THE RETURN OF THE SELWYN REJECTS
Our high school, Selwyn College in Kohimarama, Auckland, New Zealand, had a good reputation, but we certainly didn't. Teenage Angst Puberty Pimple Riot Attitude Overdrive. Alot of adolescent mischief. Nothing all too evil, but bad enough not to be invited to the school reunion. Otherwise, there was so much shit going on all around the world. The 80s were cola wars and xerox machines, apple two knockoffs and real commodore computers, VHS players and the most fantastic music. And we didn't care.
One of my best teenage friends in our gang had a Pentax and photographed everything. I'm not sure we noticed it though we were too busy with our hair. David captured two years of high school life. Two years of photos, no one had ever seen since 1988. magical photos.
After many moons of being away, I reconnected with my friends back in Auckland. alot had changed, but somehow old friends stay good friends. It was nice. David gave me all the photos, and I wanted to give something back to the gang and whipped up a fanzine, bad scans complementing a badly photocopied 80s style. I titled it "selwyn rejects" to celebrate the little fuckers we were.
One morning, I finished the layouts and emailed all to double-check postal addresses, only to hear an hour later that only days before one of my other best friends had passed away. It was bizarre, even more so after being so layouterishly emerged in a grainy black and white xeroxed time warp. And once again feeling to close to all.
The "selwyn rejects" project was dedicated to Simon and after a zoom wake and all the zines finally arrived in New Zealand, the UK and the states, I believe that it gave all a bit of something to laugh about and cherish the good and bad times we all had.
I have experienced alot of death in my life. The years roll by, and the noose of the final breath grows tighter, and one day, any day it can be my turn, your turn. and that any second. I live with this thought. I do not forget it.
Rip Simon, love ya and miss you, bro.
The soundtrack to the zine can be heard here
See what David has been up too since here and thanks for the photos and memories.
