to start, i'd like to tell the story of how the lesen lounge actually came to be. it includes two incredible women that helped bring the project to fruition.
my dear friend ina knew that i had this plan percolating in my brain, but i didn't quite know how to make it happen. thanks to her community organizing know-how and ability to translate this project to a slightly confused panel of berlin community grant-givers (see the bottom of this page), we gained their confidence and were awarded the funding to build the project.
it was then in the hands of the incredible carpenter and artist cati egger to build the amazing, modular box you see above and in all the pictures. this wasn't an easy task and after grappling with numerous sketches - taking into consideration that it would be a 5'2" me pulling this around *mostly* flat berlin - the final low and sturdy fold-up design emerged!
a special thanks to both of them from the bottom of my paper heart.
* * * * *
the attention we received over the last 10 months was international and overwhelming...
from those who wrote about us,
to those who invited me to explain my intentions,
and those who put us in a book!
there was also all the friends and blogs who mentioned us and encouraged visitors and berliners alike to find us in whatever corner of kreuzberg we were hanging out for the afternoon. and all the special events that invited us to be a part of things over the colder months.
of course, the best surprises came in meeting zinesters from all over europe and the donations from veteran makers and new ones who were inspired to do so for the project!
we're updating the zine list over the next week and i can't wait to see where we go in 2013!