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November-December 2016

Two poems by Benjamin Hertwig

From our November-December 2016 issue

Benjamin Hertwig@benjaminhertwig

DESIRE IN SEVENS i. pace across city streets under the full light of moon like the coyote in winter, coat the colour of dirty snow not knowing one day beyond the next, moving with unconscious, habitual desire, carrying only the fear of loud noises and an intimate knowledge of the cold. ii. return to a […]

REVIEW: Anthology on abortion shares powerful first-person stories

New collection features five-part series chronicling the history of criminalization of abortion in Canada

Ashani Jodha@ashjodha

Without Apology: Writing on Abortion in Canada Edited by Shannon Stettner AU Press, $29.95 Kristen was in high school. Mackenzie was 23. Jess made a pros and cons list. Each woman had an abortion. Without Apology: Writings on Abortion in Canada centres around a woman’s right to choose. In this five-part series, women share their […]

REVIEW: Third time’s the charm for Toronto Comics Anthology

New collection features 30 comics from 46 writers and artists

Aaron Broverman@Broverman

Toronto Comics Anthology Volume 3 Edited by Steven Andrews, Aaron Feldman, Allison O’Toole T.O. Comix, $20 With its third time at bat, Toronto Comics Anthology has come into its own. Toronto Comics Anthology Volume 3 features 30 comics from 46 writers and artists—each reflecting on Toronto in some way. Besides that, the genres run the […]

REVIEW: New picture book revives old First Nations poetry

Sandra Butt revisits E. Pauline Johnson's The Two Sisters

Jessica Rose@NotMyTypewriter

The Two Sisters Written by E. Pauline Johnson, illustrated by Sandra Butt Waterlea Books, $19.95 Poet and performer E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) died more than a century ago. But B.C.-based illustrator Sandra Butt revived one of Johnson’s iconic poems—“The Two Sisters”—in her picture book of the same name. This retelling of a First Nations’ legend […]

REVIEW: New novel explores unusual family dynamic and commentary on grim realities

Lisa de Nikolits's The Nearly Girl follows Amelia and her family as she's forced to confront her issues

Maria Siassina @musingwithmasha

The Nearly Girl By Lisa de Nikolits Inanna Publications, $22.95 The Nearly Girl by Lisa de Nikolits is many things, but predictable isn’t one of them. Broken into a few chapters, The Nearly Girl tells the story of an unusual family, including a daughter named Amelia, who inherited her father’s peculiarities and is confronted with […]

REVIEW: The women who challenged—and influenced—fashion

From Cleopatra to Lady Gaga

Ophelie Zalcmanis-Lai@ophelieZL

Bad Girls of Fashion: Style Rebels From Cleopatra to Lady Gaga By Jennifer Croll Annick Press, $24.95 Fashion is often mistaken as temporary, nothing but a wave of passing fads—but not in Bad Girls of Fashion: Style Rebels From Cleopatra to Lady Gaga by Jennifer Croll. In her vividly illustrated book, Croll takes us through […]

In today’s internet age, who does the news belong to?

On Facebook's algorithmically powered stories—and what it means for Canadian media

Tyler Hellard@poploser

Earlier this year, Facebook got in trouble for “curating” trending news articles that seemed to betray an ideological bias—their editorial team was accused of pushing a left-wing agenda by people who would have preferred to see them push a right-wing agenda. Facebook’s solution was simple: get rid of the human element. But a few hours after flipping […]

Hollywood’s problem with Latinx representation

Maid. Drug dealer. Vixen. Popular shows and movies are filled with harmful Latinx tropes. Nadya Sarah Domingo examines the damaging effects of our homogenous media culture

Nadya Sarah Domingo@NadyaWithAWhy

A couple of years ago, a stranger approached me while I was volunteering at a film festival in Toronto. She motioned to a group of friends standing nearby. They placed a bet on my ethnicity, she explained, and wanted to know where I was from. I smiled and patiently regurgitated my now-rehearsed response: I was […]

New documentary explores the oppressive realities of capitalism from within a Montreal neighbourhood

Stone Story follows Martin Stone between his 70th and 71st years

andrea bennett@akkabah

We meet Martin Stone on the eve of his 70th birthday: grey hair, goofy smile, his facial expressions vacillating between a childish joy and a more distant sadness. Originally from the U.S., he now shares a dirt-cheap Mile End apartment with a revolving cast of roommates in Montreal. In the mid-1960s, Stone left a lucrative ad […]

Canadian media sucks at representing Muslims in Canada

Amira Elghawaby on the unflattering, unrelenting media spotlight on Muslims in Canada—and why journalists must do better

Amira Elghawaby@AmiraElghawaby

When it comes to Muslims, even the good news stories can turn ugly. Take this example from September 2016: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited a mosque during Eid, one of the holiest celebrations in the Islamic calendar, to pay his respects. The story morphed into something sinister and malevolent. Several newspapers owned by Postmedia reported […]

What journalists need to know about covering sexual assault

Media is giving more ink than ever to sexual assault coverage. But how do we ensure journalists report with respect?

Blair Mlotek@blairmlo

Today’s media climate is rife with increased—but not necessarily better—reporting on sexual assault and rape. That’s why, in December 2015, Toronto-based organization Femifesto and its collaborators created Use the Right Words, a guide to help journalists report respectfully, progressively, and accurately on stories addressing sexual violence. We sat down with one of the main writers, […]