October 20, 2009
Two poems by Lillian Nećakov
Strolling on borrowed ankles Tapping stones together means you are not a couch potato memories are dividing themselves into other memories atoms of memory memory of atoms the yellow of beauty the groan of wood under your boots along the boardwalk echoing across the Thursday lake to where Andy can feel your heart unravelling like a giant spool miles away from your garage that once meant something to... [More >>]
October 16, 2009
Interview: Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter
On June 9, Nova Scotians elected the province’s first ever NDP government, lead by former Navy public-information-officer-turned-journalist-turned-lawyer Darrell Dexter. This caught up with the new 52-year-old premier about a month later, just after he had attended a Paul McCartney concert in Halifax. This: Did you meet McCartney? Dexter: I did. It was quite a highlight. When you were a kid if someone... [More >>]
October 14, 2009
Four Poems by Sandra Ridley
Paraffin & Palm Spilled Salt A bitter of angelica & artichoke with carbolic strengthens & pacifies her body. Or sixpence spent brings up a blood-sweat & blister pops by tonic & suction cups. She’s not bilious but swollen lymphatic. Cracked bone cage filled with paraffin & palm spilled salt. She’s undressed & under wraps — O spirewort! O collywobbles! A rapscallion... [More >>]
October 13, 2009
Hunting waves—and peace—with the Gaza Surf Club
Could surfing really help bring Israelis and Palestinians together? Grant Shilling meets the beach bums, peace activists, and ex-soldiers who believe it’s possible Surf’s up in Ashkelon. So I hop on the train in Tel Aviv bound for the southern Israeli city with my surfboard bag in tow. The bag, stencilled with Boards Not Bombs, attracts more than a few stares and the interest of Israeli state... [More >>]
October 9, 2009
5 seafood menu items that are harming the ocean
The commercial fishing industry is costing us more than just the price of our seafood platters. With seafood consumption at a record 16.7 kilogram per person, our appetite for fish is putting the entire ocean ecosystem at risk. But the seas aren’t the only thing in danger. We humans depend on those waters for food, income, and even our air. This is how our love of seafood is threatening ourselves... [More >>]
October 6, 2009
Book Review: Who’s Your Daddy? And Other Writings on Queer Parenting
Who's Your Daddy? And other writings on queer parenting, edited by Rachel Epstein The legalization of gay marriage in Canada has coincided with an era that might be dubbed the first “queer baby boom.” As such, this generation of queer parents and their children have been forced to adopt the ambivalent role of pioneers in a social space in which the model of the “traditional” nuclear family... [More >>]
October 1, 2009
In the developing world, fledgling queer rights have a long way to go
Out of the country, back into the closet. Illustration by Don Charles. I am on a gay beach, surrounded by half-naked, toned, tanned, Speedo-sporting gay men. Somewhere a random diva is belting out a dance hit. The tropical sun has ensured all bodies are dripping. At the makeshift beach bar, ice is plunked into orange and incarnadine cocktails, and the bartender screams, “Cheers to queers,” kissing... [More >>]
September 30, 2009
Transitional-program fans give U of T a failing grade
The University of Toronto has come under fire by students, community activists, and even former minister of education Zanana Akande over proposed changes to its Transitional Year Program, a specialized academic program that helps students without the usual educational credentials make the leap to university. The 38-year-old program has been particularly successful at recruiting high school dropouts,... [More >>]
September 29, 2009
Remembering Len Dobbin, Montreal’s most important jazz listener
Len Dobbin, the most important audience member in Montreal's jazz scene. Illustration by Aislin. In early fall of 1950, Len Dobbin stepped out of a listening booth on Rue Ste-Catherine in Montreal to find himself confronted by five New York jazz enthusiasts seeking potential founders for a satellite jazz appreciation society. Only 15 years old at the time, Dobbin had never met enough fans to think... [More >>]
September 28, 2009
How the University of Manitoba revolutionized HIV care in Nairobi
John Mathenke, a Nairobi sex worker, was diagnosed with HIV in early July. He is working with the Sex Workers' Outreach Program to educate other sex workers about HIV prevention. Photo by Siena Anstis. Blended into the colourful storefronts of Nairobi’s River Road area is the Sex Workers Outreach Program (SWOP), a discreet but accessible clinic offering HIV and STD testing and treatment to the... [More >>]
