Zinester Spotlight: Storyteller Walker Lee on Fossils, Nature Appreication and Squatting

Written by A. Iwasa

A spotlight and review of three different zines by West Coast author and gem miner Walker Lee that discuss squatting, nature appreciation, and more.

"The Context" & "The Cave"
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From Christiania in Copenhagen, Denmark to Slab City in Southern California, Walker Lee writes about the philosophies, legality and actual practice of squatting up to and including "two glorious months at an abandon[ed] beach resort in Thailand."  This is "The Context," the title of  slightly more than half of a flip 'zine, the kind of ‘zine  you turn backwards and upside down to see another cover and text, in this case, "The Cave" being the second, shorter section of the ‘zine.
 
"The Cave" is a very detailed description of a cave Lee squatted in Bisbe, Arizona.  The cave is also an entrance to an abandoned gold mine.  Lee gets into the history around it including the severe exploitation of Chinese laborers and genocide of Native Americans.  The rocks, wild life, weather and plants are described as Walker and his dog Ramona explore both the mine and the surrounding hillsides.
 
"The Context" is 46 pages and literally ends with "The Cave," but you'll have to flip the ‘zine over and upside down to read "The Cave" to see how it ends.  The 'zine is tiny, 4"x4", but printed on nice paper with a single color, card stock cover.
 
The 'zine is all text, and I'm impressed with how Walker uses words to describe what he easily could have used a few pictures to instead, but making you feel things by their description rather than just seeing them.
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Reach out to Lee for a copy:  [email protected] ​

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​"Sasquatch Scouts:  Unofficial Scouting Manual 2021"

Reading this as an ex-Cub and Boy Scout turned adult forest defender who is equally cynical about both scouting and forest defense, I loved it.  In my heart of hearts, I’m  still hoping to figure out a way to relate to land that is not exploitative, and this seemed to have a nice balance between actual appreciation and not mean spirited humor that both scouts and "radical" environmentalists both lack, for the most part, in my experience in the U.S.
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The first page of the ‘zine says, “So, you wanna be a sasquatch scout?  Congratulations!  You’re a scout master!  Welcome to the wide world of sasquatch scouts:  the non-hierarchal, all ages, scouting disorganization, where everyone’s a scout master!”  What follows is in this vain, reminiscent of CrimethInc. circa 2001:  ideas for games, merit badges, gatherings, and what not.

This might just be the part of me that wanted to join the Flat Earth Society when I thought it was a joke writing (not to mention a childhood obsession with the paranormal!), but sometimes trying to have a sense of humor about things is the only thing that keeps me relatively sane.  Who wants to start a southern Arizona Sasquatch Scouts troop?
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​Please don't pre-judge the 'zine by the website, it's still under construction:
​ http://sasquatchscouts.org

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"Ammonite"

Part of a series Lee is doing for his Patreon supporters where he tells the factual (at least in this case!) story of a fossil or rock, and includes a sample of the fossil or mineral!  Epic cover art by Morgan Singer.

Join Lee' Patreon to join this zine and mineral subscription:
​http://patreon.com/walkerlee​