Donna Kossy

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Donna Kossy bigraphy, stories - U.S. writer and zine publisher

Donna Kossy : biography

1957 – <!–living–>

Donna J. Kossy (born 1957) is a U.S. writer, zine publisher, and online used book dealer based in Portland, Oregon. Specializing in the history of "forgotten, discredited and extreme ideas", which she calls "crackpotology and kookology", she is better known for her books Kooks: A Guide to the Outer Limits of Human Belief (1994, featuring the first biography of Francis E. Dec) and Strange Creations: Aberrant Ideas of Human Origins from Ancient Astronauts to Aquatic Apes (2001). Kossy was also the founder and curator of the Kooks Museum (1996–1999, online), and the editor-publisher of the magazine Book Happy (1997–2002, about "weird and obscure books").

Described by Wired as "an expert on kooks [who] has a genuine, if sometimes uncomfortable, affection for her subjects", Kossy wrote books reviewed in publications ranging from Fortean Times to New Scientist. Journalist Jonathan Vankin named her "the unchallenged authority on, well, kooks", and writer Bruce Sterling noted that she "boldly blazes new trails in the vast intellectual wilderness of American writers, thinkers and philosophers who were or are completely nuts".

Life

Early life

Donna J. Kossy was born in 1957.Gale 2007. She started doing zines in sixth grade,Zines 1997. co-editing Kid Stuff with a friend: "It had gossip, fashions, poetry, jokes and even movie reviews. It sold for 5 cents. My mom typed it up and Xeroxed it at work!" After graduating college in 1979, Kossy became involved in punk culture via collage art, color xerox postcards and mail art.

Kossy eventually became a computer programmer,Van Bakel 1995. but also published zines because "Publishing is power, pure and simple", and turned "author and folklorist."

Adult life

At one time, Kossy was the housemate of fellow zine maker Pagan Kennedy.Blume, Harvey (1996). , Wired, Issue 4.01, January 1996. She attuned Chicago writer Dan Kelly to cult "kook" Francis E. Dec.Kelly, Dan (2005). , Chicago Journal, February 2, 2005 In the early 1980s, she was part of the Processed World (PW) magazine, then romantically involved with anti-PW and ex-SubGenius anarchist Bob BlackBlack, Bob (1989). , 1989, reprinted at www.inspiracy.com/black (from the other side, also and at SubGenius.com) until 1987, moving with him to Boston in 1985.

In 1989, research for her Kooks Magazine led Kossy to abandon much of her other work. She is now married to Ken DeVries (a.k.a. Orton Nenslo), also a member of the Church of the SubGenius and contributor to their books, who provided some illustrations for her books and some articles for her website.

Works

False Positive (1984–1988)

In 1984, Kossy started publishing False Positive (1984–1988), a Xeroxed zine which ran for eleven issues. Each issue focused on one topic (such as technology, sex, Japan, cars, crime, kooks, food & drugs) and featured related book excerpts, satire, collages, drawings, etc.

The zine and Kossy were quoted by Discordianism co-founder Kerry Thornley (alias Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst) in his 1991 foreword to the 5th edition of the Principia Discordia,Thornley, Kerry (1991). , in Principia Discordia, January 23, 1991, online copy at www.cs.cmu.edu/~tilt/principia reprinting the "Manifesto of the Artistic Elite of the Midwest". Kossy said that her "career as a crackpotologist"Kossy, "Ordering Information". started there with the "Kooks Pages" within each issue and the two special all-kooks issues.

Kooks Magazine (1988–1991)

In 1988, Kossy started publishing Kooks Magazine (1988–1991), now using offset printing and running for eight issues. A spinoff of the kooks pages of her zine, it was in line with the 1988 book High Weirdness by Mail by SubGenius co-founder Rev. Ivan Stang (who later praisedStang, Ivan. , www.subgenius.com the collected book) and featured obscure "kooks" as well as some better-documented "cranks" such as reclusive Spider-Man co-creator Steve DitkoDitko Fever. , www.ditko-fever.com, consulted in March 2009 in its final issue (#8, November 1991).