so far there are 6 issues of "gretchen", all of which have different themes. an issue of particula listed "gretchen" as one of her favourite zines so i went to the website straight away. i picked #4 because i have an eating disorder myself and i am interested in different perspectives.
this issue has a pieces of writing on many different body parts. she closely describes their features and her perception of them, whether she has one or not (she has a page on the penis, which outlines her first experience of seeing one- obviously this is not jennifer's own!) there is also a piece on plastic surgery and its relevance to herself.
initially, "#4" visually struck me as adorable. jennifer has used cute fonts, lots of small appropriate images and has handwritten the page number on each page circled with a heart. there is not a lot of text, but the topic is heavy. the words are of somebody who has learned to accept her body more than she once did and her struggle to write about these demons is evident; there is hesitance in her words. due to this, it is genuine and fascinating.
i greatly enjoyed being able to read jennifer's thoughts in her zine. i felt a sense of privilege as i read her her discomforts and experiences. it has easily convinced me to order other issues of "gretchen". (i have also reviewed gretchen #3!)
how to order:
jennifer's website has all the info you need for ordering any issues for gretchen. take a look at the gretchen zine website.