Choose joy everyday. It sounds dumb, like some liberal Midwestern spice company, and it is, but the other choice is to suffer. The powers that be want you downtrodden and submissive. Eat dirt, peon!
No, I am a patriot and keyboard warrior extraordinaire!!
I wish the boomers hadn’t ruined everything. I wish the world’s richest people weren’t evil villains. I wish my rights weren’t continually being diminished. I wish we could all have nice things like universal healthcare and housing and abortion on demand and prison abolition and and and…
There is light in the darkness, there are tones of grey amid the black and white. There’s the bigger picture and seeing all sides. There is rage and love and joy. It’s worth amplifying all of that.
Recently, our organization has had the great privilege to be able to attend a few events, such as the Fargo Mini Zine Fest and the MdW Summit in Kansas City, MO. Which has motivated us to lead more activities such as monthly Marker League meetups at the Moorhead Public Library, and workshops at both the library and The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum. These events have given us a renewed sense of community and have allowed us to engage with folks we might not have reached otherwise. We are grateful to our hosts and to the people who have attended events with us.
In other news, I’ve been attempting to let go of Meta (Instagram and Facebook) due to their support of the current administration, and it’s been difficult only in that most folks seem to not see the importance of changing habits and addressing social media addiction. It is not too late to make meaningful change, and the best place to start is with ourselves. It is critical that we decentralize our internet usage and be mindful of the censorship being enforced by platforms such as Meta, Google, and X. Those are not reliable news sources. Bluesky isn’t the answer either, but it’s an alternative that for the time being doesn’t have ads. Start protecting your data and stop making excuses. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it’s up to us to save ourselves, and it’s our responsibility to uplift and protect the most vulnerable. Have courage and keep on lovin’.
– Laurence (RRCC co-founder)
The creative theme and writing prompt for this issue is Love in the Darkness (Community & Hope). This prompt was chosen by community through a social media poll and was kept non-descriptive and vague intentionally to allow for open interpretation (also due to the editors not feeling “Love” in a time of great darkness). However, the submissions came in, and hope springs eternal!
CW: sensitive topics covered in this issue include but not limited to: strong and sexually-explicit language, violent imagery, and references to suicidal ideation.
The Northern Mirror is brought to you by:
The Red River Creatives Collective (RRCC) is a fluid, umbrella entity for the Northern MN and ND arts scene, operating out of the Fargo/Moorhead area. This is intended to be a community-driven organizing space focused on prioritizing and uplifting disenfranchised voices, and creating solidarity among creatives.
Through both print and online publication of The Northern Mirror we strive to create a platform for experimental and under-represented artists in all disciplines, as well as a way to disseminate information regarding community resources, and cultural and educational opportunities.
RRCC strives to be an unconventional, multi-disciplinary arts organization that does not conform to the status quo. Our work is the building up and promoting of creators without the oppressive and classist nature of institutions and mainstream arts sector. We aim for flexibility and the ability to adapt to our changing community needs.
How do you become a member? If you picked up this zine, you already are! Submit an entry? Yup! Attended a Marker League event? Sure! Made a donation? Welcome to the team! You get the idea, if you want in, yer in.
@thenorthernmirror
redrivercreatives@gmail.com
Donate/shop: ko-fi.com/redrivercreatives
RRCC 