Author: Nyx

Last Thursday, a friend contacted me about proofreading his novel – by Monday. It’s hard to say no to a paying job, so I told him I’d have a go. I managed to do it by editing from Friday arvo to Sunday night with breaks only for sleeping. I’m actually proud of getting it done on time, but I had to put everything else aside. I still haven’t caught up.

I have a few smaller zines for you this week, so I figured I would review them in one post. Not to take away from the awesomeness and importance of mini-zines. More that I figure two or three mini-zines adds up to the prattling I do on one bigger zine.

I apologise for the pics being a little dark. First up, a poster edition of YOU.

I’ll be honest: I can’t resist a free zine – even in poster form. I’m a big fan of YOU in all its incarnations. If you want to know more about that, then check out this post.

My Learnings
Heard
A7
?

My Learnings is a very simple mini-zine filled with simple life truths – most of which are fewer than seven words. It’s not a complex read by any means, but perhaps that is the point. It’s a quick read but a pleasant one.

Mini Moz Fanzine
Alice Belle
A7… or is it! Surprise when you fold it out to A4

Mini Moz is a passionate tribute to Morrissey. Not quite the traditional mini-zine, you don’t just read it through. There are different bits written in different directions, making it more of an exploration. I quite liked that unexpected treat – even if I’m not all that familiar with Morrissey.

*****

Both mini-zines do prod a pet peeve of mine, which is no contact details, no blog URL, so on and so forth. I don’t begrudge anyone the desire to remain anonymous (Dear Anonymous, anyone?), but I would have liked to check out more. Especially Mini Moz given she’s such a talented artist.

How do You Take It? 2014 (Issue #14)
Tasha
A6
https://lifeasawhitepickettfence.wordpress.com/ (No longer operating.)

That moment of strange excitement when you come across a zine, see the author’s name, and think, “Hey! I know her!” That’s the little thrill I received when I saw this zine is by Tasha. She’s one of the first people I traded zines with on WMZ back at the beginning of my zine journey.

‘How do You Take It’ starts off with a diary-type entry noting Tasha’s thoughts on the first day of a new year. While the writing is a touch flowery (if I’m to be honest), it does fit with the kind of self-examination that usually comes with the start of a new year.

The sentiments don’t last overly long before she launches into a cynical rant about resolutions which began with these words (that made me smirk):

‘Tis the season to publicly commit to ridiculous lifelong aspirations; to promise the unrealistic and make soundedgoodatthetime kinda plans!

There aren’t exactly solid, clear breaks as such, so everything kind of travels into the next section on its own. While probably not intentional, it does work for a bleary-eyed zine created on Day One of 2014. It does wrap up with a reflection upon the previous year. I like this because, while she takes a cynical view of resolutions, she shows that she can still appreciate the meaning of a new year and its significance.

YOU
Anonymous
This one? A page in a greaseproof bag. Next one? Who knows?
http://zinewiki.com/YOU

Writing a review of an edition of YOU is like reviewing a limited edition Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavour; it’s iconic for some parts of the world, and you never quite know what you’re going to get until you dig in.

Good analogy? I’m not sure, but I don’t think I can think of anything better.

According to its Zine Wiki:

YOU (November 2001-) zine takes the form of a free anonymous letter addressed to you from various writers, usually handwritten, often sealed in a paper bag, published by Luke You.

YOU ties into the curiosity that is so intrinsic to most of us. Something sealed in a paper bag? For free? I must know what’s inside. This curiosity is followed closely by an urge in much of the population – voyeurism. While it grants the writer the bliss of anonymity, it also gives the reader a glimpse into a life that the reader would very likely never know.

For me, YOU is like a present. Someone has given me something special: a moment of their life. I’ll never know the writer, and the writer will never know me, but I will still be able to hold onto this moment. This little piece of life that someone threw out into the universe.

This particular letter is about a beautiful moment. I smiled even though I didn’t know some of the names referenced. I dwelled on the handwriting, curious about the hand and the person that would write with those particular words and curves of the letters. Even before all that, I got to open the bag – getting the same kind of enjoyment I get from opening happy mail.

I love it, through and through.