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Why Hedonism?
If there's something that I know a lot about it's hedonism. I
mean, publishing this zine amounts to little more than artistic
masturbation. I lure shy, unsuspecting artistic types to send
in their prized works. Then, I read them eagerly and manipulate
them onto the page (or on the screen, in the case of this
issue). Before I know it, I'm rubbing whip cream all over
my body and . . . . well, you get the picture.
The Pregnant Pause
And while speaking of pictures . . . . I guess I've got a lot
of ‘splaining to do. It's been quite a while since my last
issue—I mean, quite a cotton-picking while—and
to be fair to all those folks, who over the last six years have
gotten used to relying on me publishing somewhere near my supposed
schedule, I admit that I've fell off the wagon. This time, I
fell off BIG time!! I profusely apologize, but here's why.
Mother Nature called. Yep, the old biological clock was ticking
really loudly and I knew it was time to do something about it.
So, I did it and I've got the goods to show for it. For all you
who still haven't figured it out, I've joined the ranks of the
Hip Mamas—which reminds me that I need to get a subscription
to that fabulous zine. Yes, that explains the picture (above)
of my big-ass belly. (Of course, I got an offer or two to do
the nudie pregnant chick photo session, but the thought of my
stretch marks being paraded all over the Internet just didn't
appeal to me.)
The entire experience was bittersweet, overwhelming, inspiring,
confusing—you get the picture. I didn't know if moms should
cuss at all, leastwise if they should be publishing the smut
that I do. Eventually, though, I saw that though my bouncing
baby boy has enriched my life enormously—he's seven months
now—it does not change the person that I am. Eventually,
I realized that I needed to continue publishing. Most importantly,
I realized that I can be a mama to this zine and still be a good
mother to my son. That's why I'm back in yo' face. I love ya
and I don't know if I'll ever be able to stop . . . .
To Internet or Not
I'd gotten a few comments about why I shouldn't convert D.I.
into essentially an Internet-only zine, but, in the end, increased
administrative convenience, a huge cut in distribution costs,
and the opportunity to flex my muscle at something new won out.
I, again, apologize to all those who think it was an incredibly
corporate thing to do. I used to spend $1,000 a year for postage,
NOT even counting the cost of copying each issue and buying envelopes
for them to go out in! So, I've had my fair share of choosing
between the zine and groceries. I thought that maybe it's time
I try something that could still get the message out, but that
won't cause me and my family to be homeless! The only thing that
will suffer, in my opinion, is kick-ass design (‘cause I'm
new to this thing and haven't figured out how to inject myself
into the way HTML works). But overall, I think it's gonna be
worth the change-over.
—Well, I've flapped my gums long enough. Check out the
inaugural Internet issue and tell me what you think . . . .
Love ya 50 ways (or more),
Victoria
Your High Priestess of Hedonism
(depressed-intl@comcast.net) |
