Électron Libre
Perzine, Izalixe Straightheart, 28 pgs, [email protected], $4
Izalixe Straightheart is back with both a new issue and a new name for her zine. Previously known as The Happy Loner, her main bilingual (English & French) writing project is now called Électron Libre. This first issue, subtitled “Homecomings”, focuses on the impacts of COVID-19 on her life as well as zines, books and radio reviews.
Straightheart notes that this isn’t the first time she’s changed her project’s name: “As much as I loved The Happy Loner when I first coined the name back 15 years ago, over the course of the past year or so I started to feel like it had a negative shadow to it … I have become slightly more social than I used to be … I have more friends, and travel and being more active on the internet, namely on YouTube, has played a big part in this.” It’s nice to see that growth in her personal life is translating to changes of perspective in her creative projects.
I particularly enjoyed the pandemic tips section of this zine, where she offers the reader practical wellness tips like recipes, suggested podcasts, and fitness routines. It seems like Straightheart is really working on nourishing her body and soul in these difficult times.
I did notice my copy of this zine features a repeat of one page (“move your body”) and I am wondering if this was simply an error in assembly or a layout mistake. Still, I enjoyed reading Straightheart’s latest issue and recommend you check out her prolific body of work.