-
The AGO’s “Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting”: Something for everyone
Let’s face the obvious first. Surrealism isn’t everyone’s bag, especially in its more nightmarish forms. And if that’s true of you, if the darker Dalis make you cringe and the chilling Ernsts give you the sweats, taking in the work of Frida Kahlo may not be the optimal way to spend an afternoon. Kahlo’s art,…
-
Reading in 2013, pennies, and the physics of getting James’s peach airborne: Bookishness for Jan. 7
New Year’s Read-olutions Everyone around seems to be setting reading goals for 2013. I’m aiming for what now seems like a measly 100 books, held in comparison to Jeff Ryan’s 366 books in 2012. Alternatively, you might resolve to read less. The best Canadian designs ever From The Canadian Design Resource, a list of the top 100 Canadian…
-
Go Home Print has a Message for TRB Readers
With their new quarterly magazine, Go Home Print collaborators Emma Sharpe, Shanley Maguire and Rhodi Iliadou say they “want to create a beautiful printed object that you can hold in your hands.” Sounds good to us. Here’s their message to TRB readers: Our first issue of Go Home Magazine, which launched in November 2012, had a niche feeling to it, focusing…
-
Forgoing truth for drama: Kathryn Bigelow’s not-so-true story Zero Dark Thirty
Reviewed in this essay: Zero Dark Thirty, written by Mark Boal. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Starring Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler. Running Time: 157 minutes. Opening in Toronto Jan. 11. Kathryn Bigelow’s Academy Award-winning The Hurt Locker (2009) succeeded as a straightforward study of military bomb disarmers. Although the film was set during the…
-
History, true and fictional: A review of poet Kate Cayley’s “When This World Comes to an End”
When This World Comes to an End By Kate Cayley Brick Books, February 2013 $20 A first book of poems is a beautiful thing. But while this is Kate Cayley’s first poetry volume, she is no newcomer to writing. Her short stories and poems have appeared in journals across the country, she has authored a young adult novel, The Hangman…
-
Happy Holidays! See you in 2013!
Dearest readers, Chirograph is taking a break over the holiday season. But we will be back in the new year, with all the great coverage you’ve come to expect from us, plus some new features and series. Until then, we wish you and yours the happiest of holidays and a great start to 2013! Sincerely,…
-
Racism or condescension: The Wachowskis’ Cloud Atlas problem
Race has been at the centre of some debate surrounding the Wachowski Starship’s latest cinematic offering, Cloud Atlas. Assigning their ensemble cast to a variety of characters each, across six different storylines, Lana and Andy Wachowski use facial prosthetics and post-production touch ups to transform the racial and sexual orientations of their actors. The result…
-
Man-boy fury: A review of Tim and Eric’s The Comedy
Reviewed in this essay: The Comedy, written by Rick Alverson, Robert Donne, and Colm O’leary. Directed by Rick Alverson. Starring Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, and James Murphy. Running Time: 94 minutes. Available for Download on Itunes immediately. Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are the two most interesting comedians working in America today. Best known for their sketch…
-
Public books: What Torontonians are reading at Union Station
As a recognized National Historical Site, a testament to Canadian urban beaux-arts style, and a committed travel hub, Toronto’s Union Station is an iconic public place. Despite said accolades, it is humble and mysterious, transformed day and night by its inhabitants, as a book is transformed by its beholders’ imaginations. As such, Union Station is…
-
Top book lists, Little Libraries, and book cart drill teams: Bookishness, Dec. 17, 2012
If this is weird, I don’t wanna be normal Poetry makes you weird. The best best Distilling ALL OF THE top book lists. Grinches “In what can only be described as a fairly dick move, the town of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, has decided to ban Little Free Libraries, the most adorable manifestation of libraries to date.” I…
-
TRB Podcast: John Ernest on the Misreading of Nineteenth-Century African American Literature
On November 9th, as part of the 2012 Editing Early African American Literature Conference, Dr. John Ernest gave a talk entitled “Artless Stories, Simple Facts: Editorial Practices and the Misreading of Nineteenth-Century African American Literature.” Listen and enjoy! [audio:2012.12/Ernest.mp3] John Ernest is a professor of English at the University of Delaware and is the author or…
-
Record Store Review: Play de Record
Play de Record, at 357 Yonge Street, is a paragon of adaptation. Opened in 1990, behind a convenience store and with only records and tapes for sale, it has since taken over the front of the building and gone on to become the primo destination for seasoned DJs in need of the latest equipment, as well…