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Dante, Science, Masculinity and Travels: New Books of Note
Much-anticipated, curious, or simply thrilling, here are some new and notable books out this month. Dante’s House by Richard Greene (Vehicule Press) — Greene’s verses begin by tackling the intangible — the faint, grey areas of “rumours, misunderstandings and half-truths that often comprise our knowledge of the others” — and end with an homage in…
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Serious Male Authors and Contract Status: On Gilmour and the Plight of the Adjunct
Among the most prominent people from the University of Toronto speaking out against David Gilmour is Holger Syme, a professor of early modern drama. In general I like the cut of his jib. His rant is epic and is well worth reading in whole. However, it touches on one thing that I find very discomforting about…
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National Embarrassment/Bore Sparks Some Great Literary Criticism
Yesterday we learned from David Gilmour that being in conversation with “a young woman” means one doesn’t need to take one’s words seriously—but then Gilmour also taught us that literary “seriousness” is just for straight white dudes. Education’s great, eh? I can hear Jane Austen guffawing into a carefully hemmed sleeve in the sky. A…
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Book Thugs, X-Men, and Three Kinds of Curators: T.O. Events for Sept. 26 to Oct. 10, 2013
Have a cup of tea and a cookie or three at Get Crafty!, a drop-in craft workshop. Make notebooks from recycled paper and pen that masterpiece without denting the environment. 11AM-1PM. September 26. Hart House Reading Room. Free. All materials provided. Let There Be Art 4 is your favorite arts and music festival’s favorite arts…
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Never Mind the Musicians: Toronto’s R. Shelley
In this series, Trevor Abes sits down with local lights in the Toronto music scene. Michelle Ronchin is R. Shelley, a 22-year-old singer-songwriter whose Sink or Swim EP dropped last April. She has over five years of live performing under her belt, including a set at Hamilton’s Spring Music Festival 2012. When she isn’t writing or booking gigs, Shelley…
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Atwood’s BookTweetables No. 8
Margaret Atwood’s best tweets, every two weeks. [View the story “Margaret Atwood’s BookTweetables No.8” on Storify]
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Dancing a score: Mark Morris Dance Group’s “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato”
Reviewed in this essay: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Mark Morris Dance Group, which ran June 2013 at Canadian Stage as part of the Luminato Festival During the most recent Luminato Festival, the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) finally reconnected with Canadian audiences after an absence of nearly two decades. L’Allegro exemplifies Morris’ commitment…
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“Forgive Us Our Trespasses”: A Review of Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners
Prisoners is the English-language debut from Quebeçois auteur Denis Villeneuve, known for the Oscar nominated film Incendies (2010), as well as Polytechnique (2009), Maelström (2000), and Enemy (2013, which debuted at TIFF this year). Prisoners is an engrossing thriller situated in a small town in America gripped by recession and despair. The film is carefully…
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Remembering Family and Searching for Home: New Books of Note
Much-anticipated, curious, or simply thrilling, here are some new and notable books out this month. Strays by Ed Kavanaugh (Killick Press) — Kavanaugh’s ten short stories revolve around emotional and social vagabonds from all walks of Canadian life. Despite the succinctly despondent title and theme, readers are promised stories told with humour, insight and sensitivity.…
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TRB’s First Print Anthology: On Sale at Word on the Street 2013
We’ve been cooking a book all summer and we’re salivating to announce that our first print anthology, The Toronto Review of Books Tasting Menu: Choice Selections from the First Two Years, is tumbling off the press this week. This Friday, September 20, marks the TRB’s second anniversary. We’re celebrating with this feast of a book…
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Meet bibliotherapists, millionaire librarians, and time traveling photographers: Bookishness for September 16, 2013
A prescription for loneliness “Books that fill you with friends are… great – such as Robert Graves’ I Claudius. And Emil Zola’s Rougon -maquart series, 19 novels, which will fill your mind with an amazing population of characters!” Maclean’s takes a look at bibliotherapy. Millionaire, librarian, and my newest hero An Ohio librarian secretly amassed a…
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Margaret Atwood, The Word on the Street, and The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival: T.O. Events for September 12-26, 2013
Author Lawrence Hill (The Book of Negroes) meets fans and discusses his upcoming Massey Lectures (Blood: The Stuff of Life) at CBC Live at The Toronto International Film Festival. 12:30PM. September 12. 250 Front Street. Free. Need a painting? Itching for a new wardrobe? Does papa (or mama) need a brand new bag? The Liberty…