There’s a great band – one of my favourite bands – that you should check out called The Books. They’re an American/Dutch duo whose music combines instrumentation with bits of audio they’ve culled from a variety of sources; old commercials, instructional tapes, cassettes found in thrift stores, archives, and friends. Ostensibly known as Collage Rock, they released four albums between 2002 and 2010 before breaking up to focus on their …
Traversing Toronto’s Underground PATH, or; Shit, Have I Been Here Before?
I was standing in the York Concourse inside Union Station staring up at the map of Toronto’s underground PATH system. I had seen the signs before while taking the subway around downtown, and whenever I took the GO Train home to see my family. A modicum of research told me the PATH was a shopping centre of underground passageways. I had never explored it before and a rainy Friday in …
Chasing the Irish Sunset, or; Fuck, I Guess We’re Taking the Long Way Home
It was about ten years ago now, my friend Adam and I had moved to Galway, a small town on the west coast of Ireland. We lived just outside the city and had to walk across a stone foot bridge that spanned part of Galway Bay to get into town each day. And each day on our way home, our arms laden with groceries, tired from handing out resumes all …
Kicking Up Memories with Celebration Rock by Japandroids, or; Fuck Nostalgia (Your Album Still Bangs Though)
It was sometime in September of 2008, at least so Facebook tells me. For all its faults the one thing Facebook has been good for is hanging onto those memories through pictures that I’ve forgotten. I had been drinking a lot of whisky that night so the whole thing is a little hazy; and by a little I mean a lot hazy. And there I am, fake blood dripping from …
The Life Aquatic and the Hunt for Identity or: How I Learned to Fucking Relax and Enjoy the Process
I have a big blue chest that sits in my room and acts as a catch-all for a lot of random stuff whenever I find I don’t have some place to put it. At this very moment it has a deliberately placed collection of watches and rings; two change jars, as well as the more miscellaneous bib and medal from the half-marathon I ran, a piece of art I’ve been …
Basement Stories Collected Edition
And it’s done. Head over to my Works section and download a free copy of Basement Stories, the collected edition of my August time restraint writing project. I’m working on a hand-bound physical copy as well, more on that once I make a few test copies.
Helping Grandma
It all started in the kitchen, where most of life’s important decisions are made. Not in any intellectual sense, but in the stomach and in the heart. Making a ham sandwich for his little brother, Giacomo took down the bread from the pantry, untwisted the opening of the bag and pulled two slices from the middle of the loaf. They were thick and soft, perfect bread for a sandwich. He …
The Keep Pile
Iago pulled the latch that released the stairs to the attic. Each step up the stairs was a combination of creaks and squeaks as the hinges and old wood rubbed against each other. There was light shining through the window which showed the dust motes hanging in the air creating a musty smell with the weight of age. He made his way across the bare floorboards to some boxes stacked …
Movin’ Day
Akiva slid the key into the front door and twisted it to unlock it. He held it there to savor the moment. This was the first time he was unlocking his own place, his very own home that he owned. He had been watching the market for years, and though it was a little farther from the city than he wanted to be, he had gotten a good deal on …
Foray Beyond The Shroud
– Hey man, thanks for giving me a ride. I was kind of surprised when I saw you replied to my Facebook post. – No problem. Like I said, I’m heading in that direction anyway. I’d love the company and the chance to catch-up. – What are you heading downtown for? – I’ve got to meet a guy down there, pick up some stuff. – Some stuff? What are you …