Posted on: September 26, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

This is another great issue of Transcendence, which if you have not read my prior reviews of the zine, is a zine written by various transgendered individuals and put together by the fabulous Jamez. Specifically, in this issue we are treated to a piece by Olivia, in describing eir’s week, changing between andro rocker to femme to something more than that. Other pieces in this issue that rank right up there with the best of I’ve read in this zine includes the editor’s description about ey’s approaching a clinic to begin transitioning and Kevin’s “Boys should be pretty, too”, which is an open plea to express yourself in whatever way works. Overally, Transcendence continues to get stronger with each issue, as more and more transgendered and otherly-queer people see the zine and are prompted to write. This issue walks a fine line between grounding the submitted pieces in reality and completely opening them up to the limitations of imagination. For example, we have the aforementioned piece by Olivia near a comic (entitled “Free of Human Error”) that portrays conservatives as a whole other species apart from humanity. Thus, the act of reading this magazine goes pretty fast, not being too continually bogged down by any one factor, whether it be GLBT politics, humour, or even recounting of personal events.

Rating : 7.2/10

Transcendence #5 / Half-Sized / 20 Pages / Jamez Terry c/o SMYAL, 410 7th St SE, Washington, DC 2003 / Reviewed 28 November 2003

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