Chris Yao creates zines to “learn about autistic life experiences so that (they) can put words to things (they) do + feel.” They shared “Photolog: 2015” with me, as well as a smattering of their mini-zines, and I appreciated getting a glimpse into their world. Published in 2020, “Photolog: 2015” features the snapshots Chris took while they learned to use a new camera: images of their surroundings, both natural and built, spindley trees and metro stations and calming flowers. Chris captions their photos with little contextual details; from the captions alone, I’ve gathered that they’re an Urban Planner, with a passion for nature (they’re part of their school’s environmental alliance) who once volunteered with Montreal’s Jane Walk (a Jane Walk is an annual neighborhood-exploration event inspired by the writings of the exceptional urbanist Jane Jacobs.) I learned even more about Chris from their brightly-colored minis: one about their experiences with diversity & inclusion training, another about echolalia, one about autistic burn-out, and (my favorite) a collection of their “foody memories”.