Loved Duffbert’s take: “One of the most entertaining and funny books I’ve read this year.” Katy Sozeva has a rave review of the book at her blog, Now is Gone: “Rayner has a real gift for vivid (and hilarious) description.” … Continue reading →
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Art Threat: This art is all about anger
The Anti-Capitalist Resistance Comic Book is the second graphic novel from activist Gord Hill. It is a chronicle of several anti-capitalist and anti-globalization movements over the last two decades, from the WTO protests in Seattle to the recent Occupy movements. Hill also places a great deal of emphasis on the
Continue readingArt Threat: The imagination, art, and activism of Herman’s House
Last week I attended the Toronto theatrical premiere of Herman’s House, a thought-provoking documentary written and directed by Angad Singh Bhalla. This Canadian film tells the story of an artistic collaboration between Jackie Sumell and Herman Wallace. Sumell is a multidisciplinary artist from New York. Wallace is a Black Panther from Louisiana who has been […]
Continue readingArt Threat: Femininity, fantasy, and fever dreams – Book review: The Lava in My Bones by Barry Webster
In a delirious, hallucinogenic voice, author Barry Webster turns directly toward the place and experience of femininity in a queer life dominated by masculine desires.
Continue readingArt Threat: Skyfall a great romp but a gender bust … not to mention the faint aroma of homophobia
The thing is, I like these films — for the gorgeous cityscapes of great metropolises (London, Beijing and Macau), for the eerie and yet fascinatingly glimpses into the slick and opulent interiors where the ultra-rich live and play, for the beautiful cars (the 1965 Aston Martin DB5), even for the craggy medieval landscape of Scotland where Bond finally retreats for his emphatically low-tech final showdown with Javier Bardem. I am a sucker for Bond’s supernatural fighting and survival skills. It all works for me. But that’s why the obvious gender stupidity and not so obvious homophobic taint are so irksome. There is intelligence at work in this script, and talent in the filmmaking, so why the vacuum of intelligence on this score? Why, like Bond’s suits and cars, do the gender and sexual politics have to be so thoroughly rooted in the 1960s?
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Film Review: Transfer
Like all good science fiction, Transfer takes one technological change and hypothesizes what that would mean for society. And it does so very well. The new technology is a process which allows the Menzana Corporation to transfer an old person’s … Continue reading →
Continue readingArt Threat: She Has a Name leaves you breathless – Play on human trafficking touches without playing the guilt card
Three white cloaked figures move in and out of the set, whispering layers of thought from behind the scared eyes of Number 18 – a 15 year old prostitute being forced to work in Bangkok. The rise of music and emotional of the small 5 member cast of the play
Continue readingArt Threat: Invocation of the Queer Spirits – Book review: Queer Spirits by AA Bronson and Peter Hobbs
Invocation of the Queer Spirits (Governor’s Island) – AA Bronson There is always a certain magic to be found in the moment of queering. As bodies are opened to unsanctioned desires and sensations, tense moments of wonder unfold before them. Static charges crackle and spark as genders and sexualities are
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Is it worth it?
Sometimes writing seems like a lonely, pointless, and possibly self-destructive activity. I mean, I COULD be doing other things with my time. Then you get a review like this, and it all seems worthwhile: LOL! So many times I found … Continue reading →
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: A bloody funny book, plus giveaways
First off, I’ve got to mention this glowing review of Marvellous Hairy on Goodreads: My God this was a bloody funny book, a funny book with a potentially insanely important message for our greed driven so called civilisation that has … Continue reading →
Continue readingArt Threat: 7th Berlin Binennale highlights political art – Curator Artus Zmijewski creates exhibition of activist art
When you go to the website for Berlin’s 7th Binennale, you encounter a stream of changing photographs from occupy and protest movements from around the world — Venezia, Toronto, Florence, Malacky, Athens and on and on. It is emblematic of curator Artur Zmijewski’s approach the largest art exhibition in Germany,
Continue readingeaves.ca: Data.gc.ca – Data Sets I found that are interesting, and some suggestions
Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the Canadian federal government’s open data portal. Over the past year government officials have been continuously adding to the portal, but as it isn’t particularly easy to browse data sets on the website, I’ve noticed a lot of people aren’t aware of what
Continue readingeaves.ca: Calculating the Value of Canada’s Open Data Portal: A Mini-Case Study
Okay, let’s geek out on some open data portal stats from data.gc.ca. I’ve got three parts to this review: First, an assessment on how to assess the value of data.gc.ca. Second, a look at what are the most downloaded data sets. And third, some interesting data about who is visiting
Continue readingA Novelist's Mind: Lilian Nattel Online: Early Review from a University Student
Tammy at For the Love of Reading has posted an early fabulous review of Web of Angels. I’m so excited–more so because she’s a student in Alberta who has taken the time to share her enthusiasm. Thanks Tammy! Filed under: Literary Tagged: reviews
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Gossip
I’ve just learned how to gossip. I mean, not *just* now; in the last few months. I was never much for gossip when I was pupating, because I didn’t really get the point. I guess I still don’t…not *really*…I mean, … Continue reading →
Continue readingArt Threat: An ugly and remarkable tale about iEmpire – Storyteller turned investigative journalist learns what happens in an Apple factory
What do you get when you combine a master storyteller and investigative journalist? Mike Daisey is one answer, a storyteller and performer whose story about what happens inside an Apple factory is touching hearts and minds. After his visit to China, tours of factories, and meetings with union organizers and
Continue readingeaves.ca: What I’m Digesting: Good Reads from the First Week of January
Government Procurement is Broken: Example #5,294,702 or “The Government’s $200,000 Useless Android Application” by Rich Jones This post is actually a few months old, but I stumbled on it again the other day and could help but laugh and cry at the same time. Written by a freelance computer developer,
Continue readingArt Threat: Looking for the Political at Art Basel
The politics at Art Basel, one of the largest contemporary art exhibitions in the US, may be hard to find, but they’re there for those who know where to look. On December 4th Karen Rosenberg wrote an article in the New York Times (entitled “Art Basel: Business Over Activism”) highlighting
Continue readingeaves.ca: Not Brain Candy: A Review of The Information Diet by Clay Johnson
My body no longer kills me when I come back from the gym. However, I had a moment of total humiliation today: theoretically my ideal body weight is 172 pounds and I weigh 153 Ibs. The woman at the gym calibrated my fat/water/meat/bone ratios, made an inward gasp and
Continue readingArt Threat: Networked Shock Art: Voina in the News – Analysis of political interventions of Russian art collective
For the last year Vorotnikov and Nikolaev have been waging a legal battle with Russian authorities for their freedom. While these challenges facing Voina have been well documented on Art Threat, Free Voina, and other alternative media sources, another battle is being fought: against state, art world, and dominant media
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