Michelle Joseph craves three things in life: writing, coffee and men. "Men are so interesting. I love them!" says Joseph (BA'96) . "Coffee is a passion. I'm addicted. And writing? I can't seem to stop."

    Which is all good news because Joseph's found a way to combine them all in her 'zine I Got Coffee Breath. It all started about two years ago says Joseph, who majored in sociology but got turned on to writing by the film courses she took as electives.

    "I just started writing one day. It was all this personal stuff, stories, poems. I didn't quite know what to do with it. And then I saw this ad for a conference on 'zines called Cut & Paste in NOW magazine. I went, got really turned on by the whole alternative press scene and decided I'd put out a 'zine of my own. All I needed was glue, scissors and a photocopier. I thought, "Hey! Even I can do that!"

    So far, Joseph, 26, has published 15 'zines since April 1997. Coffee Breath is eight pages, black-and-white, and she prints 100 copies a pop, distributing them mostly in music stores along the Yonge St. strip, and in places catering to hip-hop. Her subject matter ranges from men and relationships, to food, or observations on hair trends in the black community.

    "There's a lot of word of mouth" about her creation, says Joseph. The 'zine was even instrumental in helping her land her current job with a public relations firm. "I used it as my calling card," she says. "It seems like it's not for everybody, especially because it's about black issues, but my boss, who's white and older than me, totally liked it. His mother liked it, too.

    "Zines are underground, so you can do anything you want." That can be either liberating or embarrassing. It seems to depend on whether or not you live at home.

    "The 'zine is very personal. My family ? they'll say, 'I didn't know that about you!' I don't like my sister and brother reading it. I mean, they're in the same house!"

Photo: Nik Sarros