Zine, Izalixe Straightheart, Issue #4, 30 rue Ste-Ursule, #16 Quebec QC, G1R 4E3, $4
In this edition of The Happy Loner, a deeply personal and intimate perzine, Iza tells parallel stories of loss and renewal. The zine is dedicated to Aime, a cat and companion who passed shortly before the zine’s creation. It’s clear that the author has an immensely powerful connection with Aime and has been deeply affected by the loss.
The story moves from the loss of Aime to detail the similarly deep connection Izalixe has with the neighbourhood in which they grew up and now live. The neighbourhood has recently gone through a transitory period, with new businesses moving in, a beach being created by the ferry, and a ferris wheel installation on the waterfront.
Iza has a tangible relationship with the physical spaces in which she moves, and you can feel the deep roots in her writing. She writes about financial hardship and the instability created by being in that space, mirroring the uncertainty of the outcome of the neighbourhood’s transition.
In the zine’s final pages, a new, rewarding, secure romantic relationship is created to replace a toxic, tough relationship left behind. In all of these stories you can feel the author’s unwavering connection to herself, and a hope and surety of purpose that we should all be so blessed as to possess in times of struggle. This zine personifies the perzine ideology by walking you through daily life, hard times, and tough feels. Though the author may have lost a dear companion, they still have hot tea, high-fives, and four strong walls. (Read our review of another Iza zine, Meetings, on page TK.) (CJ Blennerhassett)