Results tagged “michaelondaatje”

FILM: Filmmaker and scholar Jean-Pierre Gorin, companion of Nouvelle–Vague visionary Jean-Luc Godard throughout his Dziga Vertov period, is in Toronto for his self-curated series "The Way of the Termite: The Essay Film." Gorin will introduce Chris Marker's Sans Soleil tonight to launch the series, which runs until December 3 and will also feature a couple of Gorin's collaborations with Godard (Ici et ailleurs and Letter to Jane), as well as the Canadian premiere of La Rabbia di Pasolini. The films screened over the next month explore the balance between history and anecdote, fact and fiction. Each work speaks as clearly about the filmmaker as their world views, resulting in the perfect meeting of art and politics. The series invites audiences to reflect on how we think about history and how we process current events through images, which is particularly poignant in an age of media saturation. TIFF Cinematheque (2 Carlton Street), 7 p.m., check online for ticket prices.

It turns out that if you want to be a successful poet and $50,000 richer, you better consider going by your initials. The ninth annual Griffin Poetry Prize winners were announced last night at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District, with A.F. Moritz winning the Canadian award for his book of poetry The Sentinal and American poet C.D. Wright winning the International prize for her book, Rising, Falling, Hovering.

Michael Ondaatje, with Art of Time violinist Julia Wedman.

Toronto's extensive work on the silver screen reveals that, while we have the chameleonic ability to look like anywhere from New York City to Moscow, the disguise doesn't always hold up to scrutiny. Reel Toronto revels in digging up and displaying the films that attempt to mask, hide, or—in rare cases—proudly display our city.

Toronto's extensive work on the silver screen reveals that, while we have the chameleonic ability to look like anywhere from New York City to Moscow, the disguise doesn't always hold up to scrutiny. Reel Toronto revels in digging up and displaying the films that attempt to mask, hide, or—in rare cases—proudly display our city.

Over the past little while, Torontoist has been quietly absorbed in The Alphabet Game: a bpNichol reader. Edited by Darren Wershler-Henry and Lori Emerson, The Alphabet Game is an essential anthology for any reader of bpNichol, and is a great starting point for those who have yet to discover his work.

Well, it's official. This year's Giller Prize has been awarded to Elizabeth Hay for her novel, Late Nights on Air.

"Coach House Alley" by chelseagirl

Monday morning, amidst a first-rate buffet of coffee, chocolate chip cookies, and fresh orange juice at the Four Seasons Hotel, a disheveled group of journalists and bankers gathered to hear the shortlist announced for the 14th annual Scotiabank Giller Prize. Only the second year that the final contenders were culled from an initial longlist of 15 books, this annum the task fell to the jury of staunch decipherers David Bergen, Camilla Gibb and Lorna Goodison. All three affected a slightly bemused expressions when founder Jack Rabinovitch reminded them of the fact in his opening statements, presumably as the memory of tackling so many novels in just under a month physically caught up with them. Cookies and coffee indeed: it’s a miracle they could even read their entries out at the podium.

"March of the Penguins" by BrynJ.

Torontoist reader John Black has sent us a pair of interesting family photographs that we can't help but wonder about. The photos are of John's great-uncle's funeral in Toronto sometime during the early twentieth century. He and his brother immigrated to Canada sometime in their teens. While not much is known about him, we do know that John's grandfather, Ivan Cherney, was born in 1893 in Okno, which was then part of Ukraine. Ivan anglicized his name to John Black upon arriving in Canada—so his brother may have changed his name, as well.

As back-to-school fast approaches, excitement builds for one thing: the announcing of prestigious book awards. Congratulations go out to Toronto writer Michael Redhill for having his second book Consolation nominated for the Man Booker Prize. Redhill’s book is being hailed as regaining the oomph Canadian historical fiction has been lacking lately. The work, which was chosen as one of Torontoist's favourite books of the last year, is alternately gorgeous and revealing. It weaves together two narratives that center around a recent suicide and a sunken cargo ship, all the while balancing the stories against the evolving landscape of Toronto.

Welcome to Torontoist's new weekly Lit. Listings of all things bookish, wordy, and between the covers. We want to highlight the "lit" in Toronto's literary scene: as you, dear reader, may have noticed, a lot of writing about writing is dull, and could be improved with a bit of light.

For over forty years, Toronto’s Coach House Books has consistently offered stellar choices in all things literature. With a catalogue that includes writers such as Anne Michaels, Di Brandt, Steve McCaffery, Michael Ondaatje and bpNichol, one can't go wrong by supporting this local press.

The good news: tonight, there are three great literary events happening in our fair city. The bad news: you’re going to have to choose.

Past Griffin Award recipient Christian Bök once stated, "The Griffin is the poetry award that can drastically change a poet’s life." Christian isn't exaggerating: the $100,000 prize, shared by two winners, is one of the largest poetry awards in the world. In a 2000 speech, Scott Griffin, founder of The Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry, explained, "the poetry prize had to be of sufficient size to make a statement that declared that poets and poetry are just as important as novelists and their works."

We bet few of you have been to the Toronto Archives. We didn’t even know where it was until last night, when we attended theToronto Book Awards. But stepping into the foyer to be greeted by a room covered in photos and maps of our city’s history, it struck us at just how fitting it is to hold the ceremony here -- books honoured for their fluent portraits of Toronto stories in a building that houses the same.

Are you tired of hearing about the adventures of Frodo and Gyllenhaal? A change of pace is yours today, by way of the Coach House Books 40th anniversary reading and 'virtual tour' at Harbourfront. Authors include Karen Hines, Andrew Kaufman, Anne Michaels, Darren O’Donnell, Michael Ondaatje and others. Don't tell the movie stars.

scenes to reveal a typical day in the life of these Torontonians." While we're tepidly curious to know what a day in the life of Michael Ondaatje is like, for the aforementioned Mulroney, we need no picture to tell us a thousand words (9 AM: Place hair gel on hair, rub vaseline on teeth.) Enough said.

It's a certifiable truth that the West has far greater wealth and resources than we can ever hope to, but the realization hit home when we saw that the Gladstone Hotel was hosting a $500 per head event this weekend. The West truly has gone discreetly, charmingly, bourgeoisie on us. Well, perhaps not charmingly. But the Gladstone has slipped itself out of awkward dilapitude and fairly priced housing, and into boho grandeur, and fairly priced housing. This Saturday brings to its doors The Story, a benefit for the fiftieth anniversary of World Literacy, featuring a dinner in honour of the publication of the book, which is a very limited edition beauty. Words by Michael Ondaatje, and prints by David Bolduc. Of course, it's really not as rags to riches as it looks. Though the Gladstone is going Giller glam for a night, the next aft it features 'Hot fo Gandhi,' for the low, low price of five dollars. Perhaps those Gladstoners will be able to perfect the scruff to swank ratio. Something for everyone, to be sure.