A Token or Three Dollars
Poetry Zine, Peter Marrack, Gone to Mexico Press, [email protected], petermarrack.com, $3 (or a token)
Yes! Three shekels or TTC fare, THAT is what a zine should cost; none of this $8-$10 nonsense. Plan-It- X Records’ motto had it right: “If it ain’t cheap, it ain’t punk.” I say, if it ain’t cheap, I am not buying your zine! Get thee to a small press fair or a chapbook convention!
Now, on to this lean poetry zine. Peter’s verses contain angst, a typewriter, longing, waiting, more angst, urban wonder and erotica. There is an engagement with the everyday. The fast food franchise McDonald’s makes multiple appearances in these poems. Peter observes his environment and either finds poetry within it or dissects it in a way that is plainly stated but contextually cryptic. The layout is a good one: ruined typewriter text over a light grey background, which give the sketchy words a look like they’re imprinted on the static surface of an old-timey television or even a bit like that zine Journal Song of yesteryear (down to the word “you’re” being spelled as “yr”). But unlike Journal Song, this is not a perzine.
While the milieu and some of the sentiments in these poems (including images of Toronto, consumerism, and desire) are relatable, they personally didn’t really come to life for me. The pieces flowed quickly and painlessly but without leaving a deeper impression. I am at a loss to explain why. (Chris Landry)