The Toronto book launch of Graeme Krupinski’s premier novel, Puerto Montt (Crowsnest Books, 2018). A short reading by the author, discussion by Matt Tracey and audience Q&A. Graeme Krupinski was born and raised in Toronto before living in Argentina and Chile. His poetry and non-fiction has been published in journals and newspapers in English and … Watch video »

That we are living in an age of victim culture is well-exemplified by an article recently published by the CBC suggesting that minorities “feel apprehensive about heading into the wild because they don’t see themselves reflected in the outdoor industry and media.” The underlying premise is that a paucity of representations of members of these … Keep reading »

The Stanley Cup Finals have arrived. For ardent hockey fans and their proxies in the mainstream sports media, this is the triumphant culmination of an epic journey of athletic mastery and heroic stoicism. It is the season to wax poetic about the “grit,” “toughness,” “pain,” “heroism,” and “sacrifice” that define professional hockey players and render … Keep reading »

The Dodge Ram Trucks’ 2018 Super Bowl ad, harnessing the rousing oratory of Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to service, the “Drum Major Instinct” speech, to loving close-ups of 350-horsepower pickup trucks, attracted instant, widespread condemnation. Many lampooned the use of King’s image to sell trucks, and a parody of the ad, recut with King’s … Keep reading »

Now and then, and despite its capitalist and racial biases, our culture throws up something that can speak quite eloquently and uniquely about the times we’re living through. In this case, I’m referring to an amazing documentary film that has been released recently, “I Am Not Your Negro,” directed by Raoul Peck, an acclaimed Haitian director with major films to his credit. This latest work is well worth seeing and has been well received here. Keep reading »

The cancellation of a lecture by journalist Rania Khalek, who was invited to speak on the University of North Carolina (UNC) – Chapel Hill campus by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on February 27, 2017, raises important issues of tactics and strategy within movements for social change. The whole statement, posted on Facebook the … Keep reading »

The US Empire’s Culture Industry Toronto — 20 October 2016. View on www.slideshare.net   From Katy Perry training alongside US Marines in a music video, to the global box-office mastery of the US military-supported Transformers franchise, it’s clear that the US national security state is a dominant force in global media culture. How and why is … Watch video »

Technological advancements have transformed our daily lives, and politics is changing too. The issues may not change that much – people want decent housing and decent jobs, they want access to education and opportunity, they want thriving public services and a society which works for the millions not just the millionaires. But the terrain on … Keep reading »

That the North American media is dominated by corporate monopolies serving capitalist interests and squeezing out critical voices is to state the obvious. The state media in Canada – nationally the CBC and provincially organizations like TV-Ontario (TVO) – provide only the slightest respite from pro-business reportage; the CBC has been equally a key ideological … Watch video »

the art-activism of Condé and Beveridge Toronto — 28 May 2016. The Public Exposures symposium (May 27, 28, 29) brought together participants from diverse communities and working sectors – practicing artists, community activists, union members, educators and students. Inspired by Condé and Beveridge’s innovative art, and their strategic activism, the broad aims of the symposium were: … Watch video »

“U.S. Empire’s Decline”: Spectre or Social Fact? For readers immersed in the annals of Empire, it is well known that the United States is no ordinary country in the world system. The United States is a unique Empire whose national security strategy since 1945 has relied upon a mix of diplomacy and brute military force to … Keep reading »

Ornette Coleman died in June of a cardiac arrest on the same day as an infamous bad guy actor, Christopher Lee and legendary professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes. One can’t help but chuckle at the Colemanesque improvisation of the Grim Reaper. Coleman was perhaps the jazz musician with the most theoretical depth, even if his own … Keep reading »