Daniels-Zraidy describes Heavy Girl Press as “a Toronto fanzine dedicated to celebrating the fat female experience in pop culture.” She promises that “it will be full of exciting information and visuals, but will also be feminist in a post-preachy way.” It’s a laudable project, and I very much hope she’s successful at it. But it’s hard to tell based on what’s in this retrospective. The reader is composed entirely of personal essays – some moving, some a bit dry and long-winded. Aside from a couple of very nice Fiona Smythe drawings and a picture of a raccoon, there are no visuals – it’s laid out and bound like somebody’s Masters thesis. Given the content and the packaging, the $10 price tag is eyebrow-raising, to say the least. The writing shows a lot of feeling and conviction, but it doesn’t make an effort to keep the reader engaged. In the end, the whole exercise is mildly exhausting, like an afternoon spent catching up with a bright, politically savvy and well traveled but rather self-absorbed old friend. (Wendy Banks)
zine, 42 pgs, $10, Kerry Daniels-Zraidy, Toronto, [email protected]