The essence of this zine is just as the title implies: what you’re about to read is a collection of tell-all articles unabashedly typed by a zinester from New York. Kaetlin Perna is a freelance writer who decided to take a handful of her online columns and put them into print. Confessions of a Bohemian Sellout is the result. The articles date from April to August 2006 and discuss a wide spectrum of topics: the mighty job search, her first iPod and becoming more social to name a few. She also admits to a childhood infatuation with the Piano Man: “Every little girl dreams of being a rock star. For most girls my age, the rock star they wanted to be was Madonna with her cone bra, or quite possibly the ladies of Salt n’ Pepa, ‘Schooping’ for a man. Hey, it was the early 90s. For me, at five years old, I wanted to be Billy Joel.” Hey, at least she’s being honest. (And I think Billy sang a song about that, too.) But in all seriousness, what makes this zine work is Perna’s candor. She refers to her pieces as “columns”? but they can just as comfortably be entries from a journal. While reading this, I couldn’t shake the image of a Carrie Bradshaw- type, paying her dues and working her way up to support her fledgling writing hobby, in hopes to leave her own imprint in the media industry. How fitting that she actually closes with a column on Sex and the City: “I prefer being single. It means walking around in my underwear, going to the bathroom (my awesome bathroom) with the door open without his prudish self going, ‘ew you’re disgusting,’? not shaving my legs, alone in my thoughts, figuring myself out, and finding my way.” Finding our way. I think that tops a lot of people’s to-do lists. In the meantime, if you wish to take a break from the game of life, grab this zine and see how someone else is fairing in the real world. (Amy Greenwood)
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