Toronto: Loring and Wyle

Many years ago, a friend lent me a book called The Girls, about Toronto sculptors Frances Loring and Florence Wyle. They were lifelong companions and were well-known in the arts community. Around 1920 they had purchased an old church and turned it into an artist's studio (now a private home at 110 Glenrose Ave, but designated as a heritage property) . They became the Toklas and Stein of Toronto (although we can't confirm these days if they were a Lesbian couple). Apparently, even their physical appearances were somewhat similar to Gertrude and Alice, with Florence's short hair and male clothing combining with Frances' slighter frame and more womanly dress.

The Girls were together for 55 years, and produced more than 500 pieces, including the magnificent Queen Elizabeth Monument by Loring, Wyle and WL Somerville, which is located at the Sir Casimir Gzowski Park. For many years the famous stone lion and column guarded the Eastern entrance to the QEW.

 Loring-Wyle Parkette, is at the northeast corner of St Clair Ave E and Mount Pleasant Rd. This Rosedale park is situated just one block north of Loring and Wyle's studio-home. It contains the busts The Girls made of each other (pictured) as well as Wyle's The Harvester and Young Girl, plus a commemorative plaque.

The Memorial to Nurse Edith Cavell by Wyle, is located at the Toronto General Hospital, 585 University Ave. This early work stands in the driveway leading to the Robert R McEwen Atrium, embedded in freestanding concrete. 

Mother and Child by Wyle, is at 32 Heath St W. Wyle's well-known depiction of maternal love now takes pride of place outside the Canadian Mothercraft Society in Deer Park, near Yonge and St Clair. The Canadian Coat of Arms by Loring and Wyle, is located at the Canadian customs house while crossing the Niagara Falls Rainbow Bridge toward Canada. There are other magnificent sculptures around Toronto and the world, honouring The Girls.

 

Radio: Kristina DeBarge

Yes, you read the name correctly. Kristina DeBarge is the latest singer coming from the DeBarge family. You probably remember the tune "Rhythm of the Night". Now, James Debarge's daughter is in the game.

Her new hit "Goodbye" is a take on the "na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye" song that has become popular in sports stadiums. It's her first hit, and you can hear it on  LesbianFunWorld Radio. 
 

Contest: Winner!

Maria from the USA is the winner of our April free t-shirt draw for the Rainbow World LOVE t-shirt. Maria, and to everyone who entered, thank you for making it our second most-popular draw! Want to know which one is the most popular? It's May!  

The May free t-shirt draw ends May 15, and it's already our most popular draw item so far. But don't let that stop you, your chances of winning are still good. Drop by the website and enter! Remember you have to correctly answer a not-so-hard multiple choice question to be eligible. 

Plus, because this is so popular, I'll be offering a special link to all contest entrants offering the t-shirt for a reduced price. That way, if you can't live without it, you can still have it at an affordable price!
 

T-Shirts: New

 Yes, more rainbow animals! This beautiful giraffe is showing off its rainbow colours. Fun, funky giraffe is perfect for trips to the zoo, or just making you look cute when you hit the bars that seem like a zoo! Check out the t-shirts below for a rainbow zebra and a rainbow cheetah (or should that be cougar?! LOL!) 

A graphic tee like this adds a splash of colour when with otherwise black clothes. And a funky t-shirt with khakis and a blazer can add a slightly more dressed up look that still keeps it casual (like Ellen!) 

Lifestyle: Wine

I heard the news that recently Les Clos Jordanne Claystone Terrace 2005 Chardonnay, from the Niagara region, won a major wine tasting in Montreal. The vintage was a "pirate" wine, snuck in without telling the judges. All the more remarkable is that the vines weren't planted until 2000, and didn't bear fruit until 2003. So the vines were essentially 2 years old. By comparison, most vines don't produce good enough fruit for 15 years, and in the case of some French vineyards, the vines have been producing for centuries. 

Unfortunately, it's sold out (although you can still buy the 2006). So I wandered the liquor store looking for something to go with a pork stew, and one of the employees, Michael, suggested a Rhone (the vineyards in France have been producing for 2000 years). He said the Antonin Rodet Cotes du Rhone was an excellent and affordable choice ($14). He was right.

The red wine is perfect for a cool and rainy spring day. It has a medium body, with cherry flavours and a bit of spice and pepper. Just enough to give it some taste, and compliment a basic homemade pork stew, without overwhelming with tannins. Not all Rhones are great, and some are barely even mediocre, but the Antonine Rodet 2007 is a delicious mix of grapes (mainly Syrah and Grenache) and has a delicate fruit flavour that works well with chicken, pork or mild red meat dishes. Right now, it's being overlooked by the "vintage people" (since it's not a vintage), but you can bring this wine to almost any dinner or gathering with pride.
 

Lifestyle: Books

Beebo Brinker is one of those weirdly delightful characters that you find in Lesbian pulp fiction: out of place in her world, but fitting very well into contemporary queer society. That Beebo was created by Ann Bannon in 1959. Beebo first appeared in I Am A Woman, Women in the Shadows, Journey to a Woman and Odd Girl Out. She could easily exist in 2009, wandering the streets of Greenwich Village and falling in and out of love. 

Although I think this cover is charming and very indicative of the times (published in 1962), Bannon thinks it is "god awful," and had no control over the cover art. Of course lesbian pulp novels are a unique art form of their own, almost always designed with the male reader in mind.

It was originally published in 1962 by Gold Medal Books, again in 1983 by Naiad Press, and again in 2001 by Cleis Press. Each edition was adorned with a different cover.

The novel was panned by the lesbian press at the time, with reviews ranging from calling it a "disappointment" and progressing to "a sad failure." Funny, since it was Barbara Grier, who started Naiad Press - the publishing company that re-released all of Bannon's books in 1983 - who called it a sad failure. By 2005, Katherine V. Forrest called Beebo Brinker the character, "arguably still the most iconic figure in all of lesbian fiction" and included a chapter in her compilation book Lesbian Pulp Fiction.

Upon its release by Cleis Press in 2001, the Lambda Book Report said Beebo Brinker, "though four decades old, remains a delightful - and now instructive read."

Read it for yourself, and just remember, it's probably older than you are.

Sue's Other Stuff

This kinetic abstract is called Birth of the Universe, Squared. It is available in various sizes and media from ImageKind. I've teamed up with ImageKind to sell my paintings online because they are a reliable company with a reputation for excellent quality. 

Many of my works are available for sale, from abstracts to still-life, figures to buildings, flora to erotic.

It's been a busy month in art, and believe it or not, I've also finished other paintings, including Bold Sunset and Janis Joplin's Last Laugh.

My latest show, at Starbucks (Church and Maitland in Toronto), features Kitten of the Revolution #1 though #4, which are available only at the show. They are an affordable $75 each, with $25 being donated to the Toronto Cat Rescue. The Eyes of God and Man is also for sale at the show, for $125 (also with $25 going to the Toronto Cat Rescue). Below is The Eyes of God and Man, and the Kittens of the Revolution.

Whew! I'll be back next month with another newsletter. But until then remember...

 Love Women, Have Fun, Wear T-Shirts!

-- Sue