This Magazine – 2004

This Magazine is a delightfully eclectic little glossy out of Toronto that has been in publication since the 1960’s. The magazine has recently seen some format changes, as it attempts, in the words of editor Patricia D’Souza, to define what it “means to be a magazine of alternative culture in a time when alternative culture has become a mainstream concept.” This will no longer run single-theme centered issues, choosing instead to “adop[t] a storytelling approach that is more responsive to current events.”  This Magazine is a delightfully eclectic little glossy out of Toronto that has been in publication since the 1960’s. The magazine has recently seen some format changes, as it attempts, in the words of editor Patricia D’Souza, to define what it “means to be a magazine of alternative culture in a time when alternative culture has become a mainstream concept.” This will no longer run single-theme centered issues, choosing instead to “adop[t] a storytelling approach that is more responsive to current events.” Certainly there is plenty that is current here, including stories on the Canadian indie music scene, prescribed burns in the Yukon, an innovative automobile pricing structure aimed at reducing traffic congestion that would charge drivers taxes and insurance based on actual miles traveled, a hefty profile on often under-reported domestic abuse by cops, and the truth about the Hudson Bay Company’s signature striped blankets, to describe only a few articles. If all this weren’t enough, this issue also contains excellent fiction and poetry by the winners of the Great Canadian Literary Hunt, as well as reviews of recent books and CDs. If you’re a writer heading to Vancouver for the upcoming Associated Writing Programs conference, and want to be up on the Canadian cultural scene, you’ll definitely want to check This out. [This Magazine, 401 Richmond Street West, Suite 396, Tornoto, Ontario, M5V 3A8. E-mail: [email protected]. Single issue $4.95 (Canadian). www.thismagazine.ca] – KL