Short Fuse: Scenes From My Summer Job in a Factory
Zine, Anonymous, [email protected]
Fuses and warehouses come to life in this vivid perzine about a Canadian student’s summer job. As an American with a minimum wage of $8.25 per hour, I think getting about $10.81per hour as a student sounds pretty neat.
The student’s journal entries share his animated and dramatic days at the warehouse and how the machines — like the big green monster — would make otherworldly loud noises. It really got me thinking about the inspiration that is around the workplace at all times. Whether it’s an irate customer who’s upset about not being able to use their coupon or the warehouse plastic wrap machine making loud noises while you panic; anything can eventually emerge as a story in a zine.
Some of the writing about being bored at the end of the summer put me off. The style of writing reminded me a little of Catcher in the Rye. But, in a way, you see that job satisfaction fluctuate — you make a game out of a simple challenge like metal plate efficiency. It was a curious, insightful look into how it is to work a summer job in a factory, that’s for sure. (Isabelle Rizo)