John Wilson

John Wilson

John Wilson is a freelance editor and award-winning feature writer, based in Toronto. His work has appeared in On The Danforth, Broadview and Today's Parent.

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Latest Articles

Latest Topics

5

Separating Art from Artists

Earlier this year, Hachette Book Group came under significant criticism for picking up the rights to publish writer-director-actor Woody Allen's memoir. Much of the criticism was centred on the seeming hypocrisy of the same firm that published Ronan Farrow's "Catch and Kill," a definitive account of the #MeToo era. This was just the latest in a string of filmmakers, writers, actors and other artists being "cancelled" by the court of public opinion. I propose an article that will address, in a balanced and sensitive fashion, the extent to which people should separate the public work of these artists from their alleged private misdeeds.

  • Great topic. Kevin Spacey and House of Cards anyone. – TheIntrovertedWriter 4 years ago
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  • Ohh this is interesting! I feel like the other big one these days is the harry potter/jk rowling's latent transphobia issues (and how deeply and quietly a lot of her prejudices or ignorance managed to work their way into books that seem to argue exactly against them) – Claire 4 years ago
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Asian Americans in Films of the 1930s, '40s and '50s

I propose an article examining Hollywood's depiction of Asian American characters in the early years of American film. Such portrayals have long been a subject of controversy because they have frequently dealt with stereotypes rather than authentic representations of Asian culture.

  • Just watched Josef von Sternberg's Shanghai Express (1932); worth looking into regarding this subject. I never caught anything overtly racist but there are definitely moments that one might consider insensitive today. The culture and "political correctness" of the time period is always something to keep in mind. – dbotros 4 years ago
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  • Good topic, but I think there's an important distinction that must be made between "Asian Americans in films" and "representations of Asian Americans in films." The former would ideally refer to the ethnicity and/or cultural heritage of the actors who appear in the films (regardless of what type of character they are portraying), whereas the latter refers to the ways in which characters of that ethnic/cultural background are presented (regardless of the identity of the actor portraying that role). While these often go hand-in-hand, particularly in the former case, it is often the instances in which they do not coincide when controversies are more likely to arise. Surely there's a difference between someone like Anna May Wong needing to conform herself to Americans audiences' preconceived notions and stereotypes about Asian culture in order to ensure steady employment for herself, versus something like Mickey Rooney infamously donning yellowface to play Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Just some food for thought. – ProtoCanon 4 years ago
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  • A good idea, begin with Charlie Chan. – Joseph Cernik 4 years ago
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5

Art in the Time of a Pandemic

After witnessing the devastation of the 1918 flu pandemic, Virginia Woolf made the titular heroine of "Mrs. Dalloway" an influenza survivor, embracing life with flowers, friendship and a dinner party.

In recent weeks, we have all seen images of the doctors, nurses and other frontline workers, saving lives in hotspots like Italy and New York. Their faces, tired and worn out, call to mind Edward Munch's "Self Portrait with the Spanish Flu" and "Self Portrait After the Spanish Flu".

I propose a feature on the lessons we can learn from the art of past pandemics.

  • Nice topic. Maybe you can make it How to learn from the art of past pandemics. – birdienumnum17 5 years ago
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Latest Comments

John Wilson

If interested in learning about the background and history of film scoring, check out the recent documentary Max Steiner: Maestro of Movie Music. While not the inventor of the film score, Steiner was an early innovator and adopter of film scoring after the transition to sound films in the late ’20s, and his influence on modern-day film composers cannot be overstated.

How the Score Impacts a Film
John Wilson

You should check out actress Louise Beavers in the 1939 film Reform School, a Black-cast film intended for a segregated Black audience. It is interesting to watch Beavers’ commanding presence in this film as a progressive probation officer and contrast her authoritative performance with her basically supportive, stereotyped roles in mainstream classics like Imitation of Life or Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Misogynoir: The Silent Backbone of Hollywood
John Wilson

It’s interesting to me that author Clare Boothe Luce, a very conservative woman, by all accounts had decidedly mixed feelings about her reputation as an early feminist.

"The Women" a Masterpiece of Troupe Subversion and Toxic Feminism
John Wilson

Great essay. Have you read The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket? It’s Poe’s only novel — it drags a bit and is very different from much of his work, but it’s an interesting read to be sure.

Edgar Allan Poe: Unknown Horrors
John Wilson

An enjoyable piece, but poorly fact-checked. Lorne Michaels was 30 when the show premiered, not 32. Getting something like that incorrect makes me question a writer’s credibility, unfortunately.

The Mainstream Effect of SNL
John Wilson

I would also recommend “Primary,” the 1960 documentary about the Wisconsin primary election between Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey.

All The Director’s Men: A Notable Kennedy Narrative