I like this zine. It's unabashedly bubblegum, and makes no pretense or apology for liking Teletubbies and other cutenesses. The layout is filled with Hello Kitty and collage art. It features poetry, reviews and lists of why, in fact, the author is cool.

This isn't to say that it doesn't have its serious parts. It does, like any collection of work. There's some very personal writings, sometimes disguised as other things (such as the very journal-entry type writing which masqueraded as a review of "Sarge"). There's a great article (complete with recipes!) about her meeting with some other zine-chicks that makes you want to be there with them. There's a fantastic article on the city of Boston and what it means to her. She contrasts her biological sister with her adopted sistah, Marla.

One of the things that touched me in this issue was a piece she called "on being a city girl." She talks about going from a suburbanite existence to living in the middle of Boston's chaos. "Now I am one of the city kids. We walk fast and jaywalk gratuitously. We know which way the train is going to come from, and we stand behind the yellow safety line and allow passengers to safely exit the train before boarding [...] and it's still romantic to me."

Be prepared for bubblegum, but also be prepared for positivity when you buy this zine. The cover is handstamped, the zine is half-standard. And for two bucks, less than the cost of a movie rental, you may find that you perk up quite nicely afterward. Send requests, along with $2 and two stamps, to Keight Bergmann, Astor Station, P.O. Box 231150, Boston, MA 02123.

[ by Elizabeth Badurina ]