Check out my latest essay about travelling Ontario in the time of COVID

Sold another essay recently, and it’s a return to my roots so to speak – travel writing! I used to sell travel writing all the time (probably because I was travelling so much!) but obviously because of COVID, travel has been restricted. So I wrote for the official Northern Ontario Travel magazine about how 2020 was very much about no-passport travel for me and my boyfriend. We took road-trips across northern Ontario and discovered places we ordinarily would never have ventured to. We also discovered a lot of perks of travelling in the time of COVID that were totally unexpected.

The piece includes all of my own original photography as well (yes those are my tender tootsies on the dashboard). The story is actually really funny (well it’s funny now in hindsight) because we also got horrible lost at one point with not a soul around for kilometres and we were saved by a local man named Keith. Let us forever sing the ballad of the legend of Keith of the north. Praise be.

Click here to read my story in its entirety. Enjoy and travel safely.

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But wait, there’s more!

Recently I told you about the short play I was performing for the Next Stage Community Booster in the Toronto Fringe Festival. Welp, the festival was a huge success, and my short was even reviewed!

Mooney On Theatre (which is one of the most popular and all-expansive theatre critique sites in Toronto) said that my performance was “expressive,” “graceful,” and “definitely worth checking out.”

So . . . I don’t suck? News to me!

I’m so pleased my writing and performance resonated with so many people! Check out the entire review of my theatre piece here.

As always, don’t forget to check out Christine Estima dot com for more of my published works and performances!

Watch me perform at the Next Stage Community Booster with @Toronto_Fringe !

Cat’s out of the bag! I recently found out that my short one-woman play Thou Shalt Not COVID Thy Neighbour’s Wife was chosen to be a part of The Next Stage Community Booster! In association with the Toronto Fringe Festival and Steamwhistle Brewery, the Next Stage Festival couldn’t go on as planned this year for obvious reasons, so instead a select number of theatre makers and thinkers are participating in a series of performances, talks, dialogues, and other activities to boost the community!

My play, which is under the Storytelling With Steamwhistle category, was chosen along with eight other great theatre makers in Toronto trying to continue the tradition of theatre and storytelling under unprecedented times.

The big event starts next week, and I’m proud to be part of this event with my show that I wrote just in the past few weeks and also had to film in one take for the event! I filmed it at the Steamwhistle Brewery just over a week ago with a masked-up and socially-distanced crew who were incredible and it was such a fun experience (especially since I spent all of the Christmas holidays trying to memorize the dang script!)

The Next Stage Community Booster runs Jan 21-24 online at fringetoronto.com and also features dozens of other indie artists who are hustling to make work during these incredible times. Check out the full listings here and support as best you can: https://bit.ly/38qSKYx

ICYMI: Check out my interview in @Macleans Magazine!

Maclean’s Magazine, the largest political commentary national magazine in Canada, interviewed me and my boyfriend Gabe about our post-pandemic travel plans, and it was published online! It’s also going to be in the January 2021 print issue as well (can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!). During this time of closed borders and health concerns, travel has had to be pushed to the back burner. So we’re using this time to save money for a huge around-the-world trip that we hope we’ll be able to do in 2022, and we spoke all about the ins and outs of that feasibility with Maclean’s. Click here to read!

I’m so pleased that my life and the things I have to say always seems to catch the attention of the media. Even though I work in media, I usually write about other people and newsworthy topics. It’s nice to know that my own voice and experiences (along with my life partner, of course) are deemed by many to be newsworthy too.

Enjoy and don’t forget to visit my official Christine Estima dot com! There you’ll find and read all the times the media has profiled and interviewed me! Fanks for the support munchkins!

Listen to my @CBCTapestry interview in full!

Recently, I mentioned that my feature essay in Maisonneuve Magazine was garnering some media attention. Now, the CBC Radio show Tapestry has taken an interest. They read my article and then interviewed me about my essay and my Arab family’s deep roots in Canada. The interview is about 20 minutes long and it even sounds like a radio play! There’s music and sound effects and other media, archival, and research clips peppered throughout. It’s a super fun listen, so please click this audio file to listen or click here!

The show aired on CBC Radio One this past weekend, but the entire interview is also available anytime to listen on their website. I’m so pleased that my article and my family’s story is resonating with so many people! It’s so great sometimes to be a writer and have your words really mean something to complete strangers.

Check out my latest essay in @maisonneuvemag that is garnering media attention!

2020 has been an unpredictable year for us all, so apologies for not updating this wee lil 15-year-old blog as much as I used to! So far it’s been an incredible for my career, and so many other things happening as well, that this post is going to have to encompass all of them! Hey, bloggers can’t be choosers (har har).

First things first, all year I have been researching and writing a piece for Maisonneuve Magazine about the deep roots that Arabs have in Montreal and also Canada + my family’s long and storied history therein. The fall issue of the magazine has finally hit the newsstands and you can read my feature essay in its entirety! Because Maisonneuve is such a great mag, I would highly encourage you to purchase a copy here, especially if you don’t live in Canada and want your own issue delivered to your door!

But if you can’t make it out to the newsstands (thanks COVID), you can read the essay in its entirety here!

It’s really making an impact and readers are really connecting with the story – so much so, that CityNews Montreal interviewed me last week about my new essay. You can watch that entire interview below!

It’s so strange how, at least once a year, I manage to attract the attention of the media. Sure, I am a writer myself and have connections, but honestly, these are reporters reaching out to me and not vice versa. So it feels so great to know that what I have to say and the stories I want to share are truly fascinating and interesting to people.

If you live in Canada, Maisonneuve Mag is sold at all Indigo/Chapters locations, as well as Type Books, Book City, Coles, and other shops! This is what my issue looks like!

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On top of being a literary darling (hahaha, kidding!) (not kidding), I’ve also had A SUMMER. It’s been truly busy with my continuing gig at eTalk (it’s been a year now! Time flies!) plus all of the adventures I’ve been up to (even with the borders closed and COVID ravaging our travel plans, we’ve been enjoying tons of road trips, and still more to come!).

If you’ve been following here for a while, you know that every once in a while, I dabble in a bit of modelling just for shits n’ giggles. Last year I did quite a few shoots that I never blogged about, but I really enjoyed this recent shoot with regular collaborator Graham, so I thought I’d post some of the shots we did this summer. I love the colours (we shot at dusk along the waterfront overlooking the city of Toronto) and we captured them without even using lighting!

I still have more things in the pipeline and can’t wait to share them with you all. In the meantime, be sure to bookmark and check Christine Estima dot com often for more of my published articles, press interviews, photoshoots, and more!

Head’s up vegan/vegetarians! Check out my new food essay in The @TorontoStar!

During this time of uncertainty for many freelance writers around the world, I somehow managed to sell my very first food story to The Toronto Star! The Food section is a place I never thought I’d have a byline, so I’m super proud of this one. Head’s up vegans/vegetarians (or anyone looking to reduce their meat intake), this is about Liquid Smoke, a must-have pantry ingredient to zest up your plant-based recipes (and since we’re all quarantined at home right now, this is something you will definitely be using more of. No more boring self-isolation meals!). Click here or the above image to read! I will update this post when it’s also published in the print edition!

APRIL 15, 2020 EDIT!: it’s printed in today’s print edition, in the Life Section!

I’ve been trying to break into The Toronto Star for years, so this is very special to me, and clicks are appreciated!

As I mentioned above, right now during such times of uncertainty, it’s hard being a freelance writer. Many of my friends in the industry are seeing their income drastically reduced. Freelance budgets are drying up at newspapers and magazines, most pitches are being rejected across the board, and there is a rising sense of anxiety in the industry. I’m super lucky to be a regular, daily contributor at eTalk as I blogged about previously. They’ve actually given me more work lately, so on top of my regular late night TV beat, I also do news hits in the morning, and even some entertainment roundups and special one-offs! Here’s my late night column from this morning that I really liked (feminist Ryan’s, holla!), a news hit from this morning (Swifties rejoice!), a special one-off dedicated to Mariah Carey, and an entertainment roundup for all of us stuck in quarantine. I am loving all the extra work, but I realize I am super lucky. Many thanks to every editor and publication who agrees to take me on!

As always, fanks for the support, my munchkins, and please visit the official Christine Estima dot com for more of my published stories, essays, and more!

I got a Green Card. Now What?: my latest essay in @VICE

It’s been a hot minute since I last blogged, but that’s because a lot of life has been happening and I have always been hellbent on living it!

I recently realised that it’s been 15 years since I started this wee lil’ blog. It used to be poetic musings about my life. Then it turned into a kind of street art photography blog. Then for a while it was just about my travel adventures. Back when I started this in 2005, I was 24 and a very different woman than I am today at 38 (almost 39!). Now, I don’t particularly care to share my private life in a public way. Instead, I sell off the details of my private life to magazines and newspapers. So if you want to know anything about my life, you can fucking pay me. *winky face*

With that in mind, I’ve published my latest personal essay in VICE. If you remember, I used to be a regular contributor to VICE for many years, but I backed away from it a few years ago. Recently, my old editor reached out and said I’d always be welcome to return. So I wrote about my experience over the past 8 years in applying for (and finally getting) a Green Card to the U.S. It was a bewildering experience that pitted my dreams against my principles. Click here or the above image to read!

Speaking of writing, if you remember back in October, I became a late night TV talk show columnist for eTalk. That’s still ongoing, and I publish new recaps and musings on the late night TV circuit every day! I’ve uploaded about 60 of my articles to my personal website, if you want just a taste of my work over there. But if you’d like a daily dose, follow me on Twitter!

In other news, sometimes I still find the time to be in front of the camera (just like in my old reality TV star days…). In December, I was asked to make a cameo in the latest music video for the synth-pop band Featurette. (Full disclosure, Lexie and Jon from the band are personal friends). So I brought in my typewriter and my old nerd glasses, and I was a complete goofball in their fun, flirty, and inspirational music vid for the track “You do you!”.

 

You can watch the entire vid above, but here are some stills of me in the video, just for your pleasure.

Okay, I’m fricken endearing.

Fun fact: we shot this music video in the same location as Oscar-winning film Spotlight, and also the Canadian indie hit Level 16.

Fanks for sticking around for 15 years, my munchkins, and don’t forget to check out the official Christine Estima dot com for more!

I did three live on-air media interviews in 24 hours: a day in the life

So I’ve done a LOT of media interviews in my life. I’ve been a guest on TV talk shows, TV morning shows, TV news reports, I’ve done countless radio interviews, and I’ve been interviewed many times for print publications. In addition, the fact that I was a cast member for two different TV shows probably prepared me for a lot of the intricacies that comes with dealing with the media. And let’s not forget, I work in media! I’ve been a freelance writer and columnist since Christ was a cowboy. So perhaps I occupy this strange little nook where not only do I write stories for the media, I am actually sometimes the story.

Case in point – Remembrance Day. A couple weeks ago I was contacted by AMI audio, a radio station that caters to people with different disabilities. They had found my Globe & Mail essay about my collection of wartime love-letters, and wanted to interview me about the topic. Naturally, I said of course, and we did the interview early on Remembance Day morn. You can listen to it here or by clicking the soundcloud link below!

Fun, right? All in a day’s work. After that was over, I went about my regular day-gig as a columnist for The Loop and didn’t expect much else to occur.

Then I checked my Twitter.

A tweet of mine from the night before, wherein I was critical of the inflammatory comments Don Cherry made about new Canadians, had kind of blown up. It wasn’t exactly viral, I’ve had other tweets with larger traction than this one, but I guess it spoke to a lot of people. It clearly also spoke to CTV News Network because I found in my inbox an interview request from them.

Before I know it, I’m on Skype with the producers, whilst doing my makeup sans-mirror and trying to fix the lighting in my living room before BAM! I’m suddenly live on-air coast-to-coast to a national audience. Guy, I wish I were kidding when I tell you that it all happened so fast, I forgot to put on a bra.

 

It’s a very short interview, but it came out okay AFAIC. You can watch it on the CTV News Network channel here or watch it on Youtube below!

Then, after that interview was done, and my social media was blowing up with Tweets, DMs, and messages from people all across the country (Hi angry message boards! Yes I am a woman with an opinion! EVERYBODY SHIT YOURSELVES), yet ANOTHER interview request popped into my inbox from my old pals at CJAD 800.

You might remember I was interviewed by them earlier this year about my time as a cast member of two  TV shows, and this time they wanted my hot take on Don Cherry and also to talk about my unique family and our contributions to the war effort.

So this morning, after I had submitted my latest column for The Loop, I went live on-air for yet ANOTHER interview! You can listen to it here, or by clicking the interview below!

They all went very well and I’m super pleased with how everything turned out. But it’s crazy how life comes at ya fast. One day you’re writing essays, the next you have second to prepare before your face is being seen by thousands of people across the country. Hi country!

In any case, I have been selling a lot of stories lately and I’m still writing up a storm, so to keep up to date, please visit the official Christine Estima dot com for more of my media interviews, my published works, and more!

My latest freelance gig: I’m a Late Night TV Talk Show columnist

The life of a freelance writer is a precarious one. Most days we don’t know where our next paycheque is coming from, and we’re constantly chasing up money we are due from unresponsive accounts payable departments! It’s a lot of pitching, a lot of rejection, and trying over and over again. I’ve been lucky over the years to be able to live off of my writing whilst being awarded some generous artistic awards to keep me going in the lean months, but having a steady gig (short of becoming a staff writer) is the dream of every writer slugging it out in the fields.

Luck struck me a few weeks ago and I haven’t really said anything because it’s all still so new, but I recently signed the contract so I guess I can say a word or two here: I’m now a regular freelancer for eTalk! For those outside of Canada, eTalk is a massive entertainment news show that covers everything from the Oscars red carpet to movie premieres and everyday celebrity hot takes. They also have an online magazine named The Loop, and recently they took me on to be their new Late Night TV Talk Show columnist!

Yes, that means I get paid to watch lots of Late Night Talk Shows and write about all the fun, buzzworthy, wacky things that happen! Not too shabby. I officially can’t complain.

Even though I’ve only been doing this for a few weeks, I’ve already amassed a massive catalogue of articles under my column, so it would be too much to link them all here. But you’re in luck – click here to visit my official dot com and view a scrolling gallery of all of my published pieces thus far AND to click on the ones you want to read!

So far I’ve been able to reveal breaking news about a possible Friends reunion, recap all of Kanye’s wacky antics, dish on ScarJo’s engagement party rules, watch Demi Moore dunk on Bruce Willis, and gasp at Jessica Biel throwing shade at *NSYNC.

Clicks are appreciated, so please follow me on Twitter to read my regular daily doses as they are published hot off the press.

Fanks for the support, munchkins! And as always, don’t forget to visit Christine Estima dot com to read more of all my published short stories, essays, op-ed, columns, and reportage!

WATCH: My interview on @CityNews about #BUNZ

 

Click the above video or click here to watch my interview today on CityNews Toronto. I was contacted by their reporter to lend my voice and opinion on local trading and bartering app BUNZ which has had some recent upheaval. If you remember, I’ve written in the past about BUNZ for VICE and for the The Walrus, so naturally I had some things to say about recent changes to the community.

Look Ma, I’m erudite and oh-so studious!

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to check out the official Christine Estima dot com for more of my interviews on the news and on talkshows!

Listen to my interview on CJAD 800 about my reality TV experiences

Today I was interviewed on Montreal’s CJAD 800 talk radio about my reality tv experiences. You can listen in full by clicking the soundcloud above or clicking here

This blog always gets a lot of traffic this time of year because one of the tv shows in which I was cast, First Dates, always premieres a new season around this time. And then this old blog post of mine suddenly is getting a bajillion hits.

After the clusterfuck of death and rape threats died down, and I left the UK for good, I wrote about my experiences for VICE, in a piece which went viral around the world. Seeing as how the producers of First Dates had a duty of care but failed to care for my well-being and best interests, writing this piece seemed to me the quickest way to get to the truth.

This piece regularly makes the rounds every year, and host Natasha Hall of CJAD read it and invited me on for a quick chat. It was a joy to speak to her, her and her producer were lovely and I would gladly go back on if/when invited

Fanks for listening to the interview and for the support, munchkins.

As always, don’t forget to visit the official Christine Estima dot com for more of my interviews on TV, radio, and print!

Sexy #StarTrek Dreams: Watch my latest performance at #GRTTWaK!

Back in September, I performed for the second time at Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids. You might remember the first time I performed, where I read a teenage diary entry all about a soft-core erotica film I saw on television. This time, I read two teenage diary entries about these dreams I had about Star Trek. The dreams were – you guessed it – sex dreams.

A running theme, n’est-ce pas?

This reading was also included recently in GRTTWaK’s podcast so after you watch the video, make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you can hear my story along with a bevvy of other talented readers from across Canada. These stories are often weird, wonderful, always cringeworthy, sometimes bittersweet, and often adorbs. It’s amazing to re-read old diary entries and think about the person you once were when you were growing up, and to compare/contrast with who you are now. It’s always a revelation.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to visit the official Christine Estima dot com for more of my live storytelling!

The 2018 Allan Slaight Prize for Journalism: I’m A Nominee!

Today has been an interesting day to say the least.

I started the day with a heart-swell: my editor at The Globe and Mail forwarded me some delightful and lovely readers comments they had received on my essay that was published the other day. (Fanks for reading, everyone!) So that was a shot in the arm.

Then I received notification that I’ve been nominated for the 2018 Allan Slaight Prize for Journalism.

Wait . . . say that again? What?

WHAT!

The $10,000 prize celebrates the journalistic contributions by independent writers who have researched and examined some of the more pressing and timely issues of the day. And, apparently, this essay of mine that was published in The Walrus is the kind of stuff they’re jonesing for.

That piece — of which I am hugely proud, and was a joy to write (high-five to my editor!) —  detailed my experience of developing a roll of film I found on the curb and then searching for the lost photographer.

Cool, cool.

But have you seen the other 9 nominees for this award? THEY’RE JOURNALISTIC HEAVYWEIGHTS. We’ve got Justin Ling (I started reading every word he published when we were both writing for VICE), Stephen Marche (I loved his first novel, and even gushed to him about it at his book launch at Hart House . . . like a psychopath), Kamal Al-Solaylee (true story: I cited much of his stuff in my Masters thesis), and even the guy who won the award last year! I mean, come on! I am indeed in excellent company and I am huge fans of all the other nominee’s work. I’m honoured to be named amongst them!

They say it’s an honour just to be nominated.

Fam, lemme tell ya, I’m just honoured they even know who the hell I am. Do you know how many pieces The Walrus publishes each year? Scores! I have no idea how my wee lil’ longform essay struck their fancy above everything else the award committee had to consider, but I am eternally humbled, delighted, pleased, obliged, and I may or may not have happy-cried a few times (Don’t tell anyone, I have a reputation to keep).

I’ve never been nominated for an award that I didn’t apply for myself. So this is new territory for me. I’ve always felt like an outsider in the Canadian writing community (It’s full of white men, and I’m a woman and an ethno-cultural minority. Many doors were slammed in my face because editors didn’t think my stories would resonate with – you guessed it – white men). So to be recognised in this manner is hugely meaningful to me.

Maybe I’ll win, maybe I won’t. But lemme tell ya — ya homegirl already feels like a winner.

One final note – today ended on a high-note as well. After every joyful thing that transpired today, I went grocery shopping, and this guy walks up to me in the chocolate aisle (as you do) and asks, “Is your name Christine?”

“Yeahhhhh,” I said tentatively.

“I follow you on Twitter, I read all of your stuff.”

…Pause for the length of the Old Testament…

“Wait. Have we ever met before?”

“No, I just really like your stuff. I follow you on Twitter and Instagram and I read everything you write.”

Guys, if ever there was a day to feel sassy, today was that day.

Fanks for all the support, my munchkins. I will keep you updated as things develop!

Don’t forget to check out the official Christine Estima dot com for more of my published works!

My Wartime Love Letters: read my latest essay in @globeandmail! #RemembranceDay

People are always telling me that I should write about my love letter collection, especially after that Toronto Life profile on me a couple years ago. And this past year, I bought a stack of love letters in Toronto, and decided to go on an investigative journey to find out what happened to these lovers separated by war and an ocean. I wrote about it for The Globe and Mail (my second time being published in this national paper) and they published it today in their Remembrance Day issue. They sent over a photographer to my place to complement the piece, and in the print edition, they gave me a two-page spread. That’s prime real estate, ya’ll. If you can’t pick up a copy today, click here to read!

It was really great working with the team at G&M today, they were really excited about this project, and they even met with me in person so we could talk about ideas. I almost never meet my editors in real life! Mind-blown.

Thanks for reading and for the support, munchkins!

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In other news, I recently was interviewed by Karim Kanji for his very popular podcast Welcome! He gets like 12,000 hits, which is crazy! We chatted about — you guessed it — love letters, my writing career, graffiti and street art, Banksy, Jian Ghomeshi, the #MeToo movement, and everything in between. It’s a really great listen! High five to Karim to inviting me.

As always, don’t forget to check out the official Christine Estima dot com for more of my published works!

Why I Wish I Never Reported My Assault: read my latest essay in @WalrusMagazine

After the Jian Ghomeshi essay, and the Kavanaugh Hearings, it felt like a timely and relevant idea to get my story out.

I don’t have anything else to say on the matter.

In terms of writing, this process was an extremely long one. For obvious reasons, this essay had to be fact-checked. But the process took over two months, mostly because the magazine (bless ’em) wanted to make sure they had crossed all the T’s and dotted all the i’s, in case anyone wanted to come back at me and call me a liar.

The burden of proof the fact-checker required was greater than what the police required to press charges against my assailant.

So I double-dare you to call me a goddamned liar.

Thanks for reading and for the support, my munchkins.

Fuck the patriarchy.

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In other news, I spent the weekend with photographer and fellow writer Graham Isador, who took nice shots of me on a rooftop.

If you don’t think photographs are important, wait until they’re all you have left.

Check out my official website Christine Estima dot com for more of my published works.

Kirk/Spock: listen to me on the #GRTTWAK podcast!

A few weeks ago, I performed for a second time at the Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids stage in Toronto. I shared two teen diary entries where I wrote about Kirk/Spock dreams.

Were the dreams nerdy?

Yes.

Were they sex dreams?

Also yes.

Just like last time, I have been included in their latest podcast episode, which you can listen to on your device via the podcast app, or listen here:

Enjoy!

My latest essay in the @NYTimes: Taking Back My Eyebrows

So . . . this happened.

I sold an essay to The New York Times! They launched a new column in the Style section called Rites Of Passage, and I’m one of the first people to be published in it. I’ve been keeping a lid on this news for a while because, even after I sign a contract, I’m still never sure something will be published until I see it in print. Working with my editors at the Times was incredible, they were so kind and generous. This was a very quick process too, from submitting, to acceptance, to editing, to published. I’m so pleased with how it all turned out. Read it here!

One thing was edited out which I’ll share here: a behind the scenes look at some of things I wanted to say.

Well, I won’t tell you, I’ll show you:

I mean, it’s obvious why that wasn’t included in the final version, but as many of you already know, when it comes to my eyebrows, I GOT STORIES.

Thanks for the support, and if you want more, don’t forget to check out the official Christine Estima dot com, where you can read in full all of my published work!

#SamanthaBee can say ‘feckless cunt’ all she wants: my latest essay in @NYDailyNews

So, funny story.

I was tweeting, as I am wont to do.

An editor at the New York Daily News saw it, and asked me if I’d like to write an op-ed.

So I banged out an essay in 27 minutes.

I’m published online and in today’s print edition so IF YOU LIVE IN NYC, can you head to a newsstand, grab a copy and help a sistah out? I’ll reimburse you if you mail it to meeeeeeee.

Seeing as how all of my UK/EU friends cannot read the essay online because of the new GDPR regulations, I have screencapped the whole thing here. Enjoy!

 

Check out my interview in @Macleans Magazine

After the Toronto terrorist attack perpetrated by an Incel misogynist last month, I tweeted about the ludicrous male entitlement and fragility that make up “incels.” The tweet subsequently went viral and I received in response a deluge of obscene, disgraceful, inhuman, and sexually-harassing messages from angry white dudebros online. So I fought back and it was the sheer act of fighting back that made my original tweet go even farther online than I imagined. I gained 1000+ new Twitter followers in 24 hours, my tweet was liked over 5000 times, and it was screencapped & shared in FB groups all over the internet.  It was a crazy period.

As a result, Maclean’s Magazine published a piece about incels, misogyny, and the fight against targeted harassment of women. Friend Andray Domise interviewed me and others about fighting against online harassment, and the piece was published recently. It’s a really great piece, of which you should read in full, but here’s a section which contains a snipped of my interview:

With this in mind, I’ve recently sold two essay pitches to two different magazines, one of which will deal with the ongoing oppression and subjugation of women, and I can’t wait to share them with you when they’re published.

Check out more of my press interviews and media profiles on my official website Christine Estima dot com!

Read my latest essay published in @WalrusMagazine !

Here’s something I’ve been keeping a lid on for some months, but am super excited to finally share! I sold a story to The Walrus! For my international readers, The Walrus is a Canadian magazine that could easily be likened to The New Yorker – a highly-curated arts and culture magazine with some amazing critical thinkers writing for and creating the magazine. It’s a national magazine, available across the country.

My essay, published today, is about the time last year when I found a roll of film on the curb and set out to find the lost photographer. It’s a really quirky story that involves a lot of six-degrees-of-kevin-bacon but also about expectations v reality. I may or may not mention Amélie once or twice within this piece. Check it out and share it with your friends!

So here’s something funny about this process of being a freelance writer that is related to this story – last year, another magazine (which shall remain nameless) bought this story. They sat on this story for 7 months. They edited it so it stripped out all the colour, flare, style, and tone of my writing. They were absolutely unreachable at times, and it was a super frustrating experience working with them. Finally, a publication date for this past January was set. They paid me in full in anticipation of the publication date. Then, ON THE DAY it was set to be published, I received an email from the editor, saying that they were killing the story because it was “too local” and not something that would appeal to people across the country.

What the shizz?

Not once in the 7 months that they had the story was the concern that it was “too local” ever raised. Also, that’s a bullshit criticism, you guys have read the story, do you find this story unappealing to people outside of Toronto? Rhetorical question.

And worst of all, before that publication had bought the story, I had pitched it elsewhere, & some places only got back to me after said-publication bought it. So I had turned down other publications for them! For those of you outside of the publishing world, you should know this kind of behaviour and practice is all SUPER UNPROFESSIONAL. I’ve had stories killed before, but not on the DAY it was to be published, for such a lame excuse, after paying me in full. Most writers I know have had similar experiences with them, and warned me about them.  So in my reply, I told them exactly what I thought. May the bridges I burn light the way.

I subsequently erased ALL the edits they did on my piece, and went back to my true voice that they tried to strip from the piece. Sometimes editors try to “trim the fat” of a story, but any chef will tell you that the fat has all the flavour. Good writing requires a style and a voice, and I wasn’t going to let them convince me my voice needed to be trimmed.

Fast forward to this past autumn, The Walrus bought the story (and frankly, The Walrus is a much better publication, with a helluva lot more respect), and the process of fashioning and editing the piece with them has been light years ahead and beyond what said-shizz-publication was like. And I’m super proud of this end result. Because above all, I found a publication that nurtured and encouraged my voice and style.

There are a lot of shady things publications try to do to freelance writers  . . . and most of the time, they get away with it. Being freelance means you don’t get the support of HR and you’re in this legal gray area most of the time. So I’ve learned that you have to be your best advocate in this business . . .  because the world doesn’t owe you any favours. Hustle and work hard, and it will all sort itself out in the end.

And maybe, if you’re really lucky, you’ll get paid twice for the same story 😉

(Yes that was tacky of me, but I’m not deleting it.)

Don’t forget to check out the official Christine Estima dot com for more of my published essays, stories, and more!