Editor’s Note
By Lindsay Gibb
Last year every other news story was about the economic effects on this or that. News generally wasn’t good. All this turmoil eventually reached the indie arts and literary communities. The independent arts are now facing a new round of funding cuts, not to mention a generally hostile environment that includes everything from Internet throttling to the closures of some of Canada’s most important bookstores.
2008 was actually one of the hardest years on indie bookstores with Magpie (15 years in Vancouver), The Front Page (15 years in Edmonton) and The Book Room (169 years in Halifax!!) to name a few, all shutting their doors. But 2009 ushered in its fair share of closures to city book staples such as Toronto’s Pages Books, which closed after 30 years, and Frog Hollow which shut down after 25 years in Halifax. All these closures cited issues ranging from rising rent, to the effects of a declining economy, to the digitizing of literature for their failures.
While waning support for indie bookshops is a shame, it seems that, at least in some cases, it’s the lack of connectivity with local communities and an inability to keep up with changing reading habits that led to their downfalls. Sure, it’s hard for a 169-year-old store to keep up with the times, but that’s what we need from them. Local bookstores have to offer something the Internet and Chapters (or Barnes & Noble) don’t; a personality; events, recommendations and offerings that connect us to our communities and are distinct from the mass market offerings we can find cheaper and easier just about anywhere else.
Which is to say that in bad times, we have to work even harder to connect with people and get them to understand the importance of grassroots art and culture. In this issue, writer Laura Trethewey looks across the country at the various hits independent artists have been taking this past year — with the arts funding cuts by various levels of government at the top of the list (page 14). But while cuts and the economy bring creators down, Andrea Mancia, our guest zine philosopher, explains what spurs her to create despite all else (page 34).
The year 2009 wasn’t all bad news for independent creators. Among many other things I could cite, last year saw the release of Canadian indie comic legend Marc Bell’s giant collection of “fine ahtwerks” Hot Potatoe (I suppose borrowing from Dan Quayle’s gift for spelling), Koyama Press’ Lose (excerpted on page 24), True Loves 2 (from our own comic columnist Jason Turner) and Pope Hats by Ethan Rilley (reviewed on page 41).
It was a good year for awards, with local weirdoes bestowed with honours, such as Mammalian Diving Reflex getting the Arts for Youth Award from the Toronto Arts Foundation and the band Fucked Up receiving the Polaris music prize. And while the following didn’t win, indie creators infiltrated the National Magazine Awards celebration with Ryan Bigge getting a nominated for his Broken Pencil article on independent culture in the Google era, Worn magazine seeing a nomination for best cover and Spacing receiving multiple nominations.
So as we look ahead to 2010, we need to keep in mind that there will always be funding problems and other deterrents making it even more difficult to build culture. But as long as there are those who want (or need) to create and communicate, we will. We can’t ignore the stumbling blocks that are placed in our way, but we also can’t let them stop us.
I’ve been exploring for your little for just about any premium quality content pieces for this form of space Exploring in Yahoo I eventually came across this web siteReading this review So i’m glad to say that Ive an extremely ideal uncanny feeling I discovered just what I neededI most indisputably will assure to don’t produced of one’s mind this website and offer it looking for a constant.
Enjoyed studying this, very good stuff, appreciate it. “Be not careless in deeds, nor confused in words, nor rambling in thought.” by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.
I appreciate you taking the time to speak about them with men and women.
Just wanna comment which you have a really good site, I the style and style it in fact stands out.
Very nice post and right to the point. I don’t know if this is in fact the best place to ask but do you people have any thoughts on where to hire some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂
Appreciate it! I must say i thank you for article, actually I do believe you deserve a thumbs up.
I have been reading out many of your posts and i must say pretty good stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your site.
Very good publish, thank you so much for sharing. Do you happen to have an RSS feed I can subscribe to?
Unquestionably believe that which you said. Your favorite justification seemed to be on the net the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed while people consider worries that they plainly don’t know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
Needed to create you a very small observation just to thank you the moment again for all the awesome information you’ve shared on this page. It was simply wonderfully generous of you to allow unreservedly what a number of people would’ve offered as an e-book to earn some cash for their own end, primarily considering that you could have tried it if you desired. Those concepts also served like the fantastic way to recognize that other people online have the identical fervor really like my own to realize a great deal more when it comes to this issue. I’m sure there are several more fun periods ahead for individuals who find out your blog.
As I website possessor I believe the content matter here is rattling magnificent , appreciate it for your efforts. You should keep it up forever! Good Luck.
Regards for all your efforts that you have put in this. Very interesting information. “Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.” by Richard Buckminster Fuller.
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here. The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an impatience over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly again as exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike.
There is clearly a lot to know about this. I suppose you made various good points in features also.