Rec | EVE BABITZ

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every time i read one of her essays i am inspired to buy a short red dress, take a little bit of acid and go dancing reading her work is like hanging out with your most fun and sexy friend

@pinkdslite

Jan 26, 2024

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Alissa Bennett’s Zines

I don’t personally know Alissa Bennett, but I think she is a brilliant and funny person who has clearly lived a vibrant life. A friend of mine once said about himself, “I’m not a journalist; I just live this shit.” I think this mantra (with the tweak, “I’m just really interested in this shit”) applies to Bennett’s writing and various projects — from her burner IG @regret_counter and podcast, to the next-level zines she publishes. Those zines though, wow! The writing is so intimate, confident, and, well, perfectly imperfect (sorry, sorry…).I like that every other paragraph has a typo, that she will frequently and flagrantly use cap-locks, and that she essentially unpacks the indiscretions of fringe tabloid figures in order to exhume her own demons and make sense of her past and present. It’s got a very “warts and all” vibe, and I respect that she’s willing to air her own dirty laundry in service of establishing a spiritual connection to the subjects of her texts. That’s not to say she goes easy on them, but it all feels empathetic instead of exploitative or solipsistic. Rarely do I audibly laugh while reading, but Bennett’s work consistently makes me LOL. Generally, I prefer when people write the way they talk. Her essays feel like the coolest girl at the bar is whispering (and occasionally shouting) a very good story directly in your ear, but she also doesn’t really care whether you like the story or not. She already knows it’s good.Start with “Bad Behavior,” which is a series of essays/love letters to various semi-public figures who engaged in specific, scandalous acts. Then hit “Pretend You’re Actually Alive.” Most of the zines are sold out, but I’m sure she’d send you a PDF if you ask nicely. There’s also a new one on the way.

@zach-sokol

Sep 8, 2022

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Observations 30% of the way through kathleen hanna’s memoir, ‘rebel girl’

What I've learned so far as I race through this book now that it's out there in the world: * First and foremost, she is my heroine. Grew up in a (very) broken household, with super dysfunctional parents. From the very start, made me feel right at home (ha). * She attended Lincoln HS in Portland, OR -- a place I am very familiar with and the alma mater of the late Elliott Smith (they weren't contemporaries but certainly were psychically connected) * Second cousin to Portland legend Walter Cole aka Darcelle XV, noted entertainer and cabaret owner and certified by Guinness Book of Records as the oldest drag queen performer alive at that point (2016). Darcelle was a lovely human and one of the funniest, most down to earth people I was ever lucky enough to meet. * Was a stripper to pay her tuition as an undergrad at Evergreen State College; this was as formative a feminist experience as she articulates throughout a lifetime of these, essayed throughout the book * Kathleen wrote "Kurt smells like teen spirit" with Sharpie on the wall of the place Cobain lived in while dating Bikini Kill drummer Tobi Vail, so she probably deserves royalties from that TBH since Kurt took that scribble and wrote a song you might know around it :) * Co-authored the "Riot Grrrl" movement along with my friend/Bratmobile drummer Molly Neuman (she also contributed to my EP book coming out in a few weeks, yay!) while living in Olympia, WA and contributing to the nascent movement zine 'riot grrrl' -- she's as OG as it gets! (cc: riotgrrrl) To this point in my reading, she hasn't even graduated from university yet! I have a lot more to read but cannot recommend this book enough, whether you are a Bikini Kill, Julie Ruin, Le Tigre fan or not. You can't NOT be a Kathleen Hanna fan.