I received this zine to review right before the Olympics, which seemed especially pertinent considering the subject matter: a collection of interviews with people who lived and worked in the downtown east side of Vancouver, an area which saw a huge gentrifying push before the arrival of the winter games. With Shoes #7, Nathan gives us snapshots of his subjects’ lives in the context of the environment they live in. Sue Davis, a sex worker and activist, gives us a bit of a history of the intensification of policing of sex workers in the area, as well as the change in social dynamics it created. Matt Hern, the coordinator of the Purple Thistle Centre — an unschooling hub for neighbourhood youth — talks about alternative educational systems. Local bar owners and punks outline gigs and bands. Think of this as a people’s history of East Vancouver. These interviews run the gamut from chilling, emotional stories to riffing on the good times. I carried Shoes #7 in my bag with me for a week in transit, sitting down with one interview at a time, savouring the tone and rhythm of each individual’s storytelling. (Sarah Pinder)
Zine, [email protected] Nathan, P.O Box 1986 Corunna, ON, N0N 1G0, $2 or trade