how did you get involved with zines/d.i.y. publishing?
When I was in elementary school, the library carried this series of books whose title I've long since forgotten, but they were made to look like magazines. Every issue featured a different band on the cover, usually grunge or punk, or some other "alternative" genre. I read them all, and I have vague memories of reading about zines in old interviews with Nirvana, Hole and Bikini Kill. I was a kid then, so that was a whole 'nother world to me. It wasn't until I was thirteen that I held a real-life zine in my hands. It was called "!Hey!" and was distributed by some local girls. I don't think I was aware that it was a zine at the time, I probably called it a pamphlet or something. It was available for free through a few local businesses and the two high schools in town. I can't even remember what they wrote about now, but I do remember that they featured crosswords and poetry by local teens. If I recall correctly, it was eventually banned from the local high schools after they wrote an issue about sex, and I guess it fizzled away sometime after that. I wish I'd saved that old collection. Anyone could contribute, though I was much too shy. I totally wanted to make my own though. A few years later (aged fifteen or so), I started posting on Hole.com and got into zines hardcore through the girls on there. Maranda (my sister) and I started making zines together and trading with our new found friends. I think the first zines we received were "Tantrum", "Broken Hymen", "Pink Collar Ghetto", and other riot grrrl-type zines. At aged seventeen we decided we needed our own outlet that was separate from the silly collab zines we were doing - she started "Telegram Ma'am" and I started "Culture Slut".

why do you continue making paper zines in the age of the internet? how do you think the internet has affected the world of paper zines?
I didn't really know zines before the internet. I'd heard of them, though I had no idea where one would find such things. I'm just young enough that I missed the boat on the whole "Sassy" thing, though I did read the back issues when I was older and found them in the school's library. For me, without the internet I wouldn't have the connections that I have today. I wouldn't have met all those girls on messageboards and fansites, I wouldn't have found many of the people that I currently trade zines with and I would have far less venues to promote my zines. Hell, I even write a blog (hello_amber.blogspot.com), though I reserve it mostly for zine reviews, interviews with zinesters, and things related to crafting. That said, I am an avid letter-writer and I get sad on those rare days when I come home to an empty mailbox. I do think the internet takes some of the fun out of that - sometimes it's just easier to shoot someone a quick email after you've read their zine. I try to avoid that, unless I really can't afford stamps or something. I'm all about the long-term pen pals and I also write letters to zinesters if I've just finished their zine and it was really awesome and/or made me think. There definitely needs to be a lot more of that going on. One thing that's been grinding my gears lately is Etsy. I sell my zines through Etsy (helloamber.etsy.com), and while it's been a great venue for buying and selling zines (and all sorts of other fun stuff), I also think that it sometimes disconnects the reader from the writer, turning what should be a pleasant exchange into a simple anonymous transaction. There is a fair-sized group of people that purchase the latest "Culture Slut" within days of it becoming available, and they do it every time. I recognize their names and addresses when I receive that Paypal notification email, they must have five, ten issues of my zine and yet I have no idea who they are. Obviously they're enjoying the zine, they keep coming back, so they must be getting something out of it, but I don't know what. I want them to mail me a letter, you know? I wanna know who they are and why they like my zines. I wanna know if they make zines too.

what is your writing/editing/layout process like?
It changes over time. Sometimes I bang one out in a few days, sometimes I work on it for months. It depends on my mood, my surroundings and whatever happens to be going through my head at the time. Sometimes I write pieces specifically for a zine and sometimes the stories are culled from my journals. I've usually got the text running through my head for a long time before I write it all down, be it a journal entry or an entire zine. I'm trying to become a better writer, trying to write rough drafts and edit things more. Every time I put out a zine, it is with a goal in mind to make it better than the previous issue. I've been writing a lot these days and I've got several zines in the works, though who knows when they'll be out? I've never been good with deadlines, especially my own. I'm currently working on a split zine with my friend Mandy which is all about queerness, (in)visibility, and the treatment we receive when we're dating dudes (ie: the constant assumption that we're straight). I'm also writing a split with Niku Arbabi about IBS, which we were both diagnosed with last year. Most of my writing these days has revolved around the topic of queerness and the issues that arise when one commits oneself to a relationship, and also my thoughts on the concept of home. Home, for me, has changed quite a bit. At the beginning of the year, I moved from a small town in Ontario to Montréal, Québec and the two places are so vastly different from each other. I've been attending full-time French courses (going back to school for the first time in nine years), trying to make new friends, attending queer events, seeking out locally-made zines and attempting to get over my fear of city-biking.

As far as layout goes, I'm a big fan of the cut and paste method. I don't have a printer, and I'm not too computer-savvy anyway, so computer layouts are out of the question for me. I'm always finding vintage magazines and children's books to cut apart, and of course I'm all about the typewriters. I love holding a nice quarter-size cut and paste zine in my hands, there's nothing quite like it.

how do you think the zine community or the process of making zines has changed since you've been involved?
It's definitely trickier to scam copies these days. As a teenager, I worked at the local 7-Eleven, and that old copier provided me with thousands of free copies during the lonely midnight shift. There also seems to be a lot more slick-looking zines out there these days, and I don't remember seeing that when I first got involved.

are you "out" to people in your life as a zinester? how do you explain it to people who don't understand?
Most people know that I'm a zinester. My mom had asked me for years to share my zines with her, but I just couldn't do it. "Culture Slut" is so personal - though I did mail her a copy of the Polaroid issue of "Culture Slut" for Mother's Day earlier this year and she seemed genuinely proud of me, so that was cool. I'm constantly trying to introduce zines to my small-town friends, though I have a feeling that some of them just think it's this weird quirky thing that I do, they don't really see how they could get involved. A few good friends of mine have started making their own zines recently though and I couldn't be happier about it. My boyfriend had read a few of my zines before we got together, so he knows what it's all about (though my previous boyfriend never read them - I think he thought they were self-indulgent and girlie). I've always got a few of my own zines in my messenger bag so I can leave them in random places, share them with people, and have something to reference if people ask me about my hobbies. And I'm always reading zines on the bus and in my school, so people are used to seeing me with them. But after all these years, I still haven't found a good way to explain zines to people who haven't heard of 'em before. "Um, it's like a photocopied magazine thing where you can write about whatever you want?" I'm at a loss for words.

what do you like best about the zine world? what do you like least?
I love coming across amazing zines and making new friends. I love that, if need be, I could find a couch to crash on almost anywhere in the world. I love that I am constantly learning new things and coming across beautiful words and ideas. I love the work that people put into their zines. I love receiving all sorts of colourful packages in the mail everyday. I love my pen pals. I don't like the supposed zine hierarchy, where some zinesters seem to think that they're cooler/smarter than everyone else. I don't like it when people charge an arm and a leg for a photocopied zine simply because they've designated it "art". I don't like it when people set up trades with me, then don't hold up their end of it (though that is rare). I don't like it when people photocopy pages straight out of their journals without any regard for editing or some sort of an aesthetically pleasing layout. But mostly, I love the zine world.

do zines play a political role in your life? are you involved in other d.i.y. projects? do they play a political role?
Well, I've often written about feminism, and I do believe the mantra "the personal is political", so I guess I could say that zines play a political role in my life. I've gotten countless letters from girls telling me that they discovered feminism through my zines, so that's pretty exciting for me. As for other d.i.y. projects, aside from "Culture Slut", I also put together a compilation zine called "Fight Boredom", which started a few years ago when I returned to my hometown after a brief stint in Ottawa. I was tired of everyone complaining of boredom, complaining that there's nothing to do in a small town, so I wanted to inspire people to, you know, fight boredom. When I was still living in Lindsay, I used to throw "art days" where I'd invite all my friends, and their friends, and we'd just talk and make stuff all day. It was my way of trying to throw a get-together that wasn't fueled by alcohol, which is surprisingly difficult. I'm also into sewing, button-making, baking, all sorts of crafty things. I'd like to get more involved in the queer and crafty communities here, but I'm still new to the city and I'm working on getting out more and saying, "fuck shyness!"

what advice might you have for someone who is new to the zine community?
If you can afford to do it, buy zines like crazy. Get a feel for the kinds of zines that you like. Remember that your first zine is always going to suck. Don't be afraid of constructive criticism. Be creative. Write letters.

what role do you think distros can/should play in the zine community?
Distros are awesome. Through distros, my zines have reached many more people than I could possibly reach on my own. And I've gotten hundreds of amazing zines through various distros. I do prefer distros that keep it small and personal - like I was saying earlier about Etsy feeling a tad impersonal - I would hate to see my favourite distros turn into nothing but a simple transaction. I hope that people who order from distros continue to feel a connection to the authors and remember that their zines were lovingly handmade. Don't forget to write letters to your favourite zinesters and let them know how you found their zines. Obviously you don't need any distro advice, but to people who are thinking of starting their own distro (and I know I'd love to one day) - think hard. It's very frustrating to see distros show up on the scene only to disappear later in the year. Also, remember that you're gonna have to turn down zines sometimes (maybe a lot), so keep that in mind if you're shy. Don't stock bad zines just because you feel bad.

are there changes you'd like to see in the zine community or your own zine creation?
I'd love to see zine tables at shows and local events more often. Also, more snail mail, more copy scams!

you can get ambers's zine, "culture slut" from the distro. (issue #17 is a split with her sister.) you can also visit her etsy shop & check out her blog.

INTERVIEW WITH MARY MACK TREMONTE (posted august 18, 2009)