The Strand Magazine presents
“In Transit”
from the editor It’s easy to spot someone who’s riding the subway for the first time. When it starts to move, they go flying; they stand up three stops before they need to; they go north when they mean to go south. After a while, though, the particular tiles of certain subway stations become ingrained in our mental map of Toronto. When Spacing Magazine started releasing buttons for each station, there’s a reason they were wildly popular: by the time you’ve used the TTC frequently enough to do it unthinkingly, the cracks and benches and music of some stations become highly personal. For many students at Vic, that station is Museum. For me, it’s that never-ending hallway at Spadina station and the elegant glass dome at Dupont. This is The Strand’s second magazine issue, and it’s been an opportunity for us to work with a theme that was a little looser and more abstract. In addition to looking at biking, running, and public transportation, we’ve taken a closer look at the potential these spaces have for creativity and political commentary. On pages 10 and 11, Jade Bryan interviews Roadside Attractions on public art in Toronto and how to match our artwork to our fast-paced world. On 12 and 13, Ariel Leutheusser and Blaire Townshend look at transit as a literal space for artistic experimentation, asking why so many murder mysteries involve public transportation and why Theatre Passe Muraille is situating much of its season on street corners and streetcars. More broadly, we’ve also been thinking about the connection between transit and things that are “in transition.” On pages 14 and 15, Elaine Chan examines the evolution of Joual and Québécois language debates around class and art. And on pages 18 and 19, Bahar Banaei talks about the disconnect between her experiences with metal and underground music in postRevolution Iran and Toronto. Thinking about transit also brings us to issues of accessibility and politics. In post-Sandy New York City, the transit system is a microcosm of economic and racial inequality in the city. It’s also an opportunity for us to think about how we’ll deal with the future – in terms of climate research, speculative fiction, and urban planning. In Toronto, the condo boom brings out our cultural fascination with height for height’s sake, as Kris Kinsey discusses on page 8. And on page 9, Jen Roberton discusses misconceptions of homelessness and housing insecurity. We’ll be doing a second themed magazine issue in the spring semester. If you have thoughts, feedback, or are interested in getting involved, get in touch with us at editor@thestrand.ca. Happy reading.
contributors Editors-in-Chief Pauline Holdsworth Muna Mire Patrick Mujunen Design Editors Amanda Aziz Bahar Banaei Jade Bryan Allie Chenoweth Alex Griffith Johanna Lewis Emily Pollock Paula Razuri Blaire Townshend Grace Quinsey Copy Editors Allie Chenoweth John Cockshutt Blaire Townshend Claire Wilkins C ontributors Bahar Banaei Jade Bryan Elaine Chan Alex Griffith Pauline Holdsworth Kris Kinsey Ariel Leutheusser Tom McCarthy Stephen Michell Rylee Raeburn-Gibson Paula Razuri Jen Roberton Blaire Townshend Art
Sarah Crawley
Photo Victoria Chuen Jill Evans Thomas Lu
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