Osa Atoe "Shotgun Seamstress: An Anthology" Book (2022)
Details: Osa Atoe "Shotgun Seamstress: An Anthology" Book (2022, Soft Skull). 1.26" H x 10.26" L x 7.26" W, 368 pages. New stock, hardcover anthology. Light shelf wear. Marked down.
Description: "A cut & paste celebration of Black punk and outsider identity, this is the only complete collection of the fanzine Shotgun Seamstress, a legendary DIY project that centered the scope of Blackness outside of mainstream corporate consumerist identity."
Grade: NM/M (new stock)
Full Description: "In 2006, Osa Atoe was inspired to create an expression out of the experience of being the only Black kid at the punk show--and Shotgun Seamstress was born. Like a great mixtape where radical politics are never sidelined for an easier ride, Shotgun Seamstress was a fanzine by and for Black punks that expressed, represented, and documented the fullest range of being, and collectively and individually explored "all of our possibilities instead of allowing the dominant culture to tell us what it means to be Black." Laid out by hand, and photocopied and distributed in small batches, each issue featured essays, interviews, historical portraits of important artists and scenes, reviews, and more, all paying tribute to musicians and artists that typify free Black expression and interrupt notions of Black culture as a monolith.
Featuring figures such as Vaginal Cream Davis, the seminal Black punk band Death, Poly Styrene, Bay Area rocker Brontez Purnell, British post-punker Rachel Aggs, New York photographer Alvin Baltrop, Detroit garage rocker Mick Collins and so many others, in the pages of this book rock'n'roll is reclaimed as Black music and a wide spectrum of gender and sexuality is represented. Collecting and anthologizing the layouts as they were originally photocopied by hand, this collection comprises all eight issues created between 2006 and 2015."
Author: Osa Atoe is an artist, teacher, and ceramicist operating Pottery by Osa, producing small-batch handmade ceramics. Currently residing in Sarasota, Florida, Osa previously lived in Portland, OR, and New Orleans, where she primarily made Shotgun Seamstress. Osa is also a punk musician who performed in numerous bands including VHS, New Bloods, and Firebrand.
Press: " Shotgun Seamstress is another firm reminder that Black people have been on the punk scene and we are here to stay. The reclamation of the genre, the movement, and the power that came with it are necessary, especially at a time such as now. From James Spooner to Florence Kennedy and Tina Bell, the punk movement is rooted in our history as Black people and I am honored to support those that continue to push for the reclamation of our history." --Guitar Gabby & The TxLips Band
"Reading Shotgun Seamstress opened up an escape hatch for me, it inspired me to start my first band, to celebrate my heritage, and find power in 'otherness' that had only felt painful before. I'm so happy this book exists to stoke that fire in me all over again and to spark the fuse in future generations of beautiful Black and Brown weirdos. --Rachel Aggs, Shopping, Trash Kit, and Sacred Paws
"Shotgun Seamstress, once passed hand to hand in underground clubs and at activist gatherings, is proof that when theory and practice collide, the result is simply undeniable. Atoe's book--brimming with interviews, graphics, and spectacular essays--adds much to the oft-neglected work by and for Black punks. It is also a thrilling work of art, sure to inspire readers around the world. No one who cares about music or history or art or great writing should be without this book." --Kathleen Hanna, Bikini Kill, and Le Tigre