Parkdale Street Writers

Written and illustrated by inner-city youth ages 16-25, Parkdale Street Writers collection Between Insanity and Brilliance is the culmination of our year-long writing workshop.

Toronto's creative youth find their unique voices, tell their own stories, and represent what's it's like to grow and find your way in this city. Youth challenge all stereotypes of Canadian writing through fabulously diverse poetry, fiction, non-fiction, comics and screenplays. The book is also illustrated with their original art and photography--so you literally get to see the city through their eyes.

Keeping read to access online selections from the publication.

One of our multi-talented participants, Ziadh Rabbani, ran the most incredible songwriting workshop this evening (December 16, 2009). The results of our labour were so hilarious and awesome that I have to post them here! Check them out and join our group, every Tuesday evening at 5 pm.

Band: The Villains Addi, Zeyneb, Marlene, Anna, Meghan, Muffin >>> Play "Evil" <<<

Band: Betty and the Turnips Marlon, Jessica, Alyssa, Riadh >>> Play "Cannibal" <<<

Band: Jeff and the Puppets Jeff, Dizia, Max, Sarah >>> Play "Til Death Do Us Party" <<<

The Parkdale Street Writers fall 2009 session will be held on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 pm at the Parkdale Branch, Toronto Public Library, 1303 Queen St W)

Do you keep a blog? Write super-long e-mails? Make up stories and poems in your head? Love to read? Why not join the PARKDALE STREET WRITERS!

More information about us here.

We're thrilled to announce that our web magazine, The Scrawl, is now online!

There are stories, poems, comics, even a couple of screenplays written by some of the participants in the first-ever Parkdale Street Writers: A Boot Camp for Young Dreamers.

The work by Muffin M'randa Rachel Star Jones, Benjamin Cope, Marlon, Rupi Natt, Cristina Gardeazabal and Danielle Thomas will make you laugh, cry, question the meaning of life, and burn with a quiet anger!

Seriously. Check it out! We'll be adding work by more participants in the future. And send us a note if you want to be contacted about future programs...

Explore the neighborhood through the eyes of creative local youth!

Join us on Canada Day to celebrate Parkdale's creativity with a gallery exhibition, zine launch, readings, film screening and video game installation. A panel discussion with local arts leaders will explore how to make a career in the arts and what it means to be a Canadian artist.

Open House Party:
6 to 10 pm, July 1st, 2009
Gallery 1313 (1313 Queen Street W), Toronto, Ontario

Art Exhibition Runs: June 24 to July 5, 2009 (gallery is open Wed-Sun 1-6pm)

More info: 416-779-1448, info@parkdalewriters.ca, www.parkdalewriters.ca

FREE! FOOD! FUN! PARKDALE ART! READINGS! FILMS! VIDEO GAMES!

Check out this article about our upcoming video game workshop and workshop leader Jim Munroe on Torontoist:

We've just gone through our archives here and it seems like we've managed to reach 2009 without mentioning the Artsy Game Incubator. Hmm. Well, rather than lament our foolishness, let us explain that it's a collaborative game development group for artists and people who want to make games but have no technical skills (or not enough) that uses simple and accessible tools to allow their game concepts to be developed.

The program ran in February 10, 2009. No special programming skills were required! To join a group like this, check out Jim's Artsy Game Incubator site. Or drop us a line.

A few articles about our writing and art programs have been published in local media...

Shameless magazine's blog:

"An awesome writing workshop full of cool, creative youth."

Quill and Quire magazine, by Stuart Woods:

"They say you should always “write what you know,” and what author Emily Pohl-Weary knows best is Parkdale, the gritty downtown Toronto neighbourhood where she was born and raised."

The National Post, by Andrew Chin:

"You get the opportunity to say whatever you want," says Jennifer Fraser, 18. "Things that you will never say to other people - you just write it down and it's good."

Parkdale Liberty, by Erin Hatfield:

"Fascinating writing doesn't come in the form of a forced story about what you did over the summer months (...) Writing a five paragraph essay on 'X' topic is not the way to inspire young people to love reading or writing."

Artistically inclined? Find out what's going on with the Parkdale Book Arts by meeting us in our PBA Facebook group.

More of a writer? Keep up to date with Parkdale Street Writer news and get to know us by joining our PSW Facebook group!

(We welcome participants and anyone who's curious.)