"Kissing Sidewalk Cracks"
"Everybody thinks they know my game. Dismissed as such potential - I have such potential. Here's my will - where's the way?"
Everybody (Inside This Skin) - Terami Hirsch
This issue is titled Bones + Joints for a good reason. First, it is stripped bare in appearance. As opposed to past issues, the pictures are minimal, there are no nice backgrounds, simply colours. Bare essentials. Simple HTML. But beyond that, it contains discussions, rants and musings about what is essential, what is the core of my world, and the world at large. The basic framework upon which I lay the foundation of my dreams and fears, a foundation that often crumbles and gives. Just as I crumble and give.
This issue may be triggering for eating disorder and self-injury issues, among other things. Proceed with this in mind.
A particular element of this issue is the use of lyrics, words, the skeletons that hold up my soul when I cannot. They will be dispersed randomly through pages, in a different colour and font to make them visible. Read them as a whole; read my words as a whole. They complement, they dance together, yet remain their own entities
I have yet to do a proper thank you in this zine, which is rather rude of me, and yet wise, because it avoids slighting anyone. But I'll give it a go anyways. Thanks always to the following lovely folks: Sacha (my bestest friend, my Beenie); Allibean (my counterpart, always in my heart), Tracie (for the kind words), Suze (for the cookies and coming to see a girl in need), Chris (for being my gay snuggly bear), Jen (because it was a privilege to have you as part of my life), Shelle (for the glitter and elephants), Erica (for your beauty and grace), Kel (someone with strength and intelligence), Alisha (for being courageous, fun and my girl from the south), Lacy (for your kindness and energy), Sara (for being someone I can be 100% honest with, good and bad - and being Canadian), the other Sara (for the phone call that horribly bad night), Carrie (for being fabulous, giving, and just YOU), the other Carrie (for always brightening my day and buying my book), Amanda and Mike (just cuz ha!), Kyle (for your poll fetish), Jordie and Jess my two fave Brits, Kim my darling girl, anyone I forgot - you know I love you.
Tori Amos and finger eleven - for saving my life repeatedly - and for the hugs :)
Terami Hirsch and Pepper McGowan - for rocking my world at a time when it is anything but rocking
And anyone who ever has read my words or heard them, and given a shit. Thank you.