Greetings from New York City!
Saturday was Hallowzine! at the Toronto Zine Library: 6 zine kids reading stuff. There were a few that I knew and some that I had only conversed with through the postal system and the internets. The readings were fun and entertaining. Then we went out for food and beer and headed back to Amy’s house amid costumed folks. I had no costume this year. I wish I had one of my cloaks. Instead I was wearing a skirt with my bat leggings that I wear all year round and my big fuzzy hood hat. i kicked up piles of leaves down Dundas as we walked to the beer store down the street. My favorite costume I saw? Tow people dressed as the Yip Yip alien monsters from Seasame Street! Yip Yip Yip Yip Uh hu uh hu! Tel-e-phone!
Kate showed up who I hadn’t seen since 2005 and the per-zine girl party plus Chris was in full effect! Maranda, Amy Leigh, Kate, Amber, Chirs and I sat in Amy’s room and some how we started talking about Lisa Frank and obsessing about the sticker company that we remember as kids. For some reason we wanted to see picture of THE Lisa Frank but could produce none. Instead we waxed poetic about stickers of dancing bears in top hats and unicorns that run down rainbows. I also found some real English cider that sated my desire for more real cider. It was good stuff!
The time changed over night and I got up early to find about 5 tabs in my browser filled with Lisa Frank images! I made coffee for folks scattered around the living room. Talking about Lisa Frank and having a giant zine girl slumber party was pretty rad.
We walked to the Gladstone and go there before 10 but they wouldn’t let us in until 11 so we sat around outside but we were the first people in line and got the seats we wanted when we got in. We had a zine girl bloc and it was great to have good people around me for great conversations and who could watch each others’ stuff. I sold and traded a lot of zines and met some awesome people but I was super tired by the end of it. It was nice to have a bar right there and I had a beer at one point but then I got a head ache so no more beer for me. The layout was weird to have a bunch of weird rooms in a hotel on different levels. There were the problems that seem to plague all zine fests these days with overpriced zines and too many things that weren’t zines at all. Too many crafts that had nothing to do with paper. I have other critiques but I’ll keep them to myself.
I got back to Amy’s, packed and crashed out after watching Mad Men. It was weird to watch it on a TV with commercials and not on a computer with no commercials.
I got up early in the morning and made it to the train station for an epic train ride to NYC. It seems like we spent way longer than we should have at the border but we eventually got going. I read a lot of zines including the new Cometbus, Culture Slut, Nothing Rhymes, Riot Wife and a few others and I wrote many letters. One being and epic 16 page tome! Postage to Canadia is going to kill me!
Anyway, I made it to NYC and Jeska met me. We came back to her house and talked until 2am sitting on her stoops and having a good time catching up. I don’t think we have talked too much since I was hear 2 years ago.
Today I’m headed to the post office to mail stiff back to me that is weighing me down. Books and zines are heavy! I have a couple of copies of my zines that I’m going to drop by Bluestockings and see if they want some. I can’t remember what I gave them last. I’m going to leave a few copies of the new Brainscan too. #25 but not #24 because I don’t have any more .Maybe I’ll bring flats to make more zines? Then I’m going to get some food at Kate’s place which I have never been to in my 3 trips to NYC. After that I might just meet up with Jenna Freedman for a beer and reminisce about our trip to France and drinking at an Irish Pub… in France.
Right now I have my own room courtesy of Jeska’s housemate that is away. it’s nice to have a place to put my stuff. I took everything out of my bag to deside what to ship back home today. I fly home a week from today. I’ll have stacks of mail to read and that is exciting. Speaking of mail I’m going to head out to the post office after some coffee.
Alex Wrekk 