Shotgun Seamstress

“A welcome reprint of an influential, perceptive, still-relevant zine.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“A decade later Shotgun Seamstress still holds up. The layouts nail [the] quintessential cut and paste zine aesthetic. Articles ranging from DIY to train hopping and Osa’s interviews, ask the right questions from the Black Punks I want to hear from most. This collection is truly a celebration of all things Black and Punk.” 

—James Spooner, Creator of Afro-Punk, author of The High Desert

“Osa Atoe beautifully documents the infinite possibilities that emerge at the intersection of Black, Queer, Feminist, and Punk identities. This collection left me feeling nostalgic, connected, and hungry for change. Shotgun Seamstress is timeless and so needed right now.” 

—Ebony Flowers, author of Hot Comb

“Shotgun Seamstress is another firm reminder that Black people have been on the punk scene and we are here to stay. The reclamation of the genre, the movement, and the power that came with it are necessary, especially at a time such as now. From James Spooner to Florence Kennedy and Tina Bell, the punk movement is rooted in our history as Black people and I am honored to support those that continue to push for the reclamation of our history.” 

—Guitar Gabby & The TxLips Band

“An archive, a guidebook, and a radical work of art, the collected issues of Shotgun Seamstress thrilled me with every page. Osa Atoe lovingly curates a classic zine experience for any 'Black weirdo' in search of community, a new favorite band, or DIY inspiration. For us and by us, this book is a gift.” 

—Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

“Reading Shotgun Seamstress opened up an escape hatch for me, it inspired me to start my first band, to celebrate my heritage and find power in 'otherness' that had only felt painful before. I’m so happy this book exists to stoke that fire in me all over again and to spark the fuse in future generations of beautiful Black and Brown weirdos." 

—Rachel Aggs, Shopping, Trash Kit, and Sacred Paws

“Shotgun Seamstress, once passed hand to hand in underground clubs and at activist gatherings, is proof that when theory and practice collide, the result is simply undeniable. Atoe’s book—brimming with interviews, graphics and spectacular essays—adds much to the oft neglected work by and for Black punks. It is also a thrilling work of art, sure to inspire readers around the world. No one who cares about music or history or art or great writing should be without this book.”

—Kathleen Hannah, Bikini Kill and Le Tigre

“Black, queer, and always searching, Shotgun Seamstress zine made punk better and Blacker. This life-affirming collection is a road map of possibilities for Black misfits everywhere.” 

—Chris L. Terry, author of Black Card and Zero Fade

“Shotgun Seamstress is the most genuine record of Black punk in our story. [The anthology] weaves the collective narrative and centers our revolutionary musicians, artists, freethinkers, and communities who archive our struggles, our liberations and our triumphs in the time that it is happening—NOW. Making it the most relevant textbook on a usually moving, lost, and oral tradition, it is the part of history you don’t usually hear about in the mainstream. It’s PUNK AF!”

—FUPU