ISSUE ONE // WINTER 2015
our inaugural issue features the work of eighteen contributors and traverses a spectrum of uncomfortable experiences that happen to be female. through essays, poetry, and photography, SELFISH digs into the sensitive moments that build us up and knock us down, often times again and again. issue one debuted at Printed Matter's LA Art Book Fair 2015 at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, and tabled at the LA Zine Fest and the Philadelphia Art Book Fair.
issue one is sold out online but can still be found in certain brick and mortar bookshops.
scroll down or click to check out some content from ISSUE ONE:
Jenna Arak is a writer, editor, and denizen of any bookstore's self-help section. Her writing has been featured on Salon, Thought Catalog, The Everygirl, The Muse, and more. She is also the editor of Career Contessa's CC Daily blog. She lives and writes in Pasadena.
A. Nicole Kelly is a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow and the co-founder of Summer Commune, a diverse temporary intentional community that takes place somewhere in North America biennially. She has been published by Matador Network and Yr An Adult, and her fiction has appeared in Drunken Boat, ZYZZYVA, and Carolina Quarterly.
Alys Velazquez is a Brooklyn-based writer focusing on poetry and short prose. She aims to create brutal yet tender work dripping with drugs, sex, shame and dark humor. She spends much of her time on both sides of the bar, haunting used bookstores and photographing her breakfast.
Kelsey Nolan lives and writes in Los Angeles. She received her Master’s in Professional Writing from USC and writes for various trade publications as well as Brit + Co. Her favorite things include burritos, bottom shelf wine, audiobooks and tiny things.
Isabella Bejarano is a Venezuelan fashion photographer based in New York City. Her work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Pause Magazine, and Fucking Young, and has been used for Oakland Surf Club, Phiren, and Retrofit Republic.
The Desert Beaver is a writer and artist living in Los Angeles. For the last two years she has been working on web-based interactive essays and fictional works that can be viewed mostly at night on her website, where you can also find photos of her meta diary and film reviews. Her other creative endeavors can be seen on Sound Cloud and on YouTube.
Kara Jorgensen is an author and MFA student from New Jersey who will probably die slumped over a Victorian novel. Her first historical fantasy novel, The Earl of Brass, was published in June with book two, The Winter Garden, coming out in 2015. You can find her on twitter and facebook.
Taylor Evelyn Yates is a writer, lover, baby-sitter, daughter, talker, creative, philosopher, and friend. She is studying fiction writing at Columbia College Chicago, working as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble, and trying to be an active and aware participant in this wonderfully terrible thing we never ask to be a part of called life.
Yuiko Sugino is an illustrator and graphic designer, born in Japan and living in Los Angeles. Her work has been published by numerous institutions, including the Japanese American National Museum and Consiglio Regionale della Toscana located in Florence, Italy. Much of her creative inspiration comes from vibrant colors and nature – both scenic and human.
Rachel Hochhauser is a writer living in Los Angeles. A graduate of USC's Masters in Professional Writing program, she’s been published by the likes of The Daily Beast, The Date Report, Connu, and Per Contra. Recently, she finished her first novel, which is—fittingly—about wine.
As a professional violinist and composer, Chrysanthe Tan tours internationally and composes music for chamber ensembles, film, and dance. She recently completed her MFA in Creative Writing at CalArts, and her work has been published in places like Dum Dum Zine, The Volta 365, and Next Words. She is currently the Communications Editor of Black Clock Magazine. Find her on twitter, instagram, and facebook.
Becky May is an editorial assistant for a trade publication in Los Angeles. She also freelances for Guerrero Howe writing profiles for C-level executives. Becky earned her BA in journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia. Despite her lack of photography skills she enjoys taking pictures. Like the saying goes, “pics or it didn’t happen.”
Jenn Northington has worked in books since 2004, as a bookseller and events planner. She's also the co-founder of the Bookrageous podcast and a freelance writer and reviewer.
Lauren Crew is a photographer with an eye for making meaning out of the mundane elements of our ever-changing lifestyles. She has an MFA from the Academy of Art University in SF. She has worked with Phosphene Magazine, Fuse, the Bold Italic, and National Geographic Photo Camp. See more of her photos on insta and tumblr.
Taylor Lauren Yates is a writer, editor, and native Angeleno with an eye for all things occultist. Along with running SELFISH, she is Development Director of DUM DUM Zine, where her other work can be found. Sleeping on Karen O’s old four-poster bed frame gives her magical powers.
Christina Wolfgram likes cuddling her Master’s degree in professional writing from USC. She recently worked with Los Angeles Magazine to launch their first ever car culture blog, L.A. Driver. Her work can be found on The Hairpin, xoJane, BuzzFeed, Refinery29, FunnyorDie, YouTube, and—once—in one of Russell Crowe’s tweets. Follow her on twitter and instagram.
Alex Martin grew up in the Los Angeles area and currently lives in Pasadena, CA, where she works for A Room of Her Own Foundation to support creative women. She received her BA in Religious Studies from Stanford University and is currently pursuing her MFA in Poetry at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Alex has had poems published in Pirene’s Fountain, Presence Journal, Peel Pages, and others.
Molly Cranna is a Los Angeles-based photographer. She specializes in portraits, beauty, and still lifes, with an emphasis on interesting people doing interesting things. She has worked with Refinery29, Glamour, Bon Appetit, More Magazine, Elle China, and Travel + Leisure.
