This time, everyone's favourite Good Witch spouts off about: the nastiness of reservoir-spread E. Coli (clearly, her medical ambitions, from when I knew her in university, have remained an interest), managing to veer off into how maybe - just maybe - deregulation is a bad thing where public health and the water supply is concerned, and that more godless commie influence in government could be called for, rather than less; the aftermath of the whole Elian Gonzalez debacle; a heartless, Feminazi assault on Carol Friedan, ex-of-Betty fame and current proprietor of a whiny site dedcicated the slandering her; some useful info on drug use and effective education in the wake of all the anti-rave sentiment; a bizarre website in which people scan their cats and send in the results; the limits of free speech, both in terms of law and the oppression of it by those with guns and big wallets; a whole series of odd news items from around the world, with editorializing by Sabina ranging from the acid to the whimsical; and so much more, including a God Management Survey submitted by our friend T. Paul Prescott.

Pretty Bruises #3, ed. Nathan (P.O. Box 583113, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55458, USA, [email protected], $2 US or trade)

Ratz are Nice, by Lawrence Ytzhak Braithwaite (Alyson Books, Los Angeles, 2000, $17.50 CAN)

This is Mr. Braithwaite's second novel, following Wigger from some years back, and, like that volume, it is an experimental work that deals with race, sexuality, violence and gangs. It is not nearly as dry and/or pretentious as that would make it sound, however - far from!

It is not simple to follow, since, like Hubert Selby Jr., he tends to have dialogue, text and punctuation all flowing together as his characters would speak, rather than how convention would place them. I DID find it more structured and 'literary' than his first book.

Plot-wise, it deals with the lives and (mis)adventures of various Vancouver street punks, as narrated by I/Edison, a 'creole' skinhead. There is a little of everything here, from hustling to homosexuality to drugs to anti-Nazi activism, all in the service of a vivid narrative.

Helpfully, the book contains a bibliography, discography and glossary to aid the reader in following references better. I could keep up with the music, but the slang sent me checking once or twice.

It is not an easy read, and some critics have called it on its brutality, chemical use and occasional less-than-loving depictions of sex. They are missing the point, and I do not feel obliged to elucidate for them, since everything is more or less as the characters would experience it. There ARE tender and hopeful moments here too, which those observers fail to mention.

Evidently, this is the first book by a Canadian author that the gay publisher Alyson has put out. I hope it won't be the last - at least by Lawrence, anyway...

13 Cautionary Tales, by Nichole McGill (Gutter Press, P.O. Box 600, Station Q, Toronto, Ontario, M4T 2N4, CANADA; voice (416) 822.8708, fax (416) 822.8709, [email protected], 2000, $15.95 CAN)

I must confess I was initially attracted to this book by the cover art of Eliza Griffiths, an Ottawa artist who does paintings of adolescent girls that combine aggressive sexuality with defiance and independence. This is only partially because Ms. Griffiths once shared an exhibit with my fave pornographer, Ms. G.B. Jones (though I doubt I would have seen her work, had I not gone to that showing on the basis of G.B.'s drawings being there).

However, I flipped through the book and was drawn by her dispassionate but powerful narration, especially in the stories 'Anna', about a little girl taken in by women who observe her father going to a prostitute in the building where they live, and 'Stiletto', a brutal but engaging tale of whoring and power. If Margaret Atwood were crossed with Margaret Gibson, this might be the result.

As the title would suggest, these are not the happiest of narratives - but the characters carry on, live and mostly have hope, so they are not dark, grim, voyeuristic snuff either.

These are vivid, sharply lit explorations, so the acutely bright cover painting is more than apt. 'Vena', in particular, is almost like a punch in the stomach for its matter-of-fact depiction of murder in retrospect.

It does not surprise me that the author ia also a playwright, as she has a very strong grasp of dramatic tension. A worthy, if somewhat disturbing, debut...

The current version, necessarily updated to include her final two albums and her sad demise, is exhaustive in its coverage of the singer's life, both personal and professional, though it is not sleazy on the former or tediously crammed with recording details on the latter. In fact, I found myself wanting to know MORE about her songwriting, since there is one reference to her astonishment at someone liking a self-penned B-side, and I would think there was more than just 'Once Upon A Time' from the CD re-issue of A GIRL CALLED DUSTY to choose from. From a mildly voyeuristic point of view, I found it interesting that, though Canadian-based dyke diva Carole Pope is mentioned, their romantic relationship is not (it is quite heavily touched upon in Carole's own book, Anti-Diva, however...).

Its impeccable research documents: her controversial anti-apartheid stand in 1964 South Africa; her struggles with body image and self-confidence; the context in which a queer woman in pop would have worked in the Sixties, not to mention a woman who, though she did not play an instrument or write material extensively as a solo artist, had a very strong sense of arrangement/production that she would not compromise; and her years of decline and dissipation, though it is kind and not too blunt there.

From a trivia point of view, it was nice to be able to add: another item to my Lesley Gore/Dusty Springfield comparison, as Dusty covered Gore's "Love Me By Name"; and a bit of info to my ongoing list of women musicians from the 1960s, as Megan Brady was the bassist of the Applejacks, who had a British Top Ten hit in 1964 with "Tell Me When".

It is an entertaining read, informative without being slimy and sensitive without being a whitewash, and will give a strong portrait of a talented singer whose like we shall probably not see again.

Sniffin' Glue, by Mark Perry et. al. (Sanctuary Publishing, Sanctuary House, 45-53 Sinclair Road, London, W14 ONS, UK, 2000, $45 CAN)

The first half of the hulking monstrosity is an extensive series of historical, sociological and even political essays by those involved, complete with vintage photos and quotes, and, while Perry's disillusionment is distressing, we can at least see WHY he grew disenchanted, from his point of view.

The second half reproduces the actual issues - on authentic cheap newsprint, no less! While it was a bit of a boys' club when it started, and only marginally improved, completing missing out Slits, Siouxsie Sioux and Poly Styrene, it did: give the nod to the Runaways; interview Gaye Advert, bassist of the Adverts; and deliver a back-hand endorsement to Jayne/Wayne County ("OK, so he dresses like a woman, but so what? He writes great songs!").

It also had a fairly open mind and ear, even to the likes of Captain Beefheart, John Cale and Jonathan Richman, and thankfully provides info on musicians time has largely forgotten, such as the 'boyband' Eater and Cherry Vanilla, Jayne County's 'real girl' analogue.

One finds oneself glad, upon reading the final issue, that it folded in the summer of 1977, just before terminal rot and ugliness set in, or else poor Mr. Perry might have shot himself. Sadly, its dreams that the likes of Patti Smith and Television would eclipse the Clash and the Sex Pistols, or at least shine as bright, have not been fulfilled.

Daniel is the Christian Jonathan Richman; the Brian Wilson without a fortune but with a smile; or, if you like, the David Byrne who genuinely believes in the redemptive power of love, family and friends. However, these descriptions do him little justice, since he is simply incomparable.

He is a 40-year-old illustrator/musician/songwriter who has been on the fringes for nearly twenty years, releasing only home-made tapes for the first decade, occasionally brushing up against the mainstream and then bouncing off.

He is also, as it happens, a manic-depressive whose difficult going has often been complicated further by periods of failing to take his medication. Say what you will about the pharmaceutical industry's role and ethics in mental illness management, but the fact that he is creative, loving and productive when he stays on his doses suggests that the approach works for HIM.

This book compiles enormous amounts of his vaguely disturbing, touchy and witty sketches, as well as a discography and a lyric section. It is liberally peppered with quotes and testimonials from those who have worked with him and appreciate his skewed genius, such as Jad Fair, Matt Groening and Paul Leary (heck, even the head of Atlantic, which had him signed to its roster briefly, has nice things to say about him).

Another true labour of love, in short!