The Cheerleader
I put off reading it for as long as possible. I was sure that it would let me down and I didn’t want to be let down by the second instalment of the Cheerleader. Not after I was so totally involved and fascinated and convinced by Cheerleader number one. And yet, the second instalment of the saga of a grrrl rock wannabe who lives a charmed and addled life in an imaginary Seattle, is just as great, just as profound, just as hilarious, as the first issue. Unbelievable. Batler is a great, poignant writer who moves from hallucinatory images to the perplexed of the innocent with total, amazing, confidence. “Lucy likes antiques, I can barely even listen to a CD I got in March. Lucy says that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but, my mascara is my best friend.” Wow. Needless to say, a band is in the making featuring the twin talents of these two young ladies. Will it succeed? I love this zine more than ever. Comes with the pithy bonus poem/envelope/flyer/photo, It’s Okay to Cry Sometimes. (HN)
zine, #2, $1, Claire Batler, 15 Lytton Blvd., Toronto, ON, M4R 1K9