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Message Issue 8An art and creative writing collaboration NOVEMBER 2024collide

TABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction .......................................................................................................................1Joy is the Spinach in Your Teeth - Maya Workowski ..................................2Fragile Cat - Lauren Mohr ........................................................................................3Holy Trinity (Mind, Body, Spirit) - James Anthony Mariano .................4Good Sounds - Katie Dempsey ................................................................................5Santa Catastrophe: Patron Saint Of Calamity - Niki DelRossi ............6There is a Fear - Kirsten Youngren .......................................................................7Seeds - Lea Perry .............................................................................................................8Preservatives - Sani Knox .........................................................................................9Trinity - Lindsey Gill ....................................................................................................10Jesus, the Son of Esther and Ruth and Mary - Lillien Cirino ................ 11March 06, 2024 - Sami Aziz .......................................................................................14You Noticed - Hillary Steinberg .............................................................................. 15Rollercoaster - Taegen Swanson ........................................................................... 16Katie Didn’t Do It - Sheldon Kleeman..................................................................17Longwood Tree House - Sarah O’Brien .............................................................18Come Back - Annabelle Chipps ..............................................................................19Creator Spotlight: Gigi LoVond .............................................................................20LOVE - Gigi LoVond........................................................................................................21Allow Yourself To Love Yourself - Vincent Bush ..........................................22Shaolin Complacency - Jake Kaplan ...................................................................23All in One Breath - Ariel Monroe ...........................................................................24Divine Cosmology - Dan Kiselev ............................................................................25Loom - Lex .......................................................................................................................... 26Helpful News Headlines For the Socially Awkward - Brianna Benozich ..............................................................................................27Creator Spotlight: Judy Ha ....................................................................................... 28Not in Service - Judy Ha ..............................................................................................30I Want To Go Right There - Jihan A. Thomas....................................................32The Grape Street Face Painter - Daniel Barry ...............................................33Faggot In Love - Reid E.M. Golden ........................................................................34Cherry Pop Gurlz - Anthony Covert .....................................................................35Sipping Signicantly Through the Impure Kaleidoscope - Rashan Speller ...................................................................................................36Cigarette on the Rocks - Katie Dempsey ...........................................................37Skull Tree - Olivia Smith ............................................................................................38Haunted House - Rowan Mucci .............................................................................39

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PATREON SUBSCRIBERSSPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PATREON SUBSCRIBERSJoin for just $3 per month to get exclusive offers on upcoming events, digital downloads, and more!STEVEN SHIMJOHN CORRIGANCYNTHIA VAN GOLENSTACEY GILLKATHLEEN MULKERINBECCA DENT HANAGAN• Lot 49 • A Novel Idea • Partners and Son • Wooden Shoe Books• Jade Forest• Pretty Green Terrariums • Long in the Tooth Records• Latchkey Records• Nice Things Handmade• Launderette• Brooke Lanier Fine Art• People’s Gallery Project• Philadelphia Small Works• Stitch and DestroyTo all our business partners:Thank You!Thank You!The Best Little Boy in the World! - Viv Verducci ...........................................41Medusa - Susannah Foos ...........................................................................................42Dominance - Samantha Slaven ...............................................................................43An Email From Jeff - Ben Saff ..................................................................................44Deer Organs - Julia E. Cooke .....................................................................................45In This Moment - Becca Dent Hanagan ............................................................. 46Black-Eyed Memories - All Different Shapes + Sizes .................................47Contributors ...................................................................................................................... 49Creators ................................................................................................................................54Collide Literary MagazineIssue 8Published November 2024Cover: "Floor is Lava" by Gigi LoVond

Dear Readers,In 2022 I discovered a new way to connect with the artistic community I had lost after my college years and Covid 19. Something called “open mics” where poets gathered to share their stories. I became entranced by the way these people would share their whole hearts and dreams, their pain, and their raw experiences on stage to a group of strangers through notes from their phone or journals. It brought me back to my humanity after a year of lockdown. It lit a re in me to do something that brought people together again through art and poetry. I felt inspired again, but I needed to nd a way to connect the two that was a collaborative effort across disciplines.That is how Collide zine was born. Now, just two years later, we have printed seven issues, and published over 250 artists and writers. Collide has become not just a zine but a thriving community in its own right, with its own open mics, art shows, and gatherings. It has always been a huge accomplishment to make every issue, and with every issue we learn something new through the process. To all the artists, writers, poets, musicians, and local businesses that have supported us through Collide’s early stages. Katie and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts—you are the backbone of this project, and we would have stopped printing Collide at this point if it hadn't been for your endless encouragement, donations, and constructive feedback.Our mission remains the same:Every artist is valid. Every creative person deserves to be seen.With love,Lindsey Gill & Katie Dempsey Editors and CreatorsWant to be Want to be in our next in our next issue?issue? Scan here Scan here to apply!to apply!qINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION1

JOY IS THE SPINACH IN YOUR TEETHJOY IS THE SPINACH IN YOUR TEETHMAYA WORKOWSKIMAYA WORKOWSKIIt existed in the curl of his meow. I didn’t pick him up because because I have only held a cat three times in my life. My joy would have been pink and too enormous for a shtown apartment. I would have wanted him so much that that sun would have killed the silence I call home. People might think that’s strange, that I want something I’ve never had before. I think it’s strange. How embarrassing, to want something and let other people see. How child-in-the-sandbox of me. How juicebox of me. But perhaps a man has held a child twice in his whole life, and then at thirty a switch ips and he is a father. I would name him Juniper, I decided in that moment, that moment of touching his paw with my nger. By “it” I meant joy.2

FRAGILE CATFRAGILE CATLAUREN MOHRLAUREN MOHR3

MARCH 06, 2024MARCH 06, 2024SAMI AZIZSAMI AZIZ

No one has noticed my bodyin so longthat it falls apart under the weight of your gazelike one of those retro toyswhere you press up the bottomand the tension slacksand the gure collapses to the ground,boneless.You do not care about the supercialbut I break outlike I am allergic to adoration.I had learned to love my body for what it does for me,where it takes me,how it keeps up with me,but I am learning to love itfor what it does for you.No one has noticed my tendernessin so longthat I forgot it could be for someone else.I worried that you would think me heartlesslike the Tin Manwhen I shook off the rustbut you just saw sparks.YOU NOTICEDYOU NOTICEDHILLARY STEINBERGHILLARY STEINBERGI associate excitement with vulnerability with weaknessand my ability to feel goodis edgling.Your undiluted reverence for megives me permission to lose myself in you.No one has noticed any need to be gentle with mein so longthat I had forgotten how to unclench my jawbut I am practicing to unhinge itto drink in your compassion.I feel my agefor the rst time.You don’t mind the callouses that emergedas a symptom of myeldest daughter syndrome.You bring a softness that melts meout of my rough edgesso that I have hope to click into place with you.No one noticednot even meso I am learning who I ambathed in your attention.15

What does Collide Zine mean to you?So I believe me and Collide started around the same time! 2020! Howev-er, I didn’t really hit the Philly scene until 2021! The rst person I met was Lindsey Gill and she had just started the zine. She introduced me to more opportunities, and we did shows to-gether, which led me to meeting some very cool people and going to some pretty cool places along the way! Collide means opportunity. Collide in-uences positive personal growth for everyone. It allows you to feel comfort-able in an unfamiliar space. Between the very intimate meet-and-greets and open mics, you never know what will inspire you. Not just as an artist, but for the reader too!What inspires your work the most?Surprising movies and music. Being an abstract artist means that a lot of my work is evoked by emotions. So it’s whatever sets the mood. I’ll go from a neon abstract with renegade colors to a cool and calming landscape. So I am always surprised at the results, and that’s also why none of the paintings could ever be duplicated!What does it mean to be part of the Philly art community as much as you have been?My Philly Art story has been a crazy ride!I started doing art shows in Smithville, New Jersey in 2021, But I didn’t really hit the Philly art scene until 2022. I was lucky to have a residency on South Street, and then immediate-ly clicked with Lindsey. We were both hungry artists looking for any chance to be in the Philly art community. She in-troduced me to Pan-cakes and Booze, an art show that tours around the country. It also happened to in-spire the idea of Waf-es & Wine, which is hosted by Jaqueline Rizzo in Old City Phil-adelphia. Next thing I know, a friend of mine helps out at a Theatre — Plays & Players on 17th & Delancey — which then asks me to help run the gallery, CATOR SPOTLIGHT: CATOR SPOTLIGHT: GIGI VONDGIGI VOND“Being an abstract “Being an abstract artist means that a lot artist means that a lot of my work is evoked of my work is evoked by emotions”by emotions”20

"LOVE" by Gigi LoVondand here I am! Co-curator of a won-derful little gallery, giving artists an opportunity to display their work and a chance to meet other artists! What’s a big creative goal of yours?I just recently started making some Gigi LoVond merch! It’s crazy wild pat-terns and colors, so one of my big cre-ative goals is seeing a stranger wear-ing Gigi LoVond merch! It’s one of those things that lets you know you’re doing it. And to keep going. Fingers crossed! One day!What’s your favorite place in the world?When I was younger, we traveled to Germany and fell in love immediate-ly! It’s beautiful! Everyone that knows me, knows it’s my favorite place! Where are you from and why did you move to Philly?I am actually a Philly girl, born and raised! I love this city. I love traveling. But there are some things that we have here, both good and bad, that you can’t have or experience in other cities or countries.■Gigi’s work can be found at www.gigilovondgallery.com and on instagram @gigi_lovond_gallery “Collide means “Collide means opportunity... It allows you opportunity... It allows you to feel comfortable in an to feel comfortable in an unfamiliar space.”unfamiliar space.”21

A tumultuous pyre hums, churns and turns my core, the perfect atmosphere for composting, hot and alive. Awareness, this is all a choice and happens in the blink of an eye - in the vortex of time. The byproduct of cosmic collision, a coalition of death, dying, and rebirth. Attrition within until dormant decay takes over. Utter chaos and perfection - all in one breath. It’s inevitable. Inexplicable. Cosmically divine. Permission to transition? Yes. ALL IN ONE BREATHALL IN ONE BREATHARIEL MONROEARIEL MONROE24

DIVINE COSMOLOGYDIVINE COSMOLOGYDAN KISELEVDAN KISELEV

Has your family history inuenced your art? If so, how?As a young child I quickly sensed and knew that understanding between peo-ple was not a given. I saw it in how oth-ers treated my non English speaking family—my parents, my cousins, my aunts and uncles—who spent nearly a decade in refugee camps before ar-riving in the U.S. I found myself at the intersection of many things and trying to navigate the complicated intersec-tions of American life. I often feel cor-nered and isolated without space or understanding for all the parts of who I am and all the worlds I hold and hold together. Had the U.S. not been in Viet-nam, I wouldn’t be American. What do you do when your world’s are worlds apart? You open another space, anoth-er portal, out of necessity and survival.What inspires your work the most?What pushes me most urgently is the underlying anxiety to work my way out of misunderstanding and all the ways we might miss each other. It is through my artwork that I nd what potential holds. As an artist, I am speaking to your heart and doing the work of tell-ing truths. I know that understanding it is not a given—and needs to be made possible—through work. At its core, my artist’s mission is a spiritual pro-cess of faith and belief in the unseen. My art is the act of birthing new life and creations into existence, working in the space between what must be imagined and what has yet to be cre-ated. It is a journey that transcends the limitations of human conditions and connements, striving to reveal what is not yet visible and bring that to light.CATOR SPOTLIGHT: CATOR SPOTLIGHT: JUDY HAJUDY HAHow would you describe your poetry and what you write about?My poetry contains and holds depth, intense imagery, and multiplicity. It is an attempt to pull together tensions I’ve felt throughout my life and what I know to be a “self.” I see myself in a lot of people, and I know a lot of people see themselves in me. In one poem I wrote, “I am the one leaving, and I am the one being left behind.” Yes, I am both of these multiplicities. As a writer, what inspires me most is the power of lan-guage to open portals of understand-ing. My work aims to bridge gaps, to communicate across worlds, and to create spaces where connection and empathy can thrive, even in the face of strong barriers. As a young pupil, I saw rath-er quickly that misun-derstanding, tension, and language barriers (along with other barri-ers) is given, and these misunderstandings come with real consequences, espe-cially in how quick we are to dismiss people we can’t yet nd an under-standing with.“I am my own “I am my own source of pleasure source of pleasure and power”and power”28

What inspires you the most as a visu-al artist?To be honest, most of my work as a vi-sual artist and painter comes from a deep desire to exist in a tropical land-scape—to feel at home and whole. My visual art reects that longing with bright, bold colors and unique pearles-cent and iridescent sheens. My pieces are designed to catch the eye from multiple angles, inviting viewers to ex-plore the layers of com-plexity. My pieces are best seen and under-stood in the sunlight, where its multiplicity can dance and bounce. The way light interacts with my art is crucial—it reveals the depth and movement within each piece. My artwork and process is whimsical and grasps what’s bare-ly tangible—like a per-son’s aura— and trans-lates it into a visual experience of light and color. I love the abili-ty to read and channel paint people’s auras—capturing their ethereal impressions onto canvas. My art, and my life’s work, is about push-ing boundaries to create and uncover the unseen, offering glimpses into the spiritual realms that exist beyond our everyday perceptions.What’s your favorite place in the world?Hawai’i, the rainbow capital of the world. One of the most magical mo-ments of my life happened there, and it was deeply metaphorical. I was hik-ing up a rocky mountain, unsure of exactly where I was headed. The trail was tough with loose rocks and no clear path. There were times when I wanted to stop, ask for directions, and wondered, “Am I almost there?” “Is it even worth it?” “What am I striving for?” When I nally reached the top, I looked up and saw a waterfall, which was beautiful on its own, but then as I kept looking up, I saw a rainbow arch-ing over it. That moment of seeing both the waterfall and the rainbow was pure magic. Rainbows are denitely a reminder of magic. Last winter, I was experiencing housing insecurity and a deep depression. I was barely surviv-ing—let alone creating. I didn’t have much mental capacity, but I didn’t want to come out of that situation with nothing to show for it. I needed something to hold onto, so I decided to create a rainbow rose that would never die, and I turned it into a sun-catcher sticker that produces rain-bows when placed on a window with direct sunlight. I’ve contin-ued designing more sun-catcher stickers since then, they give HUGE rainbows from just a small sticker. It’s something I can hold onto, especially as I made these rainbows during such a dark and fraught time in my life when I couldn’t see past the day-to-day struggles. Creating that light out of such darkness means a lot to me.What painting are you most proud of and why?The piece I’m most proud of isn’t neces-sarily pretty—it’s rather piercing and intimidating. It is a 20x20 canvas piece titled “Not in Service.” The color pal-ette combines the power colors of red and black. This piece was born out of rage, deance, and anger when a male comedian had joked about me “be-Excerpt from Judy’s creative writing senior thesis project“‘I don’t belong anywhere.’“‘I don’t belong anywhere.’‘No, you belong ‘No, you belong everywhere.’”everywhere.’”29

ing in service”. It made me question what roles are possible for me in this country as an Asian American womxn. Could I ever be anything outside of ser-vice or known outside a service role? Does America even have other roles for me? Am I only seen as someone who serves others? And more impor-tantly—is there space for me beyond that? I am a full human being and do not exist to serve or service anyone. I am my own source of pleasure and power, I get life through the artist life I lead and live. This visual art piece also begs the question of what it means for an inanimate object to “not in service” versus what it means for a human to “not be in service.” “Not in Service” was a very difcult piece to create be-cause of the elements like the ames and bold typography lettering. It took awhile to gure out the perspective of the “X” mark that frames the red eyes, and it was very much something I needed as a refusal of others’ projec-tions of me. This piece is a correction and is full of cut and dening lines, to say that I am not in service. I am more than that. I do not exist to simply serve. This piece speaks my truth, I am not here to serve anyone. I am a whole per-son with dreams and desires.■"Not in Service" by Judy HaJudy’s work can be found on instagram and tiktok @boomingfruits 30

THE BEST LITTLE BOY IN THE WORLD!THE BEST LITTLE BOY IN THE WORLD!VIV VERDUCCIVIV VERDUCCI41

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DEER ORGANSDEER ORGANSJULIA E. COOKEJULIA E. COOKE45

IN THIS MOMENTIN THIS MOMENTBECCA DENT HANAGANBECCA DENT HANAGAN4646

Tell mama,I was a soldier,The way I held it down.If I walked away,Did so quietly,With out a sound.Never talked down on my brothers,Cause I never wanted it to come back round.No need for salt on the wound,I can lead from the background.I hope they get they shine.No jealously,I found mine.Set traps,This a walk through a sound mind.What a way to use your down time.On these days,I leave it be.Nothing, but a memory.Pray you peace / I’ve seen the enemy.Our paths crossed once,And twice,You made a better me.BLACK-EYED MEMORIESBLACK-EYED MEMORIESALL DIFFERENT SHAPES + SIZESALL DIFFERENT SHAPES + SIZES4747

CONTRIBUTORSCONTRIBUTORSBrianna Benozich She/herBrianna Benozich is a writer, lmmaker, and comedian. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Bri-anna writes relatable and humor-ous stories about her personal life, city living, and the awkward-ness that comes with being a hu-man being. You can see Brianna perform comedy throughout the city.IG: @briannabigby | www.brianna-benozich.comBecca Dent Hanagan She/herBecca Dent Hanagan is an emerg-ing artist living in Philadelphia. Since receiving a BFA from Moore College of Art & Design in 2005, Becca has been working at the Free Library of Philadelphia, promoting the arts and molding young minds for the LEAP After -School program.She works in a variety of mediums including pho-tography, collage, illustration and embroidery.Becca’s work is inspired by her love of classic hor-ror, religious symbolism, cultural heritages and The Divine Feminine.IG: @angelpunk1www.mementoviverevignettes.comTaegen Swanson he/HimHello reader, I’m T! If you’re reading this, it means that I’ve nally been published! With that said, however, I regret to inform you that I’ve opened the gates to despair. Most of my poetry has to do with loss, sadness, and the world’s endless supply of both. Sometimes, it’s not so bad and one can appreciate the beauty of the universe... when life stops beating me over the head!IG:@gothboipoemsViv Verducci he/himViv (short for Vivaldo) is a twen-ty-two year old library assistant, Literature student, reverse-shoo-bie, and general nuisance from where the Pine Barrens meet the shore in South Jersey. His work tends to be found poetry (of the cut-out variety) in the form of a collage. He would like to give his muse, Fred Schneider of The B-52s, special thanks.IG: @lentilsouploverAnthony Covert He/Him/IconHe pushes himself with each piece to be bolder and louder. Us-ing humor, sex, and taboo subject matters, he forces them in peo-ple’s faces to solidify their reality. By making people turn heads in disgust or awe, he sets the stage for individuality and unapologetic expression.IG: @casualcovert | www.casualcovert.comSarah O’Brien She/herSarah O’Brien is a suburban artist located near Philadelphia who recently unveiled a new se-ries after taking a break from creating art since her graduation in 2017. Growing up in southern Illinois, she draws inspiration from landscapes, architecture, and skies. The subject matter in this series reects her childhood memories and con-veys the connection between the limitless land-scapes of her past and the emotional landscapes of the present.IG: @sincereduckling | sincereduckling.comAriel Monroe She/theyAriel is a multidisciplinary cre-ative and wellness practitioner based in Philadelphia who enjoys working with a wide variety of mediums for ex-pression and ongoing well-being. They start-ed an alternative wellness practice called Delta E.M. Wellness in 2020 offering cre-ative opportunities; bodywork, energy work, vibrational and spirit work; working with mixed media art, spoken word and performance art; they are a published poet and a recording artist.IG: @deltae.m.wellness | @space.trash.phldeltaemwellness.comLea Perry they/themLea is a writer and amateur col-lage artist living in Philadelphia. They write to gure things out.https://substack.com/@prophetprior49

CONTRIBUTORSCONTRIBUTORSVincent Bush he/himVincent Bush is a mixed media artist located in Philadelphia, PA. His art ranges from digital art, paintings, to street art. The art that Vincent creates is all about love. He believes the heart is the universal sign for love and no matter what cul-ture, religion, color, or walk of life you belong to, you can recognize that symbol and what it stands for. As a result, Vincent is motivated to create heart art, so that he can continue to remind peo-ple about this key ingredient in life.IG: @_vcab_ | VCABdesigns.comKirsten Youngren She/theyKirsten is an artist, poet, and yoga teacher in Philadelphia. She creates all things from the heart space and rmly believes in shin-ing a light on our darkness to in-still meaningful loving connec-tions within self and community.IG: @droney_mitchellSani Knox She/herSani Knox is a 19 year old still trying to nd herself as an artist. Her piece is called preservatives. The image is a pomegranate with female genitalia inside it, meaning that pureness from a woman’s perspective isn’t always lost after sex; hence the name of the piece.IG: @Sani.knoxJames Anthony Mariano he/himJames Anthony Mariano’s art-work can often be described as energetic, mysterious, and beautifully triumphant. His work often combines elements of spir-ituality and existentialism with the struggles of overcoming de-pression. Using painting as a form of mindfulness, the artist seeks to capture the beauty present in the world and a sense of optimism against the challenges of our experiences.IG: @jamesanthonymariano www.jamariano.comSami Aziz he/himSami Aziz, better known as the street photographer @southstreetsam on Instagram, has been photographing daily life on South Street in Philadelphia since September 2023. To date, he has photographed some 15,000 people between his travels and time living in Philadelphia, NYC, San Diego, Los Angeles, Denver, London, Casablanca, and Istanbul. Sam has also worked professionally with names like Nike, DoorDash, and NBC.IG: @southstreetsam | www.samiaziz.comSusannah Foos She/theyHailing from Philadelphia, Susannah Foos is an acrylic artist driven by the vibrant world of color and abstract expression. Her creative journey follows the unpredict-able dance of canvas and paint, a testament to her spontaneous approach. With a pro-found passion for conveying her inner thoughts, Susannah aims to inspire others to embark on their unique creative journeys.IG: @Foo_artz | www.etsy.com/shop/MysticalCharmcraft?section_id=47177126Annabelle Chipps She/TheyAnnabelle Chipps is an award-winning journalist who has internationally presented poetry throughout creative and academic spaces. She is currently pursuing degrees in professional and creative writing at Slippery Rock University, where she is the president of an English Honors Society. She loves her cat, her girlfriend, and plant-based meat.www.linkedin.com/in/annabelle-chipps-54b98b263www.theonlinerocket.com/author/annabellec50

Rowan Mucci They/ThemRowan is a trans-nonbinary artist primarily focusing on poetry and painting. Row-an believes in the accessibility of art and aims to promote community connections through chaotic cat caricature commissions. Their poetic works address wellness and trauma healing by incorporating their life experiences into the art. Rowan feels folks should freely share their lives and hopes their poems open a pathway for others to feel empowered to do the same.IG: @row_mooch | @gro_project_rohttps://epgn.com/2024/06/26/rowan-mucci-trials-triumphs-and-tacos/CONTRIBUTORSCONTRIBUTORSBen Saff he/himBen Saff is a Philadelphia-based software engineer and designer who balances his work with cre-ative exploration and expression. He is the author of the poetry collection, Minor League All Amer-ican Dance Club. He’s also an active member of Lemon Hill Aikido and invites you to come train!IG: @bnsff | bsaff.github.ioDan Kiselev he/TheyDan is a Philadelphia based artist who really really hates writing his own bio. Maybe this is why his art career never went anywhere (unlikely), but the fact remains: he just doesn’t like doing it. Still, he does try. He also makes art.IG: @dankiselevart | dankiselevart.comMaya Workowski She/herMaya Workowski is a bestselling, award-winning American poet. She graduated with distinction from Franklin & Marshall Col-lege. There, she was also the Ed-itor-in-Chief of FEM&M Maga-zine. Her work has been featured in Wingless Dreamer Press, New Voices, Polaris, and she has competed in top poetry slams such as Womxn of the World Poetry Slam.IG: @@thatbipoet | www.mayaworkowski.comLauren Mohr She/herLauren is a 25 year old artist working within Philadelphia. She grew up in Delaware County and graduated Tyler School of Art in 2021 with a BS in art education. The goal of her work is to create lighthearted and humorous illustrations to in-spire joy. She works primarily with acrylic paint on wood surfaces to paint her pet portraits.IG: @Mohrdoesartmohrdoesart.square.sitemohrdoesart.etsy.comRashan Speller he/himRashan Speller is an immersive writer based in the United States, holding a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Philadel-phia. Transitioning from art to writing as a means of profound expression, Rashan’s work centers on challenging societal norms, exploring diverse life philosophies, and embracing the unknown. His poetry has been featured in four books published by The Unsealed, a collective of poetic narratives, and two published pieces in Collide Magazine.IG: @ArtistphillyDaniel Barry he/himDaniel Barry recently completed his rst year as a teacher on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Children gravitate towards him, because he knows how to play like one. He keeps a dream journal and has an unreasonable love for fava beans and gs. He’s currently loving his work as a preschool teacher in the greater Philly area.IG: @dnlbptry Medium.com: @danielthepoet51

Jihan A. Thomas She/herJihan A. Thomas is a Black visual artist, artivist, Mother, and com-munity/museum arts educator based in Philadelphia, Penn-sylvania. To Jihan, art can be a conduit for empowerment and self-actualization. She shares her art and creativity wherever art is needed through art making and cultural experiences. As an art ed-ucator, Jihan believes in the power and spectrum of Black imagination and how it can support class-room student engagement in learning.IG: @mindsmine3originalseedexpressions.comCONTRIBUTORSCONTRIBUTORSLex they/themLex is working on digital collage, growing their CD collection, and writing about music.IG: @cd_suitcaseSheldon Kleeman He/himSheldon Kleeman is a multi me-dium artist mixing 2D and assem-blage. He is drawn to surrealism, social and political commentary, and the abstract. His inuences are Dali, Picasso, Matisse, and Klee. His objective as an artist is to nd the abstract in realism to let the abstract colors and shapes dene his art work.IG: @kleemansheldonHillary Steinberg She/herHillary Steinberg is a New Yorker living in Philadelphia. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology, and her re-search focuses on childhood, disability, and gender. She has published in academic journals, and her ction has been featured in The Sociological Review Magazine.HillarySteinberg.com

All Different Shapes & Sizes He/TheyADSS is a poet and multi-disci-plinary artist who is working to create a poetry brand by the same name. He combines his graph-ic design skills with poetry, and embroiders them onto hoodies to make unique pieces of wearable art. He’s a dedicated creative thinker who hopes to build community through his artistry.IG: adssdesigns | www.adssdesigns.comsoundcloud.com/adssdesigns/setsSamantha Slaven She/herSamantha Slaven is a profession-al wrestling fan, horror lover, and poet, living with her husband, Shawn, and familiar, Vader, in Suburban Philadelphia. Saman-tha’s previous conjurings can be found in all three current quar-terlies of Glass Gates Publishing, the zine for the Bring a Blanket reading series, issues six and sev-en of Collide Zine, and the Pup Pup Blog of Meow Meow Pow Pow Lit.IG: @CheshireSnoopCONTRIBUTORSCONTRIBUTORSNiki DelRossi She/herNiki started her career at 19. Doing live painting gigs while attending Moore College of Art Design from 2002 to 2005. She went back in 2012 to graduate with a Curatorial Studies degree in 2015. Her accomplishments since include “Art in the Dark,” which transferred nightspots into art galleries, “The Basement” in East Falls Philadelphia, and she recently had a role in collaborating in “Point of Entry” with Natasha Zeta.IG: @who_saves_calamity_janeLillien Cirino She/theyLillien Cirino is a writer and a storyteller. The two are very dif-ferent, like apples to bananas. She enjoys exploring the complexities of relation-ships, often portraying them through memories or the body’s inner workings. She writes literature everyone can see themselves in, but specical-ly young adult black women who are frequently overlooked in these writer spaces.Reid E.M. Golden They/HeReid Golden grew up in Appala-chia, on a cow farm an hour from Pittsburgh, a rural area lovingly referred to as Pennsyltucky. They came to Philadelphia seven years ago by train to study classical music, and never left. Now drumming and writing for the eclectic rock band Tragesty, their work ranges from poetry, song writing, collage, painting, and more. Like the city, they are queer, loving, and rough around the edges. IG: @remgolden@tragestyy | @souljarcollectiveremgolden.substack.comOlivia Smith She/herOlivia Smith is a graphic de-signer and illustrator located in Philadelphia. Outside of her 9-5 design job, Olivia illustrates in her free time. She creates prints, paintings, and shirts. Olivia is in-spired by many different subjects, from sports to tattoos to animals to nature. Her style is grungy, loose, and ne-art inuenced.IG: @oliviahsmithdesignoliviahsmithdesign.comoliviahsmithdesign.etsy.comJake Kaplan he/himJake Kaplan is a Philadelphia based composer, bass player, writer, bike person, and dog own-er. While his band ‘Featherbird’ is his primary project, he also leads an 18 piece large ensemble, and is usually writing something about space or bikes or Judaism or mutual aid. He is passionate about biology, South Philadelphia, and delicious vegan food.IG: @realkoof | JakeKaplanMusic.comJulia E. Cooke She/herJulia E. Cooke is an up and com-ing local Philadelphia artist who specializes in creating weird, bizarre, and ridiculous things. She believes the world needs new and original ideas more than ever before, and wants to do whatever she can to bring her ideas into reality.IG: @jec01010153

Lindsey Gill she/her CREATIVE DIRECTORCREATIVE DIRECTORLindsey Gill is a freelance artist, muralist, and yoga teacher liv-ing in Philadelphia, PA. Her drawings, watercol-ors, and digital paintings are inspired by her love of nature, storytelling, typography, and mental health. She is a little bit of everything and aspires to travel the world helping others through art and expressive therapy.When she is not out and about at one of her multiple jobs, Lindsey tries to write poetry, reads, and meditates with her cat Abba. You can nd her work in the storefronts of Pretty Green Terrariums and Nice Things Handmade, both shops in Philly that support local art-ists. She also teaches yoga at a studio in Queen Village, the part of Philly she loves most and calls home.IG: @lindseygillart lindseycgill@gmail.comCREATORSCREATORSKatie Dempsey she/her ART DIRECTORART DIRECTORKatie Dempsey is a graphic de-signer from New Jersey who has been living in Philadelphia since November 2020. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2015, and chose to pursue graphic design shortly there-after. Between 2016 and 2018, she took several design courses at Brookdale Community Col-lege, and has been working as a graphic design-er since May 2018. Her favorite aspect of graphic design is organizing the various elements on a page to t together in an aes-thetically pleasing way, much like a game of tetris. She also en-joys creating collages (both digi-tal and traditional) and exploring her beloved neighborhood of Queen Village, where she lives with her cat Wole. IG: @katiedempseygraphics katiedempseygraphics.com54

Collide is a collaborative project born out of the idea of providing the intimate art of spoken word poetry and open mic culture with a larger stage. It is made by creatives, for creatives, with the objective of bringing visual creators and writers together in a unique and exciting way that permanently records their stories. Writers and visual artists who apply are matched with a partner for one spread of the zine, and if they are interested, can create new work based on each other’s concepts.Collide is proud to be a staple in several local Philadelphia bookstores, and seeks to open doors for creatives; not just by publishing their work but also by hosting events, gallery shows, and art markets across the greater Philadelphia area. Keep up with our latest events via Instagram or Eventbrite.about this zine @collidezinephilly www.collidezine.com