Somnambulist #17

Somnambulist #17
$15 for four issues
pob 14871
Portland, OR 97293
This issue of Somnambulist is a collaborative affair with writers Jordan Karnes, Joe Wong, and editor Martha Grover. Jordan starts this issue off with a story about a love triangle involving John Lennon, her boyfriend named John, and someone else named John whose identity I won’t reveal here. Funny stuff that many of us with similar obsessions (Helen Mirren for me….and Vigo Mortensen circa Lord of the Rings..if we're being honest) can relate to. There’s also a piece by Joe Wong about what he eats for breakfast in China that I found incredibly fascinating (Cigarettes, international news, and Nescafe before getting out of bed….Like looking in a mirror). The highlight of this zine, however, is Martha’s writing. I’m a fan. She has a great way of interpreting modern life that I really enjoy, and her drawings are raw, to the point, and effective. Definitely one of my favorite zines right now.

SOMNAMBULIST #16

SOMNAMBULIST #16
$3
POB 14871
Portland, OR 97293
marthagrover@hotmail.com
Another wonderful collection of short stories, poems, essays, and drawings from Martha Grover. The stories, which are set in the Pacific Northwest, are an interesting mix of fact and fiction and it’s up to the reader to decide which is which. I really enjoyed reading about the Columbia River gorge and her historical/conservationist perspective on it. I love that drive, and consider it to be arguably the most scenic stretch of interstate highway in America, which sounds like an oxymoron, until you’ve driven it. This is a pretty bare bones cut & paste zine packed with attitude and a hell of a lot of talent.