Impossible Words is a free literary salon featuring a wide range of Canadian authors representing the cultural, racial, religious, sexual, and intellectual diversity of our city, our province, and our country.
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On Saturday, May 25, at 1:30pm at the Academy of the Impossible, we will present poet and children's author Sarah Tsiang... all the way from Kingston (Ontario).

She will read and be interviewed onstage by Dizia Raposo-Ferreira and Huda Tariq from the Toronto Street Writers.

ABOUT THE FEATURED GUEST:

Sarah Yi-Mei Tsiang is the author of Sweet Devilry (Oolichan Books), which won the Gerald Lampert Award and was long listed for the Re-Lit award. She is also the author of four children’s books, including picture books and non-fiction, all with Annick Press. She is the editor of the new anthology Desperately Seeking Susans, and the forthcoming anthology Tag: Canadian Poets at Play (Oolichan Books). Her current poetry project, Status Updates is forthcoming with Oolichan Books in September 2013, and she has a Young Adult novel forthcoming with Orca books in 2014.

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The featured author's reading will be preceded by short readings by two young writers from the Toronto Street Writers, a celebrated local writing group for youth.

After the readings, the youth will interview the guest author about his experiences and work. Audience members are also invited to ask questions.

Light snacks will also be served, giving time for audience members to mingle.

The venue and washroom are accessible.

We welcome and encourage everyone to come and participate, especially those who do not usually go to literary events!

Rape culture is an evocative signifier and an expansive signified. As a term, it implies both individual and diffuse accountability, making it simultaneously benign and accusatory (often rightfully, since we all have a tendency to be part of it). As a concept, it can be a dauntingly large and diverse whole, even to those who recognize and abhor its component parts.

The concept of rape culture can be found anywhere that involves humans interacting, whether it's face-to-face or virtual, direct or mediated, one-on-one or in a group, unassumingly or maliciously. Its vastness is a strength and a weakness to differing degrees, depending on the communicators involved.

As the term "rape culture" increasingly permeates conversation, more communicators seek clarity. While three hours probably won't be enough to verbally crystallize such a pervasive and not-always-tangible concept, let's see what we can do, shall we?

Internet feminist Steph Guthrie hosts a free discussion, for the opinionated and/or the curious, which will serve as a mapping session to take apart the concept and components of rape culture. Hopefully we can put them back together in a slightly less oppressive (and maybe even total opposite) way.

No organization (or person) is an island. Since the Academy opened in January, 2012, we've been collaborating, partnering and co-sponsoring programs with fantastic local artists, cultural, intellectual and social organizations. Click through to their sites to find out the amazing things they do.

“A new academy where young people can learn from and network with professionals from a variety of fields.”—Lily Ames, CBC Radio segment

“It's radical, in the sense of transformative, yet conservative, in the sense of preservative. And it worked.”—Rick Salutin, Toronto Star

“Part community centre, part alternative school, the Academy of the Impossible offers its students a DIY education.”—Stephen Spencer Davis, The Grid

“Learning in this school is just like on the internet, where bits of data are exchanged peer-to-peer.”—Joshua Errett, Now Magazine

“The impossible dream — like that recurring one where you’re a skilled hacker who not only knows how to kick some serious butt, but can also throw down some killer beats — isn’t all that far from reality when you’re a student at Parkdale’s Academy of the Impossible.”—Brianne Hogan, Post City