See The Final Zine!

: Front Cover. Image: Digital painting of several sunflowers on a blue background, by Keely McTigue Text: Beyond the Sunflower Fields – A look at 2020 through the eyes of the New Paltz community.

: Back Cover. Image: A scenic photo of the Hudson Valley. Text: Dearly Beloved, How are you? It’s been terrible. We are feeling it, and we know many of you are too. We wanted to make this community zine to remind all of us that we are still here, and still together through it all. Over the course of the fall, we collected your art, poetry, music, and your brief reflections on 2020. Your words inspired us to create this collaborative art piece, taking photos of the Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary in town and various hiking spots on the mountain, the submitted artwork, paired with contributed words, to try and reconnect with each other. We’re incredibly grateful for everyone who contributed to the pages of this collaborative zine. Some of you chose to be anonymous- thank you for your submissions which have been included in the Collaborative Poems. Those who submitted under your name have been listed in the table of contents. Finally, and with just as much gratitude, thank you to those who contributed to the administrative and technical aspects of this project, including Jeff Baker and the rest of the Print Shop crew, Karl Bryant (WGSS faculty and internship coordinator), The Sojourner Truth Library and specifically the social media team including librarian Jen Rutner and interns Madeline Flores and Crystal Toledano, Andrew Bruso with the Daily Digest and Rich McElrath for CampusPress support. Thank you for coming together with us during this time of instability and anxiety to create something wonderful. Take care of yourselves, Kat, Keely, and Madeline

: Page 2: The Table of Contents

: Page 3: Collaborative Poem Image: A photo. The sun peaks through yellow, orange, red, and brown leaves, in trees overhead. Text: Quarantine was… A surreal limbo-like experience, Everything just stopped at one point And it became the new normal for a while.

: Page 4: Rosaline Woytovich (photograph and painting) Titled: Out of touch

: Page 5: Bobby Chaniel Music. Listen at http://smarturl.it/credences

: Page 6: Collaborative Poem Image: Notebook paper is cut into four strips, each a part of the poem. They are collaged over a photo of New Paltz. Text: I leave the common ground behind And find the footholds and the trails That tip the scales of time and ease: A thousand dead, old injuries That mark the boundaries in detail. I start my journey ascending solo, Save the ghosts that chart my course- A thousand silent friends support My every step above the world. At the top, I stop to savor the view: The blue, the pieces and board unfurled A thousand gifts brought me from the base, And along the way, all of them / erased. Solitaire

: Page 7: Collaborative Poem. Image: A photo taken before entering New Paltz woods. Text: a challenging experience that has allowed me to grow so much time but no motivation No thoughts, head empty, I miss the summer.

: Page 8: Madeline Powers Image: A colorful illustration by Madeline Powers.

: Page 9: Jenny Cartwright, Christa Bové Image: A vaguely humanoid creature outstretches their hand toward two stars, on a baby blue background. Text: out my window there is a sky that drips velvet and whispers to me under shimmering stars, a voice laced with the sweet sound of acceptance desperately I try to decipher her message unintelligible all night long I press my ear to the glass, hoping one day I will know

: Page 10: Leigh, Jose Mendoza, Dan & Colleen Grazier Image: A photo of a New Paltz sunset from a grassy field. Text: Reminder, of what’s important and what we take for granted: joy in the smallest bits of sunlight, learning to dance in the rain

: Page 11: Community, Giovanna, Andy, Aiko Pletch, Sophie Image: A collage of 6-10 word descriptions of 2020. Text: (Text trails down from top left corner I’ve found the love of my life entering my 20s during coronavirus I have been reminded what a neighborhood sounds like. the Mullet of 2020 – Business top, PJ bottoms We seriously hoarded toilet paper and that still baffles me I used to hurt but now I don’t because I had surgery and am better now I used to be a morning person (Text trails down from top right corner) hopefully sustainable The same thing over and over coping with a Covid sick mother wouldn’t trade the experience for me: it was a bittersweet time, I’m glad it’s ending Happy New Year turned into End This Year Please Very tired. Everything’s the worst stressful and confusing, just like everyone else’s I can’t wait for it to be over (Text is near the bottom left corner) We’ve been riding the wave so long people are finally listening We’ve been here

Pages 12 and 13: Cats of New Paltz Image: A collage of cats, by Kat Moore

Pages 12 and 13: Cats of New Paltz Image: A collage of cats

: Page 14: About This Time: Fragments Image: A short comic. Text: The deaths are greater in number but they are not new. They follow the rules of America: White Supremacy Structural Inequality (Hate) (Greed) Also, we are on the back porch blowing bubbles. (Mama carry!) We are tired of upstairs and tired of downstairs. (Elmo song!) The chrysalis is still green today We are alone together in grief, in monotony. Run the dishwasher, pull hair from the comb and place it in the woods, for mice to line their nests. They have moved into the Toyota – it’s quiet there. The baby grows teeth. The news is murder. We are living in the now of this one long day. (Ice creamy!)

: Page 15: ‘Skull in a Basket’-Eli Ross Image: A charcoal illustration of a skull in a basket. A poem sits in the corners. Text: the news brings fresh waves of grief daily, nothing feels real since last March

: Page 16: Collaborative Poem Image: A photo. A red motorcycle stands alone, overlooking New Paltz mountains. Text: not the 2020 I had expected A never ending roller coaster that doesn’t end

: Page 17: Collaborative Poem Image: A photo. A dog smiles up at the viewer. Text: It was bad and now it’s bad again. Summer was good… I didn’t do anything exciting, just a staycation.

: Page 18: Collaborative Poem Image: A photo of a lone autumnal tree, surrounded by trees whose leaves have not yet changed. Text: Life was going great… except it wasn’t. We needed change. Living through history is really scary.

: Page 19: ‘I think I can see the beach’ – Collaborative Poem Image: A photo of the beach during sunset. Text: I think I can see the beach Pink as the sky, you jump into the ocean waves. I look down. You’re gone. Untied bikini top. Hear her laugh as fingers run up and down spines. Sun beating down on an already burnt butt. Flip over, feel the sting. White hot sand. Somewhere, a woman screams, her child now a part of the sea. Water rising—waves hit the shore, unforgiving. You can be that strong.

: Page 20: Community Contributed 6-10 Words on 2020 Image: A photo of the starry night sky. Text: what a year, what a year, 2020 was the worst anger eerie TRIUMPHANT exciting whirlwind CHAOTIC sick joke BIDEN 2020 challenging alright rude FEAR eventful lonely slow TIRED mess surreal baffling normal? overwhelming clusterfuck scary historic limbo NEW PALTZ UGH education 2020 JUST SUCKED unexpected pause HOPE online class sucks unique stressful stupid frustrating confusing a load of garbage TRUST the worst BORING FUCK TRUMP a good year to spend in pajamas When will the pandemic ever end? -Community Submissions

: Page 21: Vanessa Primus, Avery, Carlin Feck Image: A photo of the sun is high in the sky, its light shining down from between the leaves of an overhead tree. Text: This too shall pass because it is just a moment. (a whirlwind of pleasure, pain, and evolution) I cannot be fixed quickly; I’m just time and love!

: Page 22: Madeline Powers Image: An illustration by Madeline Powers. Text: 2020 makes me want to go back to the womb (smiley face).

: Page 23: Jenny Cartwright Image: An illustration by Jenny Cartwright. A white and turquoise old Volkswagen bus is driving on the road, a tie dye sky behind it.