Issue #15 - October 2008

Digest-sized, 40 pages, $3

Block-print cover

New essays and journals from the past three years.

Comments on issue #15

Review by R. Lee of Underworld Crawl: "One of the things I love about zines is their slowness. When it seems like every other form of communication has devolved into instantaneous sputtering, zines remain stubbornly slow. If I had to name one zine that exemplifies zine-time for me it would be Thoughtworm by Sean Stewart. I’ve been reading Thoughtworm since 2004. Over these past five years I’ve read six issues of this zine. When you’re in contact with something as sporadic as this, small changes tend to take on greater significance. What’s been most interesting to me has been the way Sean’s writing has gradually grown more oblique over the years. If you enjoy writing that is clear, yet has it’s own sort of logic, you really ought to get this. Thoughtworm is mostly comprised of Sean’s journal entries. The entries are usually fairly short, but they’re often not particularly to the point. That’s not to say the writing is obtuse or difficult. The sentences are straight-forward and well formed and they draw you in. But this is where things get odd, because by the end of many of these entries you’re not really sure what you’ve been told. They’re almost like tone poems. Everything makes perfect sense, but it’s certainly not obvious what it’s all about. This isn’t an easy thing to pull off without resorting to drivel. But there’s none of that here. Instead you get short, strong stories with a depth that betrays the small space they occupy. Typically, I don’t have much use for this sort of writing, but right now Sean is one of my favorite writers in or out of zines. Thoughtworm 15 is a bit different from the previous issues I’ve seen in that it’s nearly evenly divided between a few essays Sean has written and his journal entries. I liked the essays, but for me they don’t have the same driven quality that makes his journal writing so unique. Still, it’s all interesting and thoughtfully written and in the end these pieces provide a nice contrast to the journal writing. This is a zine well worth checking out. If you want a good example of Sean’s writing, check out his blog, Paraprosdokian."

Issue #14 - December 2007

Quarter-sized, 28 pages, $2

Limited edition linoleum block-printed cover (colors vary)  

Existential mental wanderings and frustrations. Maybe a little dark, but there's some bright spots, too.

Comments on issue #14

Razorcake #43 (review by Kurt Morris): "Writer's block. If you're a zinester and you haven't had it, you must not have been doing zines for too long. Issue 14 of Thoughtworm deals primarily with said issue and Sean's attempts to fight through it. The writing is journal-like and stream of consciousness, focusing on the minute details of the day as well as interpretations of the bigger picture issues (Why are we getting up in the morning? Why can't I shake this feeling of ____?). I could relate with much of what was written: the ideas, the questions, the concerns, and viewpoints of this guy living in Baltimore. And, in one sense, that scared me. There's no romanticizing of the life he leads. It's as dull as mine. There are no trysts, accidents of a monumental kind, death, life-altering encounters or anything of the sort. Honestly, it makes me recall my own zine and the standard fare that I all too often deliver in it (although I'm working on getting past that). So, in one sense, I was creeped out, but in another sense it felt comfortable. Although this issue seemed a peg below the last issue, it was still an interesting look at working through writer's block in all of its minutiae and angles."

Issue #13 - August 2006

Digest-sized, 48 pages, $3 by mail (still $2 in person)

Issue #11 - June 2004 SOLD OUT!!

Digest-sized, 28 pages, $2

Limited edition linoleum block-printed cover done by me this time!  

Includes all the publishable nonfiction I've written over the past year.  Some essays were previously published in A.j. Michel's various compilation zines.  Other contents share thoughts on toilet training cats, lost friendship, and bike riding in Wichita Falls.  Book and zine reviews round out the issue.

Comments on issue #11

Zine Thug (review by Marc): "What an outstanding issue...some people's writing you just relate to indescribably."  Read more here.

Xerography Debt #15 (review by Miriam DesHarnais): "A classy looking production.  Worthwhile."  Read more here.

Razorcake #22 (review by Todd Taylor): "Thoughtworm is a quiet and strong zine, written at a measured pace. Although that may not sound like a huge recommendation, it is. The author of it, Sean, is exploring the realms of isolation (both social and geographical) and solitude. He’s a librarian in Wichita Falls, TX, slowly coming to grips and peace with his surroundings without giving in to them. Perhaps I have an affinity to what he’s writing, since my life happened in reverse to his, in the respect that I was raised in a small desert town and moved to a big city, and he moved from civilization to a desolate burg full of right wing Christians. His outlook on his two years there, after the shock of realizing that he’s almost all alone wears off, is illuminating. In small town life, there are two main paths to take. Giving in, getting an SUV, frequenting chain restaurants, and praising God and the GOP with bumper stickers or remaining open to the bits of beauty that the place doesn’t reveal easily. Thankfully, Sean sees the good, takes the rest with a huge hunk of salt, and continues to write. This issue of Thoughtworm holds even more resonance for me because there’s an essay where his memory’s failing him even if he looks at pictures of himself yet he has palpable reactions and floods of memories by listening to older albums. There’s also a great essay about his bold attempt to toilet train his cats. It ends in shambles, but I admire his methodic tenacity and research chops. Who would have thought that the jazz bassist, Charles Mingus had an essay on the topic, too? All in all, Thoughtworm seems much larger than twenty-eight pages and is the perfect antidote to all of those poorly edited and hastily tossed together zines. Recommended."

Issue #10 - June 2003 SOLD OUT!!