Unheard Zine

Dear Joy,

I am moved by your poem, “Drowning” because it shows the feeling of being unheard. The use of imagery and the situations you spoke upon within this piece moved me because it's relatable. Your use of figurative language was beautiful. One part of your zine that stands out for me is the use of silhouettes in the background, especially the background for "Drowning".I think this adds to the zine because in the title cover it caught my eye, it also goes along with the theme of the zine being about unheard voices. The figures being unknown person adds to that. Another part that I liked is where you put the poems of the poet your poet spread was about. This stood out for me because it allowed me to immerse myself into the work of the poet and seeing why you chose to write about them. Your poem reminds me of something that I've experienced. There have been times where I've felt my mental health going down, but nobody noticing. I've felt invisible and like I was lying to those around me because it's hard to open up about my feelings. That feeling of drowning is perfect way to describe the experience.
Thanks for your zine. I look forward to seeing what you make next, because you're a great poet and writer. I enjoyed the poem you wrote in this zine a lot and I'd like to see more of your opinion on other topics.

Dear <Joy Xu>: I am amazed by, your zine, and your poem, “Drowning,” because… I think that your poem brings up a lot of important things about mental health that we don’t get to hear a lot about. And your poem is very beautifully written. One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “He’s trying, he’s trying but people around Don’t see him, don’t hear him” I think this is very deep because this sentence represents many of us that are trying our hardest but don’t get appreciated for it. Another sentence that I was amazed by was: “He reaches for help hoping to find a hand but finds empty air he's too far from land.” This stood out for me because I think this sentence is representing teenage depression which I think it’s really important to talk about. Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because you are a great writer.

Dear Joy,

I am interested in your Zine, “Unheard,” because the cover was eye catching and neatly put together. I really feel like it takes deep consideration into how people can feel when they’re going through something and not getting heard. One part of your zine that stands out for me is the poem “Drowning”. I think this is well written because it really illustrates how someone could be feeling while going through a whole mental breakdown but pretending to be ok and no one notices your pain. I just really like how it uses metaphors and imagery to bring to life through words of what it feels like to be drowning in your own pain and not getting noticed. Another part that enjoyed is the creative submission. This stood out for me because I really liked the editing and the message behind the picture. I liked how it had “haha” in the background to kinda make it seem like people are laughing at them when they’re actually in pain I thought that was creative.

Your zine reminds me of something that I experienced once. One time I was going through something really bad and thought I wasn’t ever gonna get better. I cried almost everyday and it felt like no one noticed. I had to learn that you can’t sit in your own sadness and expect others to notice if you're not projecting your feelings. Mental health is very important and should be spoken more on.

Thanks for your zine Joy!. I look forward to seeing what you make next, because this is really creative and neat. I felt like I could connect to this and relate to the overall message. You did great!

I am interested in your poem “SOLITUDE,” because it takes deep consideration into how women might feel about men. I feel as though there is a much deeper meaning behind the poem than what I understand. One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone;”. I think this is interesting because I agree with this sentence. A lot of people might be laughing in public but you never know what they are going through at home. A lot of people have traumatizing experiences but try their hardest not to show their true emotions. Another sentence that I was interested in was: “Grieve, and they turn and go;”. This stood out to me because a lot of people want to know what you are going through, but they don’t want to go through the experiences with you. Or they’ll act like they can’t help you.