a collaborative zine
modern venus modern venus is a cross-zine collaborative project on love, loss, and relationships in the digital era. as modern venus touches on themes of sexual identity and liberation, all profits for this zine go directly to the funding of planned parenthood here in the united states. this project is also run through the creative zine coalition (CZC), a philanthropic, non-profit zine community dedicated to creating a connected community of independent publications while also using art as a tool for activism. thank you to all the incredible creatives who have helped bring this zine from the screen to the page - their dedication, artistry, and tenacity to this project is what truly encapsulates what modern venus is all about.
editor-in-chief + art director czc co-founders contributors
savannah eden bradley shelby brown + savannah eden bradley alex comeau kaitlin browne
adele lukusa lauren hunt lua portugal chloĂŤ lalonde zoie harmon hannah adelle zerkalou payge stanley
kreena taluban elodie graf kari lau simone timol lizzy yarwood cia mangat cecelia connelly anna skahill
www.creativezinecoalition.com
contents 05
PERFECT VIOLET 10
WITHIN MY OWN HEAD 14
HARD CANDY 24
GENERATIONAL SYNTHETIC 28
SELF-LOVE 32
RAFFY 61
PARTY GIRL photo by lua portugal
a playlist for sometimes / by your side / to be alone with you / mi negrita / where do you go to (my lovely) / just like honey / this must be the place / heaven's on fire / how can i tell him / step / if she wants me / fade into you / space song / from eden / 01
a poem by lizzy yarwood
Two peeps meet say sweet things maybe they’ll be the other’s baby blush to say they met on bumble bramble thorns because we’ve sworn to ourselves for centuries that spontaneous meets are the foundations of love from which fountains of romance spout for a mo can we go to the dire straits of dumb dates where I leave feeling grim and glum forced conversations clots of casual sexism never ever wanting to kiss this is taking the piss sticking my neck out can make me sick it’s not always a laughing matter matey mating dating hating
Issue 27 | 234
photo by lua portugal
02
piece by zoie harmon
03
04
05
06
06
07
08
09
by shelby brown
Everyone deserves some type of love,
It's like you need someone to take all of that from
companionship, reassurance, closure, etc. and
you so they feel the affects of the overflow and
when you have all those things to offer, it becomes
can hold it, hopefully carefully, because who
overwhelming as to who you choose to give it to--
knows, you may be one of the many or few
like you just want to give it all away already but
people who genuinely wants the best and the
you're still cautious and conscious of who you
greatest for someone you find a deep interest in,
choose to give it all to because it's still definitely
for the someone you think is totally worth it, but
treasurable, precious and special, especially
only if it's reciprocated-- it's best when it's
coming from someone like you-- someone who's
reciprocated-- nothing is more beautiful than the
lonesome but maintains wholesome and is working
deepest and best of feelings and intentions being
to keep it that way, so they have the ability to fall
a two way street-- and it's actually kind of
for someone but remain standing-- their ground--
difficult to vocalize your wishes and hopes when
like-- in selfishness, you just want to make someone
people don’t know what you're capable of the
feel important because those few times-- enough
things you plan to pursue, especially when it's a
to count on one hand-- that you felt important, it
side you don't like to expose or don't really think
felt riveting, it felt worth it, sweet, gracious, pure,
it's necessary to expose, especially to people
filling, etc.-- it's not a means of bragging but
who don’t need to worry about it-- so you do
acknowledging your good qualities in such a
welcome everything with open arms, an open
sensitive but overplayed subject-- and this is also
mind and an open heart because you want
where you tell yourself to hold back knowing how
someone to get a sense of who you are in that
you have mixed emotions and lost control of
way, what you have to offer, what you can do,
wearing your heart on your fucking sleeve-- defying
how you act, think, feel, speak, and all that lies in
the modern day view of love and it's signs and
between-- and you can't and won't force yourself
qualifications, you continue to love the way you
into someone's liking (changing yourself for
naturally and purely do, no classes or sweet talk
someone) -- find someone who will admire ,
required-- it's all you.
adore, and appreciate you deeply-- I fucking know, I know you crave it
10
"black love" - piece by adele lukusa
so bad and even when you think you've found it, patience and time will always benefit you.
With a life that you're living it's essential to meet and come across a ton of people, because we fill the voids and spaces of this planet so we come across and interact with one another, and to come across one person of the many you've faced, and find something special in them is certainly beautiful and to want affection, attention, appreciation, admiration, love, care, and all that quintessential shit is perfectly okay to want and crave and feel and have as if we are all here for a while and so why not connect with someone deeply in the midst of literally everything-- plus, actually you may not be able to control it, to handle it, to stop yourself so your mind controls it‌
11
12
piece by zoie harmon
13
19
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