If you weren’t previously in the mood to take off on a bicycle trip, after reading this zine you will be. The Motivist is an ongoing travel zine documenting the adventures of Alan Barbour and Sarah Evans as they “examine the geographic and provincial, exploring and mapping our world.” This issue finds them cycling through Quebec, from Tadoussac to rainy Saint-Andre, L’Islet-sur-Mer and on down to the bike-friendly Quebec City. To read it, you must first unfold it like a roadmap, revealing two large double-sided pages chock full of photos, drawings and a giant illustration of the dunes and cliffs surrounding Tadoussac Bay accompanied by instructions on how best to enjoy them. These are directions of course, not just on exploring what they do, but more generally on how to enjoy your own space, wherever it may be. Perusing this zine is a delight. Part travel diary, part guide and part essay, Evans and Barbour pack in everything from thoughts on souvenirs and anecdotes about cities to ruminations on the plight of beluga whales.
Reading their list of junk shops or marche-aux-puces to check out on the Cote-du-Sud, I’m reminded of my favourite place to spend a rainy weekend afternoon here in Nova Scotia. That would seem, after all, what The Motivist is after — motivating us to examine and cultivate a love of travel and adventure, even in our own backyards. This yellowed paper treasure trove is exactly the thing to spur you on to great discoveries. The first thing you will need is a subscription… and then maybe a bike. (Lindsay Rainingbird)
Perzine, volume two, issue two, Sarah Evans and Alan Barbour, 2649 Fuller Terrace, Halifax NS, B3K 3V8, $25 for a year’s subscription