This week we're flipping through some of Canada's little-known magazines, the smallish publications with great devotion to homegrown arts and culture.

Like This Magazine (check out yesterday's story), The Canadian Forum is also supported in part by Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council. However, it has a longer history (it was founded in the 1920s), and a much richer literary tradition. Publisher James Lorimer has done a fine job of keeping The Canadian Forum on track in recent years.

The June issue contains a fascinating article by Keith Garebian on Canadian theatre's unique interpretations of the plays of William Shakespeare. He focuses mainly on the Stratford Festival over the years, but also considers Canadian regionalism. He takes the case far beyond just accents, discussing a production of Two Gentleman of Verona set in a hockey rink, and while he provides scholarly evidence for his opinions, it's written in an easy, accessible style.

The back of the magazine features a fine collection of book reviews, some of them covering popular books such as Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach and Douglas Coupland's Miss Wyoming. This is good writing, in fact far better than anything I've seen in newspaper book sections the past few months.

Tomorrow, we travel to the West Coast for a different take on Canadian magazine culture.

Discussion: Do you know of any good Canadian literary mags?

Federation of Canadian Artists
The Federation of Canadian Artists works quietly out of the Cartwright Gallery on Vancouver's Granville Island. The group began in the 1940s and believes it might be the first completely artist-run gallery-workshop in Canada. It supports all kinds of visual artists, and offers about $50,000 annually in prizes for artistic achievement, and runs a website that helps expose the public to some of its members works. The group is also holding outdoor workshops this summer on Salt Spring Island, and you can find more details on this event at the website: The Federation of Canadian Artists.

Britpix
Toronto is hosting Britpics, a festival showing the best in new British cinema. Tonight you can catch The Darkest Light, directed by Simon Beaufoy and Bille Eltringham. This is their first full length feature, but not Beaufoy's first time up to bat. He's got the writing credit for the astoundingly successful The Full Monty. The film has garnered great reviews back in old Blighty, so if you've got the time, look into The Darkest Light.

The Best of New British Cinema
June 2 - 8 - Toronto
Hyland Cinema
(416) 604-2506

Drop me a line.