Sisters Distro

An interview with
Marlene
from Luleå, Sweden

by Haydeé Jiménez and Elke Zobl

March 2007

Can you tell me first of all a little bit about yourself? How old are you, where are you originally from and where do you reside now?

I am 27 years old and come originally from a small place near Luleå in northern Sweden. The past four years, I spent in Motala. It is a 40000 people city between Stockholm and Gothenburg.

What do you do besides your distro?

I just got this job as a music teacher for small groups, mostly girls! My job will be to encourage them to play and arrange concerts. It´s lovely! Besides that, I am educating to work with dog massage. Sometimes I hand out newspapers in the mornings. I spend my spare time with my lovely dog, Baby, and my mate David.

Do you produce any zines yourself? If so, do you write about specific topics/issues?

No I don´t. Went to journalist school and haven´t been writing since… I am especially interested in media critics such as Noam Chomsky. I went to that school to get kind of an inside view of how the media industry works, and that was just what I got. It is not a conspiracy, more like a spinning wheel driven by selling the most papers at every cost.

Can you tell us a bit about Sisters Distro? How long have you been running the distro?

The distro is now on its third year. It all began six years ago when I had my, I think, fifth music-interested boyfriend. I started to wonder why music wasn’t that interesting for me. It was boys doing it for boys. Then I went to Poland in the summer of 2002 and met Jenni from Emancypunx. I was so inspired! I decided to start my own distro and began collecting demos from grrrl bands.

Why did you decide to start a music and zine distro?

I wanted to create a place where you could go and find grrl bands only. I wanted to support grrrls by making their music more accessible.

What kind of zines do you distribute? Do they cover specific topics?

Mostly feministic zines; music, poems, personal thoughts and cartoons. I distribute every zine I come across!

What kind of responses do you get from your customers?

They are mostly happy to find that much grrrl stuff collected at one place (girls) or surprised because that much grrrrl bands actually exists (boys).

How did you become introduced to the culture of zines?

It must have been at Jenni’s!

What do you hope to accomplish by distributing grrrl zines and music?

Make it easier for grrrls to find other grrrls and create networks!

What do you think about zine-making today?

I find it hard to say, because I haven’t been around much lately. I think that in sweden the zine-making is taking a more one-writer direction. They are becoming more and more personal.

Which role does Internet play for you?

It´s the key to networking between the oppressed people!

What are some zines you have read lately that you would recommend to someone learning about the zine-making/reading world?

Those at sistersdistro.tk!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start a zine?

Ask yourself what you want out of it, make a long-term plan, start working and don’t give up!

Do you feel part of a (grrrl or general) zine community or network and what does it mean to you?

No, not besides sistersdistro.tk.

Do you consider yourself as feminist?

Yes!

What are the most pressing issues you are confronted with in daily life (as a woman/feminist/…)?

Problems in personal unequal relationships. It is so hard to deal with sexism when there are emotional bounds involved...

What do you think about feminism today? How would you explain what feminism is to someone who has no idea what it is?

Feminism is standing up for who you are, in a society that pushes you to be everything but yourself.

What would a “grrrl”-friendly society look like in your view? How do you think society might be re-thought and transformed to come closer to an “ideal” world for women, grrrls and queer folks? Do you have any suggestions for the development of women/grrrl/queer-friendly policies?

I think separatism is an important part of our work towards equality. We need to isolate our problems with sexism and find out what our final goal is, to be able to work for a better society. When we have done that, we really need those few good boys for making it together. I think everyone can and should work for a society without oppression, but the oppressed groups must lead it all. We need to have an open mind and be prepared to even face the oppressing parts in ourselves.

What are some of your personal wishes/visions/ideas/plans for the future, if you like to share them?

Keep my mind open considering my attitude towards other yet still put my sisters first!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

You are doing a great job, lads, keep on going!!!

Sisters Distro
c/o Marlene
order [AT] sistersdistro.tk
http://sistersdistro.tk

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