READ A BOOK! DON’T BE AFRAID!
Reviewed by
Tim Murphy
after/shock/thoughts Volume 2 Issue 4
ed. Sabina C. Becker, programming/formatting assisted by T. Paul Prescott (e-zine, available at www.crosswinds.net/~shockingthink/index.html in PDF, .doc and text formats; snail mail 570 King St. E, Cobourg, ON, K9A 4J8, CANADA ; e-mail [email protected])Sabina
has switched to an electronic format, which is a shame, but a/s/t has lost no bite in the transition to bytes (sorry).Unsurprisingly, she deals with Bush (in a non-grassy-knoll way), including the use of a re-written Beverly Hillbillies theme; devotes space to an Aussie moron who has been sending her anti-gay e-mail (though she has the makings of a fine killer dyke, her liking men interferes with her assuming that identity J ); pens an ode to the stinks, dandruff and belly fluff of a loved one (I don’t mind #1 and #3, to be honest); discusses Drawn and Quarterly comics she likes; provides news items and replies to same; flaunts a keen story about the danger of offending fairies (both senses); writes a couple more love poems (of a sort); reviews Geddy Lee of Rush’s solo album; gives her two cents’ worth on pornography and the sex industry (we have similarities and differences on these points), as inspired by reading Sex, Crimes and Misdemeanours (about the criminalization of sexual behaviours) and Voluptuous Panic (about sexuality in Weimar-era Berlin); and more.
Write to find out details – this is worth it.
Infection, the Anti-People ‘zine
, ed. Noah and Chris (634 Millwood Rd., Toronto, ON, M4S 1K8, CANADA, free, [email protected] ) This is a bitter pill to swallow. Why did the editors spend time and natural resources on this publication about ‘fast bands and horror movies’ if all is in a state of imminent destruction and hopelessness? I tend to think there is post-teen angst or tongue-in-cheek at work, though I could be seriously wrong…There are things I admire about this work, however. First, at the risk of revealing my sub-cultural biases, I like that the animal of this issue is the Bear. I also got a chuckle out of the poking fun at Straight Edge embodied in the advice from Jesus at the bottom of various pages.
There are interviews with bands that I have not heard of, generally in a thrashy or metallic mode, such as Wadge, Sloth and Pig Destroyer. I like to get insight into others’ minds, even if they give memorized answers (since I don’t know most of the bands, I couldn’t tell).
The ‘stolen’ piece about a necrophiliac, Karen Greenlee, was creepy, if only because she seemed so banal about her ‘love life’.
Throw in lots of record reviews, a few ‘zine takes, some ‘sucks’ and ‘what doesn’t suck’ opinions, recommended zombie films and a blatant promotion of one of the ‘zinester’s bands, Gojira (gotta love a band that has the Cookie Monster on its 7" sleeve), and you’ve got something. I’m not sure what, and I’m also not certain it’s my thing (too dark and nihilistic for my tastes), but, though the writers might deny it, they put a lot of energy and design into this well-assembled product, and that should be to their credit.
Mad Cow #9 – Being Bad, ed. Una Crow and Vix Spooky (c/o University of Toronto Women’s Centre, 563 Spadina Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2J7, CANADA, $2 CAN/US or good trade)
The bonkers bovine carries on – and does it carry on!
This issue is dedicated to misbehaviour, disobedience and being ‘evil’, which, at the risk of being heavy-handed (why do I say that, when I’ve been the Princess of Polemics for five freakin’ years?!), tends, for women, to mean laying claim to life and independence.
There are some disgustingly devoted letters and fan-mail to open up proceedings, which prove that the sins of pride and raising oneself up as an icon to worship are among the things for which the editors must do penance. J
There is a fan letter by Una to the somewhat irritating (this writer’s opinion, for reasons relating to a Bust article in which she pontificated broadly on gay men, with little questioning or critique by the interviewer) Janeane Garofalo, which borders on the stalky. J
A wonderful cartoon is featured by Vix Spooky, all about piracy and what is ‘bad’ behaviour.
A list of activists’ secret vices is provided (eyebrow gel!? They make eyebrow gel!? All these years of fly-away, limp brows, and I could have used something on them!?), some of which are unforgivable (liking Ayn Rand, even as an experimental high school phase; favouring pink; and, most egregious of all, having participated in role playing games (I know that particular offense all too well)).
Alex self-reports to the Feminist Police Collective, Lesbos Division, copping to such serious crimes as: thwarting identity politics; mocking chants; making fun of ‘wimmin’s music’ and, of course, not accepting the authority of the regulating organization in question.
Neurotic Jellybean sets out useful tips on how to subvert the cannibalistic tendencies of the retail industry, should you be swallowed up by it (at the risk of having to turn in my GayCard© again (I’m thinking of attaching a rubber band to it), I’ve never worked in that sector, which is almost unheard of among queer men I know…).
There is a copyright-violating cartoon featuring the blonde girlfriend of a certain red-haired eternal teenager (who also has a rich brunette date), which is altered to suggest she intends to cook him (he’s so old by now, he’d likely be all gristle anyway…).
Handy quotes by Diamanda Galas on how to deal with attempted rape and rapists are always good for chuckles and shudders. J
Una and Vix pen thoughtful meditations on the definition of ‘non-violence’ as it relates to protest, self-defense and fighting the powers that be, with some intriguing comparisons and contrasts to be derived from reading both.
There is a reading/viewing/listening list that will give you food for thought on badness and violence (needless to say, Ms. Galas, Hothead Paisan and Emma Goldman are on it, and I can heartily recommend Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, while I do mean to get around to reading Pussy, King of the Pirates by the late Kathy Acker too (there is an album by the country-Marxist punks Mekons and Kathy based on it as well, though I’m not sure of its availability at the moment…)).
All this, plus tons of ‘zine reviews, movie critiques, and far, far more, make this another compulsively readable, funny, pointed issue, well worth your time. J
Pretty Bruises Issue Four, ed. Nathan (P.O. Box 583113, Minneapolis, MN, 55458, [email protected] or [email protected] , www.rivulets.net/prettybruises.html, $2 US)
Nathan
continues to explore the realms of darkness, slowness, beauty and eeriness, and good on him…He starts by interviewing the lovely Jon DeRosa, most ‘famous’ for being in Flare, though he has also released ‘haunting folk’ with Dead Leaves Rising and ‘chilling soundscapes’ with Aarktica (I say ‘lovely’ because I’ve both seen his picture and think describing him as likely to ‘be mistaken for Wolverine on any given day’ is accurate AND, er, woofy…). It is a highly entertaining, insightful and thought-provoking piece, as I’ve come to expect from Nathan’s stuff.
This issue, unlike the others I’ve seen (I haven’t seen #1), has tons of record and ‘zine reviews as well (including a take on yours truly’s zine (#23) that suggests I may have inadvertently offended Nathan by dubbing him ‘fanboy’ on the basis of his Low issue – I really did mean it as a compliment, or at least a mere observation – but perhaps I’m being overly sensitive…). Most of the records and publications are on the dark/gothic/ambient side, with a few exceptions, and Nathan’s short takes get to their heart quite effectively.
In this issue, Nathan has done the unthinkable and reviewed a band of renown (horrors!), Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, from Wales, though, as I’ve never read an interview with them, it was interesting to hear what they had to say (a band screwed by Mercury – how unprecedented…).
The record review section, in addition to being huge, also thoughtfully provides contact info for tiny labels featured, which is more than some publications do.
Once more, intriguing material, and a simple layout and package. I hope Nathan never stops, since I admire people who write in relative disregard of trends (I mean, though my preferences have broadened as I age, I still tend towards punk and alternative, and that’s certainly not fashionable in the mainstream today (and don’t get me started on the queer mainstream’s taste in tunes)).
Sick To Move, Vol. 3 Issue 2,
ed. Scott Puckett (P.O. Box 121462, San Diego, CA, 92112-1462, [email protected], http://www.punkrockacademy.com , free, but I’d recommend a trade or a couple of bucks to be nice)The inadvertently-Canadian-content-punk-rock-eh issue!! There are interviews with Grade, from Oakville (who I confess I don’t know about) and The Weakerthans from Winnipeg (one of these days, I will pick up their new album, Left and Leaving, as I have heard portions of it and liked it – on vinyl, probably…I’m that kinda girl…J ). As I suspected from the previous installment, and as is confirmed herein, Scott asks probing and unconventional questions (how many interviews with punk rock bands end up discussing Mennonites, I ask you?). The other band interviewed, Jersey, might be Canadian or have Canadian members, since personnel in that group were also in Grade, but the conversation does not touch on that, and, again, I am not familiar enough with the project to comment (though leaving a message in the guestbook at
http://www.fueledbyramen.com/jersey might satisfy my curiosity – who knows?). (Ed. note - I asked Scott, and, yes, they're 'Nuckies...).In addition to the interviews, a fellow named Pee Air (assuming this is not some clever pseudonym for Scott, since he also writes about his tangling with guitar) writes an intriguing, philosophical piece about the use of guitar in pop, what ‘guitar rock’ is (based on the concept that it is about ego and dominance, artists like Ricky Martin and Frank Sinatra make the cut, while bands one normally WOULD associate with guitar, such as the Beatles, are excluded because of their sensitivity and space-sharing) and why it can be important to, metaphorically speaking, put the guitar down and pick up the panpipes. As a (bad) guitar player, I could relate – I have keyboards, and have sat behind drums and bass on occasion (and am a closet trombone player, though I haven’t had one in my mouth for sixteen years (there are so many places we could go with that, but we aren’t going to, are we?)). I do feel funny performing without something in my hands (again, drop that gutter line of whimsy, okay?), which might say something rather sad about my confidence on stage and my need for props.
To wrap up, Scott pens a whole series of short essays about loneliness, longing for love, memory and missing loved ones now gone, inspired by traveling he had done recently. Some of these are too heartbreaking for words – they make me miss my Arne even more, particularly when he talks about not having ‘a soft hand on (his) cheek’ or someone ‘tilting (his) head to let another gentle kiss linger on (his) lips’ (sob – and I’m not being sarcastic – I cried when I read that…). While I agree with the content of ‘A Note To Anyone Who Needs It’, in which he talks about how pain is necessary to be alive and realize one is struggling towards something worth having, I am reminded of a button I considered having made after dealing with a smarmy pop-psychologist-follower one too many times – ‘Oh, no! Not ANOTHER learning experience!’ Just once, I would like the lesson to be over, you know, so we can have recess? An unrealistic goal, perhaps, but still, it would be nice. However, I DO cling to hope – it was all that was left after the evils were unleashed in that classic woman-blaming story, "Pandora’s Box" (if THAT wasn’t a source for the Eve myth, I don’t know what was – I always had a problem with "Pandora" and Genesis (the Bible book, not the band…alTHOUGH…), as well as ‘Bluebeard’, because, in the case of the Greek tale and the fairy tale, the MAN set up the situation for disaster (sur-PRISE!!), and, in the case of the Christian fable, it is not as though Eve held Adam down and rammed the fruit down his throat…even if you concluded, as I did early on, that it was a story about sex and seduction, he could have said NO…but I am rambling…hey! it’s my last issue, so indulge me…).
Scott is a credit to the punk rock spirit of individuality, intelligent discourse and constructive questioning. I wish I lived in San Diego, so I might meet and know him, as well as give him a great big Bear hug, if he were open to it…he seems like a cool guy, for a straight boy… J
Sound Collector Five, ed. Laris Kreslins (P.O. Box 2056, New York, NY, 10013, [email protected]$5 US/$6 CDN when ordered direct (it was $7.99 CDN before tax at Tower Records, for example))
This handsomely bound and illustrated little book never fails to profile musicians on the avant-garde/electronic tip that I have rarely heard of, and this issue is no different in that respect (of course, the only previous issue I have seen is #4, which I gave to a big Harry Paartch fan, so I am not sure it has always been thus, but I can make some reasonable assumptions, I think…).
One unique feature of the layout is that all of the illustrations and photographs are separate from the articles to which they correspond (there is a helpful index provided). That creates a focus on the words and ideas, since imagery tends to dilute one’s interpretation or direct it in a heavy-handed manner. This enables one to think more independently. (Of course, it’s possible that all the writing was done and then pictures were sought, and they were racing against a deadline and had no time to edit the layout for art, and thus did it this way – who knows? J ).
There is a piece on Daevid Allen, from Gong, probably the biggest name in the issue, along with profiles of Destroyer (of whom I’ve heard) and Iannis Xenakis (the late, modern classical composer whose name crops up on the Diamanda Galas list frequently, and who I mean to look into), as well as excellent retrospectives on ESG (a predominantly female dance/funk group from NYC in the early 80’s) and Liquid Liquid (more avant-dance). These are some of the biggest articles, but there are tons of interviews and smaller pieces as well in this 176-page publication.
If you are looking for clear but challenging writing on underground stuff, this is the place to look…and it’s pretty too… J
Speed Demon #11
(Fall 2000, P.O. Box 44/A, Piazza San Babila 4/D, 20122, Milano, Italy, [email protected], $5 US )Everyone’s favourite Italian queer ‘zine is back in all its stylish glory!!
Though, as I said the last time, I cannot read Italian, and the one person I know who ‘can’ learned it in school and thus had a hard time with slang and actual native use of the language (he could struggle through some of it, but, though I normally don’t mind luring schoolboys away from their work, it was a bit too demanding on his time to ask him to translate for me), the handy sheet that gives an overview of the articles and my being a reasonably quick study on languages (that are in the same general group as English or French, anyway) were quite helpful in getting the gist.
There are lots of ‘zine reviews, including one of my #21 issue (the infamous Pikachu copyright violation one) that seems very kind, as well as of other publications I’m familiar with, such as Bitch Nation and Holy Titclamps, while the array of Italian publications was quite interesting (again, I wish I could read the language better).
The gay member of the punk band Burning Airlines is interviewed, as are the groups Sissies, Harum Scarum, Dirty Barby and The Little Deaths. There are also: live reviews of Tribe 8/The Haggard/Low-End Models; profiles of cartoonists Tommy Kovac and Roy Klang; a piece on being gay in Pakistan; a feature about a gelded man; and lots of queer record reviews (including one of Bitch Nation Top Secret Cassette Swapping Club, a compilation I am on).
There is also a tribute to William S. Burroughs, but we all have our flaws (and it features the letter in which the creep’s secretary alludes to Double Bill, an anti-Burroughs ‘zine, without naming it…).
The time, design and thought that go into this publication is staggering, and no review could give a complete picture of its brilliance. If you read Italian, or know someone who does who has the time to go through it with you, it is a masterpiece. As it is, I go through it, understanding about half of it, but liking what I see… J
The Stately Homo: A Celebration of the Life of Quentin Crisp
, ed. Paul Bailey (Bantam Press, Toronto, 2000, $29.95 CAN, www.quentincrisp.com or www.crisperanto.org)Quentin Crisp
(1908-1999) was a controversial figure on the gay scene, and this book makes no secret of that.It is a collection of material from his books, from essays and theses, and from reminiscences by those who crossed his path.
Sally Potter and John Hurt, having directed and portrayed him respectively, have fond and ‘what a trouper’ memories of him, though they were nice to read.
Paul Robinson, being a professor, writes an academic treatise on Crisp’s attitudes towards love and friendship (several subjects concede that, though they knew and liked Quentin, they were not sure they would have considered themselves his friends, since it was difficult to get under his skin, though a couple of testifiers insist they got glimpses of the Dennis Pratt (his birth name) under his style, and that there was anger , hurt and a desire for vengeance under his calm, benign exterior…).
In the end, just as Quentin’s four memoirs are stylish but superficial (a fifth will be issued posthumously), one is not certain one gets a look at the Man – but the combined glances add to the portrait of a true individual, and it is an entertaining compilation.
No Logo: Taking Aim At The Brand Bullies
, by Naomi Klein (some publisher whose logo was crossed out, 2000, $19.95 CAN, www.randomhouse.ca )Ms. Klein
, in this enormous, compellingly readable treatise, has produced an insightful portrait of the effects of corporate culture on the world around us.It covers the bases, from the pervasive nature of advertising in schools (giving the details on the American school that suspended a student for wearing a Pepsi© shirt to Coke© day (or the other way around – same swill anyway - I can’t remember…) – I would have thought Poke© would have denounced that decision, though I would hardly have believed it sincere). One of the ironies of corporate culture is that, for all it decries the actions of anti-WTO demonstrators and the like, it is more guilty of anarchy and disregard for the rule of law than any ragtag group of protesters (cf. recent actions by VIA Rail around its proposed purchase of railway cars that do not meet standards for accessibility, in which the company said it didn’t care if its consumers didn’t like what it did, and that it was under no compulsion to follow recommendations (that will likely be followed with orders) or make its trains accessible to a portion of its ridership – really, boys (and I do mean boys)? – not to mention its unpopular move to charge for parking in its lots now.).
The book pulls no punches and makes its case for the need to question the corporatization of the world, both in philosophical and labour effects.
It was refreshing to see someone question the problems with alternative© marketing and T-shirts with altered logos that advertise products anyway, though I think using examples like Nirvana is too easy (there ARE underground cultural movements yet to be co-opted, though their impact is slight). I have been making that argument for twenty years, in which I would tell punks I knew that the fact that they were dressing identically was not a triumph for individuality, and that the system ALLOWS for some defiance. It LOVES to see children with bright pink hair, because who makes the dye (assuming it isn’t sweatshop slaves, which brings up a whole OTHER ethical quandary…)? GENUINE defiance, in the form of political action or activism, is what riles the system. (And I agree with Klein’s analysis of gay marketing techniques and ‘style hunters’ – ever since Zandra Rhodes marketed gold safety pins and deliberately torn T-shirts in 1977, the notion that anti-style was not style’s subtler twin was dead…and a business-suited fag shilling for Absolut Rubbish doesn’t impress me anymore than his straight clone would.)
As I’ve said, an impressive and thoughtful volume, and its 446 well-researched pages roar by with wit, insight and trenchant analysis. Bravo, Naomi Klein©! J
Outline of My Lover
by Douglas A. Martin (Soft Skull Press, 100 Suffolk St. NYC, www.softskull.com , $17.50 CAN/$12 US, 2000)An odd book in every way, from its shape (the pages and book are rounded at the corners, to keep you from cutting yourself, I suppose) to its deeply emotional and yet strangely distancing contents.
It is the story of a gay man growing up in the U.S. in the Eighties, or so it would appear (it is elusive in many respects), with his feelings, ideas and concepts expressed poetically (as he has published two books of verse, this should not be a surprise), tersely and with art which conceals the zipper as it slips on the costume. It does have a certain eroticism to it, albeit an intellectual variety, which, as Mr. Martin has had pornography printed, is not startling.
I am not sure, after reading it twice, what to think of it. There were moments I could relate to (the feelings – the events were not familiar – I didn’t HAVE sexual experiences as a teenager, and I think I might have missed something, but it’s too late for that NOW…). Perhaps the narrator is meant to be ‘unreliable’, poisoned by cultural expectations and myth – while we get the emotions and the sense of his longing for the celebrity he has a (naturally) vague and ill-defined relationship with, there is little fleshed-out BODY or LOVER to be found in this volume (in fact, the book/narrator support this thesis, if ironically, as he speaks of how he falls in love or lies with a body – he might WANT to, but he ISN’T…). It is a pretty artifact – the outline of a book I hope he writes some day. This is not it.