{"id":9844,"date":"2017-09-19T18:00:45","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T22:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thewordonthestreet.ca\/toronto\/?p=9844"},"modified":"2017-09-20T15:59:07","modified_gmt":"2017-09-20T19:59:07","slug":"toronto-book-awards-2017-any-other-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thewordonthestreet.ca\/toronto\/toronto-book-awards-2017-any-other-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto Book Awards 2017: Any Other Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Word On The Street Toronto will\u00a0be hosting the\u00a0authors and editors of all five finalists for the\u00a02017 Toronto Book Awards\u00a0at this year\u2019s festival on\u00a0Sunday, September 24,<\/strong>\u00a0at Harbourfront Centre. As a special treat, we\u2019ll be posting reviews of the nominated books in the weeks leading up to the festival\u00a0from a panel of writers, reviewers, and editors working in Toronto today.<\/p>\n

Our next review is of\u00a0Any Other Way, <\/em>edited by Jane Farrow, John Lorinc, Stephanie Chambers, Maureen FitzGerald, Ed Jackson, Tim McCaskell, Tatum Taylor, Rahim Thawer and Rebecka Sheffield, reviewed by Joshua P’ng. Joshua is the last of five 2017 Toronto Book Awards reviewers. The editors of Any Other Way<\/em>\u00a0will be reading at The Word On the Street at Harbourfront Centre on September 24, from\u00a03:00pm \u2013 4:00pm<\/a> at the Toronto Book Awards Tent. This year\u2019s Toronto Book Awards will be awarded on\u00a0October 12, 2017<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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When Justin Trudeau made history as the first PM to walk in a Pride parade, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Canada supports LGBTQ+ rights. After all doesn\u2019t Toronto take the gold medal for being the most LGBTQ+ friendly city in North America?<\/p>\n

Yet how Toronto arrived at this conclusion is built on history\u2014the individual stories, the fading photographs, and dimming memories. It\u2019s a full-spectrum of history that Any Other Way<\/em> attempts to explore within 351 pages. (Spoiler: it succeeds)<\/p>\n

Most historical works would use a singular narrative story of how Toronto the \u2018good,\u2019 the once bastion of Victorian morals, now hosts one of the biggest Pride festivals in the world. Authenticity would come from the most prominent members of the community, offering quotes leading to a likely uplifting and hopeful conclusion.<\/p>\n

Instead Any Other Way<\/em> shuns this exclusive and straight-forward method of narrating history for a scrapbook-like anthology. The book offers everything from anecdotes as short as a paragraph, to essay-length reflections on queer life, with photos tucked in throughout. As made clear in Krysten Wong-Tam\u2019s forward, \u201cOnly by pulling back the lavender headlines will we truly reveal the hyper-diversity and immense intersectionality of Toronto’s full queer community and history.\u201d<\/p>\n

The book\u2019s title comes from the first story in the collection, about Jackie Shane (\u201cA New Way of Lovin,\u201d Steven Maynard), the Black Trans musician, best known for her hit song \u201cAny Other Way.\u201d The Jackie Shane story thrusts her out on stage in full \u201cshimmering sequen pantsuit, full makeup, false eyelashes, and a fabulous do\u201d and as a constant lover of \u2018chicken.\u2019 (old slang for young gay men). The piece is thick with loud descriptions and held together by quotes from Jackie and those who knew and admired her. It\u2019s a perfect preview of what to expect for the rest of the book.<\/p>\n

Any Other Way<\/em> lives, cries, and laughs with Toronto through rainbow-coloured lenses. It touches frequently on Church & Wellesley, the heart of the the LGBTQ+ village, but also stretches out to the memories made in some of Toronto\u2019s oft-forgotten haunts. Unfortunately a heavy-handed assumption is found in most of the pieces that readers would already know the landmarks and street names that are name-dropped all over the book. Torontonians will certainly have a struggle catching on, and only the oldest will remember extinct locations (probably turned into condos). It can be irritating for those unable to put places to names and whose enjoyment can only rely on the personal anecdotes and delectable writing. Thankfully, that\u2019s often enough.<\/p>\n

Any Other Way<\/em> excels in exploring a lot more more than what most people would recognize to be a part of LGBTQ+ life. From recollections of \u201ccruising\u201d and the wariness of good-looking undercover cops (\u201cRoute of Heroes,\u201d Keith Cole), to the awkward struggles for marriage equality. Tales of resistance are loud and proud. The origin story of the oldest LGBTQ+ bookstore in North America (\u201cA Literary Breakthrough,\u201d Jearld Moldenhauer) is placed right next to the loud legal fights against homophobic cops (\u201cNo Cop Zone?,\u201d Chanelle Gallant).<\/p>\n

Living under homophobia is a frequent theme threaded throughout the work. In (\u201cHeadline Homophobia Tops Tabloid Treatments!,\u201d Christine Sismondo) sensational news articles are explored about gay men being arrested for having sex in public spaces. Yet despite the homophobic bias in said articles, they could be read as a warning to men familiar with these places as cruising sites to stay away. It highlights the indirect ways the LGBTQ+ community has persisted and sometimes thrived under homophobic attitudes.<\/p>\n

Some stories balance the tightrope of hilarity and anxiety such as a when a gay man and a lesbian decide to \u201cmarry\u201d as way to bypass heteronormative restrictions to immigrate to Canada. Unfortunately any attempt to hide queer affiliations is put to rest when the question of social\/political affiliations on the immigration form comes up: \u201cwe put our lists [of social or political organizations] in alphabetical order, the Gs and the Ls dominated three additional sheets of paper.\u201d (\u201cIt Seemed like a Gay Wedding to Me,<\/em>\u201d Bob Gallagher)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s in these pieces that Any Other Way<\/em> shines. Stories that go beyond a mere recollection of old facts that historical writings usually are. The writing varies, but every piece feels like the well-worn laughs between old friends or the local legends that shape a city’s identity.<\/p>\n

This is a declaration from LGBTQ+ Toronto to Toronto as a whole, vocalizing the once unheard stories of the city. Yet, in the same parade that Trudeau marched, Black Lives Matter were also present, highlighting the need for recognition for black queers and transfolk. Even as LGBTQ+ can look back to achievements that were dimly dreamed about decades earlier, the stories, and struggles, are not over.<\/p>\n

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Name one of the editors of Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer\u00a0<\/em>who will appear at The Word On The Street.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Read the review above and send the answer to \u00a0justin@thewordonthestreet.ca<\/a>\u00a0to be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of Any Other Way<\/i>!<\/p>\n

Contest Rules<\/strong><\/p>\n