Last spring, filmmaker and activist Joshua M. Ferguson made headlines around Canada when they received Ontario’s first non-binary birth certificate, the climax of a lengthy struggle with the Ontario government. In their new memoir, Me,…
Although he never recorded a note, Buddy Bolden remains a towering figure in jazz. An influence on everyone from Louis Armstrong to Jelly Roll Morton, he helped define what we now recognize as jazz from…
“Women Talking” by Miriam Toews (Knoph Canada)
March 27, 2019
In recent years, few concepts have resonated as much as toxic masculinity. From how it plays in personal relationships to how people engage with culture, it’s gone from the specialized world of academics to everyday…
There may not be a more overlooked figure in modern jazz than Carla Bley. With a career that stretches back over 50 years and a resume that includes stints with John McLaughlin, Jack Bruce, Gary…
At the time of his death in 1964, Eric Dolphy wasn’t exactly a household name. Despite a career working alongside heavyweights like John Coltrane and Charles Mingus, his career as a leader was packed into…
“An Orchestra of Minorities” by Chigozie Obioma
January 30, 2019
Oral storytelling’s a key feature of many cultures; it’s said that Homer sang his stories to audiences in ancient Greece. And in his new novel, An Orchestra of Minorities, Chigozie Obioma uses oral storytelling as…
“Invasions.” by Calvin Gimpelevich
December 21, 2018
Author and novelist Mavis Gallant once wrote that a book of her stories should be read individually, so each of her stories is spaced out and given that much more power. I can’t think of…
Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol. 14: More Blood, More Tracks
November 20, 2018
On it’s release in 1975, Blood on the Tracks was seen as a return. To Columbia Records, to songs based on his experiences, and to form. After years playing with The Band, dabbling in rock,…
“My Way” by Willie Nelson
October 12, 2018
When news broke about Willie Nelson doing an album of Frank Sinatra tunes, the first instinct was to read the headline again. He’s doing what? But after a moment of reflection, it makes sense. Nelson…