The black Bristol board cover is adourned with an ostrich stamped in hot pink paint. Its spine is bound in a fine, waxed red string. The craftsmanship of Very True is precisely why I love zines: creativity aside, the cover serves as a reminder of just how deceiving these little guys can be. When I initially saw the zine, it reminded me of something you’d see printed on an American Eagle T-shirt. I couldn’t help but think of it as another attempt for artificiality or poseurdom to rear its ugly head. Fortunately, I was wrong. Very True is actually a collection of poetry and random strings of thought written by Lacey Hedtke. Short and highly provocative, the compositions would make for a rousing evening of spoken word, considering the wide range of topics she writes on. Here’s a taster:
People are so worried. They don’t know how / to interpret goodness anymore. / When someone’s giving you their body / Know how to handle it. / My boss, / A married man / Grabbed my ass at work / In front of his mother / Does deja vu have anything to do w/ symmetry / Laying in bed reading the Communist Manifesto / (the reason for your pa’s inprisonment) / W/ you / Sleeping all our time away / Is not my idea of a wild time.
The zine serves as an anthology of sorts– adages and assertions borne out of Hedtke’s introspection of her life experiences. And the presentation is just as revealing as the words: three pieces lay scattered on each page and are written in old type. The aged font and disturbed page layout suggests that Hedtke was as much at odds with her emotions at the keyboard as when she first experienced the events. The writing is fresh, but the memories, wounds and opinions are not. There’s a lot of reflection packed in these pages and it’s such a revitalizing read. A real gem. (Amy Greenwood)
perzine, Lacey Hedtke, $5, [email protected]