I suppose it is not a great surprise, but Alice Munro just passed away at the age of 92. She said she was retiring after Dear Life (over 10 years ago now!), and unless some snippets or an unpublished story emerges, then we have everything in 14 collections of short stories, which is certainly quite the legacy. I have been slowly working my way through her work in order. I had managed to get through Open Secrets fairly recently (late 2023). I didn't do a full review, in part because I have given up on the Canadian book challenge and also because I just didn't like the stories that much, particularly the historical ones. I may review her other books if they resonate with me more. We'll see. Anyway, I don't have time to read all of The Love of a Good Woman this week, but I'll try to read a couple of the shorter short stories and then work my way through the rest by this summer. If I do that, then I will only have five more books to go, which is sort of exciting but sad at the same time. Of course, this just adds to the number of things that are keeping me from my interim reading list. I'm also somewhat likely to reread Camus's The Stranger and tackle Howard's End (after seeing The Inheritance at Canadian Stage).
At least it doesn't take nearly so long to read comic books, which is somewhat appealing at the moment. In fact, Camus is only on the list because I just read a graphic novel version of The Stranger, and I am curious how it compares to the "real thing." I also was at TCAF this past weekend. On Sat. I had a bit of time before The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp over at TIFF. I actually had even managed to sell off some classical CDs at BMV (perhaps the last store in the city that will buy classical CDs!) and had some cash in my pocket, which is always a good thing. I was a bit annoyed that I just missed one vendor selling an interesting 'zine comic. And then I found out that there was a whole group of vendors up on the 3rd floor! So in the end I went back on Sunday and bought a few more things. I'll try to circle back and list the main things I picked up. I briefly debated buying an autographed copy of Seth's Palookaville (I had missed his relatively short signing window Saturday morning), but decided my bag was already full enough! I did stop by Luke Healy's booth up on the 3rd floor, but he was actually ill and was having to skip pretty much the entire TCAF, which was a terrible blow for him. Anyway, I had a good time and bought a lot more things this year, particularly compared to last year where I think I only picked up a couple of zines from OCAD* students. One bit of shocking news is that the Toronto Reference Library is going to be closing down for extensive renovations for a year or two, though I'm not sure when this is starting. Anyway, TCAF is looking for a new home for the next couple of years. I would imagine the Toronto Metro Convention Centre would work but probably will cost too much money, so we'll see what happens to TCAF. I will have to remember to go back and look at anything I really wanted to see at the Reference Library over the summer and fall.
I was going to write a bit more about Toronto theatre, but I think I will just note that I am fairly excited about the upcoming Canadian Stage and Tarragon seasons. I am deeply uninterested in Soulpepper, which is a real shame, and the off-Mirvish plays leave me pretty cold as well. While I'm not quite as excited about Crow's Theatre as this past season (and certainly I think their ticket prices even with a subscription are too high), I will still subscribe again. I'm quite curious if Factory Theatre manages to make a comeback. I'm also interested in Coal Mine. I skipped them this season, but I hope there is something I like next season. I actually came very close to seeing Hedda Gabler, as the reviews have been great, but it's just not a play I like very much. And I did see a good production in Chicago (of course). I finally wavered and tried to pick up one of the few remaining tickets, but it worked out to $82 with all the fees and taxes. That's just too much for a play I don't even like that much. I'm kind of feeling the same way about Herbie Hancock at Massey Hall. I missed out on some reasonably priced tickets and now everything that is left is $100. (Or there are some $75 tickets with obstructed view and limited leg room!) I might try to rush Herbie Hancock, or maybe see if another coupon pops up. I think that is a thing at Massey Hall but not 100% sure. I guess I could even try to rush Hedda Gabler, but it seems unlikely they will have any rush seats, though I suppose Tues. and Wed. are the nights to try. I'll think about it... Ok, I think that is enough for now. Ciao.
* Interestingly, I managed to stop by OCAD's graduation festivities this year. I wasn't nearly as impressed with the paintings this year compared to 2023 (or maybe it was even 2022), but I did like some of the photos and video art. I actually picked up two photos for sale.
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| Enzo Earl Chen, Untitled, ca. 2024 |
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| Daniel Han, Lenox, ca. 2024 |
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