Yard Sale! #42
Perzine, Harley R. Pageot, 34 pgs, [email protected], $3
Making zines is often viewed as a short-term hobby. There are plenty of zines that don’t make it past issue two, and it is rare to find authors who have actively been self-publishing for more than five years. So I was pleased to discover this issue of Yard Sale!, which celebrates its tenth anniversary of publication here. In this 42nd issue, Toronto-based author Harley R. Pageot discusses the ups and downs of zine-making, his longest relationship yet, and his work woes.
Although Yard Sale!’s introduction almost suggests that Pageot is considering retirement from writing, he note in the first piece: “I commit myself to making a new issue of this zine every four months. When I’m feeling gay I think of it as a fun little hobby. A chance to flex my writing muscles. A diary for the future me, ensuring that I won’t forget these precious moments and memories.” I think this perspective will resonate with many other self-publishers out there. Zines are both a personal archive and a way to try and connect with others, and this continues to shine through in other stories he shares.
Pageot finishes the zine with a short story that I assume will be part of a longer work. While this surprise of an excerpt was intriguing, it was difficult to place the plot without having read the previous chapters or knowing why it was included. Despite this ending, Yard Sale! is a fun read. Congrats on ten years!