Posts by Michelle Schwartz
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Blog Series
LISTEN HERE! ARTIST PROFILE HEX
In the lead-up to our spring music issue, we reached out to a few young emerging musicians to learn about how they got into their craft and what tips they have for artists just starting out. READ MORE
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In the Blog
How Canadian Law Renders Rape Invisible
TRIGGER WARNING: THIS BLOG CONTAINS INFO ON RAPE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE READ MORE
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In the Blog
#BlackGirlsAreMagic In Canada, too
If you were to take a look at Black Twitter these days you would notice that there is a lot of debate about the hashtag #BlackGirlMagic. The hashtag #BlackGirlsAreMagic was created by a Black woman, CaShawn Thompson, in 2013, and has since gained significant momentum, what Thompson, in an interview with the L.A. Times, has called a “movement.” READ MORE
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In the Blog
Carrie Brownstein: Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
Marta Balcewicz reviews Carrie Brownstein’s memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl READ MORE
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In the Blog
7 Logical Fallacies You Will Encounter as a Sex Worker
I’m a Canadian sex worker. I don’t know much about sex work in other countries, but the woman who runs the escort agency I work for does what I consider to be a very Canadian thing – she calls and texts me incessantly to ask politely if I’m available to see clients. The glory of the process of “booking on” is that I will, in fact, call her when I am available for work, but this is a fact of which I never remind her. I just switch my phone to silent and go on listening to whichever class I happen to be in (the raison d’être for my job is that I’m in school, another tidbit I don’t mention when she wants to know if I’m available at 11:15 on a Monday morning). READ MORE
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In the Blog
An Outsider’s Insight
It took no time at all to notice that something wasn’t quite right. I would estimate that I was around 2 or 3 years old when I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I didn’t belong. READ MORE
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In the Blog
Weekly Round Up: December 11
Check out what’s making been making our headlines this week. READ MORE
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Blog Series
Getting over the body hair blues: one ladydude’s manifesto
We asked writers to share their relationship with their body hair for our upcoming alternative beauty issue. This is the first instalment in our series. READ MORE
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In the Blog
TRANSGENDER DIY: SIMPLE TIPS AND TRICKS FOR CREATING TRANS TOOLS
Gender can be a very complicated part of your identity. If you are transgender and you identify as a different gender than the one assigned at birth, you may find discomfort with how your gender presents based on your physical characteristics, this is often known as dysphoria. You can use different tools such as packers, breast forms or binders to explore your gender and alter your physical appearance to match your gender better. READ MORE
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In the Blog
Trans Visibility and the Census: Change Begins with Inclusion
November is Transgender Awareness Month, which aims to help raise the visibility of the trans and gender non-conforming population. With recent increased visibility of celebrities like Laverne Cox and Caitlin Jenner, and numerous television shows featuring transgender characters, it’s all too easy to forget that until very recently, the transgender community was unfamiliar to most people in the cisgender population. This month, it’s time to change that. READ MORE
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In the Blog
Bill C-24 and the Ongoing Criminalization of Migrants in Canada
On June 11, 2015 a set of changes to the Canadian Citizenship Act came in to effect under Bill C-24. Both the Liberals and NDP showed their opposition to the amendments last year but the Conservative party succeeded in pushing the bill through Parliament. The Conservative government labeled these amendments the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act. However, these changes further undermine the limited rights of migrants in Canada. READ MORE
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In the Blog
Gender and Deliberation
Right now, Justin Trudeau and the rest of the newly elected Liberal Party are deciding who will be in the Cabinet. He has promised that one half of the members of that Cabinet will be women. Why does that matter? Symbolically, women are half the population and representing them in Parliament sends a message about who is important. Just as significant, the number of women in a group can change what decisions the group makes, and how it makes those decisions. READ MORE
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In the Blog
Two living female rock fans on The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic
With roots as a ‘zinester in the Riot Grrrl scene of the early 1990s, Jessica Hopper is a longtime music critic and writer who often tackles her subject matter from a feminist viewpoint that has been sorely lacking in music criticism. The highlights of her career are collected in the tersely yet effectively named The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic, published this May by Featherproof Books. READ MORE
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In the Blog
Displacement in Parkdale: Gentrification, Resistance and Change
On Monday September 21st nearly a hundred community members gathered at Toronto’s Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC) to discuss gentrification-driven displacement. Parkdale residents spoke about their experiences with illegal evictions, unjust rent increases and the encroachment of developers. The Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust (PNLT) hosted the community forum in an effort to address the issue of gentrification and the need for affordable housing and services. READ MORE
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Youth Voices
Kate Tempest: Brand New Ancient
I discovered Kate Tempest when my aunt, an English teacher, invited me to one of her performances in Brighton. I must admit, I went with slight trepidation, for, even as a poetry fan, I feared a night of boredom was in store for me. However, when Kate Tempest walked on stage, casually dressed, casually speaking, she performed a miracle. READ MORE
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In the Blog
The Invisible Bi Woman
You’ve probably heard that stereotype about bisexual people just being confused. Well I was confused for a long time. In high school it slowly began to dawn on me that I found certain women attractive, even though the heartthrob hall of fame on my bedroom wall told another story. It was filled with popular celebrities at the time like Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Toby Maguire. READ MORE
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In the Blog
There is an Ocean in My Soul: On the Current State of Trans and Genderqueer Punk
Chances are you’re familiar with Against Me! or Laura Jane Grace. The punk band and their frontwoman have been around for a while and have been gaining exposure in queer and trans communities due to Grace’s activism and status as a role model. But Against Me! are far from the only punk band talking about transgender and genderqueer topics and inspiring listeners to listen to their gender nonconformist hearts. Inspired by my love for their album Transgender Dysphoria Blues and attending a recent Against Me! gig, I went searching for more voices and found angry, political rock music that tells individual stories of gender rejection as unique as the people playing it. READ MORE
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In the Blog
Q & A with Sabrina Ramnanan
Toronto writer Sabrina Ramnanan’s debut novel, Nothing Like Love (Random House), follows a cast of Trinidadian villagers through one summer month filled with hijinks and humour. The novel’s protagonist, an eighteen-year-old girl named Vimla, unwittingly finds herself at the centre of attention after being caught frolicking in the mangrove trees with Krishna, the village pundit’s son. Scandal ensues, and, in the process of dealing with the shame-mongers and a broken heart, Vimla ends up discovering what it is she actually wants. READ MORE
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In the Blog
Girl in a Band: Kim Gordon and Memories Recalled
Last month, Kim Gordon, singer, bassist, and guitarist in Sonic Youth, as well as artist, writer, and actor, released Girl in a Band: A Memoir. Girl in a Band is definitely not a Sonic Youth biography. It hardly requires readers to be familiar with the band’s music, and is definitely not a fans-only read. With the recent resurgence of interest in the 90s music scene (cemented when Nirvana t-shirts went on sale at Top Shop), Girl in a Band will certainly be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about one of its most important—and, if I haven’t stressed this enough, coolest—figures. READ MORE
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In the Blog
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Do-It-Yourself Smut: Writing the Erotic
A couple years ago, I ran a workshop called “Writing Our Desires: DIY Literotica.” I was thrilled and happily scandalized by the way folks threw themselves into the discussion and activities, calling out sexy words and body parts and constructing scenarios and storylines that made other participants go “Oooh.” The workshop confirmed my suspicion that lots of us want to write smut and will gladly do so when given the time and space. Erotic writing can take the form of fiction, journaling, songs, poems, love letters, sexts and more. If you can write simple sentences, you can write erotica. I dare you to try. READ MORE
