contradiction that a lot of us face. Plus, it kinda sounds
cool.
What
topics are most often discussed in your zine?
I write stories about everyday life focusing on all the wingnuts i meet,
all the insane traveling i do, all the gurls i have crushes on, the hip
hop i like. subeltly, i talk a lot bout being a boy trapped in a girls
body and how the world treats me because of that. i am also in stream
of consciouness writing. and i also talk about funny things and make people
laugh.
What
do you hope to accomplish by establishing your zine?
connecting hip hop to queers to humor to beat writing to trans issues
to putting more good novella writing back into underground press. i want
to make people laugh. and secretly. i wanna get famous.
What
does zine making (and reading) mean to you? What do you love about zine
making? What’s the most challenging aspect of making zines?
making a zine means that you are taking control of you life. you are in
control of your creativity (unless some great spirit takes over you when
you are writing or drawing or some shit like that) you can make a zine
while taking a shit, in prison, on the beach, at yer mom's house. that's
the feeling i love best about zines. the challengin part of making zines
is photocopying. whether it be trying to find a "discount" on
them, or fixing a jammed xerox machine at the kinkos at 4 am. also, many
people may not take you seriously as a credible writer if you say you
do a zine. they suck.
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What
was your first exposure to zines? How did you find out about them? What
have they come to mean to you?
in high school , i used to walk down to fallout records in seattle and
buy maximun rock n' roll, ben is dead, and murder can be fun. they mean
fresh young spirit, and new perspectives.
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Do
you consider grrrl, lady, queer and trans zines as an important part of
a movement of sorts? Do you think they can effect meaningful social and
political change?
hell yeah. every movemnt whether it be hip hop, indie rock, or independant
film is still mostly made up of straight white men, or at least they are
still getting most of the attention. trans zines especially, cuz i know
tons of queers, grrrls, and ladies who are still very ignorant of trans
issues.
What
does the zine community mean to you?
a group of real people from all over the world who will write juicy letters,
insightful zines, and put you up when you travel. it also means a lotta
creepy and annoying people too, but that comes with every scene...oops,
i mean "community"
What
advice would you give others who want to start a zine?
make bigger than 12 pages. make it all your own orginal material. neatly
handwrite it or don't handwrite it at all. and most importantly, realize
other people will actually read your zine, so it's better to speak to
them than to make it sound like a diary entry. and, start trading and
sending your zines off to distros right away!
What
are some of the zines you admire?
"emergency" "that girl"
Could you please describe a little bit the grrrl and queer zine
community in your country?
big?
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Do
you define yourself as a feminist? What are the most pressing issues you
are confronted with in daily life?
sure. the most pressing issues i face is that when i walk into a woman's
bathroom, everybody freaks out and tells me i should not be in there but
if i went into the man's bathroom, i would get beat up. one person who sees
me thinks i am a boy and then next person who sees me, calls me a "lady."
and people being transphobic as all hell.
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Do
you participate in the feminist and trans liberation movement (apart from
doing your zine)?
yes, simply by existing and trying to go pee pee.
What
do you think about feminism today? Do you see yourself as part of “Third
Wave Feminism” and what does it mean to you?
le tigre on the cover of Bust magazine = Good. Julia Butterfly Hill thinking
she can speak for my generation = bad. Feminism is a relative thing, i
know people who are self identified feminists who will still see the world
through heterosexual eyes and still be caught up on gender roles. As far
as "Third Wave Feminism" is concerned, i think it's a privileged
term that can mean the same thing as "Third Wave Post Modern Analytical
Dawnwism." can't "feminism" still be "feminism"
like "gay bear daddy" is still a "gayu bear daddy?"
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Which
role plays the Internet for you? Does it change your ideas of making zines
and doing/reading zines?
the internet is a great way too communicate. the internet to me, is mostly
just email communication. i still would never do an e-zine, cuz you can't
read an e-zine when you are, for say, taking a shit in a porto potty. but
the internet definitely connects people.
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Do
you have any suggestions? Something you want to add?
Yeah, My novel "The Flow Chronicles" had just been published
by Microcosm Publishing. It's a funny book bout coming out, taking drugs,
and making fun of hippies. Go to www.microcosmpublishing.com
for more information.
and I am a story-novel,-writer. i do zines for underground press liberation.
i do not do zines for top 10 lists and band reviews.
and support queer hip hop.
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