When we interact with a piece of art, there are a plethora of opinions on how we should actually interpret that which we see/read/hear/feel. Some say it is vital to understand what the creator of the artwork was intending when they created the art. Others say that this is utterly unimportant, instead the viewer out … Continue reading Meaningful Art
Category: Ideas
Repeal the Death Penalty
I listened to an episode of the podcast Criminal in the car ride on my way home from the cottage the other day. It was about a prison warden from Oregon who presided over two executions in the 90s, or 80s not really sure. What was most interesting, besides the fact that he is now … Continue reading Repeal the Death Penalty
History: It Was Written
When people look back on today in 50 or 60 years what will they focus on? There are so many distressing things going on, so much to point to that it makes you wonder what's next. What will be the end result of the tariffs, of Saudi Arabia and Canada's spat, of climate change? I … Continue reading History: It Was Written
Summertime Pt.2
Dogs are a peculiar animal. Mainly in that they are just about the only non-human animal that I am around all the time. It allows you to watch them, to let them watch you and form a sort of connection. I am probably only thinking about this because I need to take a break from … Continue reading Summertime Pt.2
Gertrude Stein and Dashiell Hammett
In an English class I took a few years back, my professor spoke about Gertrude Stein and Dashiell Hammett. Both are among the most famous American literary writers - I am not sure if those adjective can be used together anymore without some irony. These two write vastly different works - Stein is a poet … Continue reading Gertrude Stein and Dashiell Hammett
Wynne Wynne
In Ontario, we have an election coming up. On June 7th, we will elect a new premier - the person who runs our provincial government headquartered at Queen's Park in downtown Toronto. I am going to vote for the NDP but I have always been a fan of the current Premier Kathleen Wynne - I … Continue reading Wynne Wynne
Moonlight Thoughts
I should probably be writing this in the nighttime walking through an alleyway. It has taken me awhile, but I have finally watched the Barry Jenkins film 'Moonlight'. I was initially hesitant because of the silliness at the Oscars that overshadowed, if only for a hot sec, the movie itself. Jenkins has made a beautiful … Continue reading Moonlight Thoughts
Rap
I've always loved rap music and I don't really know why. It doesn't speak to my experiences - especially before Drake made Toronto famous. But it has always resonated with me all the same. For some reason, I didn't make much of my musical taste until I started reading about aesthetics. You can't read aesthetics … Continue reading Rap
Expressing the inexpressible
This weekend, I saw a movie called The Gardener about a man named Frank Cabot. He designed a private garden at his house in Charlevoix county, Quebec that has attained world-wide acclaim. In the film, Cabot's dedication to his craft is explored - through interviews with him and others and general historical information. He is … Continue reading Expressing the inexpressible
Living life as I should
It feels good to live life the way you want to. There's something so sweet about seeing the values you care about be beneficial. I am a huge proponent of liberal ideas, something in the vein of JFK. He might've been too jingoisitic but he lived in a time that called for it. What I … Continue reading Living life as I should