out of her senses like a dog she barked

this week i listened to someone give a presentation of a book review. the book was what you might call an obviously orientalist text, complete with uncomplicated universalizing of western christian values as global values, and tokenistic reference (one chapter) to 'other' worldviews such as those homogenous cultures in 'india' and 'china' that are just so darned easy to summarize. the book was presented to a group of students, myself included, as a text that would be worthwhile for new scholars and their teachers in the field in which the book was immersed - ethics.

as the book sat silently on the table beside its puppet, i was shocked at the amount of violence such a tiny little thing could carry - the book, i mean. while of course the book is only significant in the context of multiple other influential sites of orientalist meaning-making, the innocent looking little paperback of not more than 200 pages sitting before me allowed its reviewer to read the story of contemporary western ethical principals as simply passively inherited. according to my gracious interlocutor, religious wars and longstanding principled regulations launched in the name of christianity, are apparently rendered insignificant to the current ethical frameworks of the west. i take issue with this because as these culture-shaping events are ignored in the book, they further erase the extensive histories of imperial cultural domination through which the contemporary moral foundations of the west are stabilized. some examples of these textual omissions include, enduring legacies of islamophobia (from varying scales of christian cultural domination such as the crusades and including canonical literature such as dante's inferno), gendered violence (the eradication of pagan and feminized medicinal practices through the practiced burning of so-called witches), and colonialism (if enlightenment taught us anything, it was that the civilized know better than the savages). indeed the sanctity of modern ethical frameworks in the christian world, including western legal traditions, rests on these historical practices of active suppression. although the christian moral foundation of the west as often (mis)taken as an acquiescent invisibility, it is certainly not a set of values that simply 'came to be.'

as the reviewer concluded by reiterating the great pedagogical value of the text, my levels of anger reached their boiling point. there, in that university classroom, i found myself thinking an unthinkable thought...'i would like to burn that book.' pause. 'i would like to burn that book?' pause. if i burned the book, people would call me a fascist. granted, if i burned the book, i would call myself a fascist. im sure i could never bring myself to burn a book. but this got me thinking, what is it about burning books in the west that is so evocative?

certainly, the books of iraq, palestine, and afghanistan have been recently burned - and continue to burn as i write - by the hand of allied forces' bombs and airstrikes. certainly, poorly funded individuals and organizations who collect archival materials necessarily subject their collections to unsafe environments because they cannot afford secure storage. these practices can result in the loss of years of documents and ephemeral materials from minority cultures due to things like basement flooding, or violent eviction measures. moreover, the foundational structure of the publishing industry itself is such that there are certain types of knowledge, certain languages, certain subjects, and certain ways of communicating, that are (pardon the pun) bound to be published. the industry itself thereby regulates the fundamental concept of what can be considered 'a book.' do these examples, not also represent forms of, albeit in some cases more subtle, 'book burning'?

of course, the burning of books conjures up images of dangerous, alarming scenes - with particular historical reference - where freedom of speech is under attack and ideologies have gone to such extremes that textual forms of dissent cannot be tolerated. however, do the less-prescriptive forms of exterminating books not also embody the same fundamental issues that we are fearful of when we think of infamous public book burnings such as freedom of speech, and ideologically informed censorship? why is it okay to burn some books and not others? whose practices of book burning get labelled fascist and whose are exempt from criticism due to insitutionalized excuses such as 'collateral damage' or a normalized capitalist private property ownership model that systemically discriminates against those who cannot, or refuse to, engage with it?

my deeply entrenched liberal values urge me to guard against a reading of my words here as an endorsement of book burning, but actually, im not sure what that i would be defending. the moral value attributed to the sanctity of 'freedom of speech' is not a passive right or inherited foundational principal of freedom divorced from historical and political context, but a device that actively legitimizes some kinds of 'freedom of speech' over others'.

facebook walls' inexhaustibility are exhausting

on tuesday, november 11th i became aware of a facebook group called the "york anti-strike group." intrigued by the provocative name, i visited the group's page only to be (i suppose unsurprisingly) berated by an onslaught of anti-union and anti-strike sentiments, expressed through such enlightened statements as "The [strike] may not be illegal but it is immoral" and "Some of my friends are TAs and they are against the strike. They knew what they were getting themselves into when they decided to work as TAs."

i joined the group and tried to enter into these discussions via the group's facebook wall. naively, i thought that by using a little irony - a la steven colbert - that i might highlight some of what i saw as the direct outcome of mike harris' common sense revolution...youthful minds moulded by the incessant rhetoric of law, order, and above all, neoliberal economic reforms at the cost of workers' rights. of course, 2, 300 members, 82 pages of wall postings, and 3 days later, i withdrew from the battle, tired and hopeless. although there were a lot of people trying to make intelligent, poignant pro-union interventions in the anti-CUPE discussions, the easy-to-post, visual interface of the facebook wall meant that these affective ruptures were continually lost to the backlogged pages of the group's wall. since it's such a shame that more people couldn't have been privy to some of the highly entertaining discussions on this site, i pasted some highlights below.

however, my infiltration did not prove totally useless. while fishing around on the group's wall i found a post from the policy chair of the york ndp group which read:

PP:

New Democrats at York University are officially NEUTRAL on this strike.

um, what? about one week and 40 impassioned exchanges later from multiple people (members and non-members alike), the group decided to change their position and support the striking workers. however, my experience in conversing with these folks has really shaken any lasting belief I had in what kind of alternative political potential the ndp can offer if they continue to attract members who believe in "staying out of labour disputes" or think that the party offers a place for a whole spectrum of ideologies, including being a Liberal: "Even within the NDP there are those at centre of left (if that make any sense) and those of left left (or further left). One can think of centre of left, closer to centre (LIBERAL)." Yikes.

____________
from the "york anti-strike" facebook group
some highlights
nov. 11-13th, 2008

SD:
i just hate unions. weekends, safe working conditions, power against an increasingly powerful ruling class of bosses and managers - how dare they try to make the lives of working people better. what a bunch of dicks!

now the administration, that's who i'd like to see come out of this one on top. they're the ones who are really being hurt by all this. i mean, just think of all the extra money they have to spend on gas for their new ford explorers as they wait to cross the picket line. and it also means getting back to their 2 car garage home in vaughan a few minutes later then normal. this is all not to mention all the extra work that this strike is causing for them...handling media phone calls to maintain the university's reputation, dealing with uninformed, ignorant undergraduates (and their parents) who think education is about consumer rights...honestly, those TAs are just plain rude!

why dont the TAs see that they alone have the power to end this thing?

AJ:
I don't think unions are the problem Stacy, it's how they are misused. I personally have no quarrel with what the TA's are doing in principle, I'm sure if I was in their position I'd probably be concerned too, however I cannot condone their methods. I refuse to accept that the best way that they can think of making their point needs to negatively affect 50 000 plus students (and that's just the people who actually take classes in York University.)

SW:
Seriously, Stacy? This is the students' education our "educators" are putting on hold and inconveniencing. And you know what? Maybe these TAs deserve more money, maybe they don't, the point is that I AM PAYING their wages, regardless of the digits. MY TUITION is what goes into all their pockets whether they strike or not. Their inconvenience to me is not earning them any sympathy from my wallet. I don't agree or disagree with the terms or reason for the strike, my disagreement is with the inconvenience to my education. I'm so glad other students have also realized this. I was afraid I was the only one who realized this.

Jay, I had no idea the union provided those busses! I did, however, think it was ridiculously irresponsible and ironic that the YFS would support the CUPE strike and the drop fees rally on the same day. Sometimes, I get the feeling the YFS has no idea what they're arguing, they just like to argue.

I, for one, just want to get back to school. This is my LAST semester, and I'm not even a York student. I'm a visiting Western student studying 2 half courses because it was cheaper for me to move back in with my parents than to spend another semester in London. If this strike goes on too long for me, I miss out my timeframe to apply for graduation at Western and I know the admin will not be sympathetic to York's strike.

PM:
I thought the YFS represented undergraduate students?????

SD:
yeah, that stupid YFS president - doesnt he know that the vast majority of us consumers, i mean undergraduate students, will be in positions as TAs in the future if we pursue an academic career? who does he think he is, having an intelligent analysis of labour and foresight into struggles that might affect us in the future?!? like i said before, i think it makes a lot of sense to be attacking the TAs and union organizing when the administration has absolutely no power in the situation! i mean, its not like my tuition fees pay the administration's salary as they continue to refuse to meet the union's demands and run an effective PR campaign that turns our attention away from their role in the dispute and onto the underpaid workers (aka. us in the future).

SD:
forgot to add: union = a bunch of dicks!

...


BM:
I busted through the picket line today at Chimneystack Rd on my motorcycle, man were they pissed!! Definitely worth it tho

SH:
the administration has already agreed to binding arbitration. now it's up to the union to go to the table. as far as im concerned the union is holding students hostage!

SD:
Yes, if we use binding arbitration, we can force them into a corner without any rights!
"As an alternative to judges or courts settling disputes between consumers and businesses, binding arbitration works out a deal through a third party body. The arbitrator's decision is final and cannot be disputed or appealed. Businesses prefer to resolve claims through binding arbitration because it is more private, avoiding possible bad publicity that could erupt in a trial. They are also not bound to certain legal requirements, such as "discovery" whereby the persons involved in the claim have access to otherwise private information. A consumer has basically waived their constitutional right to sue when they sign a mandatory binding arbitration clause as part of a contract. Consumer advocates point out that many people do not know they have denied themselves that right. Nor are they aware that the independent arbitrator may have an interest in siding with a corporation for financial reasons."

...

BD:
I assume the members of this group are not thinking about graduate school at York in the future. Otherwise, they would be supportive of the strike and their financial future as a graduate student.

NM:
U know what they say when assume...

Actually I AM thinking about Grad and law school. Why would I be out striking in the cold? I happen to like what I would be getting if I were to become a TA.

It's the contract faculty who have the raw deal.

SD:
actually, it's the administration who are getting the raw deal! the president of york is only making a measley $500, 000! if anyone should be on strike it should be the president and vps who are especially hard hit by the global financial crisis. and those TAs and contract faculty have the audacity to ask for higher wages - i mean the cheek of it all!

read all about how little ontario university president's are getting paid here:
http://www.thespec.com/article/396776

twas the night of the election and all through the white house

i just had a lovely evening smoking greek cigarettes and drinking vintage port while discussing american politics with a bunch of british intellectuals. apparently i'm spending the election night just like obama, disguising my bourgeois self with smoke and mirrors. unfortunately, as a result of my being on new labour time, the results of tonight's marquee event will come in while visions of joethesugarplumbers dance in my head. but am i excited at the prospect of waking up to a whole new era of american empire? can obama invade pakistan? yes - he - can!

all cynicism aside, i really am going to bed with a stomach full of anxiety and nervousness, wondering what the election fairy might put under my pillow tonight. i really hope it's not a corporate tax cut.

extrey, extrey, margaret wente does it again

canada's most popularly recognized national left-of-centre newspaper, the globe and mail, has recently published an article by regular columnist margaret wente in which wente makes the case that aboriginal people are not as sophisticated as europeans. she makes this argument by citing one author Frances Widdowson, who Wente herself describes as someone who "has been accused of hating aboriginals." there has (thankfully) been a massive, intelligent response to wente's article through online discussion boards and letters to the globe. however, some people are uneasy with the response...and rightly so, for a few reasons.

first of all, many people, including myself, have or would like to further encourage these discussions to include a continued critique of the g&m's content even when wente isn't writing provacative, racist tirades that resound so strikingly with biological essentialist practices such as crainiometry. certainly, wente and her pal phillip rushton who belong to the 'science says it so it must be true' school are outrageous, but some people feel that over-emphasizing this particular case of blatant eurocentrism in the globe overshsadows the daily practices of a more subtle racism that perpetually pervades the papers' pages. the globe's hopelessly orientalist coverage of last year's kenyan elections comes to mind, not to mention their inclusion, last spring, of a parents' guide to canadian private schools. one can only assume that this guide, smattered with young white shining faces, comes in an effort to feed the papers' demographic which they swear allegiance to daily by broadcasting in their classified section - young, urban couples who make...is it upwards of $45, 000?

someone on an online forum (was it facebook?) articulated the problem quite nicely...there is a danger in hanging wente out to dry because it suggests that this article represents one instance of racism that can be rectified by getting rid of her. indeed, this approach neglects to consider a whole series of historical and contemporary practices of racialization and racism that lead the article - with its shockingly uninformed research - to be published in the first place. moreover, the roots of racism run deep, especially for white canadian subjects, so that it becomes very difficult to distance oneself from the tantalizing myths of racism and racial superiority. white liberals 'know' that wente is a racist, not like 'me' who believes in equality and justice. but is there a little bit in that 'knowing' that doesn't quite want to throw wente's baby out with the bathwater? the power of institutionalized racial subjugation has transformed the way white subjects think about themselves, their entitlements, their relationship to science and intelligence, so that some people maybe left wondering if there wasn't a little scientific 'truth' in wente's exposition.

george elliott clarke once gave a talk where he discussed the organizing of a small town in the north-eastern united states to change the name of their city which, at the time, was called 'slave lake.' obviously some of the town's inhabitants wanted it modified to reflect their modern emergence as an open-minded and tolerant place that they felt may have gone unrecognized under the historical moniker. clarke's point was that the townspeoples' desire to change the name represented to him, a desire to do away with the historical legacy of slavery and to pronounce to the world that _______ (insert newly named town here) was indeed no longer living under the historical weight of those who had gone before them. but clarke points out that these townspeople (as are we all) ARE still living under this historical weight and that the changing of the name was a negation of the myriad ways in which we are all continually implicated in enduring legacies of white supremacy.

im not saying that we should let the g&m (or wente) get away with publishing this kind of uninformed trash, but that perhaps instead of hoping to get rid of wente so we can wash our liberal hands of this 'icky' incident, we might also be able to consider what makes the potential of her removal so comforting? what is being soothed when the everyday practices of racism are buried in the op-ed pages of the globe?

also, i am happy to now have Frances Widdowson and her rushtonian ideology on my radar.
so thanks for that margaret.

Deborah Simmons on Widdowson
http://newsocialist.org/newsite/index.php?id=1012

Re: A recent academic blowout between Widdowson and Kiera Ladner
http://janetajzenstat.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/harvey-mansfield-on-canada/

against michaels

in response to WALTER BENN MICHAELS' "AGAINST DIVERSITY" in the New Left Review #54
____________________

it is no surprise that the political performances of the democratic primaries pander to an empty politic. anyone who would assert that clinton or obama's rise to fame on their upwards of $150 million election expenditures constituted some sort of victory for social justice would be sadly misguided.

in this article michaels uses the current american election, and some under-analyzed figures, to paint a picture of poverty in america as having little to do with race or gender. moreover, he polemically suggests that any introduction of race or gender into debates over inequality in america suggests a clear sign of a) false consciousness or b) unwavering support of neo-liberalism. i think this is the worst kind of social analytic work and one that perpetuates an over simplistic understanding of history and materiality.

in his article michaels neglects to mention what the demographic of that bottom fifth of wage earners looks like. not surprisingly, statistics show that women of colour largely make up the lowest income earners in the united states. in 1953 the median income for male workers (overall) in the US was $20,000 while for women (overall) it was less than $7, 000. in 2005 the median income of female hispanic workers has just now equaled that of males in 1953, sitting in the lowest economic income bracket at $20, 000 annually. black women are next sitting at about $25, 000 in 2005. michaels also leaves out any historical context regarding the history of capitalism in america - rooted in the imperial expansion projects of spain and britain which forcefully annexed indigenous land, further expanded through the trans-atlantic slave trade and the installation of slavery, the continued depedency of the economy on the backs of undocumented and illegal workers, many who are from mexico, as well as the prison industrial complex which contributes to the national economy by forcibly confining 1 in 9 black men aged 20 to 34 - which has lead to very different experiences of capitalism (historically and in a contemporary context) for racialized people (albeit, not all racialized people).

sure poor people are getting fucked but who are these poor people that michaels is so desperate to lump together in order to start the revolution? how have they been fucked in different ways and why? his politics of solidarity align so forcefully with class that he neglects to address the complex and intersectional ways that gender and race are at once at play with class in the composition of the underclass majority. even if we concede to agree with michaels that capitalism is the root of inequality, his denial of any serious theoretical engagement concerning the complex ways in which it has affected subjects differently based on their respective gendered, racialized, classed, sexed or corporeal identities is testament to a privileged perception of oppression that does not have to include these factors. for people who experience the historical materiality of colonial-capitalism that masks enduring legacies of white supremacy, these considerations are integral to any radical reimagining of the world.

____

check out "black wealth/white wealth" by oliver and shapiro for their take on the "racialization of state policy," the economic detour," and the "seditmentation of racial inequality" in america.

durban revisited

It has recently been brought to my attention that my name has risen to blogosphere-fame after an article appeared in the Jewish Tribune on September 3, 2008 written by Brian Henry claiming that I see Israel as "Satan incarnate" and hope that the next Durban conference on Anti-Racism will be an "antisemitic circus." This article comes as a result of a letter I wrote to Mr. Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), on March 5, 2008, as a former federal candidate for the riding of Scarborough-Agincourt. In the letter I criticize the party for supporting Harper's decision to boycott the Conference on Anti-Racism, and ask Jack to reconsider the party's stance especially given what was at the time, a severe escalation of violent Israeli-lead attacks in Palestine.

Reducing my letter, which includes criticism of Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai's well documented threat of a "holocaust" of Palestinians if they didn't surrender to Israeli force, and the apartheid wall which was deemed by the International Court of Justice to be illegal and ordered to be removed in 2004 (and yet, has remained and grown larger), to an anti-Semitic tirade is a bit overly simplistic for my taste. Please forgive my invocation of the patriarchal and colonial hierarchy which glorifies rationality, but Brian Henry's - nor his blog-ocessors' - accounts of my stance seem like the kind of well thought out, sophisticated discussion of racism that I would like to be engaging with. However, as a result of this article there have been a plethora of other postings, mostly made by right wing ideologues who try to pass themselves off as objective and neutral reporters (if calling Iran and Syria "luminaries of repression" as if that is a self-evident fact doesn't count as ideological coercion, I'm not sure what does), that assert that my ruminations on Durban have landed me a seat on the party curb. In other words, it has been falsely asserted that I was "fired," "let go," and otherwise "dumped" for vocalizing my thoughts on the NDP's position on Durban.

All of these claims are incorrect. In response, I would like to say three things.

First of all, I would like to state for the record that I approached the party to let them know that I had to, unfortunately, back down from my position in Scarborough as I was starting a PhD in England in September 2008 and could no longer serve as a potential candidate. The party supported my decision and has since successfully replaced me with a fantastic local candidate - Simon A. Dougherty. Simon will be a great force in Agincourt fighting for social and environmental justice in the face of 20 years of the Liberal status-quo...which has proven to be less than adequate for many in Scarborough.

Secondly, regardless of who the candidate is, the party's stance has been made clear. On May 28, 2008, the New Democrats' Advocate for Multiculturalism and Human Rights, Wayne Marston, addressed a letter to Jason Kenney, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Identity), urging the Canadian government to reconsider their decision to boycott the Conference on Anti-Racism. In the letter Mr. Marston makes the astute point that "Canada should participate constructively" to "battle against discrimination in all its forms", which includes not only denouncing anti-Semitism, but also ensuring that the conference itself is hate free. They have taken proactive steps to address what some perceive to have been the problems with the first conference. Instead of boycotting the event and foregoing all international discussion on racism, the New Democrats have been working with Louise Arbour, the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights and other conference organizers to ensure that Durban II provides productive discussion for all who choose to attend. The New Democrats should be applauded for their committment to engaging in important global discussions on racism and violence as well as internal debate over their own policies and issues. Indeed, in response to my letter, Mr. Layton called me to discuss the issue and my concerns at length. That is the type of democratic leadership that I support, whether as a candidate or otherwise.

Lastly, it is too bad that the real heart of the matter - the ongoing practices of racism which are entangled with colonial and imperial projects of which both Israel and Canada are so deeply inculcated - are further decentered by this kind of useless mudslinging. My hope in writing the original letter to Mr. Layton was to raise awareness of the lives of Palestinians who are increasingly subject to violent practices of segregation, implemented and maintained by a powerful military force, and to consider the ways in which Canada is also implicated through global markets, international relations, and our own ongoing project of colonialism. It is disappointing to think that the entire discussion - at least among Brian Henry and his blogophiles - has turned to an oversimplified, defensive reaction that, much like the practice of boycotting Durban II, comes off as a sad and unfortunate plugging of the ears.

Play it again Sam...

Thank you very much to everyone who came out to support "How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide" at this year's Toronto Fringe Festival. Thanks to all the incredible support we finished off our run with two sold out shows. Wowee. We're going on tour...catch the show in Peterborough, Ontario in early September...more details to follow.

Here are some amazing production pics taken by photography wizard and artist extraordinaire karol orzechomsky at our tech rehearsal. Thanks karol.









Beautiful. I know.

with a nice "i respect the institutions you represent" kind of tone...

Dear Mayor David Miller and Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone,

I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of two men in our city. As reported by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) on July 15, 2008, "On Monday, July 7, around supper time, a young Somali man in his mid-twenties was found dead in the Salvation Army Maxwell Meighen Hostel. On Thursday morning, July 10, Denis Bowen, 42, a native man known to many of us in the community, died outside a social housing building at 200 Sherbourne Street."

As we are all aware, these deaths were entirely preventable. Though I know the City is faced with budget shortfalls and funding cutbacks, we need to as a city find solutions to the crisis of homelessness. Of course strategies require financial support but they also require political commitment from leaders such as yourselves. Moreover, they require radical re-imaginings of our purposes and potential as government officials and as citizens. In what kind of a world can we sit idly by as comrades and colleagues die on the street? There are no excuses that can explain away the lives of these two men...or the thousands of others living on the streets, in unstable or unsafe accommodations or in substandard public housing.

You are currently promoting your campaign to get guns off the streets and make Toronto safe but it appears that even when guns aren't involved our city isn't safe for the poor and homeless. I am calling on you as elected officials to make eradicating homelessness in Toronto the top priority of City Council immediately.

We don't need any more Council Sub-Committees or staff reports. We need safe, clean, affordable places to live and we need them now.

Yours,
Stacy Douglas

Teatro Mondo

A review from MONDO MAGAZINE
July 8, 2008

How to Build an Empire: A Boy Scout’s Guide
Written by Stacey Douglas
Presented by No More Time for Metaphors
Featuring Stacey Douglas and Diana Yoo
Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace

Reviewed by Matt McGeachy

Seamlessly weaving multimedia with a superbly written script, Stacey Douglas presents a funny and compelling account of Canada’s history of imperialism in How to Build an Empire: A Boy Scout’s Guide.

The show is divided into three different story lines: Sam, a young cub scout sent to camp; an earnest drama teacher; and silhouetted “historica” moments. Each storyline is separated by multimedia presentations of Canada’s unsavoury propaganda, including some real doozies from Rudyard Kipling’s visit at the turn of the century about preserving the “white race.”

As the young scout Sam, Douglas nails the character’s precociousness on the head, and does not for one moment lapse into cliché to bring the character to life. As the drama teacher who decided to present Jungle Book as the Grade 12 play, Douglas raises some of the most important points of her excellent play: that stories exist not only in and of themselves, but are also a part of the larger political fabric of their own time and our time. That is, she delicately asks the audience to take a stand on artistic merit and authorial intention while simultaneously confronting us with our history.

The show never becomes preachy or irritating thanks to fantastic writing and a hilarious performance. Music plays a large part as well, and the band’s various renditions of “O Canada” and “Take Me Home Country Roads” were not only amusing but also proved excellently weaved into the story. This show is a must-see for anyone interested in Canada’s history and good theatre.

review of the revue

in case you weren't already convinced of the merits of our show based on content and cast alone...(cue: me coyly winking)

NOW Magazine
NNN

Reviewed by: Jordan Bimm

Stacy Douglas’s insightful solo comedy explores hidden imperialist and racist tendencies in Canadian history. Presented as a series of sketch comedy scenes, Douglas gets the most laughs playing Sam, a wide-eyed boy scout on a wilderness expedition who comes across as a younger, more astute Napoleon Dynamite.

Fast Forward Revue
3.5/5

Reviewed by: E. Sempe

This one-woman show illustrates the intriguing parallels between Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book and the Boy Scouts of Canada by highlighting the imperialist rhetoric that links the two. The tone of the performance is light, to counterbalance the heavy subject matter. The gravity of the play’s message is demonstrated to full effect during the scene transitions, which consist of images projected onto a screen demonstrating shockingly racist and imperialist quotes and posters from Canadian history and government.

The set is minimalistic, and actress Stacey Douglas delivers an impressive performance as she bounces from character to character: geeky boy scout, high-school drama teacher, and teenage students giving in-class Canadian history presentations. Transitions are fluid, and accompanied by live music. Only the recurring image of the Nemean Lion, presented as a dancing lion shadow-figure behind a screen, is somewhat unclear and lacks cohesiveness as a visual element in the initial stages of the play. By the end, however, the symbol of the lion loses its ambiguity, and is even rendered poignant, as it becomes the sign for all those heroes wrongly accused as villains.

Director James Burrows notes that “imperialist roots in Canada run deep and are rarely discussed critically.” How to Build an Empire certainly does address and criticize these tendencies, but manages to do so without coming across as contrived or too plaintive. It is both comical and light, but still delivers a serious message: what more could you ask for?

WE OPEN TONIGHT!

HOW TO BUILD AN EMPIRE:
A Boy Scout's Guide
__________________

CAST & CREW

James Burrows
director
James caught the theatre bug after his first communion when the minister didn't wipe the cup properly. He is also completing a questionable degree in Political Studies at Trent University.

Stacy Douglas
performer, playwright
Trained in the Werger/ Young School of artistic performance from 1995 to 2000, Stacy has also worked with Vanier Productions in various peanut-provoking performances, as well as in comedy troupes including Clang!Clang!Clang!Clang! and Ghost Robot.

Ray Godin
musician
Ray Godin is a twenty seven year old student at York University. He has been playing music for about twelve years. He to high school in Peterborough Ontario and has been living in Toronto for the past six years.

karol orzechowski
musician
karol orzechowski, one of the two members of hush money, is a musician and filmmaker currently living in Toronto. karol became a canadian citizen in 1987, and has been synchronized lock-step with the dominant culture ever since.

Kelly Thornton
stage manager
This Kelly Thornton grew up in Brampton, studied Canadian history at Carleton University in Ottawa and journalism at Centennial College in Toronto. She previously worked as a festival organizer for Rights on Reel: Toronto International Human Rights Film and Video Festival. This is her first crack at stage management.

Diana Yoo
performer
Diana Yoo is a visual artist currently working and living in Toronto.
Diana works in a wide variety of media, including photography, printmaking and sculpture. When she is not making visual art, she condescends to lend her time to the meagre projects of local thespians. This may or may not be one of those times.

Promotional Materials: Morgan Passi
Additional Photography: David Hugill
Set Design: James Burrows, Stacy Douglas, Kelly Thornton
Visual Media: James Burrows, Stacy Douglas, Ariel Sharatt
Costume Consultant: Alex Thomson
Lighting Design: James Burrows, Kelly Thornton

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Besieged by images and stories of the Canadian landscape, we are often left wondering what is left out. Feelings and images of home are often what we identify most with, as they encourage us to identify with the nation through their emboldened narratives of justice and peace. But how many of these feelings are founded upon stories of Canada that are misleading, if not entirely false? And what happens if these stories are threatened? The benevolent Canadian is a popular figure in our lives. This figure, however, often runs counter to our history as a violent colonial power, whose history is overrun with racism, and, whose house could only be set in order through the controlling and managing of 'savage' natives and non-Anglo immigrants. Imperialist roots in Canada run deep and are rarely discussed critically. This altered sense of history and place repositions our perceptions of justice, leading many of us to wonder: if racism and imperialism are removed from our stories, in order to promote the nation, then how do imperialism and racism manifest in the present? This show attempts to explore these tensions in our everyday lives in order to better understand how sanitized interpretations of history can change our understandings of justice, place, and self.

James Burrows

MUCHOS MUCHOS GRACIAS

Theatre Trent, Sheila and Wayne Douglas, Another Story Bookshop, The Community Bicycle Network, Richard Newman and the Imperial Pub, Mike Briggs, Peter Stevens, Katie Crown, Ryan V. Hays, James Hartnett, Kathleen Phillips, Kay Pettigrew, Rob Levine, Corrie Sakaluk and the Toronto Women's Bookstore, S.K. Hussan and No One is Illegal, Catherine and Ian Hugill, Gullons Printing, Heather and Richard Davies, Joyce and George Burrows, Cheryl Koller and Lolita.

Can-ah-duh? This land here is Can-ah-duh?

On this day, Canada's great national celebration of 'independence' from Britain (which actually just marks the confederation of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec in 1867), everyone heads outdoors for loud backyard BBQs and stunningly close-to-my-face backyard fireworks.

Also referred to as la fete du canada, or 'Dominion Day', Canada's national birthday was established almost 100 years before Britain conceded to let Canada have their own Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982). No violent struggles or romanticized revolutions here. No, in a mark of history that feeds right into stereotypical cliches about Canadians being ever the unassuming, humble diplomats, Canada meekly accepted their severance from Britain a good 20 years after storms of independence struggles in other British colonies.

However, this isnt to say that Canada doesn't have its own violent past...of course, our bloody beginnings as a nation state harken way back to the advent of colonialism, the battling between English and French forces, and the strategic displacement and (ongoing) state endorsed policy of genocide of First Nations folks who lived/live here. Cheersch. (We apologized, didnt we?)

What does Canada Day mean? What does celebrating Canada's birthday in a back yard with beer and friends have to do with Canada? ...Nothing? Sure, it's a holiday away from work and an extra day to hang with friends or read a book, or go to the beach...but is it in anyway connected to the ways Canadians think about themselves and their place in the world? For me, it conjures up anxieties around land, citizenship, status and history - who's land? What institutional forces allow me to sit comfortably in a backyard and enjoy the space with family and friends? How do all of these considerations play out in my desire to go out and celebrate the day?

I asked the cast of 'How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide' what they were doing for Canada Day:

James Burrows (Director) - On Canada Day I usually wonder why I am so fucking humble. I mean, there must be something about being Canadian that makes me this amazingly humble. I also tend to sit in a place where I can surround myself with stuff I bought in other countries that aren't as great as ours. Like Sierra Leone! well, i've never been there but I hear it sucks. And if I had stuff from there I would place it next to me on a day like today to remind me of precisely how much that place blows. I mean, I'm just sayin'.

Diana Yoo (Performer) - Rehearsing

Ray Godin (Musician) - Rehearsing
Karol Orzechowski (Musician) - for canada day, i will be licking the bones of dead prime ministers.
Stacy Douglas (Performer) - Drinking cans of Lucky inside while I update the blog. Then likely to a critical mass event at Harbourfront where I will politely agree with some man sitting next to me going on at length about how lucky we are to live in Canada. I might even contribute to the conversation by encouraging a consideration of our geographical and seasonal expanse - the rocky mountains, tundra, AND boreal forest?! Simply beautiful.


Kelly Thornton (Stage Manager) - Skipping rehearsal.

Peterborough Last Week

We also got a small hit in the Peterborough This Week...last week.

Thanks to Paul Rellinger of PTW and Werner Bergen of the Examiner for highlighting their locally bred talent.

Boy Scout's and Shadows and Live Music, oh my!

On top of our set designed for making shadow puppets, 'How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide', also includes a live musical score performed by local punk hop band 'Hush Money'.

Check them out.

Making our way in the world today...

Check us out in the Peterborough Examiner - June 21, 2008.

better late...?

my friend peter has been after me to write a review of ‘my name is rachel corrie’ playing at the tarragon theatre until june 22. we both saw a preview of it on the same night and he has an interesting review posted on his blog.

besides making excuses about busy I am with other things, I have also been avoiding committing to an online avowal of my feelings on the show for…other reasons. one of the major things holding me back is that im not sure how I felt about it. it’s great that it is (finally) being shown in toronto and that in an environment relatively free of discussion regarding the ongoing occupation of Palestine by Israel, that folks can begin to empathize through a character like rachel corrie. as for the show itself, I thought the writers did a nice job of using rachel’s own words to create a character that was somewhat loveable but ultimately fittingly naïve for the political situation which she thrust herself into.

what is most shocking about rachel’s death is the somewhat anticlimactic-ness of it all. she’s alive, feeling depressed, sad and confused about her role in rafah and in the world, and then suddenly she’s dead…run over by an Israel Defense Force (IDF) bulldozer whose driver claims not to have seen her. of course, this sort of thing is relatively anti-climactic. in an environment where lives are lost to violence on a day to day basis, the loss of this one life in an act of heroism doesn’t quite garner the same amount of attention that some of us have been raised to believe should be bequeathed to a martyr.

the death of rachel corrie was incredibly tragic and the show demonstrates that Palestinian solidarity struggles, even when fronted by middle class white American kids, register as a minor blip against a military force that has over 160, 000 active military personnel backed by a budget of over $18 million dollars. however, what troubles me about the show (is it the show or the way i think the audience interprets it?) is the relative disconnect from the ongoing policy, not just of occupation, but of apartheid, that is being employed by Israel. this has little to do with a young girls hopes and dreams about saving the world. though she is obviously sympathetic to the Palestinians, Rachel’s exhaustion and desperation she faces in Palestine feeds into a discourse that continues to see the violence as part of the ongoing (read, ‘never ending’) arab-israeli ‘conflict’. this line of thinking establishes both parties as equal in the ‘conflict’ and erases the material realities of the economic and political backing of the IDF. it further ignores Israel’s heightened attacks on Palestinians and their livelihoods through the erection of the ‘security’ wall (deemed in violation of international law by the International Court of Justice in 2004), Israeli only roads, and the institutionalization of check points that block Palestinians from getting to work, to their families, to their schools and general freedom of mobility. these practices and others like them are well documented in court documents, public debates, and political transcripts from Canada, the United States and Israel.

overall the show itself is entertaining, slow at the beginning, but picking up with some very nice work done by actor bethany jillard. but I think what is really tragic about ‘my name is rachel corrie’ is the fundamentally desperate grasp to empathize in some way to the ‘arab-israeli conflict’. that audiences in canada and the united states must have some way ‘in’ to possibly comprehend the seemingly vast complexities of the situation and that the tragic death of this young girl should suit the bill. what else could her death and the subsequent mounting of this show be about? In my opinion, the writing is on the wall…I’m not sure how long we will have to wait to be shamed by our hindsight, maybe twenty years, maybe one hundred but in time, much like the case of South Africa, future generations will look back at the current practices of Israel and be able to say with confidence, ‘apartheid’.

I said earlier that rachel’s death in the show seems anticlimactic …and I think it is.
And maybe that’s the point.

Props to Theatre Panik for mounting My Name Is Rachel Corrie.

Check it out

How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide

Media shots for the upcoming show.
We open on Thursday, July 3rd and run for two weeks.




photos by david hugill

What: How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide
Where: Theatre Passe Muraille – Back Space, 16 Ryerson Ave. (East of Bathurst, North of Queen)
Cost: $10
Show times:

Thursday, July 3 @ 6pm
Saturday, July 5 @ 1:30pm
Sunday, July 6 @ 8:00pm
Monday, July 7 @ 7:30pm
Wednesday, July 9 @ 8:15pm
Thursday, July 10 @ 1:00pm
Friday, July 11 @ 8:45pm
Saturday, July 12 @ 4:30pm

For more information call the Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival Hotline at 416.966.1062.

| notimeformetaphors.blogspot.com | Toronto Fringe Festival 2008 | fringetoronto.com |

This is the end

If I had more time this week, I would write something brilliant about this exhibit that hints at Shels' success as a result of his partner's stronger stomach, and him (grim) reaping the benefits of these folks' deaths. Alas, it is worth posting just for the link.

NDP reconsiders Durban...finally

May 29, 2008

On behalf of Mr. Layton, please find attached a copy of the letter sent by MP Wayne Marston, NDP Advocate on Human Rights and Multiculturalism, to the Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism, urging the Government of Canada to reconsider its decision to not attend the 2009 Durban Review.
NDP Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar sent a similar letter to Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson.

Sincerely,

Office of Jack Layton
Leader, New Democratic Party of Canada

_______

This about-face comes 5 months after a public commitment to support the Conservative's plans to ditch Durban, made by NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Paul Dewar and Human Rights Critic Wayne Marston. This comes thanks to the hundreds of folks with some semblances of hope in an actual opposition party, who voiced their concerns over the NDP's outrageous move. Also, thanks to the NDP for finally getting some backbone.

_______

"January 24, 2008

NDP supports non-participation in flawed UN conference

“Time for Canada to show international leadership on racism” – Dewar

OTTAWA – The NDP is deeply committed to fighting racism and intolerance in Canada and around the world, said NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre) and NDP International Human Rights Critic Wayne Marston (Hamilton-East Stoney Creek).

“We are deeply concerned that the integrity of the UN Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance has been compromised as a result of poor structure and a lack of real anti-racism leadership on the planning committee,” said Dewar.

According to the New Democrat MPs, the first UN anti-racism conference, held in Durban in 2001, became little more than a forum for spreading hatred and was a missed opportunity to work multilaterally to fight racism, discrimination and intolerance.

“New Democrats believe that the issue of anti-racism must be led by international voices that are respected throughout the world community,” said Marston. “This conference was clearly failing to achieve that.”

The NDP MPs also called on the Harper Conservatives to show real leadership on the issue. “Canada should not only cancel its participation in Durban II, but it should also take a role in proposing an alternative,” said Dewar. “Canada should take the initiative and host an international forum on the issues of racism, discrimination, xenophobia, and intolerance. Our country can serve as a platform for a world-wide discussion committed to uprooting racism.”

“The cancellation of our participation doesn’t mean that the Harper government can continue to sit on its hands and ignore the serious problems of racism that still exist in Canada,” said Marston. “Mr. Kenney should, without delay, assure the Government of Canada’s continued funding for the Anti-Racism Council of Canada.”

promo materials by morgan passi

HOW TO BUILD AN EMPIRE: a fringe festival fundraiser

Friday, May 30th

Featuring comedy by:
Kathleen Phillips
James Hartnett
Peter Stevens
The Remainders

Featuring music by:
James Burrows
Kay Pettigrew
Hush Money

Raffles for prizes from the Community Bicycle Network, the Toronto Women's Bookstore, Another Story Bookshop, and more! ONLY $5!!!

@ the Imperial Pub
(54 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON)

DOORS at 8:30pm
SHOW at 9pm

This is a fundraiser for the fringe show 'How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide', written and performed by Stacy Douglas. Directed by James Burrows. Stage Managed by Kelly Thornton. Live musical score by Ray Godin and Karol Orzechowski. Also featuring Diana Yoo. Our show opens with the Fringe on July 2nd and runs until the 13th.

A little bit about the show:

"Exploring nationalist narratives to a live musical score. Join a boy scout, a drama teacher and some haunting shadows, as this one woman show provides a how-to-guide to historical and contemporary forms of imperialism, colonialism and what it means to be Canadian."

Hope to see you on May 30th!

More info on the show - including dates - below!

How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide

PRESS RELEASE

May 21, 2008

Critical Canadiana Explores Narratives of Nationalism at this year's Fringe Festival


Ever feel like something or someone is lurking just behind you, watching your every move? Away from home for the first time on a Boy Scout camping expedition, the young scout Sam can't help but feel that something is following him and his pack on their wilderness adventures. Meanwhile, in a not so far away time and place, a young drama teacher is attempting to mount a version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, only to be plagued by persistent interruption.

Opening for the first time at this year's Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival, 'How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide', mounted by company No Time for Metaphors, offers a fragmented look at a fragmented Canada. Written and performed by Peterborough native Stacy Douglas, this exploration of nationalist narratives is set to a live musical score, performed by local 'punk-hop' band 'Hush Money,' directed by James Burrows, and featuring Diana Yoo.

Join a boy scout, a drama teacher and some haunting shadows, as this one woman show provides a how-to-guide to historical and contemporary forms of imperialism, colonialism and what it means to be Canadian.

What: How to Build An Empire: A Boy Scout's Guide
Where: Theatre Passe Muraille – Back Space, 16 Ryerson Ave. (East of Bathurst, North of Queen)
Cost: $10
Show times:

Thursday, July 3 @ 6pm
Saturday, July 5 @ 1:30pm
Sunday, July 6 @ 8:00pm
Monday, July 7 @ 7:30pm
Wednesday, July 9 @ 8:15pm
Thursday, July 10 @ 1:00pm
Friday, July 11 @ 8:45pm
Saturday, July 12 @ 4:30pm

Cast and Crew:

James Burrows, Director
Stacy Douglas, Performer, Playwright
Ray Godin, Musician
Karl Orzechowski, Musician
Kelly Thornton, Stage Manager
Diana Yoo, Performer, Design

For more information, visit notimeformetaphors.blogspot.com, or call the Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival Hotline at 416.966.1062.

| notimeformetaphors.blogspot.com | Toronto Fringe Festival 2008 | fringetoronto.com |

silkscreening & stencils

Re: Candidate concern over NDP's support to pull out of the United Nations sanctioned Durban Conference on Anti-Racism in South Africa

March 5, 2008

Dear Jack,

As your federally nominated candidate in Scarborough-Agincourt, I write you to tell you about the deep feelings of concern and regret I have over the NDP's support of the recent decision to pull out of the United Nations' sanctioned Durban Conference on Anti-Racism in South Africa.  As I'm sure you are aware, this past week Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai publicly announced that the Gaza strip could face a 'holocaust' if homemade rocket fire continues to be used as resistance.  Living up to his racist claim, this week has seen the deadliest day of terrorist attacks on Palestinians by Israeli forces since the First Intifada.  The time to be having serious and sophisticated conversations about racism, colonialism and apartheid in Israel is now.

It has been particularly hard to ignore the escalating tactics of Israeli forces since when in 2004 the international Court of Justice declared Israel's currently erected 'security barrier' to be a violation of international law and to have it dismantled.  Four years later, the 640km long apartheid wall, complete with barbed wire and heavily policed checkpoints, still stands. This is of course not to mention the atrocious state of schools, libraries and other public facilities in Gaza and the West Bank as a result of missile fire and funding stoppages, all on behalf of the Israeli state. The events of this past week are testament to the escalation of the violent strategies employed by the state of Israel against its Palestinian citizens.

What is particularly shocking for me about the NDP's decision is the relative silence from the party, its leaders and its members about our disturbing indifference for human lives in Palestine.  Although each have their locally specific nuances, it has become clear that there are striking similarities between the case of apartheid South Africa and the apartheid state of Israel.  It is to be noted is that while SA still lives with deeply entrenched legacies of racism, the apartheid regime was largely defeated as a result of international boycotts and sanctions, as well as the resistance of thousands of South Africans who struggled to get their message out.  People around the world organizing to end apartheid in South Africa, attended conferences and lectures to educate themselves on the conditions of apartheid long before it was overthrown.

Now is the time for global leaders to sit down together to discuss strategies to end the human rights violations of Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Israel and around the world.  Especially, it is time to begin having conversations about how Canada and other countries of the West are implicated in the rising death toll of Palestinians the world over.  Although some are concerned that by attending the conference they will be branded as anti-semitic, let us please be rational and continue to articulate that Judaism is NOT synonymous with Zionism.  This is about investigating various countries' roles in propping up apartheid state practices - including our own.

Please take leadership on this issue and endorse the need for Canada to be a part of this important conference.  I fear that the NDP's ignorant indifference to this situation will have severely damaging affects on the future of the party.

Yours truly,

Stacy Douglas

Federal Candidate

Scarborough-Agincourt