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Category: Writing and Poetry

the Book of Keys // anthology zine

── .✦ “The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend.” - Aldous Huxley ✮⋆˙

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 dP'         `"8b,
 8  ,aaa,       "Y888a     ,aaaa,     ,aaa,  ,aa,
 8  8' `8           "88baadP""""YbaaadP"""YbdP""Yb
 8  8   8              """        """      ""    8b
 8  8, ,8         ,aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddd88P
 8  `"""'       ,d8""
 Yb,         ,ad8"    
  "Y8888888888P"

if you are reading this, you have an opportunity ahead of you; to receive one of 15 keys or key-sets in the mail and either create visual/sculptural art or write a story based off of what you've received.

i will mail them from my house. you can either give me your home address - i will not, under any circumstance give it to anyone else - or a PO box. or, if you don't feel comfortable giving me a physical address, give me an email & i will send you detailed photos. once you receive your key, you can start your project, and please, only submit one.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗  hopes & suggestions, apart from the basic prompt being a key or key-set:

- 15 keys means 16 works featured in the zine (i'm doing something for the zine too). they can be short or long, but i don't want one to overshadow any of the others

- i ask that you don't submit anything heavily sexual. if you're making visual art, you can show nude figures or body parts, i don't mind that, and if you're writing, you can talk about sex, i don't mind that either, but i don't want anyone to submit anything that reads like porn

- nonfiction/personal memories are allowed, but please don't dox yourself

- there is no general theme for the zine other than that you Follow Where The Key Leads You

- the submission deadline is October 1st, 2025

- if you have any questions, don't hesitate to IM me on here or message me some other way (if you're one of those folks with another way)

finished works go to my email - bennyfrohna@gmail.com - with the subject line "book of keys // submission" and, please, follow this general template: author name | title of piece | approximate length of piece if you wrote something, materials used if you made something | insert your submission here | why you are submitting this piece and/or why you decided to join the project

i and/or another friend will edit the works together, and present them as an online & printable book. i can't wait to see what we create together :3

key ASCII by Normand Veilleux


21 Kudos

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Prince Magpie

Prince Magpie's profile picture

A little late, I am new to SpaceHey. I would really like to join.


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okay, i'd appreciate that. i just pushed the joining deadline back by some days anyway.

by benny // whalefall; ; Report

log-cast

log-cast's profile picture

that sounds amazing omg i love this idea !!
I'd be super interested, i sent you a friend request, feel free to IM me because I'd have questions about some things :3


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flipflap

flipflap's profile picture

ooh sounds like fun. are you still looking for submissions? what kind of keys are they? i might join but tbh idk when i'd be able to submit anything.


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1) yes i am 2) many different kinds

by benny // whalefall; ; Report

Kie

Kie's profile picture

Cool project!! I'm quite busy with uni atm but if I manage to free up before the deadline for joining I'll let you know!!


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ah, i appreciate you saying this! i look forward to your joining if able, and if not, no harm done. good luck with uni :3

by benny // whalefall; ; Report

Aim: Fearsexdream

by Chris mastronardi; ; Report

?

by Kie; ; Report

???

by benny // whalefall; ; Report

Vostok

Vostok's profile picture

Any other way of joining without being physically mailed a key? As in maybe sent a picture of one instead or something like that? I get it's the whole point of the zine but I'm not comfortable with giving my address and I imagine other people might feel the same way.


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y’know, i suppose i could take photos of them. i dislike this idea inherently because i’m very enamored with the thought of mailing them to people, but i could do it for people who don’t want to give me their address, yes. i am hoping this would be comparatively rare, though.

by benny // whalefall; ; Report

Yeah that's understandable, I assumed that would be your response. I'm happy to join if you can do that for me, so just let me know if it's possible later on when you have more people signed up, or whatever.

by Vostok; ; Report

oh, i can do it right now, especially because i did realize you may be right - people may be more comfortable joining in the first place if they don't have to give me their address. do i send the photo(s) to the same email i sent my submission to *your* zine?

by benny // whalefall; ; Report

Yup, that's my email for informal-public-project stuff. You mentioned submission date is tba, but do you have any rough idea of when? A month? Couple of months? Infinite until everyone is finished?

by Vostok; ; Report

uhhh, let me pick out your key and email you the photos first before i think about that. my brain is too small lol

by benny // whalefall; ; Report

okay, i've finally emailed you your key. sorry for the delay, buddy

by benny // whalefall; ; Report

i guess you could technically use a proxy adress

by ivan; ; Report

i have no idea what on earth that is

by benny // whalefall; ; Report