Microcosm Publishing

Unfuck Your Brain

Our brains are doing our best to help us out, but they can be real assholes sometimes. Sometimes it seems like your own brain is out to get you—melting down in the middle of the grocery store, picking fights with your date, getting you addicted to something, or shutting down completely at the worst possible moments. You already told your brain firmly that it isn't good to do these things. But your brain has a mind of its own. That's where this book comes in. With humor, patience, and lots of swearing, Dr. Faith shows you the science behind what's going on in your skull and talks you through the process of retraining your brain to respond appropriately to the non-emergencies of everyday life. If you're working to deal with old traumas, or if you just want to have a more measured and chill response to situations you face all the time, this book can help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and get your life and brain back. Our brains are doing our best to help us out, but they can be real assholes sometimes. Sometimes it seems like your own brain is out to get you—melting down in the middle of the grocery store, picking fights with your date, getting you addicted to something, or shutting down completely at the worst possible moments. You already told your brain firmly that it isn't good to do these things. But your brain has a mind of its own. That's where this book comes in. With humor, patience, and lots of swearing, Dr. Faith shows you the science behind what's going on in your skull and talks you through the process of retraining your brain to respond appropriately to the non-emergencies of everyday life. If you're working to deal with old traumas, or if you just want to have a more measured and chill response to situations you face all the time, this book can help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and get your life and brain back.

Cats I've Known

From deep friendships to brief encounters, this is the story of the cats in Katie Haegele's life, or rather the story of her life in relation to the many cats she meets in Philadelphia's streets, alleys, houses, apartments, and bookstores. Through Haegele's sharp, wise, and at times hilarious gaze, we see cats for what they truly are: minor deities that mostly ignore the human foibles being played out around them. They accept our offerings with equanimity and occasionally bestow some nice thing on us. Haegele, author of White Elephants and Slip of the Tongue, has a unique and compelling sensibility, and it's a treat to see the world through her eyes as she shows us all the meanness, weirdness, and vulnerability of humans, against an ever-shifting backdrop of the cats we often take for granted, and who ignore us all democratically in return.

This is Your Brain on Anxiety

Anxiety .... it's the worst. Choking, stifling, smothering, tingling, panicking, brain cutting out, bad decisions... You're a human being, so you know exactly what's being said here. Dr. Faith lays it all out in her five-minute therapy zine: what anxiety IS (did you know that people wrote about it more in the 1800s than now?), what it's good for (that's right, it's actually a necessary response that helps to keep us alive in bad situations), how to know when it's gone overboard, and practical tips on how to deal with anxiety when it gets bad. This zine is a lifesaver for panic attacks, breaking out of flight-or-fight-or-freeze responses, and for chronic anxiety. It's also good for folks who aren't burdened by anxiety daily but want to cope better with those tough life situations that affect us all. Read this and breathe!

Notes from Underground

In the first comprehensive study of zine publishing, Stephen Duncombe explores the history and theory of subterranean cultural production. From their origins in early 20th century science fiction fandom, their more proximate roots in ‘60s counter-culture and their rapid proliferation in the wake of punk rock, Notes from Underground pays full due to the political importance of zines as a vital network of participatory culture, and analyzes how zines measure up to their utopian outlook in achieving fundamental social change. Packed with extracts and illustrations, Duncombe provides a critical overview of the contemporary underground in all its love and rage.

Basic Fermentation

A very literal guide, "A DIY Guide to Cultural Manipulation" is a great resource for learning to use the microbes around you. Wanna learn how to make your own sourdough? Miso? Beer? Yogurt? Injera (Ethiopian sourdough) bread?!!! It's in this handy dandy and super resourceful guide for fermenting in the comfort of your own home. Yummy home made sour cream! Buttermilk! Cheese and tempeh!!! Double and triple wow your friends and family with the helpful directions on how to ferment your own kimchi and other tasty, briny treats. This is the original zine written by Sandor Ellix Katz before he went on to become an international fermenting superstar. It's still his most accessible, basic, and pocket-sized guide!

Henry & Glenn Forever & Ever

  The greatest love story every told has finally been released in graphic novel form. This epic tome features twenty short stories about the domestic life of "Henry" and "Glenn" and sometimes their neighbors "Daryl" and "John." Digging beneath Glenn's bricks in the front yard, Henry uncovers Glenn's mother. Freshly unearthed, she moves in with him and Henry. Glenn's issues come to the surface as she critiques his art, replaces his wardrobe, scrubs their dungeon, and recalls his childhood. Later, Glenn tries to sell his signature to a UPS driver, takes a punch, and has some daydreaming adventures with a plunger. Henry, "a loud guy with a good work ethic," shows his darker side and indifference to a fan as he drinks black coffee and bonds with Glenn over their distaste for their own bands. These are two men who truly suffer best alone together. Among other hijinks, Henry and Glenn go to therapy together, battle an evil cult in the forest, and profess their love for each other, all while dealing with jealousy and other normal relationship problems and trying to figure out if their soft-rocking neighbors are actually Dungeons and Dragons playing Satanists. The saga of Henry and Glenn is a true testament to the power of love to overcome even the biggest, manliest egos of our time. The book collects four serialized comics, the trade paperback, the original 6x6" book, and adds 16 never-before published pages, including new stories, pin up art, and full color covers from the original series. Even bigger update: We're now offering the new hardcover with a signed and numbered dust jacket in a limited edition of 1,000! Get them before they're gone...

Xerography Debt #41

"We are here because art, creating, and communication are forms of resistance. We are here because we are not one lone voice screaming into the night. And neither are you." begins this issue of Xerography Debt. In a time of political upheaval and personal problems, zines are here to deliver you to a powerful destination of meaning, purpose, and fascinatingly unique subject matter. Xerography Debt is amazing!" proclaims SeaGreenZines. Since 1999, Davida Gypsy Breier's community-building zine formula in Xerography Debt might be best summarized as an obsession for all involved. Billy da Bling Bunny Roberts recently said "It's the glue that holds the zine community together." Maintaining three issues per year, the 40th issue of Xerography Debt is still the same ol' charming personality, allowing a hand-picked cast of contributors to wax philosophical about the zines they love. In an age of blogs and tweets, Xerography Debt is a beautiful, earnest anachronism, a publication that seems to come from a different era, but is firmly entrenched in the now. And they want to review your zines in future issues, send to: Davida Gypsy Breier / Glen Arm, MD 21057 P.S. True lovers of Xerography Debt can subscribe to the next six issues!

Henry & Glenn Adult Activity & Coloring Book

Love is so metal. Get pumped on inspirational love with the coloring book of the century, celebrating the romance of the millennium: Henry & Glenn Forever. Bust out your rainbow crayons and make your own mark on the ongoing story of two tough men learning to express their emotions, together.

Support

Support encourages everyone to take a step back, listen, think, and talk about sex, consent, violence, and abuse. If you or someone you know have ever been assaulted or victimized, how to be an ally can be confusing. These words and the connection they offer can help. With ideas and encouragement to help yourself and others cope with, prevent, and end sexual violence and abuse, this collection of personal experiences, advice, guest articles, and comic excerpts wants to help.

Biketopia

In a world with an uncertain future, do you imagine for the best or for the worst case scenario? Twelve writers tackle extreme utopias and dystopias—and the grey areas in between—in Biketopia, the fourth volume of the Bikes in Space series of feminist science fiction stories about bicycling. Some find love and fierce resistance in the end times; others imagine an ecological future of saving technology, with solarpunk ecotopian visions, at times paired with crushing social control. Whatever your own future or present reality, these stories will motivate and inspire you to envision something different... and maybe even better.

Bikes in Space

A powerful tribute to feminist sci-fi about bicycles, this zine gravitates away from the unfortunately-traditional macho heroes, hurtling through space with giant guns, ready to protect and/or tame their scantily clad space babe. These authors' visions of the future are populated by strong, intelligent, empowered women with complex personalities. And it was a vision apparently shared by many: It's the largest issue of TTL yet! Help us fend off this space shark attack in style! Ieeeee!

Learning Good Consent

Curated by Doris editor Cindy Crabb, Learning Good Consent looks at the culture of sexual consent from a standpoint which is both sexy and educational. During the course of 46 pages, Cindy and friends create a well-rounded consent workshop, with all sites set on healing and helping. In the midst of rape culture, "blurred lines," and troubled relationships with power and boundaries, Consent has your back. As says Cindy in the zine's intro, "Talking about our experiences with consent, our struggles, our mistakes and how we've learned, these are part of a much larger revolutionary struggle."

Punkscription

Subscribe to all of Microcosm's music books, as they come out. Scene histories, punk memoirs, journalism and cultural commentary about DIY music, in-depth looks at record labels... you'll get 'em all.

Good Life BFF

Your sustainable living toolkit! Subscribe to all of our most popular books, as they come out: Cookbooks, DIY project books, books about healthy relationships, bicycling, fermenting, building, mending, growing, and generally living the life you want in every way.

Business of Publishing

Here's how to make books like we do: Profit & Loss Statement / MetaData / Am I Stealing Your Art? / Title Development / How to Pitch Your Book / How to Pack Books / The Economic Case for Traditional Format Offset Printing  / Distribution Question (with infographic) / The Print Run / Working with The Printer / Formatting for Print / Organizing a book tour / Social Media for Authors / Self-Promotion for Authors / What a Publisher Does / Paralleling the Dinosaurs / An overview

Microcosm In Your Town!

We're on the road! A lot. Find us!

• • September 30 & October 1: Geek Girl Con, Seattle
  • October 13-15: Look for our brightly colored table at the Vancouver Art Book Fair
  • October 14-15: We'll have vegan cookbooks and more at Portland VegFest at the Oregon Convention Center
  • November 4-5: Jet City Comic Show, Tacoma, WA
  • November 11: We're returning to Wordstock, Portland's wonderful celebration of bookishness
  • November 19: Howard Zinn Book Fair, San Francisco
  • November 25: Deluxe Winter Market, a huge and wonderful gift and craft fair in in Oklahoma City
  • December: Bike Craft

If you’re planning an event and want us to be part of it (speaking, author readings, movie screening, book and t-shirt slinging, etc) please let us know!!

• Check out these photos from tabling!
• Put Your Road Rage to the Page Tour 2018 w/ Joshua Ploeg (This Ain't No Picnic), Joe Biel (Good Trouble / Aftermass), and Elly Blue (Bikenomics)

Calling for submissions for the Scene History series!

Are you stoked about the history of your town? Do you find out interesting nuggets by talking to those who came before you or by scouting out details on Google and Wikipedia? Do you want a reason to hunt out some people you respect and fill in the gaps? Well, the Scene History series is an opportunity to do just that. Like our Simple History Series, we will publish a paperback each year of the Scene History series that tell the story of a particular city's scene. (the series does not profile individuals, albums, or bands, but really must be framed around a real scene, no fiction!) Suggested length is 15,000-30,000 words. Get as creative as you find gratifying. Learn about your favorite places and how things developed. Check out the existing Scene Histories here! Submit or ask questions to joe at microcosmpublishing daht com

BFF Book Subscription

Be our Best Friend Forever (BFF)! For 6 months you'll receive every new title we publish. The subscription is sliding scale price $10-30/month, and you can either pay in one sum upfront here or pay-as-you-go here. Thanks for your support!  Google+