This zine by Shelby Monita has some serious fuckin’ range. About 70% of it is an interview with fashion designer Christian Joy. Serious music nerds may recognize Joy’s name based on her past collaborations with artists like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Childish Gambino and Alabama Shakes. Around 15% is a poem that Monita wrote between cancer surgeries in the early months of 2016. It’s pretty real stuff. Well worth a read.
The remainder of the zine is some hand-drawn stuff, partially about the band Cigarettes After Sex, plus some stray housekeeping-type items and a small dusting of random artwork. The package is super personal and, like many perzines, it’s a bit like snooping at Shelby’s iCloud or Tumblr page. Luckily, she seems only too happy to share and keeps the reader alert with these hard pivots from features to art to the challenging personal details. Yet, somehow through it all, the design and general aesthetic are light and playful. It feels timeless, not unlike something you might’ve picked up in the 1990s or maybe even the 1980s. I guess time flies… or it doesn’t. (Cam Gordon)