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OUR OFFICIAL COVER CREATED BY EVA VITUKE, @SWITCHBLADE.JPEG
table of contents ASTROLOGY OF NOVEMBER... 4 "EXISTENTIAL LABYRINTH" BY @ANGELYVIS... 6 CRYSTALS OF NOVEMBER... 9 "ESCAPISM" BY @TINYTERI13... 11 OPINION PIECE... 16 "WONDERLAND" BY KHUSHI... 23 HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHT... 25 "CHIMERA" BY @VIOLIEU... 31 WRITER SPOTLIGHTS@ARTKILLS_... 34 ART SPOTLIGHTS@TEE.FERGUSON... 44
RECURRING FEATURE | ZINES
NOVEMBER: MONTHLY ASTROLOGY
THE INCOGNITO PRESS
novem ber New Moon in Scorpio
Venus enters Capricorn
November 4th
November 5th
We're looking at personal passion, honoring yourself, and regenerating all aspects of YOU!
We now long for stability and commitment in our relationships. We find beauty in control and mind.
Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse
Sun & Mercury enter Sagittarius
November 19th
November 21st & 24th
In the sign of Taurus, the Lunar Eclipse shakes up our current security and reveals the truth!
The Sun in Sagittarius brings fiery, curious energy. The Mercury in Sagittarius allows us to communicate it!
WRITING /POETRY AND ART/PHOTOGRAPHY
"Existential Labyrinth"
by Dominique Serrat, @angelyis_
I see my cynicism fade as my soul feels the need to escape. At times it becomes difficult for me to deal with a world that moves so rapidly, and I feel that I lag behind. Even when I may seem fleeting, even when I've spent a lifetime running an endless race, running away from the multiple versions of me. And I have nothing left to do but walk through the corners of my mind, the nooks and crannies where my past and future visions rest, which I don't even know how real they are. Each time I visit my memories they look blurrier and incoherent, each time I visualize the future it looks so improbable yet so desirable. Surreal and comforting. It's in those moments when I embrace that inner world, where my utopias bring me peace for a moment; because the world is ending every second, day by day and the thought of it overwhelms me. It is in those moments when resting in my reverie is the one thing that calms me, and I choose to hide in the labyrinths I' ve built for myself.
recurring feature | zines
CRYSTALS OF NOVEMBER
the incognito press
NOVEMBER
topaz a crystal of releasing what no longer serves you, which is what Scorpio season brings this November! In addition to that, it helps with almost all aspects of the self (self-expression, love, esteem, etc.), and can help with manifestations.
rose quartz
Thanksgiving is a marker of gratitude for what’s been achieved and received in the year. Rose quartz allows gratitude to flow into yourself since being thankful comes from your heart!
lapis lazuli
for the last half of November, it’s Sagittarius month, meaning the focus is on optimism, philosophy/knowledge, expression (of passions), and change. Lapis lazuli is helpful with learning, encouraging honesty, improving performance (expression!), and communication.
We're featuring crystals that are more centered towards the astrology of the month (there's no big solstices' or elements present!)
digital art and poetry our recurring artist archive!
"ESCAPISM"
by Teri Anderson, @tinyteri13
TERI ANDERSON "ESCAPISM"
as our recurring artist for all of our volumes, we bring the first official portfolio, encompassing both art AND writing works, from our first regular feature!
about the artist: Teri Anderson creates work that looks into the idea of craft in art, textiles, installation and sculpture to create a linear or surreal environment which the audience have to inhabit. The work links to her heritage and how textiles were key in their family history including sample machinists and pattern cutters. Building on this Teri proposes an art practise which incorporates a craft based techniques into the art based discipline of installation.
works continued: "bar none"
Charlotte had become a little too tired of her day-to-day life. It had seemed like Groundhog Day.
She felt like she could look at the clock and guess what the time was, based on what she was doing.
She started the day doing her typical routine. Get dressed, breakfast. Sort out the bins and finally walk to the shop to get the paper.
This would be followed by going to her job as a receptionist, for a property company, she would then leave pick up a takeaway or cook, then watch TV and fall asleep. Charlotte felt like she needed excitement and that her life wasn’t being lived to the fullest. She went back home after work on Wednesday evening.
Charlotte walked into her flat and picked up a box, she kept under her bed it was full of her favourite things and at the bottom, was a small diary with all of her wishes for the future. Her bucket list was full of the usual things visit Australia, see the Coliseum and write a book. She realized, like she always did, that any of these things would take time or money. She sat on her sofa disheartened, but made the decision to visit a bar in London, that one of her friends, had mentioned in the past.
works continued: "bar none" Charlotte sent a quick text to Amy to see if she would like to go at the weekend, and within a minute the reply was ‘YES’. Charlotte was excited she finally had something to look forward to. She left her office on Friday and went to get ready and then met Amy at the train station at 8 pm.
Both were happy to see each other and couldn’t wait to get some drinks. ‘Do you think they will have themed cocktails, I love them’ said Amy.
‘Hopefully’ replied Charlotte
They walked through the door and found a casual modern bar with flower accents on the walls, which would be great for any Instagram-obsessed 20 year old.
They ordered their drink and went outside to the garden area. The strange thing came when they went back in for their next round of drinks. The place had completely changed it was now a western-themed saloon. They looked at each other in shock.
The bartender walked up and said ‘The bar felt like it needed a change’.
opinion piece
'squid game', and the rise of anticapitalist media a social commentary WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE 0.
preface If you lived during September and October of 2021 and had access to the Internet, you know where this is going. If you didn’t, #1: you missed out on quite a bit, and #2: we’ll get you up to speed. In regards to the title, Squid Game is a Netflix show that rose to popularity during those months. The show follows Gi-hun, the poor, main character that is thrust into playing childhood games for billions of dollars, but with a deadly twist. I highly recommend the show if you haven’t seen it, and a spoiler warning for those who have.
'squid game' Squid Game is a critique of capitalism. Although not explicitly mentioned, the whole premise of Squid Game is the poor playing for money or survival. The VIPs, or the rich (they’re literally richmaking bets on the players), are controlling the strings. Capitalism’s driving force is profit, and it’s also its punishment. You need to work in order to survive. And in order for capitalism to maintain this status quo, it pits workers against each other to compete for jobs, reminiscent of competing for money in Squid Game. Furthermore, on the VIPs, they see the games as what it is on the surface: games. By alluding to the deathmatch as a game, it hides the truth and presents the games as a choice. In fact, they do give a “choice” of playing to the players at the beginning of the series- they can opt out of playing or continue.
con't This choice is an illusion, a lose-lose situation in different fonts. They are either returning to poverty, in which they will probably die in, or choose to die now. With capitalism, your choices are dependent on only the options that are provided, and the market in which those choices come from. Take politicians for example. If your candidates aren’t great, but one is less, let’s say, racist, than the other, the less racist candidate is better. Choices don’t do much. The same thing occurs with equality.
The Front Man, a character that maintains/oversees the games and the players, says Squid Game relies on equality and wants to give all the characters an equal chance at winning. However, equality isn’t something necessarily present in these games; some of them require physical strength, which isn’t that good if you’re one of the elderly. Some of the games are easier if you know what they are- if you were raised in South Korea, which isn’t the case for some characters. The characters also have personal stances of equality- the gangster, Jang Deok-su, doesn’t let a woman, Han Mi-nyeo, into an alliance because she’s a woman. Han Mi-nyeo hurls racist and xenophobic insults towards Ali. No matter what the Front Man does, he can’t prevent the players’ ideas of equality from tampering with the game.
Lastly, another main point that should be mentioned is how expendable these people are. When most of these characters disappear to compete in the games, they aren’t getting looked for. These people are given numbers and uniforms to wear, stripping the characters of their individuality, identities, and their names. Also, it adds to how they die. They simply get shot and aren’t mentioned again, no acknowledgment that they existed or that they died.
Capitalism seeks for the most profit to be made, and its workers are just one gear of a larger machine. They are replaceable and disposable, and this simply adds to the competition between workers for jobs.
why is it so popular?
Why are we so infatuated with the system that causes so much pain? The same reason why we love shows like NBC’s The Good Place, which talks about how there is no ethical consumption under capitalism; in season 2, Micheal learns that the reason why no one has been in the Good Place within thousands of years- the world has become so corrupt that it’s too hard to be a good person. Any choices you make have consequences, usually bad ones, as mentioned before with Squid Game.
Movies like the Oscar award-winning Parasite, another social commentary on capitalism, which focuses more on the class divide between the rich and poor, and how both are parasites to each other. Like in Squid Game, there’s a clear distinction between the social classes.
These movies have more than just criticism of capitalism. While it is true there are uniting themes, it’s the uniting themes that speak to us. We can identify, in some way, with these characters, no matter what your social status is. We are captivated by Squid Game’s colorful and childish backdrops, the sitcom, comedic energies of The Good Place, and even Inside, Bo Burham’s satire comedy special.
Like dystopian fiction, which was popular in the 2010s, it’s exciting and real. And some of these stories inspire hope. Squid Game’s season one ending on a hopeful note with Gi-hun going to fight against those involved in the games, as attributed to the director.
closing thoughts It’s interesting to realize that these stories are pieces of media that use cameras as their medium. It’s an art form, between the dialogue, the visuals, and the musical score. And it’s what makes it so beautiful.
I think the premise of this article was not to critique capitalism but to discover that our favorite and most popular movies and shows do and that they’re popular for a reason. We’ve gone through a pandemic that forced us to sit with our thoughts and our ideas, letting them simmer, and eventually erupt. We know where we stand and are willing to express that. What we watch reflects that- television is just another one of those forms.
What are your thoughts on anti-capitalist media? Email them to us at thepropagandapanda01@gmail.com!
writing and poetry
"wonderland" an acrostic by Khushi Jain
When October, Naked, Dances in, Ebbing and Riotous he Laughs, And I Nestle into his Deliciousness.
ical highligh r o t t his
a tale of two Thanksgivings a perspective piece
wr
it t e
O e i n by n a h Ste p
.
preface
In the month of November, Thanksgiving is held on the 25th of this year. Most Americans are aware of the story of Thanksgiving, where Pilgrims, travelers from Plymouth, England, held a celebratory feast in 1621 with the Native Americans, the Wampanoag, that helped them survive during the winter.
New York became the first of multiple states to celebrate it as a holiday. Thanksgiving became a national holiday under the Lincoln administration in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War.
01
two sides The U.S acknowledges Thanksgiving every year as a marking of peace and gratitude, now centering on having a feast with friends, and giving thanks for what has been reaped in the year. However, some have come to acknowledge Thanksgiving as a reminder of the genocide committed against Native Americans to date. Thanksgiving has a darker past and history than remembered by most.
02
untold history There is a lot of history that tends to be omitted in the books, like the Human Zoos at the St. Louis World Fair in 1904. The additional history of Thanksgiving is usually not taught in schools. For context, Thanksgiving became something annual that started in 1619 of a colony upstream from Plymouth- the Berkeley Hundred. In addition, Thanksgiving, a day of gratitude for peace, doesn’t recognize the violence that erupted later, in 1675, when 3 Wampanoag warriors were killed for the murder of a Plymouth tribal informer. The violence that followed continued on, and the removal of indigenous people did the same.
03
final notes Some would argue that Thanksgiving is no longer a holiday for history, but simply for family and friends to gather around a dinner table and feast. It’s important to consider all sides and to note that Thanksgiving no longer has the historical meaning it had before. What are your thoughts on Thanksgiving? Email them to thepropagandapanda01@gmail.com to be featured on our website’s discussion forum!
A friendly reminder: We've done our research, but you should, too! Check our sources against your own, and always exercise sound judgment.
Sources: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/firstthanksgiving-berkeley-virginia-pilgrim-archaeology https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving https://www.insider.com/history-of-thanksgiving-2017-11 .
"CHIMERA" POETRY AND WRITING POETRY AND WRITING POETRY AND WRITING POETRY AND WRITING POETRY AND WRITING POETRY AND WRITING POETRY AND WRITING
By Vio
CHIMERA
[ Chorus ]
I wish to live my life in a dream Watch it come together piece by piece
[ Verse 1 ]
Listening to the hum of ladybirds and honeybees I walk through a meadow that blooms Of all the colours I’d never seen before Of a palette I never knew I’d adore
[ Chorus ]
I wish to live my life in a dream To imagine it all into being
[ Verse 2 ]
The sky would be an opalescent pearl As it is no longer its old hue of blue The dandelions would say they missed me And the way I’d sing them their favourite tunes
[ Chorus ]
I wish to live my life in a dream And though it may be hard to believe
[ Verse 3 ]
Perhaps the clouds will cry light cream As the moon brews her afternoon tea She blushes when I compliment her complexion And becomes even prettier with happiness
[ Bridge ]
I don’t know where I’m heading (a dream) Or when my story will be due (piece by piece) So I will wander through my mind for now To whatever place is new
[ Outro ]
But nonetheless, I hope the sun blinks pink And there are stars in the daytime too
SPOTLIGHTS: WRITER/POET
Marilù Ciabattoni A SHORT INTERVIEW AND FEATURED WORKS
The Ocean
Every time I look Out of the window, I see houses And trees and cars. Instead, I wish I saw the ocean. That cold, Inexpressive wall Of liquid That flooded all All of my blooming seeds.
When I look Out of the window, I wish I saw the ocean And share with you The same landscape, A massive border That unites us.
But I don’t And the further apart We are, The bigger grows The ocean.
Pacific
I’m walking to the Pacific. I’ve longed so much For this moment. Years and years, I waited, And I am waiting Still.
Sitting here, I’m looking at the Pacific With my mind’s eye, The only way I can see. My actual eyes – The ones you see – Are blind.
Escapism, I once read, The desire to de-associate, The rejection of reality. I wish this wasn’t real This is not my life, This is not my choice.
Someone calls me, I don’t pick up. Someone’s looking for me But I don’t care.
I lost all I had – All I wanted – On the shores of the Pacific.
Next time I’ll know, I won’t care anymore.
The world keeps spinning And I’m still here.
I wish I could spin too.
ONE
How do your poems show your perspective of beauty or wonder?
I think all of my poetry is focused on beauty and wonder somehow: in these poems, I am longing for what is on the other side of the ocean with a melancholic tone.
TWO
How do these poems connect to your life or reality? These poems are part of a bigger collection that I'm trying to get published. The collection, titled Conversations with My Mind, was written during 2020, which was a year that both killed me and made me stronger in so many ways. These poems represent my longing for new horizons, and especially my desire to be in a place where I can start anew without anyone's judgement, which I temporarily had to put on hold in 2020 but am now fully experiencing again.
THREE
A third-person biography: Marilù Ciabattoni is a writer, editor and translator based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing in Rome, Italy, and she’s now working as a Communications intern and a freelancer. Her creative work was featured on various zines like Cordelia Magazine, Unpublished Magazine, and Bloom Magazine, as she continues publishing fiction, poetry and nonfiction on a regular basis.
SPOTLIGHTS: art/photography
Tee Ferguson a short interview and featured works
one: how do your photos show your perspective of beauty or wonder?
This series of photographs shows the hidden beauty of nature on my walk around the park. For one of the photos I used mini toy, figurines and created this imaginary world as if these 'mini people' would live in and view from their perspective. I also used a mini fisheye lens and balanced it off kliter to make the photos feel whimsical and captured like a kaleidoscope
two: how do these photos connect to your life, or reality?
The photographs become a means of visual exploration, to make a seemingly fractured life into a whole: a story with a past, present and future. Pushing the photographic image in ways that can be read conceptually and questions how we view everyday life. Most themes focusing around nostalgia from my Canadian childhood and how i can portray these feelings into photography.
three: tell us a little bit about yourself!
Tee, she/her - is from Canada now living in England, UK. She mostly works with analog film techniques, shooting double exposures on 35mm film. Her favourite thing to do is carry around her mini pocket camera always ready to capture. Tee also creates her own zines and stickers, you can find more of her work at @tee.ferguson
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