Why We Cry When We’re Happy
Zine, Julianne S, 8 pgs, foottoface.com, @foottoface, $3
The title of this zine could be taken as rhetorical. Some of us cry when we’re happy. Others cry when they’re sad. Some cry to get what they want. Others cry to get what they need. Some of it is fine. Most of it sucks. But it’s hard to pinpoint any single reason why any single one of us gets misty eyed during times we should genuinely be dishing out the LOLs.
Nevertheless, Julianne S makes a valiant attempt to address the question, writing cut-and-paste poetry as her process. This prose poetry, mishmash of words and thoughts is all made up of found text snipped out of magazine and other sources. It’s reminiscent of the cut-and-paste zines that have become less popular today, but also summons the also fading popularity of the ransom note-style of typography that was once splashed across an article and fashion spread, to give some edge to the aesthetic.
The complete narrative is definitely pretty dire, and while the lo-fi look shows the creator’s care and artistry, the story is sometimes unclear. It’s at the very least a stark reminder that emotions know no bounds or categories. Even for those of us who pride ourselves on being centred and peaceful, there will still be unexpected and unexplained moments of agony and confusion, of open weeping without pretense or control. You can either give in or you make a zine about it — this being the result of the latter.