Broken Pencil, puts his trendy, super-slacker persona to good use with this hipster almanac. He and poet Darren Wershler-Henry have produced an urban manual that's part Canadian history, part cool primer, and part useful city guide. Included are lists of Canadian Seinfeld references, cool writers and bands, and "Great Moments of Urban Canadian Sexual Liberation." There's also a primer on ethnic food; diatribes on landlords, condos, and Starbucks; and a chapter called "Denizens" that helpfully identifies the various types of downtown lifeforms. The Almanac is at its best when it acts as a survival manual. The section on how to escape a poetry reading, complete with coach's diagrams, is hilarious. Other survival tips include instructions on how to choose a bar ("Look for Seediness, Regulars. Avoid Chains"), and a reprint from Moving Picture Views showing how to eat for free on movie sets. A calendar insert contains a wealth of Canadian history and celebrity birthdays, including obscure ones like Robbie Bachman, Randy's underrated brother, and Quebec sex bomb Mitsou. Niedzviecki and Wershler-Henry allow plenty of space for their zine buddies to contribute sidebars and expert opinions and info. Candace from Maggott Zine lists her "Top Fredericton Hangout Spots of All Time," and Dottie and Rosie from the Winnipeg arts and culture periodical, Tart, offer a lesson on how to shop in dumpsters. Rural or suburban wannabes with hopes to blend seamlessly into their new urban environment are in luck. A reading of Niedzviecki and Wershler-Henry's Almanac will have even the most clueless neophyte eating Chinese food, buying records, and reading comics with Canada's ultra-hip scenesters. --Moe Berg
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