What I Have Lost
Keely O’Brien
www.kissmego.etsy.com
I seem to be reading a lot of zines lately that have ‘on the nose’ titles. Keely O’Brien’s ‘What I Have Lost’ is a mini-zine of past things gone… sacrificed unwillingly to the universe.
I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but there is something about the fact that Keely includes something stolen that I really appreciate. Maybe it’s the reminder that sometimes losing things and people are completely out of our control? Something for me to ponder.
Not only that; there is another step taken in the wishes for these things that are now gone. Like hoping that the person who found the green iPod was inspired to become a total hipster…
Aesthetically, this zine is lovely. The bright blue saddle stitching is a small but pretty contrast to the black and white of the zine itself. The cover as well as the internals are all cardstock quality. Keely is a talented artists, and the way the sketches cross over from one page to another, encompassing the whole ‘spread’, adds to the flow of reading it.
Handwriting can be a gamble when it comes to zines. Just because you can read it doesn’t mean other people again. Lucky for we zine readers, Keely’s handwriting is clear and yet whimsical in the way the art surrounding the words in. They make a perfect match, and I find myself grateful that Keely decided to do things this way.
This is one of those zines that, even if I’ve read it plenty, I’ll still go back to enjoy the art.