About My Disappearance #1
An absolutely wonderful zine by Dave of On Subbing about his battle with Crohn’s Disease. In this first issue Dave speaks of the first 4 months on having the disease. This includes his onset of symptoms (not being able to eat, diarrhea, dropping to 99 lbs), the diagnosis process (learning about the experience of a colonoscopy), and adjusting to life with Crohn’s. I feel that discussion of chronic illness is extremely valuable, in that many of us are combating some sort of disease in our lives and we should all be prepared to be supportive of one another.
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In
Brainscan #21 Alex tackles the difficult subject of ending an abusive
relationship with her long-term partner. It was very courageous
of her to share her experience and so important as it examines emotional
abuse, how it can be hard to recognize, and harder to accept. Alex
not only goes over the examples of abuse but her process of healing
and how the past affects her present life. Please read with care,
can be triggering. 
Something
nearly everyone has to make a decision on sometime in their life
is birth control. Alex uses Brainscan #22 to discuss her experience
in getting an Inter-Uterine Device (IUD). Before reading this
zine, I was mostly ignorant as to how the IUD worked. It is
refreshing to read a woman’s personal experience rather than
only medical jargon. Alex goes over how the IUD works, her
procedure, and the after effects. 
Sabrina’s great hybrid of food and perzine is back after over a year
of hiatus. Several recipes for corn and zucchini are in this issue
of Dimanche, as well as macaroons and vegan peanut butter fudge.
A brief history of the pretzel as well as a South Jersey pretzel
throw down to find the best pretzel in the area. There is also a
macaroon throw down! Sabrina talks of her grandmother passing away
and some of the recipes she had shared before her passing. A very
great issue of Dimanche and helpful as well! I loved the tips for
picking out the right ear of corn!
Out of Olympia, Washington this zine was put together by a woman named Nicki, compiling stories about community. Topics include a gardening project, volunteering for the Olympia Film Society, how the Ladyfest Bellingham came to be, basics of how to do media outreach, an article by Amy Adoyize and how her Razorcake column Monster of Fun began, Chris Kissoff with a piece on community, and how a woman from Cambodia joined with seven other women in college in Bangladesh to form a support group for one another. A very inspiring read that does a great job of encouraging the DIY ethic, by promoting to do it together.
This quarter-sized perzine by Helen in Maine is excellent. Doctrinal Expletives manages to pack so much variety into a zine without losing the reader. The first section deals with Helen’s experience in getting an IUD as her method of birth control. We then get to meet the nerdy side of Helen as she explains her favorite heavy metal films, her love of history, and some badass females of the ancient world. This definitely got me excited to learn more about some of the awesome ladies who have made an impact on our world. Doctrinal Expletives #5 closes with a piece on friends & family in which she makes great points of communal living and pressure to bond further than she is comfortable. Very insightful. 
This is a zine about stopping sexual violence and how men can play their part. Although, geared towards the hetero cis-gendered male, I think many different people can still learn from this zine. Paul, who authored this zine, writes about “rape culture”, consent, pornography, and lists many great resources. I like how Paul speaks of the messages men get from society about intimacy with a woman and how he is working to reject them. Whereas I do not completely agree with the opinions about pornography objectifying women, I do see where he is coming from. Certainly there is pornography out there that does, but there is also more than just that type of erotic film out there. I still think this is a good read and resource for all.
Cindy's alphabet series continues with this final installment U thru Z. Even though it is part of a series, this issue of Doris stands strong on it's own. Chock full of everything inspiring that Cindy brings in all of her writing, she begins with the story of leaving home for Reed college in Portland. In Portland she finds solace and friendship within the local Food Not Bombs chapter. Cindy also writes about touring with her band and meeting friends plus rekindling old relationships along the way. The part of Doris #27 that really spoke volumes to me was the part on what happens when the punks grow up and how we can use our talents and what we have learned to live lives which contribute to our communities. A wonderful and uplifting read.
Ex Machina #1 is a wonderful travel zine written during a summer
of studying Spanish in Chile and Argentina. Dea speaks of the apartment
where she stayed in Vina del Mar and how she explored the town from
broken Spanish breakfast conversations with her hosts. She includes
a brief history of Chile and the effects that Pinochet’s regime had
on the country. Activist art graces the walls of an empty prison
called Ex-Carcel which inspires Dea to reflect on the prison system.
A quick trip into Argentina tells a tale of tourism and Disneyland-esque
landscapes vs. the poor and rugged neighborhoods surrounding the
area in Buenos Aries.
This
issue of Ex Machina is subtitled “Live Free or Diner,” compiling
memories in the various diners Dea has visited. It starts with the
hometown diner section paying homage to Westchester County, New York.
All of the basic diner nostalgia is conjured up in this zine such
as the late night travel plans sketched out on the table which never
come to fruition, or the insomnia by fault of a bottomless coffee
feverishly knitting a new creation. A brief history of the late night
lunch wagon and a trip to Kate’s Joint in NYC is nestled within the
pages of Ex Machina #2. The musing “Home Fries” explains the nostalgia
and comfort a good greasy spoon brunch will bring.