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Archive for the ‘Canadian Content’ Category

Kim’s Convenience (Berlind Theatre, McCarter Theater, Princeton, NJ, February 12, 2026)

Posted in Berlind Theatre, Canadian Content, Funny (ha ha), Ins Choi, Kim's Convenience, Princeton, NJ on February 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 12, 2026] Kim’s Convenience

My wife and I really enjoyed Kim’s Convenience when it aired.  My mother-in-law enjoyed it and then recently, my son watched it on his own.

When this performance–the play that started it all, performed by the writer–was announced at McCarter, I grabbed my wife and I tickets ASAP.  Then when my son found out about it he wanted to go as well.  He couldn’t go the night we had tickets, but I was able to exchange our tickets for another night and get an extra one for my son.  I haven’t been to the Berlind Theater for a long time and I forgot how tiny it is.  So even though our seats were near the back, they were still really close.

McCarter had a lot of fun with this production, setting up a Canadian/Korean market in the lobby with Canadian flags and sweaters and lots of posters. They sold Korean goods (from the local Woori Mart) and may have even brought it some Canadian favorites (some drinks and ketchup flavored potato chips). (more…)

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Rheostatics: The Great Lakes Suite (TD Music Hall, Toronto, ON, November 21 & 22, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Alex Lifeson, Canadian Content, Canadian Music, Dave Bidini music, Hugh Marsh, Kevin Hearn, Martin Tielli, Rheostatics, TD Music Hall, Tim Vesely on November 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 21 & 22, 2025] Rheostatics

I am a huge fan of the Rheostatics, but I’ve only seen them live one time–ten years ago!

They don’t play live much these days and they record music even less.   But they had just released this new project–The Great Lakes Suite.  And, even crazier, Alex Lifeson was on the record and was going to play live!  I could go to this relatively small venue in Toronto and see one of my favorite bands with one of my favorite guitarists.

When I saw Rheostatics, they were playing their Group of 7 album–it was a special event.  So, I saw them play my least favorite of their albums (although live it was really tremendous) plus a few extra songs.

The Great Lakes Suite is a beautiful piece of symphonic music inspired by the Great Lakes.  And this is what they were playing.  And no matter how much I wanted to see Rheostatics and how exciting it was to see Alex up close, I didn’t want to drive all the way to Toronto and hear a band I love NOT play the songs I wanted to hear.

I see on the setlist that they played the entire Suite and two encores.  So I’m glad I didn’t get tickets.

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Muriel Spark–“The Leaf-Sweeper” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #25] (1953)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Ghosts, Hingston & Olsen, Muriel Spark, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 25, 2024] “The Leaf-Sweeper”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Muriel Spark.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 25. To officially conclude the 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar, we present a story about pamphlets and ghosts from the one and only Muriel Spark. As always, thank you so much for reading. We hope you enjoyed it, and that you have an excellent rest of your holiday season.

This was a strange ghost story.  A woman passing an asylum tells the story of Johnnie Geddes, a man who started the Society for the Abolition of Christmas.  (more…)

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Thomas Hardy–“The Thieves Who Couldn’t Help Sneezing” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #24] (1877)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Thomas Hardy on December 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 24, 2024] “The Thieves Who Couldn’t Help Sneezing”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Thomas Hardy.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 24. Thomas Hardy, author of Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d’Urbervilles, died in 1928 and was unavailable for an interview.

This is one of Hardy’s earliest short stories.  It seems like it is going to be a Christmas-related ghost story, because a man sets out n horseback on a spooky, foggy night.  But there are no ghosts.  Rather, he is set upon by bandits who steal his possessions and his horse.  (more…)

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Jennifer Croft–“Anaheim” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #23] (2022)

Posted in Canadian Content, Cats, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Jennifer Croft, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Walt Disney World on December 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 23, 2024] “Anaheim”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Jennifer Croft.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 23. Jennifer Croft, author of The Extinction of Irena Ray, has not prepared an acceptance speech.

I was concerned that I wouldn’t like this story.  It was longer than others and it started kind of slow, with a main character who was unsatisfied with things.  Ho hum. (more…)

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Josh Riedel–“The One with the Multiverse” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #22] (2023)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Friends, Hingston & Olsen, Josh Riedel, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 22, 2024] “The One with the Multiverse”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Josh Riedel.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview. And this opening blurb sets the tone

It’s December 22. Josh Riedel, author of Please Report Your Bug Here, also once splashed in a fountain for title-credits purposes.

This story has a lot of elements that I like–pop culture, multiverses, identity confusion.  And although I never really liked Friends, I do enjoy stories that involve the sitcom.

So this story was pretty fun for me. (more…)

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Hannah Pittard–“Wars and Winters” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #21] (2009)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Hannah Pittard, Hingston & Olsen, Marriage Trouble, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 21, 2024] “Wars and Winters”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Hannah Pittard.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.

It’s December 21. Hannah Pittard, author of We Are Too Many, can feel the solstice coming a mile away.

This is the story of a woman who is involved with a married man.  They work at the same university during Fall semesters. She waits for him to return each year.  (She taught full time for a third of his salary). (more…)

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Carmen Maria Machado–“The Things Eric Eats Before He Eats Himself” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #20] (2019)

Posted in Canadian Content, Carmen Maria Machado, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Yuck! on December 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 20, 2024] “The Things Eric Eats Before He Eats Himself”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Carmen Maria Machado.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  This one begins with this blurb:

It’s December 20. Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House, doesn’t engage with Craigslist for this very reason.

This story’s odd title is in fact very literal. (more…)

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Damian Tarnopolsky–“Chris Cornell” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #19] (2024)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Damian Tarnopolsky, Hingston & Olsen, Isaac Babel, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 19, 2024] “Chris Cornell”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Damian Tarnopolsky.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief (or in this case lengthy) interview.  This blurb starts things off:

It’s December 19. Damian Tarnopolsky, author of Every Night I Dream I’m a Monk, Every Night I Dream I’m a Monster, can solo just as well on an acoustic.

This story has an unusual title to be sure.  It’s even more unusual because Chris Cornell doesn’t really have anything to do with the bulk of the story.  He’s more for setting the story in time (the narrator was listening to Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog and Nirvana on CD when the story takes place). (more…)

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Alexandra Wuest–“The Exhibition” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #18] (2023)

Posted in Alexandra Wuest, Artists, Canadian Content, Christmas, Death, Hingston & Olsen, Mark Binelli, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 18, 2024] “The Exhibition”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Alexandra Wuest.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Her blurb says:

It’s December 18. Alexandra Wuest will take a paper map if you have one.

It’s not very often that this collection has an author I haven’t read before, but here’s one. (more…)

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