Wow I can’t believe it’s almost the middle of March… this year it’s as if winter is merging into spring without a clear boundary. I can hear the birds singing a little louder, excited to share their secrets. Change is in the air.
Speaking of change, I discovered the book People Change by Vivek Shraya at a book & records store in the Junction, where I recently moved. As an adolescent, Vivek identified as male and struggled quite a bit with identity and acceptance of being gay. She came out as a trans woman a few years ago. When I met Vivek at writing workshop many years ago, all I could think was “Wow who’s that hot guy!” and then later discovered that that clearly wasn’t an option. I actually told her this story recently when I ran into her at the premiere of her show How to Fail as a Popstar – she said, “Well thank you!” I also brought up her promise to review my writing – her bewildered expression told me that she clearly didn’t remember making this promise, so I said, “Don’t worry – I won’t hold you to it.”
In the book, she speaks of growing up in a family devoted to Sai Baba (similar to my upbringing), and how at the time she felt strongly that she could no longer live after his predicted death at age ninety-six, when she would be 40 years old. Sai Baba ended up dying at age 84, and Vivek is still going strong, reinventing herself everyday. “Trans” has so many more meanings than you may think. Transcendence, transformation, transition.
Even mere humans are born again and again, according to Hinduism, until our cumulative good words, thoughts, and actions outweigh our bad ones. At this point, our individual soul is liberated and merges with the Supreme Soul. Our bodies are mere shells and our soul aches to be free.
ViVEK SHRAYA
I attended a panel talk at the charming Massey College at University of Toronto recently. One of my favourite writers (and now friend) Farzana Doctor, Bilal Bhaig, Sarah Polley (who I used to watch when I was a kid in Road to Avonlea), and host Elamin Abdelmahmoud presented a thoughtful discussion examining the role of art in politics, and how everything is political these days. I concur – the way you dress, where you live, what you say, what you don’t say, who your friends are, how you spend your money. Canada doesn’t have a history of welcoming politics in art, Sarah said, but in other countries it comes part of the territory of being an artist.
I can’t wait for Mexico City next month when I’ll be immersing myself in the world of my favourite political artist, Frida Kahlo!
My online comedy show for Sahiyo was so fun! There were zoom “watch parties”, people laughing, people on mute, and of course some technical difficulties, but nothing mattered more than just laughing and coming together for something larger than each of us. They are already planning for next year!
This message from a friend was very touching, and showed just how powerful a force laughter can be: “Thank you so much Mita. I’m exhausted and everything is wearing me down – your jokes were so helpful, it’s so good to laugh and to see you.”
Today when I was walking through High Park, I caught a beautiful moment where the sun was setting and a dog sensed that something special was happening, and just stood still. I took a picture, and a man walking by said, “That must’ve been a great picture.” It was.
She's Come Undone 