Reviews

–Maximumrocknroll #298, March 2008; Zine Top Ten

Ghost Pine #11 If the “perzine” label usually stops you in your tracks, consider taking a chance on Ghost Pine. This is well-written and original. It consists of short autobiographical vignettes that are riveting glimpses at Jeff’s life, each one alternating between funny and sad. I enjoyed the shortness of each piece, and how his writing gives you just a taste of the moment, but now I’m sitting here wanting more.

–Shereviewszines.blogspot.com
Ghost Pine #10 The tenth issue, on the 10th anniversary of a tremendous zine, celebrates all things incomplete. The several pieces in this zine are all parts of other works, each sitting perfect in it’s unfinished state. A must-read, and it compels me to read the first nine issues as well, in an effort to learn more of this writer’s world.

–Newpages. com, May 2006
Ghost Pine #9 I’d heard many excellent things about Ghost Pine, and so I was happy to find a couple of issues at Wooden Shoe Books during a recent trip to Philadelphia. Soon after diving into these issues, I noticed some threads of similarity in style to another excellent Canadian zine, I’m Johnny and I Don’t Give a Fuck. This is a good thing. Jeff has a certain lyrical and timeless style to his writing that really appeals to me. It lends a universality to what he writes about, which is often hard to find in personal zine writing. Perzines are often too personal, so focused in on one person’s minutiae that it can be a struggle to relate. But the writing in Ghost Pine, though rooted in punk rock and activism, travels way beyond it in significance. This particular issue is a little different than others; Jeff’s rescued some long-lost stories from old notebooks and dead hard drives. They are his “bee-sides,” hence the subtitle. But even though these are not technically parts of one single narrative, in a way they still read that way, because they’re all parts of Jeff’s life and there’s a consistency to his writing that keeps perspective in place for the reader. Very highly recommended.

–Slug and Lettuce #86, Winter 2006
Ghost Pine #9 For those who follow zines, this is a different sort of issue of Ghost Pine, because its made up of older stories and writing. Jeff has pulled from notebooks and hard drives most of which seems to be from around 2001. The stories are each on the short side, and have metaphors at shows and through music and traveling for the first time across the US (just after the WTC attacks). So included are some reactions to the event, and the patriotism that followed, traveling, hanging with other punks, drinking, smoking, walking and generally being a young punk from suburbia. Good read.

–You Live for the Fight When That’s All You’ve Got #1
Ghost Pine #9 Jeff structures this zine around a collection of “b-sides” – previously unpublished bits of writing from old notebooks and hard drives that never seemed to fit anywhere else. The layout is what we have come to traditionally expect from this zine—text heavy with a sort of antique feel to the headline fonts and carefully detailed clip art illustrations. The first half of the zine is primarily reflections on the post-9/11 political climate from a Canadian point of view: Jeff writes about preparing for an American road trip the month after the attacks, crossing the border as a blue-eyed white person and seeing first hand the privileges afforded to skin color and national descent in a country brainwashed by anti-terrorism rhetoric – flags waving form every flagpole, activists being criticized by a fearful but apathetic populace for getting too “political” about the issues too soon, laying out zines in front of airport security brandishing automatic weapons. The second half picks up the “review” theme that is sweeping the zine world, as Jeff recommends post WWI Greek music, the teenage nostalgia of finding the band Sloan, getting stoned and reading X-Men 2 as a political commentary against Bush, and more, as jumping off points for his own personal stories about friends and muddling through life. I told him that this may be my favorite issue of Ghost Pine yet – the so-called “b-sides” fit together really well to make a cohesive zine with many touching and thoughtful asides.

–Slug and Lettuce #81, Autumn 2004
Ghost Pine #8 Another very engaging and interesting issue of this zine out of Canada. This issue includes stories (not fictional) about Montreal’s underground tunnels and its culture, visiting Chicago, NY’s Port Authority bus terminal, growing up in Edmonton and more. Jeff is an amazing writer and, from the two issues I’ve read, keeps it fresh. I most enjoy his ability to pick up on life’s subtleties and then transfer them into text. This is worth checking out.

–Xerography Debt #16, March 2005gh
Ghost Pine #7 on the cover: an old photo of a family in front of a log cabin (“1913 Frank Gervais Family[:] Frank, Mary, Réjeanne and Claire”)
inside: five stories that meander all over Jeff’s life and the lives of his family, from a lake in the middle of a forest fire in the north woods to an icebreaker in Hudson Bay, railroad tracks in the middle of Alberta, a parking lot in Ottawa …
quote: When the fire subsided, all that was left of their home and bakery was the horse stable out back. Her father did not believe in insurance, as it interfered with the hand of god, and the almighty’s perfect plan for the world. And so poor old Nelly, the horse that saved Memere’s life, lost her home. The stables were cleaned out, the floors scrubbed and the walls white-washed, and the ungrateful Gervais family moved in.
overall: It’s hard to tell what’s fiction and what’s memoir here. I suspect that the better-written parts are memoir. Of course most of it’s pretty well-written, so I’ve read it all as memoir. (I like perzines better than litzines anyway.) Well worth $2!

–Slug and Lettuce #79, Spring 2004
Ghost Pine #7 Here is are excellent short stories from the land up North. All of the stories are well crafted and Jeff definitely has a good control over the English language. I feel like this zine has a very reflective and melancholic tone, though the five different stories contained here deal with greatly different subject matter and themes. They are also stream of conscious at points but never unclear. My favourite story was the last one about someone spending their birthday out in the county in a family cabin built by their grandfather. This one seems to include all the elements that the other contain, remembrance, family, and a bit of sadness.

–Maximumrocknroll #251, April 2004; Zine Top Ten
Ghost Pine #7 Using a somewhat linear timeline of summertime and isolation Jeff constructs a heart-warming nest-like tribute to his family. Now you know that family can be many people, not merely our blood lineage: parents and grandparents in these stories, but also friends. There is folklore, history, and our current world all told through the eyes of a charming young man. It is a mini-autobiography, very literary and engaging.

–Broken Pencil#18; Zine of the Month
Ghost Pine #6 Damn can Jeff Miller write. Reading the long-awaited sixth issue of his zine, it becomes impossible to see Ottawa as the culturally-starved town we know it to be. There’s not a bureaucrat or an out of work computer professional to be found in the pages of Ghost Pine. Instead, we devour page after page of diary-like vignettes of a young punk’s urban existence. Though many of these mini-stories seem inconsequential, Jeff is such a good writer that he manages to pull it all off. The key to his success is a whimsical writing style that’s irresistibly nonchalant but still highly literary. Through half a dozen issues of this fat little 4.25” by 5.5” zine, we have grown to know and love Jeff’s crazy life. We read about him growing up, becoming cynical and (finally!) moving out of the family home. None of the forced zaniness of concocted fiction mars the writing in Ghost Pine, so we find ourselves quickly relating to his doomed love affairs, gasping at his friends’ indiscretions and sharing his adventures as if they were are own. These seemingly ho-hum stories about his life come to have greater meaning that sheds light on larger, more important social issues. Wise beyond his years, but always up for yet another mediocre back-room concert, this kid should have his own punk rock column in Rolling Stone – or at least Broken Pencil. Scoop up your own copy of O-town premier zine before Jeff runs out of money to make more copies.

–The Passion Driven Project #1, July 2002
Ghost Pine #6 What we have here is a very thick quarter-sized zine clocking in at 100 pages. For those of you who may have read Otaku, then you are going to be in familiar territory since Ghost Pine is basically Otaku but with a name change. According to the introduction this issue took a long time to write (two years), and it really shows that Jeff really worked hard to construct the vast amount of stories penned into these pages. Everything is (very neatly) handwritten so it gives the zine a very personal feel to it all, which is what us needed especially considering Ghost Pine as 14 stories of friendships, travelling, meeting people, souvenirs from a while ago and an epilogue. Some stories may fit in 4-5 pages, but most are spread out to 7-8 pages long of tight writing of anecdotes, descriptions, dialogues and observations. From having previously read issue #5 of Otaku, I knew a bit about the writing style of the author yet I was surprised to find out how much the zine was filled with so many words and stories! I am not very fond of zines that have too much of a “personal feel” yet I really liked this one because of how everyday life can be brought to life with a very good narrative and a sense of capturing experiences and still that it can be “interesting” to read it all from front to back cover.

–Maximumrocknroll #202, March 2000
Otaku #5 In the vein of Cometbus, this belongs to that genre of “slice of (punk) life” fanzine that is intimate, hand-written, and story-driven. Which, after all, is hardly a bad thing, and this zine definitely holds its own. Short but sweet tales of late-night copy runs, midnight excursions, hitchhiking, coffee (of course), and the usual “love, luck and calamity.” This zine makes me want to vandalize small towns with cryptic cut-and-paste posters and stencils with a few friends, which can only be a good thing. Well-written and well worth the two dollars.

–Broken Pencil #12
Otaku #5 I’ve had the privilege of being able to read this zine since issue number one and watch Jeff, with each issue, become a better writer and storyteller. In number five, Jeff has just about perfected his style, which if anyone has read a past issue of Otaku, will know what I’m talking about – this is both a good and a bad thing. Jeff finds inspiration in travel; lonely highways; diners at night; bottomless cups of coffee; stories from best friends, punk shows in basements and all the hidden spaces in Ottawa, his hometown, which he is yet to entirely discover. His writing has always been introspective, reflective and revealing. At it’s worst it can be too earnest – but that is a rare occasion – and at it’s best it can be lyrical, beautiful and often poetic. Jeff’s not out to save the world or hoodwink the reader with sentimental moments, but merely to understand himself, and I think with issue number five he’s almost there. This is easily one of the best issues of Otaku, and perhaps one of the best Canadian zines likely to fall into your hands. I hope issue number six will find Jeff taking a new perspective on his life, on his city and I’ll be right there, mug of coffee in hand, to read what he has to say.

–HeartattaCk #25; Zine Top Ten
Otaku #5 The last issues of Otaku I read were good and the latest issue continues that legacy. The personal stories and observations weave a web of experience and ideas. There are stories about coffee, imagination, staying up late, bicycling, love and much more. The author does a good job of entertaining throughout. If you like (neatly) handwritten personal zines this is one to check out.

–Memorytown U.S.A #4, Summer 1999
Otaku #4 Small and thick, slipped into a manila envelope decorated with a black and white photo secured by photo corners. The inside is wonderful too: a personal punk zine like Cometbus or Doris or Coffee No Girl but with this amazing youthful freshness about it, this amazing undeniable enthusiasm and energy along with the observations and recording, the making sense of things, traveling and reading and drinking and singing and living. Hand-written and type-written with lots of little pen drawings and more punk rock than you and you don’t mind, you are glad.

–Broken Pencil #10
Otaku #4 Read all 15 of the funny real-life inspired stories in Jeff’s quirky zine, which somehow reminded me of Haruki Murakami and his novels such as “A Wild Sheep Chase and The End of The World”. Read ‘em all and liked ‘em, and passed on the zine to a friend before I got a chance to get the important info. Had to go beg it back to write this review. You know when you read stories you not only like for the entertainment factor, but because you like the narrator’s voice? That’s what Otaku’s like (it’s also what Murakami’s work’s like). Otaku comes in a little manila envelop with cute little stamps and photographs all over it – and, get this, most of it’s hand-written. Plus, there’s a letter from Robbie of Ultra Vista zine, and recipes for vegan chocolate cake and frosting. Yeah Jeff! The world needs more Otaku.

–Maximumrocknroll #191, April 1999
Otaku #4 The way this zinester writes, he could make hemorrhoids sound romantic. Anyway, this is a bunch of personal tales about life in Ottawa, garage sales, good lovin’, and a recipe for vegan chocolate cake.

–Maximumrocknroll #176, January 1998; Zine Top Ten
Otaku #3 This thick little digest sized zine rocks tha house. Seriously, this is a nice, honest mainly autobiographical zine relies more on well written stories and creative wording and layout, (not to mention Jeff’s really cute handwriting) than any band interviews or political ramblings. It seems like he could write about anything and make it seem interesting, which I guess is what he does. Spring, riding the bus, going to shows, kicking it in the park, wandering around and a nice rigatoni recipe round it all out.

–HeartattaCk # 17
Otaku #3 The facts and events of the life of Jeff Miller chronicled in letters from friends, a travel journal and long descriptions of his many meanderings into and throughout Ottawa. The issue begins with the arrival of spring, which Jeff sees as a season of new possibilities and horizons. He takes the reader along on his walks and bus rides in search of an adventure or new experience. The most impressive part of these stories is how adeptly Jeff describes the interactions of himself and other folks within the streets and spaces of a city. Coffee shops, record stores, punk clubs, art galleries, diners and parks of Ottawa are the setting for the most of these stories of friendship and memories being created. The letters from friends in far corners of the world use similar means to describe their own travels and experiences in and around Vancouver and Miyazaki, Japan. This is a wonderful zine that explores the relationships between places and memories and emotions.

–Broken Pencil #7
Otaku #3 Issue number three finds Jeff at the top of his game, his gift for amazing prose unwavering. He delicately describes the city of Ottawa as he lives his winter, spring and summer through it. As the city faces change so does he and he brings us with him as he goes from punk rock shows, to art galleries, and to his bedroom, on an unending quest for bottomless cups of coffee and the rush of young love.

–HeartattaCk #13, November 1996
Otaku Trust A great collection of one persons [sic] thoughts. Not too many people are very trusting of others with what they think anymore. Jeff talks about poetry, his dreams, sXe, god, abortion, you name it. Very interesting. I liked this one a lot.

–HeartattaCk #11, May 1996
Otaku Lengthy personal ‘zine from a sincere Canadian lad full of questions about himself and the world around him. I couldn’t help but smile at his youthful idealism. Inspirational.