Needles Twirling: Edmonton Knitting Circle Feature for the Nook

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As part of the Nook, a startup Edmonton hobbyist website I helped run this semester, I wrote a deep dive on three Edmonton women and their knitting circle.

In through the front, and a wrap around the back. That’s the repetitious trajectory of it. The yarn ebbs and flows, weaving in and out of itself, guided by years of trial and error and two methodically twirling needles held by calm hands. And for some Edmonton hobbyists, it’s one of the best parts of their week.

Moving to a big city from a smaller community can be challenging in a number of ways. So to help curate their social life and fill their free time with fulfilling sense of productivity, three women that now call Edmonton home joined with their friends and formed a knitting circle.

Katherine McFatridge, Katia Reid, and Angela Johnston, come together every seven days to talk about their week and coach each other on their latest knitted creations. And They’ve been doing so for almost a decade. Read more

It was a joy hearing the three self-described introverts open up to me about how important knitting is in their lives. And more broadly speaking, making similar discoveries with the Nook over the last few months was a fun experience.

‘Skin Glowing in the Moonlight’ Art Exhibition Preview for Vue Weekly

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I got to reach outside my bubble and talk to two black artist, Danièle Dennis and Shantel Miller, for a preview of Skin Glowing in the Moonlight in Vue Weekly.

Skin Glowing in the Moonlight will feature the work of two Toronto-based black Canadian artists at Edmonton’s Latitude 53 gallery for 44 days, starting next week.

Danièle Dennis uses videography to challenge the status quo of black identity, while her friend and former art school junior, Shantel Miller, takes a similar approach by focussing on black men in oil paintings.

“We’re really, really excited to be featuring our work in Edmonton,” Dennis says. “We really look forward to people coming out to the show, talking to us, engaging with us, and asking questions.” Read more

For as far as we’ve come as a progressive society, speaking with these two women reminded me that we still have a long way to go. Skin Glowing in the Moonlight opens on April 13 and runs through May 27 at Latitude 53.

‘9 Parts of Desire’ Theatre Preview for Vue Weekly

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I wrote in Vue Weekly this week about The Maggie Tree theatre company’s production of 9 Parts of Desire.

The original one-woman play, 9 Parts of Desire, isn’t meant to explain things simply. Written and performed by award-winning Iraqi-American Heather Raffo, it’s that depth which caught the attention of Edmonton’s The Maggie Tree theatre company.

The Maggie Tree co-executive director and director for the production, Vanessa Sabourin, looks forward to bringing the project to the Varscona Theatre.

“Something that we have always enjoyed with Maggie Tree is getting people to gather, and also putting forward big questions,” Sabourin says. Read more

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to interact with The Maggie Tree, but talking to Sabourin about their brand of theatre got me excited all over again. At the Varscona Theatre, 9 Parts of Desire opens tonight and runs through April 15.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Ep.13 Review: Everlasting, Rebellious Love

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Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid’s (Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon) finale is an excellently paced conclusion, charged with spectacular animation that compliments its nuanced and progressive themes.

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Laini Giles’ ‘The It Girl and Me’ Book Launch Preview for Vue Weekly

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I got the chance to chat with biographical fiction author Laini Giles about her latest novel, The It Girl and Me. Over on Vue Weekly, you can read my preview of her book launch event happening this weekend.

The It Girl and Me is the second novel in a series about starlets in the silent film era from Edmonton-based author Laini Giles.

It tells the story of Clara Bow through the eyes of her Hollywood secretary, Daisy DeVoe. Giles landed on Bow as a subject from the title of her previous work, The Forgotten Flapper.

“You say ‘flapper,’ people think about Clara Bow automatically,” Giles says. Read more

I haven’t had a chance to finish the book yet, which launched last Saturday, but the first few chapters definitely drew me into the story. Giles will be signing and reading from her book at Audrey’s Books this Sunday at 2pm.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Ep.12 Review: Flashback to Reality

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In a significant deviation from its usual here and now focus, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid (Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon) treats us to several flashback sequences this week, setting a peaceful lull before next week’s final confrontation.

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ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Department Ep.12 Review: Perfect Twist

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ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Department (ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka) masterfully orchestrates a narrative feat some thought impossible with its finale: an incredibly comprehensive resolution of nearly every thread lying on the plot loom.

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Demi-chan wa Kataritai Ep.12 Review: Swimsuits, Muscles, and Comical Closure

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Several questions stand unanswered as Demi-chan wa Kataritai (Interviews with Monster Girls) comes to a fan service-filled close, but thankfully the anime goes out with much of the comedic charm and wonder it started with.

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‘Models of Diversity’ Western Canada Fashion Week preview for Vue Weekly

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Photo by JProcktor

I had the chance to dip my toe back into the fashion world with this week’s Vue Weekly cover story. Benveet Gill will join other models with disabilities and injuries on the Western Canada Fashion Week catwalk this season.

This spring’s Western Canada Fashion Week (WCFW) turns its focus towards a different kind of diversity than the one it has championed for 13 years.

WCFW Creative Director Sandra Sing Fernandes tried to orchestrate a fashion showcase for models with disabilities and injuries a year ago, and was disappointed when it ultimately fell through.

Then, two months ago, she received a serendipitous call from an old friend who previously worked as a WCFW makeup artist, Benveet “Bean” Gill. She had been struck by a virus-induced autoimmune disease in 2012, and the transverse myelitis in her spinal chord paralyzed her lower body.

“I’m in a wheelchair, but I’d love to model,” she told Fernandes over the phone. Read more

Gill and Fernandes reunited and materialized an important fashion showcase that challenges the stigma around people with disabilities. I’m glad I got the chance to tell a bit of their story.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Ep.11 Review: A Cozy New Year’s Lull

Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon - 11 Mar 23, 2017, 1.16.53 PM

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid (Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon) keeps with the holiday theme this week, quietly revealing another cute side to its characters’ progression.

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