Courtesy of Miriam Delgado.
On Nov. 13, the Old Firehouse Books bookstore unveiled “A Guide Before You Die:” a zine of short stories authored by the bookstore’s creative writing group.
The event was a chance for the group to come together and celebrate completing the project. The premiere included a display of the zine and snacks for those who stopped by. Those interested in the booklet at the release party could scan a QR code and donate so that the group could continue to produce work.
The theme of the book was brought to the table by members, alongside other ideas, and won in a majority vote. The core message of the zine was what happens in the time leading up to death and how to use the experience to its fullest.
Originally, the group came together via a monthly workshop for Old Firehouse members to stretch their literary knowledge with the help of other writers. But this soon changed after Miriam Delgado took over the leadership role from a friend of hers, and Delgado decided she wanted to add a new spin to the workshop.
Delgado said that when she was in middle school, a teacher encouraged her students to write by putting together a booklet of their years of work. Delgado said she believed that having a solid goal made her and other members more motivated to write than before.
The release party was a significant part of the group completing their goal, as it gave everyone a moment to feel proud of their accomplishment. Every member of the group took the theme in unique directions that connected to something they found important.
One member, Joe Drungil, wrote “Death on Mars,” which explores a far future where the last humans live on Mars.
Drungil said the priority of society in the story is survival and stratification, but noted that “it’s really a story about queer identity, … (and) also me exploring a take on queer resistance.”
“Putting out this zine and then releasing it in a place with a physical location with a little party to get together is really affirming.” -Gabrielle Bleu, “A Guide Before You Die” contributor
Drungil’s parents attended the event in support. His mother, Carol Drungil, said she had never encountered a zine before but was excited to read a booklet full of “a variety of different voices and styles.”
Joe Drungil said he thought the new project-driven style of the group was a good motivator for finishing one of his works. He appreciated the local business for giving people opportunities to share and practice their skills.
Gabrielle Bleu was another contributor to the zine as well as a longtime member of the Old Firehouse Books creative writing group. They joined soon after moving to Fort Collins and had regularly published their work in anthology collections. They said it can sometimes feel as if they are sending stories into the void due to the lack of human responses outside of minor online engagement.
Bleu said that in their experience, places with the resources to create a physical product are rare to come by. For authors like them, this event was special.
“Putting out this zine and then releasing it in a place with a physical location with a little party to get together is really affirming,” Bleu said.
The zine allowed for a sense of community, and Bleu said they gravitated to Firehouse specifically because of its accepting atmosphere.
“I’ve been in groups sometimes that feel very backbite-y,” Bleu said. “Here it felt more instructive at all points in time, and when we were doing edits, it felt like we were all in it together.”
Most people involved in the zine’s creation enjoy writing within the fiction genre, specifically science fiction, fantasy and horror stories. Bleu is included in that group, as their story, “Death’s Coming,” was inspired by games like World of Warcraft. It tells a story of a video game that was left alone for too long and achieved sentience, making its own player character to try and figure out what happened and find a way out.
Bleu said everyone should try to be creative and find a community to be creative in.
“I appreciate that Old Firehouse is here to do that and that there are several other places in Fort Collins that foster those kinds of groups,” Bleu said.
Reach Maiya Kreamer at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.