Caro Berry

Overall Experience

Pretty in Punk is run by Caro Berry, who — and I judge this based solely on correspondence over Etsy — is just about the best shop owner on Etsy. I present the following as evidence:

#1 I ordered zines from Pretty in Punk. They didn’t arrive. Quite some time after ordering, I contacted Caro via Etsy. They didn’t chew me out about why it took me so long to say something (I live on crip time; I have other priorities). At some point shortly after contacting them, they let me know that customs had returned my zines to them with no explanation. They were very nice and deeply apologetic. They offered to ship them out again, but without tracking as the price of tracking is so expensive. I therefore bought additional zines from Caro, this time with tracking, because they publish important material that I want to read (and I’d like to make sure they arrive!).

#2 When my new packet of zines arrived, I opened it to find beautiful packaging! The zines were encased in what I think was vellum, which was sealed by a Pretty in Punk sticker. I’ve never received zines packaged with so much care to detail and aesthetic before. I was very impressed.

#3 I was also sent a personalized, handwritten thank-you note (with striking penmanship!), in addition to a zine and stickers that I didn’t order. Great freebies! Thank you, Caro!

#4 The zines are made with detail and care on high quality, thick unbleached recycled paper (except the covers, which are dyed). They are stapled together evenly, which pleases my neurodivergent need for order/organization. The thickness of the pages makes them easier for my painful, slightly less-dexterous-than-average hands to hold the zines and turn the pages. Most of the zines have numbered pages which I greatly appreciate for adding the details to my LibraryThing account, but mostly for when I reference ideas or quotes in my own writing. They all have a great layout of the text mixed with background imagery that does not take away from the text.

Small Concerns

#1 Only one of the five zines has a publication date. The others don’t even have publication years. As an amateur archivist (see aforementioned LibraryThing account), having the date of publication is very important. It allows readers (and archivists) to know when in “history” the zine was written and/or printed, which helps to put it into a larger context of social understanding.

#2 I find the Open Dyslexic Alta font a little difficult to read, particularly the lowercase letter ‘a’, and also because the words printed on the pages aren’t particularly dark (in other words, they aren’t in high enough contrast against the color of the page for me to easily read). The lightness of the printing makes some of the letters difficult for me to discern.

#3 On the cover of my freebie zine, Privilege and Prejudice, is printed the name “Jean Sunate.” From reading the zine, the zine is clearly written by Caro. In the Pretty in Punk listing for the zine, there is no mention of Jean Sunate. When I ran a web search, I could find no reference to this name. So I’m very curious as to why it’s on the cover of this zine.… (mehr)

A 20-page quarter zine with not a lot of text, which makes the content’s basic concepts very easy to follow. If you’re new to herbalism and magick and are looking for a brief introduction, this might be a good start. While the zine does describe how to make infusions, it provides no guidance on how much of what herb to use for which purpose, leaving it to readers to find what works best for them. The zine focuses more on how to use infusions in spells or rituals; it shines in its many examples of ways that magick, through infusions and intentional practices, can be mixed into the mundane.

Overall Experience

Pretty in Punk is run by Caro Berry, who — and I judge this based solely on correspondence over Etsy — is just about the best shop owner on Etsy. I present the following as evidence:

#1 I ordered zines from Pretty in Punk. They didn’t arrive. Quite some time after ordering, I contacted Caro via Etsy. They didn’t chew me out about why it took me so long to say something (I live on crip time; I have other priorities). At some point shortly after contacting them, they let me know that customs had returned my zines to them with no explanation. They were very nice and deeply apologetic. They offered to ship them out again, but without tracking as the price of tracking is so expensive. I therefore bought additional zines from Caro, this time with tracking, because they publish important material that I want to read (and I’d like to make sure they arrive!).

#2 When my new packet of zines arrived, I opened it to find beautiful packaging! The zines were encased in what I think was vellum, which was sealed by a Pretty in Punk sticker. I’ve never received zines packaged with so much care to detail and aesthetic before. I was very impressed.

#3 I was also sent a personalized, handwritten thank-you note (with striking penmanship!), in addition to a zine and stickers that I didn’t order. Great freebies! Thank you, Caro!

#4 The zines are made with detail and care on high quality, thick unbleached recycled paper (except the covers, which are dyed). They are stapled together evenly, which pleases my neurodivergent need for order/organization. The thickness of the pages makes them easier for my painful, slightly less-dexterous-than-average hands to hold the zines and turn the pages. Most of the zines have numbered pages which I greatly appreciate for adding the details to my LibraryThing account, but mostly for when I reference ideas or quotes in my own writing. They all have a great layout of the text mixed with background imagery that does not take away from the text.

Small Concerns

#1 Only one of the five zines has a publication date. The others don’t even have publication years. As an amateur archivist (see aforementioned LibraryThing account), having the date of publication is very important. It allows readers (and archivists) to know when in “history” the zine was written and/or printed, which helps to put it into a larger context of social understanding.

#2 I find the Open Dyslexic Alta font a little difficult to read, particularly the lowercase letter ‘a’, and also because the words printed on the pages aren’t particularly dark (in other words, they aren’t in high enough contrast against the color of the page for me to easily read). The lightness of the printing makes some of the letters difficult for me to discern.… (mehr)

The introduction and ‘What to Do’ section are useful for understanding how different approaches (called “levels of participation” in the zine) are needed.

The author carefully delineates which activities may be legal gray areas or even illegal in some places, and refrains from detailing anything overtly illegal. Several good tips on security culture are included (author Berry has also written a zine specifically about security culture).

I appreciate that this zine is full of concrete tips that don’t all lead to ‘join a bloc,’ as that’s an option that won’t work for many people.

All that being said, I’m a bit old and still prefer advice such as ATR’s “Hetzjagd Auf Nazis!” Always remember, who it was that the Nazi party hunted down, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered, first (starting in February of 1933): intellectuals labeled as communists, socialists, and anarchists.

Legal actions will not keep fascism at bay as fascism rises through power, and hence, the legal systems of the world. Other tactics must be used, but for those who can’t or won’t use such methods, this zine is full of some decent ways to ‘be’ anti-fascist.

Overall Experience

Pretty in Punk is run by Caro Berry, who — and I judge this based solely on correspondence over Etsy — is just about the best shop owner on Etsy. I present the following as evidence:

#1 I ordered zines from Pretty in Punk. They didn’t arrive. Quite some time after ordering, I contacted Caro via Etsy. They didn’t chew me out about why it took me so long to say something (I live on crip time; I have other priorities). At some point shortly after contacting them, they let me know that customs had returned my zines to them with no explanation. They were very nice and deeply apologetic. They offered to ship them out again, but without tracking as the price of tracking is so expensive. I therefore bought additional zines from Caro, this time with tracking, because they publish important material that I want to read (and I’d like to make sure they arrive!).

#2 When my new packet of zines arrived, I opened it to find beautiful packaging! The zines were encased in what I think was vellum, which was sealed by a Pretty in Punk sticker. I’ve never received zines packaged with so much care to detail and aesthetic before. I was very impressed.

#3 I was also sent a personalized, handwritten thank-you note (with striking penmanship!), in addition to a zine and stickers that I didn’t order. Great freebies! Thank you, Caro!

#4 The zines are made with detail and care on high quality, thick unbleached recycled paper (except the covers, which are dyed). They are stapled together evenly, which pleases my neurodivergent need for order/organization. The thickness of the pages makes them easier for my painful, slightly less-dexterous-than-average hands to hold the zines and turn the pages. Most of the zines have numbered pages which I greatly appreciate for adding the details to my LibraryThing account, but mostly for when I reference ideas or quotes in my own writing. They all have a great layout of the text mixed with background imagery that does not take away from the text.

Small Concerns

#1 Only one of the five zines has a publication date. The others don’t even have publication years. As an amateur archivist (see aforementioned LibraryThing account), having the date of publication is very important. It allows readers (and archivists) to know when in “history” the zine was written and/or printed, which helps to put it into a larger context of social understanding.

#2 I find the Open Dyslexic Alta font a little difficult to read, particularly the lowercase letter ‘a’, and also because the words printed on the pages aren’t particularly dark (in other words, they aren’t in high enough contrast against the color of the page for me to easily read). The lightness of the printing makes some of the letters difficult for me to discern.… (mehr)

The tips are mixed with anecdotes from author Caro Berry about their own experiences; each tip corresponds to an anecdote — a lesson personally learned by the author. The overall lesson is that we must try to take care of ourselves — not just our physical health, but also our mental and social health — to remain in good enough shape to keep ourselves in business. From setting boundaries with others to the importance of eating three meals per day, this zine covers a great deal of firsthand experience. I think it would benefit from a companion zine (edited by Berry or someone else), wherein other self-employed spoonies (who have chronic illnesses and disabilities) share their own knowledge via brief anecdotes and tips, as the disabled experience is not a universal one.

Overall Experience

Pretty in Punk is run by Caro Berry, who — and I judge this based solely on correspondence over Etsy — is just about the best shop owner on Etsy. I present the following as evidence:

#1 I ordered zines from Pretty in Punk. They didn’t arrive. Quite some time after ordering, I contacted Caro via Etsy. They didn’t chew me out about why it took me so long to say something (I live on crip time; I have other priorities). At some point shortly after contacting them, they let me know that customs had returned my zines to them with no explanation. They were very nice and deeply apologetic. They offered to ship them out again, but without tracking as the price of tracking is so expensive. I therefore bought additional zines from Caro, this time with tracking, because they publish important material that I want to read (and I’d like to make sure they arrive!).

#2 When my new packet of zines arrived, I opened it to find beautiful packaging! The zines were encased in what I think was vellum, which was sealed by a Pretty in Punk sticker. I’ve never received zines packaged with so much care to detail and aesthetic before. I was very impressed.

#3 I was also sent a personalized, handwritten thank-you note (with striking penmanship!), in addition to a zine and stickers that I didn’t order. Great freebies! Thank you, Caro!

#4 The zines are made with detail and care on high quality, thick unbleached recycled paper (except the covers, which are dyed). They are stapled together evenly, which pleases my neurodivergent need for order/organization. The thickness of the pages makes them easier for my painful, slightly less-dexterous-than-average hands to hold the zines and turn the pages. Most of the zines have numbered pages which I greatly appreciate for adding the details to my LibraryThing account, but mostly for when I reference ideas or quotes in my own writing. They all have a great layout of the text mixed with background imagery that does not take away from the text.

Small Concerns

#1 Only one of the five zines has a publication date. The others don’t even have publication years. As an amateur archivist (see aforementioned LibraryThing account), having the date of publication is very important. It allows readers (and archivists) to know when in “history” the zine was written and/or printed, which helps to put it into a larger context of social understanding.

#2 I find the Open Dyslexic Alta font a little difficult to read, particularly the lowercase letter ‘a’, and also because the words printed on the pages aren’t particularly dark (in other words, they aren’t in high enough contrast against the color of the page for me to easily read). The lightness of the printing makes some of the letters difficult for me to discern.… (mehr)