Chronically Canadian is a new quarterly magazine published out of Vancouver that writes about life with chronic illness. I picked up an issue at the CanWest Zine fair and immediately realized there’s nothing out there like it; a magazine about health and illness written by experts. And by experts I mean people living with chronic illness. People who can talk about misdiagnosis, fear, pain, embarrassing moments, alterative treatments and everything else with strength, humour and compassion. This first issue deals with a variety of topics: battling depression, coping in the workforce, sex and sickness, pet therapy, breathing exercises, IBS, colonoscopy, acupuncture, and navigating through the healthcare system, to list a few. CC is compassionate, smart, engaging and funny, exactly what you’d hope for from a magazine about chronic illness. It’s hip too. It has much more of a young and sassy feel to it than a clinical one. Overall, a very impressive start; I liked it so much I bought a subscription for the alternative library I work for. My only criticism is that the design needs to be toned down. Full colour glossy on heavier stock paper is impressive, but there are too many fonts and styles in the mix. I hope that with future issues the magazine finds a more consistent look. (Krisztina Kun)
www.chronicallycanadian.ca