Here comes the fourth in our series of zinester interviews, but our first ever international interviewee.

American Nick Wortham first came to our attention in 2007 with the beautiful zine of his colour photography, Put Your Ear to the Floorboards. We have just received his latest offering, A Place Called Go Home. Both are available to borrow from the Wellington City Libraries’ Zine Collection on the first floor of the Central Library.

Describe an average day:

An average day involves waking up on my moulding bed mat in West Oakland and quickly making and drinking too much coffee. Then I bike around town for friends, band practice, photo projects, or the general milling about the train yard by my house. Someone’s band seems to be playing in this town every other night so shows happen a lot. The recent rain has led to my friends and I drinking cheap wine and dreaming about Summer. Also I’ve recording everyday trying to finish a tape of songs I’ve written.

How did you first get into zines?

The punk community exposed me to zines, most of which were political or band related.

Describe your work:

I’d say my photos are about stumbling through the mess of everyday and trying to find beauty in it. You can see them for yourself at www.thisisnotastory.com.

What do you like about zines?

It feels good to share what we do with a medium that is fairly removed from money. I try to trade zines rather than sell them. If I do sell them I only do it for the amount I spent making them. Mostly I just give them away.

Is there anything you don’t like about zines as a medium?

Size limitations. I wish I could make like a four foot zine. I shoot with medium format film which allows me to make really dense large prints. Some photos just don’t look right when they are four inches wide, but one day I will find a scam that allows me to print huge colour copies for free instead of tiny ones and I will make a huge book.

How do you get inspiration for a zine?

I get inspired by the want/need to do something more than just work a job and pay rent. Also from those moments when things like my house catching on fire happen or the light hits something just right and I know I want others to see it. I finished the last two zines I was working on right before I went travelling so I would have something to give to people I met along the way.

Tell us about some of your favourite projects:

SCAM by Erick Lyle. He writes this really real to life zine that he has been putting out in San Francisco for the past fifteen years. Its all about his experiences living in squats, organizing illegal generator shows in the Mission District, fighting against the gentrification of the mission district and doing a million other inspiring things. I just finished a book he put out and it was amazing. You can find more info on him at www.onthelowerfrequencies.com

It’s not a zine, but my friend Lilly makes beautiful music in a band called Grass Widow (www.myspace.com/grasswidowmusic) and a solo project called Yes Please (www.myspace.com/yespleasemusic)

My friends in Santa Cruz have a really good band called Blackbird Raum. Their music is a beautiful mess of accordion, banjo, saw, washboard, mandolin, washtub bass and screamed harmonies that gives me chills every time I seem them play. (www.anti-politics.net/raum/)

Draw (or collage or photograph) a picture of yourself: