From the Stacks: October 27, 2006

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Applicant, another Microcosm publication, may be pint-size, but it packs a punch. The zine was started by a cartoonist in Oregon who went looking for magazines in a recycling bin and instead found stacks of Ph.D. applications from the '60s and '70s replete with photos and recommendation forms. The zine contains the black-and-white mug shots of Ivy League hopefuls and short captions taken from their files. What could have been a hopelessly boring exercise turns out to be something you want to share with your neighbor. One picture of a long-haired brunette is accompanied by the snippet: 'Weakness: she is a female and an attractive, modest one so is bound to marry,' while a photo of a fair-haired man looking out from behind black-rimmed glasses reads, 'I can imagine that he could be wearing on constant close exposure.' -- Jenna Fisher

Longtime residents and visitors alike will love The Zinester's Guide to Portland. The once 16-page pamphlet is now a 128-page book on its fourth edition, loaded with gems on how to have a cheap and amusing time in the Rose City (a.k.a. Bridge City or Stumptown). After a brief history of the city's founding (it involves two men in canoe), you'll find helpful transportation advice and a breakdown of the city's offerings by location. Its exhaustive listings boast everything from arboretums to sex shops, vegan doughnuts to free museum passes, and dollar Pabst to the Mudeye Puppet Company. My favorite entry was for The Vern/Hanigan's, which directs visitors to 'look for the TAVERN sign with the 'T' and the 'A' burnt out.' The subtle charm and nuances will leave you wishing there were guides like this for every city. -- Elizabeth Ryan

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