The Small Press Fest, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

I’m excited to share that I’ll be delivering the keynote address, Slow Media, Shared Spaces: The Role of Print in Community, at this year’s Small Press Fest at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. Organized by the UC–IMC Zine Library, Will Arnold, and a dedicated team of faculty, students, and volunteers, the event celebrates small press publishing, zine culture, and community-based creativity.

My talk will explore how print operates as both a slow medium—encouraging reflection, care, and connection—and as a shared space that builds and sustains creative networks. Drawing on projects such as Flatlands Press, ZINEmercado, The Love Fridge Chicago, and the Chicago Printers Guild, I’ll reflect on how collaborative publishing and DIY printing can foster collective action and mutual support.

Looking forward to joining such a dynamic community of artists, designers, and independent publishers to celebrate the many ways print continues to shape how we share, organize, and imagine together.