In his commentary, the writer highlights the way people deal with race, religion and gender issues in Malaysia. Wong Chun Wai Call me naive if you want, but will we ever get past our obsession with race, religion, gender, marital status and sexual orientation? And for some strange reason, we are prepared to "overlook", even become apologists, for corruption and child marriages. Some of us have the most absurd defence for corruption, even if it's of global magnitude. As for paedophilia, we condone and accept it as the way for child marriages. But when it involves race, religion and gender, we choose to look the other way, even when the rights of the minority are trampled on. Most of us are too meek to defend them because we fear the backlash for daring to stand up and speak for them. In the age of social media, the incessant attacks are far worse, naturally. So, don't count on too many people to have your back. They may have appeared fearless, or outspoken on other issues, but if … [Read more...] about The storm brewing in a tea cup: The Star columnist
Star columnists
Toronto Star columnist tells all about her debut romantic comedy novel
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By Sue Carter Special to the Star Fri., June 8, 2018 Other than a certain pair of young star-crossed lovers, is there any couple in literary history that has inspired as much swooning — and as many adaptations — as the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and her brooding amour, Mr. Darcy? From Colin Firth’s star-turning wet shirt scene in the 1995 BBC minidrama to the charming web seriesThe Lizzie Bennet Diaries, modern-day romantics can’t seem to get enough of Jane Austen’s 200-year-old comedy of manners, Pride and Prejudice. Uzma Jalaluddin, a Markham high school English teacher and Toronto Star columnist, remembers first falling under the spell of Pride and Prejudice as a teenager growing up in a tight-knit Muslim community in Scarborough. The self-declared “Austen fan girl” had already reread the classic novel countless times and devoured all the screen adaptations in 2010 when she started working on her debut novel, Ayesha at … [Read more...] about Toronto Star columnist tells all about her debut romantic comedy novel
Understanding the meaning of ‘the sky’s the limit’ as the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund kicks off
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By Edward Keenan Star Columnist Fri., May 25, 2018 I got my family out of bed to look at the sky. This was last summer, in the woods near Lake Superior in the Michigan upper peninsula. We’d spent a couple of days awed by the vast cold lake and wandering the rocky trails surrounding it. We’d gone boating, tried paddle-boarding, done a bit of unsuccessful fishing, sat around a campfire and ate s’mores. All kinds of beauty and fun and peace. But this, I had to show them. The night sky, lit with thousands — millions — of dots of light piercing a blanket of pitch black. Clusters and stripes of stars, bright shining superstars, shooting stars, stars that seemed to pulse with energy as you fixed your gaze on them. You see stars in the city. Sometimes you can even make out a constellation. It’s nice enough. Article Continued Below But you don’t see this. A whole universe opening up in front of you, an illuminated … [Read more...] about Understanding the meaning of ‘the sky’s the limit’ as the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund kicks off
Former columnist Joe Fiorito releases poetry book
By Julien Gignac Staff Reporter Fri., April 20, 2018 Former Star columnist Joe Fiorito often observed Toronto through the lens of the most vulnerable people, unafraid to bash the systemic complications that placed them there in the first place. Knowing this is necessary, given his new book, City Poems, is somewhat of a distillation of his newspaper years into honed verse (Fiorito retired about a year-and-a-half ago from the Star after about 14 years). Over Fiorito’s career, column writing and poetry often fed into each other, he told the Star in an interview. This marriage of the written word coalesces in his new book. Tell me about City Poems. This book is a real document of this city. Everything in it is real or based on something real, sort of something recast to make a sharper point. Article Continued Below This book takes place at the intersection of literature and current affairs. I have the notes for every single column I’ve ever … [Read more...] about Former columnist Joe Fiorito releases poetry book
How the Star’s Opinions Editor chooses commentary from the public
This story is part of the Star’s trust initiative, where, every week, we take readers behind the scenes of our journalism. This week, we look at how Opinions Editor Scott Colby curates a wide range of viewpoints from contributors across political, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Everyone has an opinion. Scott Colby, the Star’s Opinions Editor, confronts this truism every day. Colby will receive, on an average day, between 10 and 15 opinion pieces from members of the public covering a whole host of topics. Those hoping to get published run the gamut of the professional world, from politicians, academics, and economists, to lawyers, businesspeople, and health-care professionals. He also hears regularly from non-profit groups, agencies and students.His job is to sort through the submissions, choosing pieces that provide readers with thoughtful commentary on public interest issues. And that’s in addition to handling opinion pieces from the Star’s regular … [Read more...] about How the Star’s Opinions Editor chooses commentary from the public