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Q&A: Paul Vermeersch talks self-fulfilling prophecies, science fiction, and his new poetry collection

RM Vaughan sits down with the poet to chat about Self Defence for the Brave and Happy

RM Vaughan

The great French novelist Andre Malraux once declared that “the 21st century will be spiritual or will not be,” a sentiment undoubtedly shared by many who lived under the shadow of the Cold War’s mushroom clouds. Paul Vermeersch’s beautiful new book of poems, Self Defence for the Brave and Happy posits that the 21st century […] More »

Q&A: Kenneth Moffatt on the importance of highlighting art for and by those from marginalized communities

The Ryerson University sociology professor is the 2018 Jack Layton Chair of Social Justice—and he has big plans for the role

RM Vaughan

Kenneth Moffatt is the 2018 Jack Layton Chair of Social Justice. That sounds fancy, and it is. Appointed across the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Community Services, the Chair emphasizes the causes of the late NDP leader, and works “to effect progressive social change.” But to many Torontonians, especially those of us in the queer arts worlds, Moffatt […] More »
May-June 2017

Q&A: Zool Suleman, immigration lawyer, on the Safe Third Country Agreement

In the Trump era, should Canada rethink its policy on accepting refugees from the U.S.?

Carine Abouseif@carineabouseif

In January, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that restricted immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days, stopped refugee admission for 120 days, and banned all Syrian refugees indefinitely. Days later, a federal judge blocked the ban. That didn’t stop Trump, who unveiled a revised ban in March that continued to prevent immigration […] More »
January-February 2017

Q&A: Why a Mohawk community established its own legal system—the first of its kind in the country

In conversation with Joyce King

Blair Mlotek@blairmlo

The Mohawk community of Akwesasne straddles the Ontario, New York, and Quebec borders. As of August 2016, it holds the first Indigenous legal system in Canada outside of a federal framework. The Council is a community government that is elected by residents and is composed of elected chiefs from each district along with a Grand […] More »
November-December 2016

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, […] More »

Five questions for Leslie Vryenhoek

Kyle Dupont

Leslie Vryenhoek is a writer, poet and communication consultant based out of Newfoundland. Her work has appeared in various Canadian and international publications. Leslie has received numerous awards for her poetry, fiction and memoirs including the Winston-Collins Descant Best Canadian Poem 2010 prize, two provincial Arts and Letters Awards, the Eden Mills Festival Literary Competition and the Dalton […] More »

Five questions for Jennifer Lovegrove

Kyle Dupont

Jennifer Lovegrove is the author of two collections of poetry, I Should Have Never Fired the Sentinel (2005) and The Dagger Between Her Teeth (2002). Her work has been featured in a number of Canadian publications including Taddle Creek, The Fiddlehead, Sub-Terrain and This Magazine. We recently sat down with the former Great Canadian Literary Hunt judge to […] More »

Five questions for Terence Young

Kyle Dupont

Terence Young was the poetry winner in our first ever Great Canadian Literary Hunt back in 1996. Since then, he has gone on to publish a number of boo,ks and poetry including The Island in Winter which was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry in 1999. Currently living in Victoria B.C., Young […] More »

Five questions for Sheila Heti

Kyle Dupont

Sheila Heti currently has five books to her name. Most recently, she released How Should A Person Be?: A Novel from Life in 2012. Last year, her novel  The Chairs Are Where the People Go, was selected by The New Yorker as one of its Best Books of 2011. Aside from writing novels, Heti works as the interviews editor […] More »
July-August 2011

Interview: Chester Brown on sex, love, and Paying For It

Paul McLaughlinWebsite

His illustrated memoir tells all about being a john. Why did he abandon relationships? Chester Brown, 51, is an accomplished graphic novelist whose new book, Paying for It, depicts his decision in 1999 to abandon romantic relationships in favour of paying prostitutes for sex. Along the way, however, he still seemed to find a version, […] More »

Interview: Metis National Council president Clément Chartier

Graham F. Scott

Metis National Council president Clément Chartier Today we’ve got a new entry in the Verbatim series, the transcripts we provide of our Listen to This podcast. (Just a reminder that you can catch new, original interviews every other Monday—you can subscribe with any podcast listening program by grabbing the podcast rss feed, or easily subscribing […] More »