We've said it before: MuchMusic kinda sucks nowadays. Dave Bidini says the same thing, but more eloquently, in his column at This Magazine. The front man of the now-defunct Rheostatics reminisces about a time when his band was "afforded two hours at midnight to present bands live in an empty garage studio in the bowels of the Much/City colossus." Regrettably, those days of low-fi Canadocentric programming are long gone. Bidini continues: Circa 2008, MuchMusic......

The above "Obey Spray" illustration is one of a series of Madvertisements (also featuring products such as "Empowermints" and conditions such as "Excessive Patriotism Disorder") by media tigress Carly Stasko, originally published in the January/February 2002 issue of This Magazine. Look familiar? Says Stasko of the "Obay" campaign for Ontario colleges, they're "so similar that I'm wondering if we just had the same idea or if they have riffed off of my original." (We......

Toronto’s Small Press Book Fair runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Trinity St. Paul Centre, 427 Bloor Street West (just west of Spadina on the south side). Now in its twentieth year, the fair presents about 70 micro to medium-sized publishers and magazines. An archive of some of the fair's past and present exhibitors links to many of Toronto's small presses. You'll find comics, fiction, zines, word sculptures, artist's books,......

Now that National Poetry Month is over, it’s time to recover from the full schedule of festivities (spring detox cocktails, anyone?), and to share poems which garnered Honourable Mentions in Torontoist’s Toronto Poetry Contest. Watch out for five new Toronto poems and poets in May. Our first poem, by Matthew Tierney, was written at the intersection of King and Yonge streets. Of "The Man Who Knew from Cool," Matthew says: I could argue that this......

You still have a few hours left, but Torontoist's Poetry Contest closes tonight! At the beginning of the new year, Torontoist launched a poetry contest to encourage the penning of new poems about our fair city. After judges Carly Beath, Stephen Cain, and Jay MillAr deliberate, we'll announce the winner plus five honourable mentions on April 10. We hope you've enjoyed our series of previously published Toronto poems, and look forward to presenting the winning......

Toronto writer Tanya Chapman’s debut novel, King, was recently released by Coach House Books. She’s an accomplished writer – her short story "Spring The Chick?" won This Magazine’s prestigious short story competition and she’s had two short films produced. Torontoist recently finished King and had the chance to ask Chapman about her work.......

What started off as a magazine about education issues in Canada has gone on over the years to serve as a springboard for dozens of Canada's best journalists: people like Naomi Klein, Rick Salutin, Stan Persky, Margaret Atwood and others. Well Torontoist is happy to wish This Magazine a happy 40th birthday and wish them many more years of publication success. Come celebrate with the gang at This magazine Wednesday at the Gladstone Hotel, starting......

Emily Schultz, author of Joyland, former editor of Broken Pencil and This Magazine is looking for your pledges. No, this is not a PBS style pledge drive where you get a special gift when you show your support. I steal from just about everyone who crosses my path. But my fear is that someone, someday, will recognize a very familiar description, moment, or trait that has cropped up in my work. Well, Schultz wants......

The Diamond Cherry Reading Series – run by local poets and small-press publishers Devon Gallant and Julie Cameron Gray – kicks-off the week with performances by audio poet Hilary Peach (Poems Only Dogs Can Hear) and singer/songwriter/poet Nik Beat. The series takes place each month at the Zemra Lounge – 778 St. Clair West – and starts at 8pm. It’s free, too, so you have no excuse not to go. On Monday, head down to......

Tonight Pontiac Quarterly unleashes its second issue this year at The Drake Hotel (8pm). For those of you unfamiliar, PQ is a performance magazine where writers read their fiction, feature stories - even advice columns - on stage in front of a live audience. Coming around only four times a year (it's right there in the title!), The Torontoist looks forward to it like our mom looks forward to gardening season. This issue's theme......

Canada's most confusingly named magazine launches their summer issue at the Cadillac Lounge tonight (1296 Queen Street W). Five bucks gets you in, gets you a magazine, and a hug and a kiss from an overenthusiastic This Magazine volunteer. Also a raffle and prizes, lotsa prizes. Doors at 8:30.......

This Magazine Blog goes awesome on us, and delves into investigative journalism, with a simple phone call to the Office of the Ethics Commissioner. What happens when a scandal fades from front page news? Are the wheels of justice spinning unbeknowst? This Magazine calls the Office of the EC, and simply asks what's up with Sgro, Singh, Strippers and all that free pizza. Apparently, not much. TOist will be delving into investigative journalism soon too.......