Kentucky Meat Shower has been my flagship, long-running project since 2018 or so. It began as a Substack to update people on what writing I had put out, but during Covid I had a change of heart and decided to focus on Kentucky Meat Shower full-time (more or less). Taxonomically, it changed into a zine at some point, and theoretically, every issue would constitute a single zine issue.
Named after the Fortean phenomenon, Kentucky Meat Shower is a journal of weird, subaltern America for the 21st century, not beholden to an unreachable past but aware of its implications, which are never far away. It is focused on ruthless criticism of culture, alienation, boredom and despair.
Due to Substack’s embrace of the neo-bourbons, I will not be linking any issues that are hosted there. I should also mention my belief only about half of Kentucky Meat Shower is representative work. There are some things I think are good but not representative, and then there’s some that fall below my own barometer of quality. You are welcome to try and find the original Substacks and read them all, but the actually good issues are on Kittysneezes.
In theory, Kentucky Meat Shower is constituted of three rough eras.
The “newsletter era”: issues 1 through 9. These didn’t have a ton of work put into them because I was under the impression I’d be churning these out quicker than I actually did. These were more outwardly comedic or “current”.
The “Substack era”: issues 10 through 18. An awkward, transitional phase for the zine, where I used it the way most people tend to use Substack, which is as a blog. Some blogs are better than others.
The “zine” era: issues 19 through ongoing. I codified the zine into a form I like (a head essay, a body essay, and a song review) and finally centered on a tone I liked, which felt specific to the zine. The last three of four issues constitute an “arc” or three issues that are meant to be read together as a piece.
Selected pieces are listed below.
Stand-alone
“Mommy, What’s A Kentucky Meat Shower?”—History of a Zine’
Explains much of what I did above, but has a more strident, manifesto like tone. Designed to introduce Kittysneeze readers to me.
Belle Delphine and Shoko Asahara selling their bathwater. Gentrification in Richmond, Virginia as seen through dockless scooters. Both from issue #9.
BIRDWATCHING II and BIRDWATCHING
Reflections from the Cheston area of Trenton, NC. RIP George Floyd. A new essay, plus an excerpt from #16.
On why “epicness” (aka social media awesomeness) is bad. From issue #18.
Strength and Muscle and Jungle Work
Issue #19. A dive into 4chan culture, from frenz needed autist gfs to the cyber-tormentors of Chris Chan, and a final review of “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver” and “In Every Dream Home A Heartache”.
Issue #22. An issue long essay on Lingua Ignota’s “I WHO BEND THE TALL GRASSES”.
A Prophet of His Own
“A Prophet of His Own” is the first Kentucky Meat Shower “arc”. I chose to write in arcs to allow me to have greater space to discuss certain themes and continuities. It follows me as I go from ideal student to student as subject to worker and focuses around themes of civic governance and responsibility. Further information can be found here.
Lonesome, Alienated, and Mean: An Interpretative Essay on Appalachian Reality
Issue #24. Moving to Richmond. Being Appalachian. Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
Ceaseless Tides and Uneven Development
Issue #25. The catechism of a student. The transformation of the area around Monroe Park. “Eat Yrself Fitter” by The Fall.
Issue #27. Who falls through the cracks.