Exploring Dawn

The last few years, I’ve been on a kick of Canadian authors. I didn’t just wake up and say, hey, let’s read some Canadians, even though there’s no reason you shouldn’t. But, I noticed after a while, some of my favorite reads since 2020 were by these amazing Canadians listed below. Many of them may have other books and my list is just to give you one per author. If you find you like them, check out other books they may have written.

(The ordering is simply alphabetical.)

• Lisa Alward: Cocktail (2023): Alward nails each short story, never overdoing or undercooking her stories.

• Mona Awad: Bunny (2019): Oh my god, this is so beautifully twisted! I loved it and thought it was kind of like “The Craft” meets “The Secret History” meets “Heathers.”

• Gwen Benaway: Day/Break (2020): a short, beautiful collection of poetry.

• Hazel Jane Plante: Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) (2019): A powerful story told in an unusual and unique way.

• Casey Plett: A Dream of a Woman (2021): You can never go wrong with anything Casey writes, but I truly loved this collection.

• John Elizabeth Stintz: Vanishing Monuments (2020): a beautiful & sad look at aging, dementia, and becoming and unbecoming.

• Natalie Zina Walschots: Hench (2020): another fun romp, reminscient of the Boys without all the horrendous violence.

• Deborah Willis: Girlfriend on Mars (2023): This sounded like it might be too cool for school when I picked it up, but I really loved it.

• Jia Qing Wilson-Yang: Small Beauty (2016): A story that slowly builds while weaving something beautiful. A quick read that will leave a long impact on your heart and mind.

I finally was able to finish watching the most recent movie (of five) from Alice Maio Mackay that’s streaming on Shudder (and AMC+). It’s another amazing flick. If you haven’t seen this film, or any of her films, stop reading and start streaming. It’s horror, it’s art, it’s trans, it’s queer, it’s love, it’s representation.

Alice and co-writer Ben Pahl Robinson really know how to write dialogue and group scenes. I just love these in all her films. The dialogue is not stilted, preachy or expository. It feels real, almost like you’re a part of the group or sitting at the table next to them. Also, they write (and the actors emote) beautiful relationships. These aren’t two (or more) actors who play a couple or close friends. It seems like they found a couple and cast them in their film.

Speaking of the actors, I love that she has a core that she uses in all her films. It’s great seeing them come back, in similar or opposite roles. And then there’s always a new face or two that she brings in that just rock. Where does she find them?!? Just great acting by everyone.

And last, like everyone else, I have to mention the colors. The lighting and the clothes just stand out and grab you. Lola’s makeup when she’s standing down the two rednecks in the street near the end is awesome! I had to stop it and just look at a few frames. Attention to detail that works in a still as well as motion.

All of her films have touched me deeply. I see myself in these films. The words speak to my heart and mind. I wish these had been out when I was younger but they mean the world to me now.

I listened to a fantastic, if also terrifying, podcast from Imara Jones’s TransLast program. It was on The Rise of Techno-Fascism. She interviewed the journalist Gil Duran. He walked us through the extremism of Curtis Yarvin and his devoted followers/funders/enablers that include Peter Thiel, Musk, and JD Vance.

Definitely worth a listen. You can find it here.

Watched Bad Girl Boogey last night. It’s Alice Maio Mackay’s sophomore major release. The acting was amazing, the film was beautifully shot, the themes were both joyous and heart-rendering. She really knows how to write and direct a film.

And the cast has shown up again, bringing such depth. Lisa Fanto was fantastic. Her joy, her despair, her just being on the screen was something I’d expect from a much older, more experienced actor. She just nailed it. Iris Mcerlean, who played Dario, was superb. They had superb chemistry with Fanto and demonstrated that they belonged in this film.

This flick is even better than Mackey’s first major film, So Vam. That was a fun movie but the depth she added in so little time between releases is just mind-blowing. She was 18 when Bad Girl Boogey came out. WTF! She has three films after this one, I’ve seen two of them and they just keep getting better.

Films you should watch of hers, listed in order they came out.

• So Vam (fun)
• Bad Girl Boogey (emotional and excellent)
• T Blockers (my fav, I feel it was made for me)
• Satranic Panic (my second fav, just amazing)
• Carnage for Christmas (in my queue)

After my last post, it seems too appropriate that sleepwear like this exists. “You are allowed to change”. Could there be anything more pretty on the inside and outside? 🥰