Zine № 2: Rolling the Dice on Urban Experience (digital/printable download bundle)

A guide to using ordinary physical objects as tools for deepening urban exploration, Rolling the Dice on Urban Experience makes the case for object-mediated experience: the idea that everyday items like dice, a compass, a hand mirror, a magnifying glass, and a tally counter can stand between the explorer and their environment in ways that transform perception, disrupt habit, and open up new possibilities for discovery. Rooted in ideas drawn from psychogeography, mindfulness, and field ethnography, the guide approaches exploration as a form of play, arguing that curiosity and a willingness to subvert routine are among the most powerful tools an urban wanderer can carry.

For each object covered, the guide offers a range of specific activities and variations, from stochastic navigation and sensory focus exercises to comparative sketching and timed observation protocols. The tone throughout is practical and encouraging rather than academic, and the guide is explicit that it is a primer and jumping-off point rather than an exhaustive treatment. Readers are invited to adapt, combine, and invent freely.

Length: about 7,500 words. Originally published March 2026.

I will be releasing a range of new zines going forward. I'm doing it partly for the creative challenge, but mostly I'm doing it for fun. I'm working on my Japan travel book, but frankly I get bogged down, and having fun with zine-making is a good way to stay fresh and keep the creative juices flowing.

This is a bundle consisting of the zine formatted as an ebook, as well as a printable file so you can print and fold your own physical zine (there will be both US letter and A4 variants). There are instructions for how to print and assemble your zine.

NOTE: If you back my Japan travel book project, you'll also get this zine for free. No need to purchase separately unless you just want to give me more money (I won't stop you).

After purchase, you will have access to the download links for 30 days, so please download your files ASAP. If something happens and you need access after 30 days, please email me at david@somewherein.jp with your purchase information and I'll get the files to you.