The Town Crier

The Town Crier operated as a hub for criticism and commentary, connecting a community of writers, readers, and commentators through social media, and focusing on the interplay of literary opinion in and around the city of Toronto until its closure in February 2021.

• Author Note: David Ly

  By David Ly | June 26, 2017

  David Ly discusses the inspiration for his poem “Because I am,” published in The Puritan’s Spring Issue 37, with references to Lady Gaga and Zayn Malik.

• Puritan Spring Launch on June 23

  By <i>The Puritan</i> | June 22, 2017

  Celebrate the launch of The Puritan's Issue 37: Spring 2017 Friday, June 23 at Reunion Island Coffee (385 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto).

• JC Bouchard Asks About Early Days

  By Suzanna Derewicz | June 19, 2017

  Suzanna Derewicz interviews JC Bouchard to discuss FIRST WORDS, a literary podcast that asks poets, writers, and publishers how it all began.

• One Writer’s Brave Attempt at Solving Sexism and Lazy Writing in One Essay

  By Dana Ewachow | June 15, 2017

  Dana Ewachow discusses sexist tropes and attempts to solve sexism and lazy writing in one essay, with references to Junot Diaz and Scaachi Koul.

• What Does Your Sign Say About You?

  By Kailey Havelock | June 12, 2017

  Kailey Havelock discusses our desire to achieve narrativity, with references to horoscopes, Frank Kermode, the Sorting Hat, and Myers-Briggs.

• The High Cost of Living at the Centre of the Universe

  By Jason Freure | June 8, 2017

  Jason Freure discusses "dirty mansions," Toronto’s high cost of living, and its impact on literary Toronto, with references to Corin Raymond.

• Author Note: Jay Ritchie

  By Jay Ritchie | June 5, 2017

  Jay Ritchie discusses the inspiration of his poem “Hôtel-Dieu,” published alongside his poem “As If We Aren’t Massive” in The Puritan Issue 37.

• “A poem born of love”: Doyali Islam on “Cat and Door”

  By E Martin Nolan | June 1, 2017

  E Martin Nolan and Doyali Islam discuss Islam's poem "cat and door," with references to "split sonnets," Emily Dickinson, and Poncho the cat.

• The Appeal of the Personal

  By Kathryn Stagg | May 29, 2017

  Kathryn Stagg discusses personal writing and the personal essay, with references to Karl Ove Knausgaard and Jia Tolentino.

• Review: Exit Text by Geneviève Robichaud

  By Jason Freure | May 25, 2017

  Jason Freure reviews Geneviève Robichaud's Exit Text, with references to wrapping text, Shakespeare, Fernando Pessoa, and Bhanu Kapil.

• The Poetical is Political and the Books are Burning: Reviewing Adrienne Rich, Present Tense, and Speech Actions

  By Kailey Havelock | May 23, 2017

  Kailey Havelock reviews Adrienne Rich’s “The Burning of Paper Instead of Children,” with references to the 2016 American election and Claudia Rankine.

• The Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize

  By André Forget | May 18, 2017

  The Puritan's essays editor, André Forget, interviews Doug Sikkema for the Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize, a literary award worth $25,000 from Cardus.