Planning For The Future Is Escapism

Razorcake #62 www.razorcake.org
First of all, the cover of this issue features a volcano erupting with slices of pizza, so I'm in. (That pepperoni is vegetarian, right?) I actually got this in the mail for free, since they reviewed the Culture Slut / Motor City Kitty split. The highlight of the issue was Amy Adoyzie's piece Unthinking What We Know on sexism in punk, but especially this irritating phenomenon of shirtless dudes chuggin' back their beers and takin' up space. I've been reading a lot of articles on the I Live Sweat blog these days, and this one is in the same vein. Though oddly enough, the rest of the zine contains interviews with very dude-ly types and photos of many a shirtless body. Oh well, gotta start somewhere, right? I did enjoy Nardwuar's interview with Tommy Chong, if only because I enjoy all of Nardwuar's interviews. True fact: I began writing zine reviews last night, but quickly became lost in a YouTube vortex of Nardwuar interviews. So here he is with Best Coast, The White Stripes (on Going Coastal... remember that show??), Florence Welch, and Nirvana (and Courtney Love). But seriously... more shows that look like this, please:


(Photo by Shira Mario Pilarski; I found it on Facebook.)

Virgin #2 virginzineATgmail.com
The first issue of this zine came out last year and was printed by an anonymous author who wrote about being a virgin. In this issue, six people write about their lives as virgins and their reasons for choosing (or not) to remain so. The views presented come from a range of contributors, including one who writes about being a survivor of abuse, another about how having Spinal Atrophy Muscular Dystrophy type 2 has affected their sex life, a piece on the 'myth' of virginity and how it's marketed, and more. An excellent read.

Doris #25 www.dorisdorisdoris.com
It's no secret that I love this zine. You can buy it through Fight Boredom Distro. And I've got a Doris tattoo for goodness' sake. I've read this issue a couple of times, and I just sat down and re-read it tonight and I think it means even more to me now than it did the last time. The letter Q is the theme (because Cindy was doing an alphabet series), so that means Questions and Quitting. The last seven pages are dedicated to Cindy's tale of how she quit drinking. Let's just say that some of those paragraphs are relateable. I must get my hands on a copy of her comp zine, Filling The Void: Interviews About Quitting Drinking & Using. The bulk of the zine features questions asked by friends and readers, like What do you want to do most? and What are your favourite comfort foods? So she writes about setting up a five-year plan to achieve her goals, filtering out negativity, allowing herself to dream, memories of her mother, and admits to having a thing for Hello Kitty bandages (me, I've got one on my hand right now 'coz I'm no good at climbing fences). This is my favourite part:

"Friendship should not be a way to pass the time, a way to kill time, a distraction. Friendship should be a beginning place for the revolution.

Prioritize friendship. Don't get sucked into the isolation of just being a couple or wanting just trueloveonepersontoreallyunderstandyou. Don't force someone to be monogamous, don't force someone to be non-monogamous. If your loved one is sick or hurting so bad, prioritize them. Know the difference between self-righteous politics and a politic of compassion and love. But prioritize friendships. Talk to your friends about your hopes and dreams and fears and secrets that you usually save for your lover. Let them close to you. Commit yourself to them. Move to maintain friendships, not just to maintain relationships.

Don't let yourself become bored. If you are bored, there are things that need doing."

What I've Been Up To Lately: Waking up at sunrise next to this, picnicking pretty much everyday, thrift-shopping, drinking too much cream soda, dancing in bedrooms, taking pictures, sidewalk-chalking, going on good dates, going to good shows (hello Hedwig & The Angry Inch at the Fringe Festival), planning a fake wedding with Vincent, reading my sister's blog, buying stacks of French language novels for a dollar each, prioritizing the fuck outta friendships, selling all my shit, tumblin', trying to find a good spot to go swimming, signing up for medical studies, making too many phone calls, smiling at the children who point at my hair and exclaim, « Regarde! Elle a des cheveux roses pis mauves! »













(The photo of my feet and a container of what basically looks like vomit, but is actually poutine with guacamole and sour cream and tomatoes, and the one where I'm swingin' from a tree were taken by Vincent Wilde.)