So much has been written on World War I, more so now that the 100th anniversary of the war is upon us at the end of July. But, it's not often that humour and the Great War are discussed together. The Wipers Times is the best-known of the trench newspapers that were written by soldiers during the […]
When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush" – Gerard Manley Hopkins We'll wait a while longer for shoots of any sort, I'm afraid. In the meantime, why not plan your garden, even it's just in your head? The library has hundreds of books for gardeners, would-be gardeners and just […]
Back in July this blog posted information about summer NEAT tours (Newcomers Explore and Appreciate Toronto). Neat Tours are back, this time with a free tour especially for newcomers of haunted Toronto and just in time for Halloween. Walkers will learn about the history and hauntings of famous Toronto buildings: Osgoode Hall Scadding House the […]
Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes by Kamal Al-Solaylee is a finalist for this year's Toronto Book Award. The first of many 'extremes' Al-Solaylee chronicles in his memoir concerns his paren’ts' widely divergent backgrounds: his mother was an illiterate shepherdess who married at age fourteen and had eleven children by her thirty-third year. His father, on […]
"We have a mission statement: to transform the way people see the world through film." – Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, TIFF Films from 70 countries are being screened at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. You can see the world and stay in town. The TIFF website has a full list of all the […]
Guess what? It might not rain this weekend! And even if it does, why not explore the city by taking a free walking tour of some of Toronto's oldest and prettiest neighbourhoods. NEAT (Newcomers Explore and Appreciate Toronto) walking tours are a fun and free way to explore Toronto, learn about local cultures and neighbourhoods, […]
Once I built a tower to the sun,Brick and rivet and lime.Once I built a tower, now it's done.Buddy, can you spare a dime? – E. Y. Harburg It's been reported recently that the city of Detroit might have to declare itself bankrupt. It's almost impossible to imagine. There has even been speculation that it […]
Now that Spring has finally arrived, many people are busy cleaning up their gardens, tuning up their bicycles and doing projects around the house. There's an expression, "the right tool for the right job." If you have a lot of jobs to do around the house and don't have the proper tools, the recently-opened […]
Last Friday I thumbed my nose at the weather and trudged through the snow to hear professional wit, Fran Lebowitz at Massey Hall. She was herself – deadpan, funny, frank and unafraid of swimming against the tide of popular opinion. No one was disappointed. She's often compared to Dorothy Parker, another witty, clever woman. I […]
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, there are lots of activities going on over the next few weeks when children are out of school and shops and businesses close for a couple of days, and many of them are free. Naturally, the library is a great place to come (Toronto Public Library has special opening […]