The Reluctant Famulus #88
46 pages / full letter
In the not too distant past, “Liberal Arts” was not a dirty
word in education. Students navigated courses in literature, fine arts, civics,
history and received degrees in subjects like English. Graduates were expected
to be well-rounded, able to think critically, and use language in both precise
and creative ways.
The Reluctant Famulus seems perfect reading for just such a
demographic and includes a wide range of informative articles. Editor Thomas D.
Sadler opens this issue with a brief retrospective on Ray Bradbury which morphs
into a retrospective on the alleged UFO crash in Roswell 65 years ago. Gene Stewart narrates
his road trip adventures. The earliest British commune (c. 1821) is the subject
of an essay by Geoff Lardner-Burke titled “Attempts at Utopia: The Cooperative
and Economical Society”. Alfred D. Byrd contributes a wonderful article lifting
the veil on the mythology surrounding Daniel Boone. Matt Howard recounts a
visit by Maurice Sendak to Indianapolis
and discusses the progression of the author’s writing & art. The Reluctant
Famulus has a generous letters section from many of the contributors and
others.
The variety of writing presented in The Reluctant Famulus
reminds me of why I love zines. Contributors share both their knowledge and
passion for their chosen subjects. The essays are expansive, unencumbered, the
antithesis of work-shopped / focus-grouped publications. There is a science fiction
undercurrent but it does not dominate threads and themes explored. Thomas D.
Sadler states on the frontispiece “TRF may be obtained for The Usual but
especially in return for written material and artwork, postage costs, The
Meaning of Life and Editorial Whim.” Indeed.
The Reluctant Famulus 89
The Reluctant Famulus 89
Calling all polymaths - I’m happy to report that the quality of this zine continues in Issue 89. Editor Thomas D. Sadler delves further into the realities and fictions of the Roswell UFO incident of 1947. Geoff Lardner-Burke explores more attempts at Utopia from the 1820’s.Eric Barraclough writes about Canadian folk icon Stan Rogers. The letters section is in-depth as the main essays in The Reluctant Famulus. Where have I been for the first 87 issues?!?
2 comments:
Hey, DJ Frederick. I wanted to let you know I've picked up two of your podcast reviews (Bookstore Thief 2 and Dear You) to play on KPFK radio tomorrow night in LA. My show is "Indymedia On Air" and it's at 8:30 pm. Livestream at kpfk.org.
Keep up the great work!
--Bronwyn
Thank you for including One Minute Zine Reviews ... it's an honor to be broadcast on kpfa.
Post a Comment