Words cannot describe how happy I am to finally get the chance to review a Canadian sex zine. The Moose and Pussy is done by an Ottawa collective of college students from Carleton. That this is a student-run zine is obvious, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The content is largely focused on youthful insecurities, singles sex, and the tragicomedy of co-ed schooling. It’s not hard to see how this could lead to good sex writing. When it doesn’t focus on these themes, the view is of the art scene, and all of the topics covered are treated with wit and sly self-awareness. Hell, even the poetry is good–well-written, thoroughly thought out and genuinely interesting. Having set the reader up with all these tasty things to read, The Moose will then introduce darker pieces into the mix, and these will catch you off guard. This adds to their resonance and makes them more memorable, which speaks volumes about the intelligence of this crew. The overall artiness of The Moose and Pussy may make readers feel like they are experiencing endless foreplay, but if the goal is to artfully titillate, then it succeeds. (J. Blackmore)
Sex Zine, In/Words Magazine & Press, carlton.ca/inwords