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Ryan Ringer
Ryan Ringer is a multidisciplinary artist and social convener. He enjoys wearing fake moustaches, conducting immersive fictions, building funny Flintstone cars out of cardboard and leading busloads of artists into the cultural chaos of New York City and other urban destinations. Ringer is perhaps best known as director and chief curator of Methinks, a social art arena founded in 2003, and Project 165, a young artist-run space in Toronto's Kensington Market. The two co-exist to support the social, professional and creative development of emerging artists (aka cultural workers); to challenge the ways in which culture is made, perceived, supported and consumed; and to make radical advancements at the confluence of art, politics, play and daily life.
featured story
Vanity Treasures
If you look up the term "vanity pressing" you might find a definition akin to "a press that publishes at the creators expense, without much regard to standards." While there is a lot of crap out there, Robert Dayton believes many of these artists have their own specific set of standards that may...
by Robert Dayton - read more
also in this issue
McPoet: Billeh Nickerson is the bard of fast food
Deficit chill freezes out indie creativity
Nerd girl pin-ups
Mail art Olympix
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featured excerpt
We Should Make Things
There was a time when I wore the same pair of pants every day. They were navy blue and corduroy and they fit perfectly. The bum disintegrated from too many days of sitting on uncomfortable school chairs or cross-legged on asphalt and cement curbs. When the material thinned out to an obscene level, I...
from SheŐs Shameless: Women write about growing up, rocking out and fighting back - read more
featured zine review
Manager
Manager is a great little quarter-page punk rock zine by a guy who manages a grocery store in Washington. ItŐs cut-and-paste to the core, complete with tilty text and varying fonts, and reads exactly the way a zine like this should. ItŐs super sincer...
July zine of the month - read more
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Deathmatch - Round 3!
Congratulations to Amy Dupcak's story, "Bloodsport" for triumphing in Round 2 and going on to the next stage! This week: Patrick Horner's "The Fishermen and the Goose" takes on Dorianne Emmerton's "A Day at the Lake," and it is CLOSE! Swing by, read up, and VOTE!
february 3, 2010
* Big City Friends * by Serena McCarroll
Tyler and I first met Becky Johnson (of Sweetie Pie Press) and Reverend Aitor (of The Misanthrope Specialty Co.) in June 2008 when they showed up at our door during one of their epic North American tours. They had a bottle of Bourbon and very quickly became two of our favourite people. The crafty pair have been orchestrating such tours for the past 4 years. Their monumental trips vary both in length (1 – 6 months) and distance (they claim to have driven from Toronto to the west coast and back 3 times) and include activities such as participating in craft fairs, making various in-store appearances as well as Becky hitting improv festivals as one half of the comedy duo Iron Cobra. Becky first found out about All Citizens through her friend Jen Anisef who runs the Toronto Craft Alert. With Jen’s encouragement she read my blog and contacted me about selling her 1” buttons and neck warmers in our teeny tiny art shop in the middle of nowhere. Serena: I heard the first time you visit...
january 29th, 2010
Deathmatch - Round 2
Round 1 is over - Jordan Abel defeated Ben Anderson and will proceed to the next stage of competition! Now Round 2 is in full swing, and it's not too late for you to vote: Amy Dupcak's "Bloodsport" has a tiny lead over "Flight" by Stephen Thomas (less than 2%). Maybe YOUR vote will tip the scales! Author Brett Savory is on board to comment on the action, too, so drop by and make your voice heard.
january 28, 2010
* From the Archives * by Serena McCarroll
Hello! I'm currently in the process of transcribing a roundtable discussion for my next post. Transcribing is hard! It's taking me a long time! Meanwhile here's another look back at the adjustments one made while transitioning from city to rural life (via Going Rural). I bet you'll never see this at your local Safeway. Both of my parents are from California and because of that mexican dishes were always in regular rotation when I was growing up. For me Quesadillas are a dinner staple as much as pasta. I'll whip one up for lunch quicker than I would a sandwich. My quick and easy recipe involves cheese (of course) refried beans and salsa (I guess it's more like a burrito which I cook like a quesadilla). Where am I going with this? Living in a small rural town has taken a lot of adjustment. One of the biggest adjustments (for me) revolves around grocery shopping. I've never been much of a cook, but in Vancouver it didn't matter since Amy's Kitchen wa...
jan. 20, 2010
Deathmatch - Round 1
Indie Writers Deathmatch III has begun, and the controversy has already broken out! Competitors Jordan Abel and Ben Anderson are tearing each other apart...at the moment, Abel has the edge in votes (61%) but Anderson has been steadily catching up. Readers and writers alike are bloodying both the stories, as well as Broken Pencil itself! Ouch! Plus, both stories ran this week on the revolutionary CellStories.net, as will all stories that follow! Check them out for the next three Monday-Tuesdays on your mobile device, then vote for your favourite. Our own Hal Niedzviecki is the Deathmatch's first moderator/colour commentator, and he's not pulling any punches either. Over the next weeks we'll have writers giving their perspective on the literary carnage, right on the Deathmatch website. Make your voice heard where your voice really counts!
Richard Rosenbaum
jan 21, 2010
Prorogued Book In The Works
Over at Mansfield Press the editors are cooking up a politically-themed anthology and this is your chance to have your poetic say about the PM's controversial prorogued parliament. You are invited to submit a poem for consideration for the anthology to be published just in time for the reconvening of Parliament on March 3. The collection is titled Rogue Stimulus: The Stephen Harper Holiday Anthology for a Prorogued Parliament. The publishers are looking for poems of up to 75 lines: your tender musings on Stephen Harper. The deadline is midnight on Tuesday, January 19. According to press material, "Payment for your contribution is one copy of the anthology. It's gonna look good and it's gonna be full of good poems." Please email your poem (preferably as a Word attachment) to: harper@mansfieldpress.net
Broken Pencil
january 16, 2010
Janet Manderscheid
Janet Manderscheid is a self-taught doll maker and master of the art of transforming recycled materials and "metal from the local junk pile" into garden sculpture. This past November I had the opportunity to meet up with Janet at her home in Bruno where she gave me a tour of her outdoor art and landscaping projects. During our visit I also learned a little about her extraordinary doll making expertise and toured the ground floor of a doll house that she'll be building over the winter. Please follow the link below to see photos of her work and read text excerpts from her biography, "Endless Dreams". warm regards, Tyler
All Citizens
january 12, 2010
Happy New Year Marcel Prefontaine!
With all the LED and compact florescent high tech that usually illuminates my night life it was a real treat to ring in 2010 with friends in their back yard work shed under the glow of gas lamps and candle light. December thirty first's minus forty degree wind chills and Mr. Bobby Bendig's burst water pipes were no match for the well stoked wood stove and good company. Over the past few years we've discovered that Bruno Saskatchewan is not only home to some of Canada's finest broom ball players but to many talented crafters, artists, poets, musicians and writers. Part of All Citizens agenda is to provide a place and space for local creative types to display, exhibit and sell whatever it is they do and make. Marcel Prefontaine has had carvings, drawings, and paintings in the shop from the very start so he'll be the first among many Bruno citizens that we'd like to introduce you to. When did you start making art? Since the definition and perc...
Tyler Brett
january 1, 2010
Indie Writers Deathmatch deadline extended!
Good news: due to a flood of last-minute entries, the deadline for story submissions to the Indie Writers Deathmatch has been extended. You've got until January 8 to turn in your stuff for a chance to fight to the end in our online arena. Hurry up!
jan 1, 2010
* From The Archives *
Another look back at the humble (and humbling) genesis of All Citizens. Originally posted in Going Rural. Happy Holidays Everyone! July 22. 2006 - When we moved here there were two things that stood in the way of us staying: finding work and finding a place to live. Pretty essential stuff and it has not come easily. I am currently on Employment Insurance and received a nasty call from a government employee three weeks after we got here. We were dealing with the horror that is our septic pump and hadn't determined if we could actually stay, and if we did stay where we would live and thus where we would look for work. The fellow who called me was not impressed and made me feel like we had made a mistake moving here. We decided to look for work in and around Humboldt and hope that we could also find a home in the same area. We both have B.F.A. degrees, which are worthless as far as gainful employment is concerned (a situation that wasn't much better in Vancouver). We also only have one vehicle and Tyler is the only one who knows how to drive. This means we must find work with similar hours in the same location. N...
Serena McCarroll
Taddle Creek Winter Issue
Taddle Creek's winter issue is now on newsstands. Broken Pencil recently chatted with editor Conan Tobias about his latest issue and the magazine's protege program. BP: You recently added an internship program to taddle creek how has that worked out for the magazine? CT: It's not really so much for the magazine as it is for the interns, or "protégés," as they're called here. It was about giving them a chance to learn about magazines. But they've been a delight to have around, so no regrets. BP:What do the interns do? (they can answer this question, they can answer any question they want) CT: They learn. They met up with about two dozen industry professionals and leaned about all aspects of magazine publishing, from editorial to art to business to advertising to circulation and beyond. They're also helping out here and there with events and submission reading. BP: What went into the Christmas issue, what can folks expect this holiday season from the magazine? C...
Broken Pencil
december 17, 2009
The Home & Away (& In-Between)
All Citizens is very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute a photo-based installation to the Home & Away (& In-Between) show curated by Tara Bursey in conjunction with City of Craft 2009. The work on display includes a large photo of the All Citizens/Senior Citizens facades set alongside a grid of twenty-one 8"x10" photos showcasing things sold on consignment in the shop. Items range from Bruno-made tatting by retired school teacher & cowboy poet Bernadette Greuel to Toronto-made photocopied drawing zines by Jason McLean. The photos (all shot against black velvet and framed in shadow boxes) represent a wide range of approaches and attitudes towards art and craft. We originally produced this installation, along with a time lapse DVD projection and a book based on Serena's blog Going Rural, for the exhibit IN ESSENCE... curated by Amber Andersen in March for The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. Home & Away (& In-Between) includes work by artists Lizz Aston, Fiona Bailey, Amy Borkwood, Leah Buckareff, Marta Chudolinska, Heather Fagan, Meags Fitzgerald, Sara Guindon, Genevieve Jodouin, Laurie McGregor, The Misanthrope Specialty Co., Jen Spinner, Shanell Papp, Gillian Wilson and more. It takes place at the Theatre Centre Gallery/Cream Tangerine Cafe, 1087 Queen Street West, Toronto ON, December 3 - 13, 2009. City of Craft runs Dec 12 & 13, 2009. Hope you can make it!
All Citizens
december 12th, 2009
Evening with Family & Friends
November was an exciting month in our little town of Bruno. The Town's program manager for Recreation, Culture and Sport invited local artists (myself included) to take part in "An Evening with Family and Friends" visual art, music and poetry night at the community hall on November 20th. I displayed two large scale (94"x36") digital colour prints that depict architecturally augmented stationary freight trains inhabited by a small group of horticulturists. The prints were pinned to a long wall next to table displays featuring an assortment of drawings and wood carvings by Marcel Prefontaine and pottery by Bergit Pulvermacher. The $5 admission also provided family and friends with all you can eat brownies, black forest cake, muffins & cookies. Oh, and then there was the fresh stawberries and chocolate fountain! If this wasn't enough culture and creativity for one evening, senior citizen, award winning resident cowboy poet Bernadette Gruel read from her book of poet...
All Citizens
december 4
Canada Reads A Bunch of Books We've Already Read
I'm pretty disappointed with CBC's Canada Reads this year. Usually there's at least 1 or 2 books on the list that are exciting, unusual choices and that make me want to follow the discussion. This year, there's nothing. Every single book is a safe choice: Already well regarded, showered with awards, and generally well known to the Canadian public at large. Ann Marie MacDonald's Fall On Your Knees was an Oprah book club pick! It's sold over a million copies! Generation X by Coupland? Are you kidding me? Even the extremely personable Roland Pemberton is going to have a hard time coming up with something new to say about that book. Wayson Choy's Jade Peony is well known and discussed. So that leaves two titles to excite: Marina Endicott's Good to a Fault is the small press contender, the big hit for Calgary's Freehand Press. For that reason, BP-land hopes she'll win. But the book is hardly an unknown: it was nominated for the Giller last year. It's also not anywhere nea...
Hal Niedzviecki
december 2, 2009
Wrong Bar launch tonight
Come celebrate the launch of BP assistant editor Nathaniel G. Moore's novel, Wrong Bar (Tightrope Books) at... where else?...Wrongbar! Wrongbar (the bar) is located at 1279 Queen Street West. Wrong Bar (the book) is available through Tightrope (http://tightropebooks.com). Doors are at 8 p.m, reading begins at 8:30 p.m. and a DJ follows at 10 p.m.
Lindsay Gibb
november 25, 2009
From the archives of "Going Rural"
I maintained a diaristic blog during our transition from big city to rural life. I called it Going Rural. Here's a look back: October 26, 2006 Tyler and I went to another auction yesterday. We didn't enjoy it as much as last time. First of all, we left late and neglected to eat a proper breakfast which would haunt us later. Then we got a flat tire on the way there. By the time we finally arrived we were pretty punchy. We became grumpier as we realized we were in the middle of nowhere and all there was to eat were burgers and junkfood (neither of us eat meat). We filled up on chips, chocolate and pie and drank coffee to keep warm as we waited for the items we were interested in to come up. It took forever. It was very cold. We were standing in mud. Thankfully we didn't leave empty handed. We purchased a coffee table and bookshelf for $2. However, we spent $12 on junkfood. Next tim...
nov. 25th, 2009 by serena mccarroll
Toronto Poetry Slam anniversary party
The Toronto Poetry Slam is celebrating four years of poetry slamming with a battle-concert-poetry-party. Tonight at the Drake Hotel there will be slew of performances, open-mic opportunities (sign up starts at 7pm) and a special performance by Electric Jon. Broken Pencil's editor, Lindsay Gibb, will be one of the judges for the night's performances, which will be hosted by TPS creator - and sometimes-Broken-Pencil-contributor - David Silverberg. The event starts at 7:30 and there is a $5 cover.
Broken Pencil
november 21, 2009
Movies & Makers
This Saturday (tomorrow) the Fox Theatre and GirlCanCreate are putting on the first art and craft show at the Fox (2236 Queen St. East) in Toronto's Beaches neighbourhood. The event runs from 10am to 4pm, featuring 30 local vendors, and will be followed by a screening of Handmade Nation. It's a good opportunity to get some early and unique Christmas shopping done. Visit the Movies and Makers' blog (http://movies-and-makers.blogspot.com/) for interviews with the vendors and more information on the event.
Lindsay Gibb
november 20, 2009
Main Street Bruno
My apologies for not blogging sooner but things have been a little busy here in Bruno lately. Last week I started a new job right across the street from All Citizens at Prefontaine's Custom furniture and cabinetry. On my first day, Ron, my boss almost cut his thumb off! I had to race him (no fear of speeding fines as there are no police in Bruno) to the nearest hospital in Humboldt about 35 KMS east of town. I'm happy to say that Ron and his thumb will be fine. In other news around town, the weather has extended the harvest!!! I've been told by people in the know that its extremely late for farmers to be combining this late in the year. Last night the local church held its annual Bazaar so almost every living soul in Bruno was at the town hall eating turkey and mashed potatoes. This might explain why last evening's All Citizens concert featuring Vancouver's Language Arts and Emily Grist + Toronto's Gravity Wave & Peter Project was poorly attended. Actually, we h...
All Citizens
november 17
An Explanation of Sorts
Whenever I tell people that I co-own a shop in rural Saskatchewan they assume that I'm from there. I'm not. Neither is Tyler. In fact, neither of us knew a goddamn soul there when we decided to make it our home. As a child I had driven through the peculiarly symmetrical province en route from Alberta to Manitoba and vice versa (let's explain this by saying I'm the child of divorce). Tyler, on the other hand, had actually visited. He visited twice: the first time was in 1991 while on tour with the hair-metal cover band Neverland. The second trip was to attend his cousin's wedding. The latter visit made a significant and lasting impression. So much so that it directly led to us moving there 7 years later. Tyler had a dream. His dream became mine. We had been living together in Vancouver. We were both graduates of the Emily Carr Institute of Art. We lived hand to mouth in a city steadfastly aligning itself with the rich. We were poor. We were resentful. We were ti...
Serena McCarroll
november 16, 2009
Expozine Report!
Broken Pencil’s Montreal contingent spent this weekend at Expozine Montreal, in a sweaty church basement surrounded by indie creators and consumers. Here we got the chance to observe Canada’s hipsters in their natural environment, and to scout out some new hipster trends to go along with the old staples. Here, then, are two lists we compiled – one of “old-school” hipster mainstays we observed, and the another of new indie styles and accessories we thought you might want to know about. Start growing your sidebeard now, before they go mainstream! Obvious/Traditional: -Overlarge thick-framed glasses -Piercings (nose esp.) -Plaid or collared shirts -Sleeve tattoos -Leather jackets -Toques -Excessive facial hair/extremely patchy facial hair caused by possible drunk shaving (corollary: sideburns) -Converse -For The Ladies: almost knee-high boots (vintage or vintage-looking) -Canvas tote bags with the names of libraries or bands on them -Silly hats (bowler,...
Emma Healey
november 15, 2009
BP at Expozine Montreal!
Planning on coming to Montreal's Expozine zine fair this weekend? Visit us at the Broken Pencil table! We'll be selling copies of BP and Can'tLit, as well as being generally charming and fun to talk to. Come say hello! 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. at the Eglise Saint-Enfant Jesus (5035 St-Dominique).
Emma Healey
november 13, 2009
Hello.
Hello Broken Pencil readers! Please allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Tyler Brett and Serena McCarroll, co-founders of All Citizens Shop. We will be your indie artist in residence throughout the upcoming winter months. You can read more about us on your computer screen if you look a little to your right (that's if you're reading this on the indie artist in residence blog page: http://www.brokenpencil.com/indieartist). We can also be found at these online locations: We will be back soon with more bloggery! Warmest Regards, All Citizens
All Citizens Shop
nov. 7, 2009
Canzine is Today
The Canzine festival of zines and underground culture is today. Come by the Gladstone Hotel from 1-7pm and immerse yourself in the wonderful, weird, and wacky. For complete schedule, go to http://www.brokenpencil.com/canzine. See you there.
Hal Niedzviecki
november 1, 2009
Canzine Special Guest Judges
Team Canzine (a.k.a. Broken Pencil) has just been informed of two special judges at this year's games: Alicia Grant and Norah Franklin! As far as sports go, Norah Franklin and Alicia Grant like biking, badminton, softball, speed walking, shot put, books, and performance art. Look for them to help crown the gold medalist at this year's Olympic games going down on Sunday afternoon.
Broken Pencil
october 29, 2009
Our final Olympian steps up
Zack King Frankenstein Atomic Slam Kotzer is a monster monster man. Assistant editor and representative of Steel Bananas, he is widely known to be able to beat, best, outrun and eat any video game. New to Canzine olympianship, King promises a medal for every pizza, both pre and post events. His dazzling showmanship and antics promises to outdo that time you got Comix Zone for the Sega Genesis and was all like, "Woah look at all the kicks you can do" and after shacking the box for the manual, the bonus Danzig CD you didn't notice the package said included slips out and now you're all, "Oh dude that is just too much. Seerus now."
Broken Pencil
october 28, 2009
1-2 Punch Book Pitch @ Canzine: Do You Have What it Takes?
As fiction editor of Broken Pencil, it's my honour and privilege to introduce you to one of Canzine's most popular events! It's the 1-2 Punch Book Pitch! This year, underground lit icon turned literary agent Sam Hiyate and novelist-editor Alana Wilcox will join me on stage to hear authorial hopefuls pitch their novels, collections, nonfiction ideas and comic books. It all happens at 2pm this Sunday at the Gladstone Hotel as part of our annual Canzine Festival of zines and underground culture. It's an event that oozes hilarity, weirdness, desperation and even the occasional great idea. Don't miss the spectacle! Wanna get in on the action? We have a few spaces left for would-be participants. Email editor@brokenpencil.com and say you want in and what you want to pitch and we'll get back to you asap! The winner gets a Broken Pencil underground lit prize pack including all of our previous literary-themed issues, the new Can'tLit BP fiction anthology, and signed copies of ...
Hal Niedzviecki
october 27, 2009
Hal Brings the Peep to Guelph
Hey BP Publisher and fiction editor Hal Niedzviecki will be speaking and signing copies of The Peep Diaries in Guelph, Ontario Thursday night! The event is free and open to all. Come on by if you can! Why We Like to Watch: Privacy in the Age of Peep Culture Thursday, October 29, 2009 7:00pm - 9:00pm Holiday Inn Guelph 601 SCOTTSDALE DR., Guelph, ON Citing phenomena as disparate yet connected as reality TV, Facebook, surveillance cameras, and Twitter, writer and culture commentator Hal Niedzviecki suggests that a well-established fascination with celebrities is gradually shifting toward a growing obsession with watching ourselves and our neighbors. As pop culture morphs into peep culture, what are the implications for individuals and communities? Niedzviecki will also address and take questions on how the rise of Peep Culture is effecting the business sector. This is a free event open to all. For advance admission, you can reserve your ticket online at http://guestlis...
Hal Niedzviecki
october 27, 2009
Countdown to Canzine: screen printing workshop
In the last issue of Broken Pencil (our summer DIY special) I tried my hand at building a screen printing apparatus. In the end it worked well and was a pretty cheap endeavour. But at the end of that article I also promised that I would deliver a video of screen printer Michael Morton, from Crime League, teaching me to screen print sometime between the release of that issue and the delivery of our Canzine issue. With Canzine, and the Canzine issue, quickly approaching the video finally exists! Anyone in the Toronto area can see the real-live Michael Morton in person as he teaches his screen printing techniques to an audience of eager Canzine attendees at 4pm on November 1 at the Gladstone Hotel. The full video will be available post-Canzine.
Lindsay Gibb
october 26, 2009
Another gladiator answers the call
Andrew Faulkner managed the LA Dodgers to 2 World Series titles (1981, 88) in 4 appearances. He retired as manager during the 1996 season with 1,599 regular-season wins in 21 years and was named interim GM of the Dodgers in 1998. He is a member of Baseball Hall of Fame and most recently managed the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic team in 2000 at Sydney. Andrew currently lives in Toronto.
Broken Pencil
october 26, 2009
The Peep Show - tonight live and online
Hi everyone. The interactive party "Peep Show" BP publisher/fiction editor Hal Niedzviecki is hosting as part of the Toronto International Festival of Authors is happening tonight. Weird and wacky and, with your help, wonderful. Doors open at 9:30 at the Brigantine Room, Habourfront Centre, Toronto. If you don't already have a ticket, you can get one at the door. But if for some sad sad reason you can't make it out, it will also be broadcast live at http://www.livestream.com/IFOAPEEP/beta starting at 10pm est. If you want to watch and participate from a cyber-distance, you can also tweet about what you are seeing and have those tweets be shown live as they come in on a big screen display at the show. Just make sure you hashtag your tweet by typing #IFOAPEEP
Hal Niedzviecki
october 23, 2009
Halifax Zine Fair
Tomorrow the Anchor Archive Zine Library and Strange Adventures are presenting a zine fair at St. David's Church Hall as part of the Halifax Pop Explosion. Admission is free and this year the organizers have received more registrations than ever. The event will include workshops such as 'So I made a zine... Now what?' with Alex Wrekk, where she will teach attendees how to get their zines out to the public, including tips for using the postal system and finding distribution. Colleen MacIsaac will be running a mini comic jam where attendees will contribute to a collaborative mini-comic. For more information about the day's events and the zines and small presses that will be in attendance, visit the Roberts Street Social Centre's website: http://www.robertsstreet.org/n/. Saturday October 24, noon-5pm St. David's Church Hall, 1537 Brunswhick St., Halifax Free admission!
Lindsay Gibb
october 23, 2009
Can'tLit launch party tonight
Join us for the official launch of Can'tLit on October 22 at 6 PM at the Dakota Tavern in Toronto, where we'll smash the dull and safe face of what Canadian literature thinks it's supposed to be, and expose the gory reality below. Contributors to the book will not only read their own work, they will each be choosing a piece of the CanLit canon to publicly denounce. Readers include Emma Healey, Ian Rogers, Janette Platana and Tor Lukasik-Foss; Broken Pencil founder Hal Niedzviecki and Can'tLit editor Richard Rosenbaum will also be on hand to get in a few well-placed jabs. Stick around after for a musical performance.
Broken Pencil
october 22, 2009
Olympian # 3 revealed
Drafted earlier in the season, Toronto-based writer and micropress publisher (Emergency Response Unit) has signed on to compete in this year's Olympic Games. What does Leigh Nash bring to the table? Based on her bio, (which was submitted via email by the competitor herself) she is also a captain of lies. How will she fair in the difficult and repetitive zine lift? The frenzy of speed zining? The pressure cooker that is competitive talking, and the scrambled word relay? Time will tell. Let's take you to the bio now. Leigh Nash captained the Detroit Red Wings to Stanley Cup wins in 1997, 98 and 2002; won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 1998; one of only 14 NHL players to score 600 goals; 7th in career scoring (1,670 points).
Broken Pencil
october 22, 2009
Countdown to Canzine: Readers from Can'tLit!
To celebrate the release of our brand new short story anthology, "Can'tLit: Fearless Fiction from Broken Pencil Magazine," this year's Canzine readers will all be drawn from the many BP contributors represented in the book. We've got Joey Comeau (author of Overqualified), Zoe Whittall (author of Holding Still for as Long as Possible), Greg Kearney (author of Mommy Daddy Baby) and Jessica Faulds (of the band Blind Tiger, Tiger). Readings will be from 5-6, and of course the book will be available alongside plenty of other goodies. And don't forget that the official launch party for Can'tLit is TOMORROW - Thursday, October 22 at the Dakota Tavern in Toronto (249 Ossington Avenue) starting at 6 PM. Featured readers: Emma Healey, Janette Platana, Ian Rogers and Tor Lukasik-Foss. Be there!
Richard Rosenbaum
october 21, 2009
Countdown to Canzine: art rooms
In keeping with what has become a tradition at Canzine, artists will be taking over the rooms on the second floor of the Gladstone Hotel and inhabiting them with found art, video games, a mysterious cave, people drawing comics and a new spin on the old-timey general store. Last year the "Artcade" was launched in a dark room full of arcade game consoles made of styrofoam and computer monitors. This year the Artcade returns to showcase games pitched at last year's Canzine along with hands-on videogame-making events and circuit-bending, all made possible by the Hand Eye Society. Among our brand new rooms is City of Craft's "General Store," which will resemble its namesake by exhibiting the work of local artists in a general store motif. Down the hall a display of found mannequin catalogue photos will be displayed. In tribute to outsider artists once forgotten, such as Henry Darger an...
Lindsay Gibb
october 20, 2009
Countdown to Canzine: Family Contact
Just one of hundreds of indie like-minded types you'll find at Canzine this year, Family Contact will be selling their latest shorts on DVD. What follows this short blurb is a link to a preview of their latest accomplishment: My Awesome Movie. The film is a anti-narrative. It's a story that wants to get told but just doesn't know how. Like life, lots of things happen in a day and most fall by the way-side. This movie glorifies those moments but still shows them for what they are: unimportant. The story revolves around Aaron and Zak, two twenty-something year old roommates. They have a friendship and closeness that is hard to classify, it is special and unique. It's a bond few have and few want. The film was shot on HD cameras in Toronto, Ontario, for less then CAD$40.
Nathaniel G. Moore
A New Challenger Rises!
Broken Pencil has been informed that a new challenger awaits her fate and will be at the Canzine Olympics this coming November 1st. We have exclusive information about the competitor, plus a rather unusual training photo taken within the last six hours. Lindsay Tipping marks her return to the Olympics with the vow to leave the shame of her failed sporting past behind her. Once banned from international competition after her Beijing-based educational sitcom was held responsible for an alarming spike in the usage of the phrase 'Get yer groove on!' across China, Lindsay has now shaken off the scandal and has 'her eyes on the prize!' - a saying she also is barred from using in Asia. Her recent training includes slapping corporate logos on everything at Harbourfront Centre and writing prose-poetry with a pen (because her computer is broken.)
Nathaniel G. Moore
october 10, 2009
Canzine is packed - registration now closed
We've just closed registrations for Canzine as it has hit capacity. While there is no tabling space left at the event, we are still looking for volunteers to help as well as participants for our Canzine Olympics - multiple events that will test the staying power of indie creators. If you're interested in either position please email canzine@brokenpencil.com (to volunteer) or assisteditor@brokenpencil.com (to become an Olympian). Check the Canzine website for up-to-date information.
Lindsay Gibb
october 7, 2009
The Road to the Canzine Olympics Begins Today...
The slickening road to the biggest and most amazingly awesome competition in Canadian zine history is just weeks away. What is it? Come on! It's Canzine: Olympic style! Who will rise to the challenge of Broken Pencil as we take you to task with our zaniest Canzine gimmick to date? If you think you gots what it takes to uh, you know, win da games, then ah, BRING IT! Email Mr. Moore for details at assisteditor@brokenpencil.com and tell him why you think you are a gladiator of the indie spirit. For more information on the games, click the link below, in the mean time, meet our first booked competitor. Evan Munday first rose to national attention on the varsity dithering teams at the University of Waterloo and Centennial College. Today, he can be found jumping hurdles as the publicist for Coach House Books. He also an amateur-level illustrator whose work has appeared in books and magazines, including that Stanley Cup of contemporary fiction, Stripmalling, written by Jon Paul Fiorentin...
Nathaniel G. Moore
october 5, 2009
BP Zine Corner at Pop Montreal!
If you're headed to Pop Montreal's Puces Pop record fair, be sure to check out the BP reading corner. Read awesome zines! Mingle with like-minded indie types! Talk about how hung over you are after last night's Chain and The Gang show! It should be a good time. Saturday and Sunday 11 am-6 pm at the Ukranian Federation, 5213 rue Hutchison.
Emma Healey
october 2, 2009
BP at WOTS
Today is Word on the Street and Broken Pencil will be there with great deals on subscriptions, back issues and our new book, Can'tLit. You can come find us in the Magazine Mews section in Queens Park.
Lindsay Gibb
september 27, 2009
John Goldbach's Selected Blackouts
I hope John Goldbach is nothing like his characters. I'm saying this in the most positive way imaginable; I'm saying this because I can imagine his characters as real people, coach surfing while snogging with their buddy's girlfriend, chain smoking cigarettes and chugging back countless pints of water and aspirin to rid themselves of massive, crippling hangovers.
Spencer Gordon
september 27, 2009
Indyish How To Guides
I've been aware of the fun-loving work of the Indyish collective for a few years now, and at one point I even performed at their Monthly Mess event--a kind of mash-up of artistic genres, open to all independent artists. Lately their website has been really shaping up as a hub for all things indie (and Indyish!), where they've recently posted a link to all their Indyish How-To Guides, which are completely amazing. They cover everything from finding (and keeping!) an intern, getting people to your event without sounding like an annoying PR hack, how to
Laura Roberts
september 25, 2009
Crawling through Queen West (Toronto)
Come join BP and a parking lot full of crafters and small presses today and tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 19 & Sunday Sept 20) at the Queen West Art Crawl. The Art Crawl mostly takes place in Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto, where artisans show off their work and sell their wares all weekend, but this year the Crawl has added a Crafters Market and Independent Press component. We will be located in a transformed Green P parking lot at Queen and Cowan (1325 Queen St. W) from 11am to 6pm both days.
Lindsay Gibb
september 19, 2009
Joyland in Montreal
Joyland the great online literary magazine is going on tour. First stop is Montreal this coming Monday. Don't miss it. Readings by Montreal’s Jon Paul Fiorentino, Sina Queyras, Arjun Basu, and others. Monday, September 21, 2009 Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm Location: The Green Room/Salon Vert Street: 5386 St Laurent City/Town: Montreal, QC http://www.joyland.ca
Hal Niedzviecki
august 17, 2009
Team Macho in NYC
Team Macho is having our first ever solo show in New York this weekend at Giant Robot NY. We are really excited for it. Tell your friends to come and say hi to us because we have no friends there. The show will be a mixture of new works and our recently produced, limited run, giclee prints of some of our favorites. Hope to see you all there! Long Time Listener, First Time Caller: The Art of Team Macho September 19 - October 14, 2009 Reception: Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. Giant Robot is proud to host Long Time Listener, First Time Caller, an art show featuring new work by Team Macho. Team Macho is a collaborative illustration and fine art effort composed of Lauchie Reid, Chris Buchan, Nicholas Aoki, Jacob Whibley, and Stephen Appleby-Barr. The Toronto-based group uses all media (excepting digital), and its work crosses a multitude of boundaries in terms of conception and application. Pieces are rarely pre-planned, and only take form through the artists seeing each ...
Team Macho