Existere is aggressively, unapologetically irreverent. It’s all about staying off the beaten track. On the “Contributors” page there’s a quote: “I’d rather sound like myself, and suck, than sound like anybody else and be good.” This could be the mag’s motto. There are one or two pieces in here that really do suck. There’s a lampoon on the origin of Ping Pong that’s just plain dumb. But most of the stories and poems are in earnest, and if they don’t quite stab you in the heart, at least these writers are all making a valiant effort to sound like themselves. Even the interview with Chris Dewdney does its best to be different. Early on in the interview, Erica, the interviewer, says, “I don’t want to ask shit like what you’re writing or formal writer-ly type crap.” And she does a pretty good job of making this an unusual interview, but asking questions you don’t generally get in an interview: ERICA – Was the first book some sort of sleeping with the editor thing? CHRIS – No, I didn’t sleep with anybody. ERICA – Do you think the tape recorder is placed well enough? CHRIS – I don’t know. If it’s a good tape recorder we should be okay. There’s also a bunch of artwork in here by a guy named Anthony Randall. A Toy-Storyesque picture of a doll with nails hammered into it. A Native American looking cat thing with entrails. A portrait that looks like its made out of leaves depicting a man who might have been a past American president. It’s hard to believe the same guy did all these pictures, and it’s all good stuff. (KS)
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