The Winter of Art's Discontent
During a recession, governments both federal and municipal are on the hunt for places to cut costs and the arts seem to be an easy target. Laura Trethewey followed the carnage of arts funding cuts across the country to see the effect on local artists and, ultimately, our culture.
Grease Lightening
Poet Billeh Nickerson's latest offering is fresh from the deep fryer and teeming with substance
Flatmancrooked
The US micropress with mega-ideas
Excerpts
from Marta Chudolinska, Michael Deforge, Jen Y.
Fiction
by J Jack Unrau, Dave Proctor
61 reviews
Lots more. See it all here.
Ryan Ringer
Ryan Ringer is a multidisciplinary artist and social convener. He enjoys wearing fake moustaches, conducting immersive fictions, building funny Flintstone cars out of cardboard and leading busloads of artists into the cultural chaos of New York City and other urban destinations. Ringer is perhaps best known as director and chief curator of Methinks, a social art arena founded in 2003, and Project 165, a young artist-run space in Toronto's Kensington Market. The two co-exist to support the social, professional and creative development of emerging artists (aka cultural workers); to challenge the ways in which culture is made, perceived, supported and consumed; and to make radical advancements at the confluence of art, politics, play and daily life.
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Latest Post:
Back From New York
I’m back from yet another NYC Roadtrip, deeply inspired and stoked to get back to my little Toronto grindstone. And I must say, this New York adventure - not unlike all the others - was truly... Read more.
Ink-a-licious!
Ink-a-licious is painful. It's like a colouring book written by an angry 16-year-old still learning how to draw. Or, more accurately, it's almost as if some random press decided to hire a group of teens and have each of them make an individual page about what irks them the most about the world.
Granted, the observations, for the most part, are true. It's just that they're so poorly presented that it's hard to muster up the urge to care. The content is so badly written that, when partnered with ... Read more.
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Kaie Kellough, Philip Quinn talk to BP
We've got a pair of online exclusive interviews for you. Joel Deshaye speaks to Kaie Kellough, bilingual poet, editor, educator, and performer in Montréal. He has performed solo and with jazz accompaniment from coast to coast and is currently recording spoken word with jazz arrangements. His most recent project is his book, Maple Leaf Rag, which will be published by Arbeiter Ring Press in Winnipeg this spring. An Interview with Kaie Kellough Nathaniel G. Moore caught up with Toronto novelist and poet Philip Quinn to discuss his brand new book The Skeleton Dance, a novel which takes place on the mean, formerly clean streets of Toronto before the century ticked over into the new millennium. This dark novel depicts the human casualties and debris piled up around the downtown bank towers in a way only Quinn can deliver. Philip Quinn's The Skeleton Dance ... Read more.
March 10, 2010
So, this is our new website. By my count, this is the fifth major version of the thing since we launched our original site in 1995. Hopefully it'll hold together. No doubt it's full of little bugs and glitches. If you see any, I'd be obliged if you'd let me know. There's a lot of stuff here, like the complete contents of BP Issues 34 to 46, plus a large representative sample of stuff going all the way back to Issue 1, and we've still got some historical documents yet to post. We've also added some groundbreaking new features, like pictures. Progress marches on. Take a look around. Let us know what you think. Last time I checked, the comment function was working. ... Read more.
March 8, 2010
The Deathmatch Ends. Eshleman Triumphant
The third annual Broken Pencil Indie Writers' Deathmatch clattered to a halt at midnight last night, leaving Nelson Eshleman the last scribbler standing. In fact, Eshleman dominated the final, unleashing a fanatical army of supporters against the hitherto formidable Jordan Abel, who was missing in action for most of the round. This was by far the most lop-sided victory in the history of the Deathmatch. We salute our champion. Broken Pencil also thanks our worthy combatants, our special guest commenters, all who entered the contest and all those who voted or posted long and vitriolic screeds in the comments section. If you posted something nice, or maybe even thoughtful, hell, we thank you too. The Deathmatch will return. ... Read more.
March 8, 2010
It's the final round of Deathmatch: Abel versus Eshleman. It's homicidal bear and his druggie buddies vs. homicidal domestic terrorists and the blogger who caught them. The ultimate battle!! Go vote. ... Read more.
March 2, 2010
It's the Deathmatch Semifinal Round 2!
Coming out of Semifinal 1, won by Abel in a nail-biter, it's Eshelman vs. Horner in a nihilistic battle of man vs. nature, a Broken Pencil-style Canadian matchup East vs. West minus the spiritual epiphanies and flowery poetics! Whoever wins, we're looking at a very interesting final! Moderating this round is guest moderator David Clink, the artistic director of the Rowers Pub Reading Series. He is the author of five poetry chapbooks and the editor of seven others. He is the co-publisher of believe your own press, webmaster of poetrymachine.com and author of the poetry collection Eating Fruit Out of Season. ... Read more.
Feb. 23, 2009
Deathmatch Semi-Final is Neck in Neck in Final Stretch
Wow, with just the weekend to go for voting, it's Abel's story of drugs and an angry man-bear at 51% and Dupcak's tale of drugs, sex and performance art at 49%. What a round! North America's no-holds-barred short story contest continues! Go vote!... Read more.
February 19, 2010
In Defense Of Small Music Venues
A round table discussion hosted by Serena McCarroll with Bob Wiseman, Peter Rowan, Ryan McLaren, Kenneth Farrell, Maria Bui, Leah Buckareff and Aidan Baker. Prologue When Tyler and I first opened All Citizens, within the tiny farming community of Bruno, Saskatchewan, hosting music shows was on our roster of things to do. It didn't happen right away and certainly not in the manner we expected it to. What did happen wildly surpassed our expectations and left us dizzy in it's wake. It began with an email from a certain Bob Wiseman "Dear amazing people who moved to Bruno and are making something excellent there..." That's really how it all started. Bob Wiseman and Geoff Berner played to a sold out audience in Bruno on March 16th 2009. In exchange we awarded them with a key to the town (the Mayor didn't bat an eye when asked permission), an idea inspired by artist Biliana Velkova. That one remarkable night triggered many more shows (and many more award presentations) culminating in the de... Read more.
February 17, 2010
The Festival of the Photocopier, Melbourne
Attention Australian readers: the Sticky Institute's The Festival of the Photocopier is running through the rest of this month. The festival celebrates Australia's zine culture through various workshops, talks, gatherings and a zine fair, and has already featured talks on the history of zines and the punk scene, a queer zine night and a "frenzied zinemaking activity." Upcoming events include a food-zine launch that promises to explain the difference between macarons and macaroons (with a taste test on site!), a talk by zinesters who have had to face the legal system in the making their zines and a talk by a Melbourne zine-elder Iain McIntyre. For the full schedule visit http://www.stickyinstitute.com/festival2010/fest.html On a side note, Luke You, who helped to coordinate this event with the Sticky Institute, will be the author of the zine philosophy in the spring issue of Broken Pencil. ... Read more.
February 15, 2010
Brad Cran on Declining an Invite to Participate in the Olympic Celebrations
Vancouver Poet Laureate and noted indie writer Brad Cran offers a nice summary of the many ways the Vancouver Olympics are failing the Vancouver cultural communities. Includes hilarious memos for Vancouver Public Libraries head office. A must read! ... Read more.
February 10, 2010
Deatmatch Round 4: Eshelman vs. Story
Wow! Round four of the Deathmatch is shaping up to be a doozy. It pits Newfoundlander Kate Story's subtle story of sex and change against Guelph, Ontario's Nelson Eshelman - who offers us an amusing take on eco-terrorism in the Alberta badlands. Moderating this week is Lisa Foad. So c'mon ya'll click on the big deathmatch banner and check out the madness. ... Read more.
February 10, 2010