Arlo Parks

  • Face the Music

    Face the Music My Maisonneuve magazine story about singing, tone deafness and how we hear music is now online. Includes some science, some culture and lots of personal humiliation.

  • Snake River 2012

    Snake River 2012 How many snakes are there in the Yukon? One: the Snake River. (It’s true, there are no reptiles in the Yukon, though with climate change some non-reptilian species — deer, for example — have begun to appear for the first time so that could all change.) The Snake is a river in the Peel Watershed, a massive area of unspoiled wilderness and home to a fragile, biodiverse and invaluable ecosystem. Along with concerns about what climate change will do to the Peel, the watershed is now under special threat because the new premier of the Yukon Territory…

  • In Pursuit of Silver and Gold

    In Pursuit of Silver and Gold Rian Lougheed-Smith (a Dawson City artist, entrepreneur and bartender) wrote this lovely piece about me and my time at Berton House for What’s Up Yukon. Bonus: story includes Joe Strummer lyrics.

  • Ryerson Review of Journalism wins awards

    Ryerson Review of Journalism wins awards Last December, I said goodbye to the Ryerson Review of Journalism after being the instructor on five issues in four years. Since then, I’ve been delighted to see my talented and hard working students get some of the recognition they deserve with various awards. At the National Magazine Awards in June: * Liam Casey won Best New Writer and added two honourable mentions for his “Suicide Notes” in the Winter 2011 issue. * Matt Scianitti also collected two honourable mentions for his “Not All Smurfs and Sunshine” in the Winter 2011 issue From the AEJMC (Association…

  • The Views from Dawson City’s Midnight Dome

    The Views from Dawson City’s Midnight Dome Down the Yukon: The northwestern view from Dawson City’s Midnight Dome I wrote this piece about the views from Dawson City’s Midnight Dome for a Toronto Star Canada Day special package called “My Favourite Place.” The paper also published one of the many photos I shot from the Dome during my three months in Dawson. The title in the print edition was “360 degrees of majesty.”

  • Cover photo

    Cover photo I’ve had cover stories before, but never a cover photo. Until now. I profiled Austrian filmmaker Andreas Horvath for What’s Up Yukon and also shot him atop the Midnight Dome with the Yukon River in the background.

  • My first film

    My first film Entering the Dawson City International Short Film Festival’s One-Minute Film Contest required making my first movie. It was fun, though clearly no career change is in order. (Warning: #NSFW)   http://youtu.be/h86x49fVXus

  • One truck crash, two (or is it three?) print runs and the first chapter

    One truck crash, two (or is it three?) print runs and the first chapter Apparently the truck delivering the copies of Drop the Worry Ball from the printer was in a bad crash and all the books were left in “unsalable condition” (sounds like a joke, I know). The good news is a new run of books is on its way. Even better news is that per-orders have been so encouraging that Wiley has ordered a second printing. As you wait for the books to hit stores — or for the launch party — you can read the first chapter.  

  • Peppermint tea with Caveman Bill

    Peppermint tea with Caveman Bill Caveman Bill steps out his front door When you hear about a guy who lives in a cave, you naturally figure that he leads a rather rudimentary existence. But you’d be surprised. Last week I visited Caveman Bill, who lives in a cave across the river from Dawson City. His place is the size of a studio apartment and has all the comforts of home, including a TV, a laptop and wood stove (it was 25 degrees inside and I had to take my coat off as soon as I arrived) The wood stove kept…

  • Dawson City International Short Film Festival

    Dawson City International Short Film Festival Dawson City doesn’t just seem like a town full of artists, it is one: 10 percent of the residents work in arts and culture and 25 percent of the population volunteers at cultural events. This past weekend the town hosted the Dawson City International Short Film Festival so, in my efforts to fit in, I did a shift as ticket taker at one of the screenings and was a festival blogger. I had a blast seeing lots of great films and meeting lots of great people (both locals and out-of-town filmmakers).