THIS IS SPINAL TAP was released 42 years ago this week. Widely regarded as one of the funniest comedies ever made, and the film that spawned the ‘mockumentary’, the behind the scenes tale goes to 11…
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murderers still sailed on
A History of Riots in Toronto. Rampaging firefighters, blood-thirsty clowns, sectarian violence and hateful thugs — all in a new online course with author Adam Bunch. Begins March 26, 2026. Pay what you like. adambunch.com
Announcing my next new online course!
Four weekly lectures all about THE HISTORY OF RIOTS IN TORONTO — from rampaging firefighters and battle-hardened clowns to sectarian violence and hateful thugs.
Pay what you like!
Learn more here: adambunch.com/riotsregistr...
California boy dies of SSPE (measles complication) after being infected at age 7 months, when he was too young to be vaccinated.
in case you've never seen it, this is Roger Ebert on The Mummy
Join @kathscrab along with other authors for an online reading in partnership with @thewritersunionofcanada 📖
Thursday, March 12th, 7-8 p.m. MST on Zoom
Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
#Reading #NorthWestPassages #CanLit #ShortStories
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I sometimes worry that too many people think being a good critic means being a self-righteous dick about every little thing and I think far too many miss the point that you can't critique anything if you don't know how to love something.
Non-writers are wondering why in the replies, and it's basically math. Authors typically make a few bucks or less /copy and even a Big 5 book can sell <10k and that might even meet expectations (depending). Like all things in capitalism, it's uneven, with a small minority of authors selling lots.
Inviting authors to talk & paying them a few hundred $ is a major income source, relatively
The 2026 Shields Prize Longlist! On behalf of the Jury, Carmen Maria Machado shared: “It’s been such an honor and a privilege to encounter this body of work by women and non-binary authors, who are writing some of the most exciting literature...” carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/2026-longlist
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But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.
Poetry collection Real Grownup by Elizabeth Bachinsky (Nightwood Editions) sits atop a notebook with an ornate gold cover, along with a black fine tip pen
Handwritten transcription of the poem Isn't Everyone Thinking About the Fermi Paradox? by Elizabeth Bachinsky from the poetry collection Real Grownup - an uncapped pen rests on the notebook page, a corner of a blue book holds open the poetry collection, and blue-framed glasses and a blue coffee cup sit nearby
Close-up of handwritten transcription of the poem Isn't Everyone Thinking About the Fermi Paradox? by Elizabeth Bachinsky from the poetry collection Real Grownup, with blue-framed glasses sitting nearby
"Maybe everyone's already here,
we just can't see them. God, maybe they were here, but
didn't make it."
#TodaysPoem #poetry
Isn't Everyone Thinking About the Fermi Paradox? by Elizabeth Bachinsky in Real Grownup (2026 @nightwoodeditions.bsky.social) nightwoodeditions.com/collections/...
newly posted at @periodicities.bsky.social : Amanda Earl @amandaearl.bsky.social : 2026 VERSeFest interviews: Isabella Wang, reading this month at VERSeFest! / @isabellawangbc.bsky.social @nightwoodeditions.bsky.social @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ;
periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2026/03/aman...
"you ask if we should stir the rice & the water
hisses & spits. we often forget about the ghosts
who kneel in pots of water."
#TodaysPoem #poetry
rice & rain by @robin-gow-poet.bsky.social (2018 @poetry.foundation)
A sepia-toned studio portrait of Pauline Johnson in right-facing profile. She has long, wavy dark hair and wears a fringed garment decorated with small metal ornaments and fur trim. Around her neck is a necklace of curved, claw-like pieces. Her expression is neutral, and she is posed against a plain, light background with soft, even lighting. The image is tightly framed from the chest up.
On this day in 1861, Pauline Johnson was born at the Six Nations Reserve. She became one of Canada's most significant poets during her life and a Canadian literary icon.
Learn more in my Deep Dive 👇
buff.ly/FD5jffW
Family of Tumbler Ridge shooting victim suing OpenAI--alleges the tech company failed to alert authorities to chat prompts from the shooter related to violence. #BritishColumbia
Lawsuit filed by mother of 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who remains hospitalized
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Some things never change. From Rob Ford to Pierre Poilevre to Doug Ford, those with no vision want to wreck our waterfront with jets. Did a few interviews today on how our revitalized waterfront is far too important than to wreck with jets. Support NoJetsTO by visiting NoJetsTO.com! #topoli #cdnpoli
"I’ve been to the crossroads. I’ve been down to Georgia. I’ve signed agreements with legions of lawyers, living, as I do, in the details, and ended up with the souls of everyone except Daniel Webster, that prig-tastic blowhole. But Donald Trump? Not worth it."
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/why...
Spell like no one is watching.
Toad stands on a rock, reading poetry to his seeds. From "The Garden" In *Frog and Toad Together*
And all the next day Toad read poems to his seeds.
The @policyalternatives.ca's work calculating the Living Wage across provinces helps show here that provincial minimum wages are too low. #canlab dailydive.ca/news/canada/...
Allison Harbour
E.J. Hughes
1966
Blooming Twilight
Adele Webster
2024
Pacific Ocean
Arthur Lismer
1961
Ginger Ale and Tomato Sandwich No. 1
Mary Pratt
1999
What books did Alberta schools *actually* pull off the shelves in response to a provincial order? It took a lot of work to find out. We still don't have a complete picture. And some schools are still pulling material.
Free speech advocates say it's ban unmatched in Canadian history. #AbLeg By me.
Wilt thou conceal this dark conspiracy?
John McAuley (1947-2026) / @montrealprize.bsky.social ;
robmclennan.blogspot.com/2026/03/john...
I finally rode the Eglinton Crosstown yesterday. So far thumbs up.
