When attempting to describe the theme of the magazine to writers or interested friends, I found myself asking question after question: How do people remember their childhood home? How do people define home? And by that same logic, how does home define them?
Home is something personal yet simultaneously universal. Nevertheless, its essence remains difficult to pin down. When pressed to say something concrete about what we wanted to accomplish with the magazine, all I could do was explain that we hoped to capture the elusiveness of home.
I believe this is elucidated by the tremendous diversity in the subjects covered and the stories told in this magazine. Some stories are bleak. Will Sloan’s introspective “Home Again” details what happens to a familiar place when it’s neglected. This is balanced with Joe Howell’s lighthearted look at fraternity culture, culled from a series of exploits and hijinks experienced during his summer spent living in a frat house. Tom Cardoso’s history of Toronto’s grand experiment in alternative living — the infamous counterculture icon, Rochdale College — is fascinating, and Alex Ross’ examination of the role of the funeral home in Western society is an insightful meditation on a topic that we are naturally averse to discussing.
Perhaps one of the more unexpected topics here is Erene Stergiopoulos’ exploration of the damage that a bedbug infestation can inflict on a person’s psyche. It’s remarkably topical, considering the epidemic that Toronto is currently facing, and will have you fearfully checking your mattress before you go to bed tonight.
I could go on for an entire page about the quality and creativity found inside. All the stories deserve high praise, but I’m running out of space and superlatives, so I’ll leave you with this thought: if the contents of these 28 pages make you stop to examine or rethink your conception of home, even if it is just for a few minutes, then this magazine is a success.
Welcome home.
Sean MacKay
Features Editor, 2010-2011
