22 March 2012

Chapter: The Psychometry of Books

An excerpt from Art Objects by Jeanette Winterson:

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I was brought up without books. An early unprinted existence where paper was something pasted on to walls and likely reading matter was either The Bible or the Army and Navy stores catalogue, always open at the underwear.

There was nothing perverted in this; without proper heating and in chilly Lancashire, a thermal one-piece was the essence of God; all-protecting, embracing, saving, generous. I still have a talent for sleeved vests, although mine now come from the Burlington Arcade, but without one of my early cast-offs, I might never have been brave enough to buy that first First Edition. I am wearing one now, book and vest. I have been wearing one since I was a small child, book and vest. Books and vests bound up together. Both protect me.

Brought up without books, my passion for them was, if not directly forbidden, discouraged. At that time I knew nothing of First Editions and their special lure but I associated books with magic. Their totemic qualities aroused me and I believed that to possess them was power.

[......]

I trust books, and a wild trust is part of passion. If 'Nature never did betray the heart that loved her' then why should language? Nature was not forbidden to me, and it was through her silent speaking, that I began to understand the physical power of special objects, a power evident in my own library. Books that have the power to move me.

Never lie. Never say that something has moved you if you are still in the same place. You can pick up a book but a book can throw you across the room. A book can move you from a comfortable armchair to a rocky place where the sea is. A book can separate you from your husband, your wife, your children, all that you are. It can heal you out of a lifetime of pain. Books are kinetic, and like all huge forces, need to be handled with care.

But they do need to be handled. The pleasure in a book is, or should be, sensuous as well as aesthetic, visceral as well as intellectual.

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[Pg 121-123]

10 March 2012

Zines saved my life.

Just for fun, I'm posting a few pages from my first zine, Benjurmire. I made it with a couple of friends, so I'm no longer sure who wrote what, but it amuses and impresses me what we came up with when we were fifteen!

Coincidentally, I went for a drive with a friend last night (as I found myself in the suburbs at the same time as she, both of us visiting family) and one of our stops was our old high school. Despite that time being a regular shitty/weird high school experience, it is where I was first exposed to zines and when I began making my own.

Regardless, I shook my fist at the building and she took a photo to commemorate the moment.





07 March 2012

ERI5 - HAPPENING NOW

The Eyelevel Reshelving Initiative 5 exhibition is currently showing at the Eyelevel Gallery in Halifax! As mentioned previously, I have two little books in the show.

More info:
HERE
HERE
HERE

05 March 2012

LIST MASTER

I'm a list keeper. Here is a list of every rock show I went to between March 1995 and September 2001.

!











1. march 25, 1995 @ lee's palace - gorp, sianspheric, shallow, smoother, tristan psionic, treble charger ($4)
2. april 22, 1995 @ lee's palace - hayden, killjoys, grasshopper ($9.75)
3. june 10, 1995 @ rivoli - video shoot for hayden's "bad as they seem"
4. june 30, 1995 @ el mocambo - inbreds, superfriendz, tristan psionic ($5)
5. november 4, 1995 @ lee's palace - treble charger, len, spooky ruben
6. february 24, 1996 @ lee's palace - scratching post, the new grand, smoother, hip club groove, len, radioblaster
7. may 18, 1996 @ rivoli - tristan psionic, the new grand, sydney on sundays
8. may 10, 1996 @ st. thomas aquanus high school (brampton) - novacain and others
9. august 31, 1996 @ CNE - broken girl, plumtree, the local rabbits, son, len, pure
10. october 26, 1996 @ north peel secondary school - lickitee shits, 8pdan, eye dye butterfly etc.
11. october 3, 1996 @ concert hall - sloan, danko jones, jale ($19.50)
12. december 6, 1996 @ kinsmen hall (streetsville, mississauga)- tristan psionic, 8pdan, eliot rosewater, attack of the hungarian icelander
13. december 21, 1996 @ the opera house - trigger happy, shallow north dakota, kittens, smoother, the new grand, hayden, tristan psionic ($10)
14. march 23, 1997 @ x-club (hamilton) - thrush hermit, reviatin and something that begins with a "g'"
15. march 28, 1997 @ kinsmen hall - blake, pezz, racer, jersey, attack of the hungarian icelander
16. april 5, 1997 @ erin mills united church (mississauga) - montgomery 21, eliot rosewater, attack of the hungarian icelander, bluelight blockade
17. april 26, 1997 @ meadowvale community centre (mississauga) - providence + two other bands ($6)
18. may 9, 1997 @ kinsmen hall - radioblaster, eliot rosewater, little clever, tyler, soap box racers
19. may 24, 1997 @ YMCA in oakville - blake, braid, etc.
20. may 30, 1997 @ munn's church (oakville) - eliot rosewater, karenza + others
21. may 31, 1997 @ opera house - plumtree, the brown belts, thrush hermit, super friendz ($8.75)
22. june 21, 1997 @ erin mills united church - eliot rosewater, third world planet, little rock nine, new day rising
23. july 3, 1997 @ masonic lodge (streetsville, mississuaga) - the mod squad + others
24. july 8, 1997 @ kinsmen hall - winnie, eliot rosewater, red flag five, bluelight blockade, atlas sound, providence ($4)
25. july 22, 1997 @ erin mills united church - 400 years, blake, sleepy time trio, joan of arc ($4)
26. july 23, 1997 @ ryan's (from eliot rosewater) basement - eliot rosewater, bluelight blockade etc
27. july 27, 1997 @ who's emma - bluelight blockade
28. august 29, 1997 @ moose lodge (brampton) - 8pdan, eliot rosewater, sheen, fur merchants, the soap box racers ($3)
29. august 31, 1997 @ kinsmen hall - eliot rosewater, holding pattern, two shades of pain, karenza, and a band featuring jason from winnie/bigger than yr robot zine and pam from super keen zine ($4)
30. september 13, 1997 @ oakville YMCA - eliot rosewater, karenza, confine, new day rising ($5)
31. september 26, 1997 @ kinsmen hall - fur merchant, holding pattern, little clever, eliot rosewater, noah's arcweld ($5)
32. september 27, 1997 @ masonic lodge - smother, 8pdan, eliot rosewater, soap box racers, the new grand ($4)
33. october 2, 1997 @ club shanghai, toronto - secret agent, blake, grade, the promise ring ($7)
34. october 10, 1997 @ kinsmen hall - 8pdan, holding pattern, gym class joke, two shades of pain ($5)
35. october 18, 1997 @ munn's church, oakville - nuremburg dance squad, bluelight blockade, the way outs, standing 8 ($4)
36. october 25, 1997 @ erin mills united church, mississauga - 8pdan + 4 other bands (?) ($5)
37. november 21, 1997 @ kinsmen hall - drop city, karenza, the tet offensive, two shades of pain, confine ($5)
38. november 28, 1997 @ kinsmen hall - stereo 17, oklahoma burning, 8pdan, the way outs, oh no the modulator ($5)
39. january 30, 1998 @ kinsmen hall - blake, tet offensive, standing 8, the drop city, bluelight blockade ($5)
40. march 13, 1998 @ masonic lodge - ten point one + others ($5)
41. march 28, 1998 @ YMCA, oakville - some punk bands ($5)
42. april 3, 1998 @ river oaks rec centre, oakville - idiolla, the far outs + others ($4)
43. may 30, 1998 @ kinsmen hall - the spiral hill, tet offensive, hamilton, standing 8 + 1 more ($5)
44. june 7, 1998 @ call the office, london - avarice, spread the disease, confine, sinclaire, acacia, the spiral hill ($5)
45. june 19, 1998 @ ryan kennedy's basement - the spiral hill, pecola, boy blue, ethel meserve ($3)
46. june 26, 1998 @ who's emma, toronto - engine down, three penny opera, idiolla, 400 years ($6)
47. july 5, 1998 @ rival, toronto - living water assembly, holding pattern, joan of arc ($8)
48. august 16, 1998 @ who's emma, toronto - a girl named joy, kepler, prisons come home ($4)
49. september 5, 1998 @ kinsmen hall, streetsville mississauga - jason (from bigger than your robot), perfectly normal, bluelight blockade ($5)
50. september 27, 1998 @ who's emma - weights and measures, bluelight blockade, keeper ($4)
51. october 3, 1998 @ various venues in hamilton - sonic unyon 5th anniversary show - blond redhead, mooney suzuki, the new grand, thrush hermit, bill from treble charger, julie doiron, tristan psionic, + bits of others (16.50)
52. november 7, 1998 @ ryan's basement - eliot rosewater reunion show
53. january 16, 1999 @ oakville YMCA - farewell to flesh, tet offensive, standing 8, + others ($5)
54. february 19, 1999 @ some church in port credit, mississauga - girls are short, little clever, blue pocket, smother ($4)
55. march 13, 1999 @ oakville YMCA - blake, racer, some others ($5)
56. april 10, 1999 @ oakville YMCA - holding pattern, girls are short, sinclaire, some punk band, end game ($5)
57. april 24, 1999 @ some place in milton - agent 69, bikes + others ($5)
58. may 23, 1999 @ kinsmen hall - holding pattern, rhinestone, cowboys, black cat #13, oh no the modulator, 6955, little clever ($1)
59. june 5, 1999 @ sonic unyon store, hamilton - wooden stars, north of america
60. may 28, 1999 @ masonic lodge streetsville mississauga - a whole bunch of bands ($5)
61. june 9, 1999 @ kinsmen hall - girls are short, north of america, blake, hacksaw ($5)
62. july 14, 1999 @ kinsmen hall - black cat #13, the end, spread the disease, the red scare, pankration ($5)
63. july 15, 1999 @ masonic lodge - portrait, china white, tender blindspot, tet offensive, moneen ($5)
64. august 28, 1999 @ masonic lodge - moneen, girls are short, bluelight blockade, black cat #13, + others ($5)
65. september 10, 1999 @ sonic unyon store, hamilton - julie doiron, snailhouse
66. september 11, 1999 @ rival, toronto - julie doiron, wooden stars ($6)
67. september 12, 1999 @ call the office, london - endgame, the constantines, black cat #13 ($5)
68. september 13, 1999 @ lee's palace - la bradford, godspeed you black emperor ($15)
69. september 25, 1999 @ ivy bridge, brampton - black cat #13, a bunch of hardcore bands ($7)
70. february 24, 2000 @ kinsmen hall - black cat #13, the plan, money, the tet offensive ($5)
71. march 4, 2000 @ david regan's house - bluelight blockade, girls are short
72. march 18, 2000 @ kinsmen hall - the constantines, association area, black cat #13, red shift ($5)
73. april 1, 2000 @ reverb, toronto - grade, the weakerthans ($10)
74. april 20, 2000 @ ted's wrecking yard, toronto - holding pattern, moneen, the plan, sinclaire ($6)
75. may 4, 2000 @ ryan kennedy's house - black cat #13, the tet offensive, the good goddamn ($2)
76. may 25, 2000 @ irish centre, brampton - black cat #13, the end, + other bands ($5)
77. june 11, 2000 @ ryan kennedy's basement - full blast, the tet offensive, the pettit project
78. june 29, 2000 @ kinsmen hall - black cat #13, panda riot, the pashmina, red shift, chicago manual of style, pettit project, oh no the modulator ($4)
79. july 19, 2000 @ abc no rio, NYC - black cat #13, blow up, the vida blue, song of zarathustra ($5)
80. july 25, 2000 @ the pine room, oakville - black out terror, farewell to flesh + other hardcore bands ($6/7?)
81. september 19, 2000 @ the opera house, toronto - sleater-kinney, coco, the white stripes ($?)
82. september 21, 2000 @ ted's wrecking yard - the black heart procession ($?)
83. october 5, 2000 @ bloor cinema, toronto - godspeed you black emperor ($12)
84. october 19, 2000 @ the reverb - holding pattern, snail house, + one other ($5/6)
85. october 31, 2000 @ ryerson university image arts building - newton, oh no the modulator, KHBB
86. november 15, 2000 @ ? - blonde redhead, the need
87. february 18, 2001 @ moose lodge, brampton - numerical ballroom, and some other bands ($5/6?)
88. march 26, 2001 @ planet kensington, toronto - the sick lipstick + others
89. may 24, 2001 @ el mocambo - the sick lipstick, north of america ($6/7?)
90. august 13, 2001 @ ted's wrecking yard - the sick lipstick, femme fatale, the plan ($5)
91. august 21, 2001 @ lee's palace - le tigre, tracey and the plastics ($16.50)
92. september 13, 2001 @ rivoli - the sick lipstick, rockets red glare ($5)

04 March 2012

BOOKS READ 2011


1. Selected Poems by T.S. Eliot
2. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
3. Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks
4. City of Widows: An Iraqi Woman's Account of War and Resistance by Haifa Zangana
5. Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak
6. Ghost Pine: All Stories True by Jeff Miller
7. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
8. Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
9. The Walking Dead Vol. 13: Too Far Gone by Robert Kirkman
10. Minna Canth: Pioneer Reformer by Ritva Heikkila (English translation by Paul Sjoblom
11. Local Motion: The Art of Civic Engagement in Toronto edited by Dave Meslin, Christina Palassio and Alana Wilcox
12. Reunion by Pascal Girard
13. Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman
14. Berlin: City of Stones - Book One by Jason Lutes
15. Moomin Book Two by Tove Jansson
16. Berlin: City of Smoke - Book Two by Jason Lutes
17. Me Write Book: It Bigfoot Memoir by Graham Roumieu
18. The Walking Dead Vol. 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman
19. The Baltic Quintet: Poems from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden edited by Edita Page
20. Fair Play by Tove Jansson
21. Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle by Chris Hedges
22. Death of the Liberal Class by Chris Hedges
23. Moomin Book Three by Tove Jansson
24. Drawn In: A peek into the inspiring sketchbooks of 44 fine artists, illustrators, graphic designers and cartoonists - presented by Julia Rothman