Products – writing that sings

Writings Available Directly From Robin Layne:

Please email Robin Layne to purchase any of these items. A contact form is provided here. https://www.writingthatsings.com/contact/ (For the sake of your privacy, this site doesn’t contain direct purchase buttons.)

Zines Written by Robin Layne

A zine is a do-it-yourself publication, usually made of paper. The word is pronounced “zeen,” as in magazine. Zines are usually created more for self-expression than for profit. For more than 10 years, Robin Layne has been making her own zines, contributing to anthology zines, and trading and selling them at the Portland Zine Symposium, which normally occurs every summer.

Image: Robin at the Portland Zine Symposium 2010 with *Repeat Offenders*, the first zine she contributed to, and *A Character Sandwich*, the first of her own zines. *Repeat Offenders* sold out and, due to repeated technical difficulties, *A Character Sandwich* is also unavailable, unless demand makes it worthwhile to rebuild again from scratch. But its title inspired the continued theme of food metaphors in later zines.

The following zines were made using Microsoft Publisher. In most situations, prices include postage.

Turtle Soup: On Finding My Voice

Abuse can stifle your voice. Join the author’s journey from silent Turtle to singing Robin! Nonfiction and poetry.

Issue 1 (2015 and 2018)

Do you have trouble speaking up for yourself? Do you hide in your shell? Do you bear heavy burdens? Do you keep silent until it gets to be too much and then snap at those around you? Welcome to the turtle club! (The deep green cover stock has replaced the grey-blue parchment of the original edition.)

Issue 2 (2018)

Robin meets a special friend whose turtles express themselves in surprising ways. If they can do it—so can we! From pondering destiny to facing depression, to bringing Heaven to earth, we share a wide range of experiences.

Issue 3 (2019)

The never-ending process doesn’t so much replace shy Turtle with the more vocal Robin as it embraces both. Even pains of the past can lead to depth of character and wisdom.

Special Deal: All 3 for $10

Music CD and Zine Combination by Robin Layne

Faithful (2016)

Robin sings 6 songs she wrote herself and plays them on acoustic guitar. Subjects and styles vary. The accompanying zine includes the lyrics to each song and notes about their creation and influence.

The lineup:

“Paula was a Song”—a mother’s love for her baby in the midst of troubled times.
“I’ll Wrap You in Rainbows”—a lullaby others have recorded on the internet, guessing at the lyrics and chords. This is the original version Robin wrote and sang to her infant decades ago. Learn the source of the images that give this song its unique beauty.
“Me and My Shadow”—A movie inspired the rediscovery of Robin’s inner child. Think a happy thought… and fly.
“Faithful the Wounds of a Friend”—A spiritual heart surgery brings Proverbs 27:6 to life.
“The No-Blues Blues”—In a brief friendship, Robin was exposed to a song she identified with. She never had the chance to learn that song, so she wrote her own with the same concept. What do you do when you’re so happy you don’t know what to do with yourself?
“Eat a Lotta Beans”—and guess what happens? A favorite among children, open mic attendees, and comedy club guests.

$10 set

Zine Written by Diana Staley, Edited and Produced by Robin Layne

Father God, Pico, and Me (2019)

A popular pick for cat lovers. In this warm and sometimes sad true story, one animal holds off loneliness and responds (well, sometimes!) to prayers, proclamations, love, and boundaries. Short, sweet, and in high-quality color.