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Is the pitch email one day late or six days early?

Hey Arts pals! I know midterm season is upon us, but hopefully you're all finding time to practice some self-care and stay sane this semester.There are some great pitches this week as usual, but I've also got a few important announcements.First of all, it's Required Reading time again! Required Reading articles are 500-800 word pieces that appear in our monthly print magazine that can be in the format of Q&As, social commentaries, or anything else you're interested in.We're currently looking for submissions for the December issue that fit with our theme of "Gender and Healthcare." Healthcare has obviously been a big topic this year, and we want to highlight healthcare workers while also looking at how gender intersects with the field.You can check out the Required Reading articles from our October issue here. Let me know if you're interested in making a submission of your own! We're also looking for submissions for crosswords, horoscopes, and other diversion that will be included the magazine, so if those are more up your alley, let me know!Also just a heads up that next week's pitch meeting will feature a presentation on how to write reviews from yours truly, me (Tom)! Even if you can't take a pitch next week, I would suggest checking out the presentation just so you can learn some tips to make your next review stand out. We also have an exciting presentation from a special guest planned for November 17th, but I've already said too much. Keep an eye on future emails to find out more! And now, as always, the recurring columns:

• *NEW* The Hobby Hole: Tell us about any unique hobbies you have or give a fresh take on an old favourite. It could be a passion project or an activity you do when you want to lay back, unplug your brain, and watch the hours fly by.

• *NEW* Paddling up the Livestream: Wax lyrical about your favourite livestreams, put us onto some hidden-away gems, or give your hot-takes on livestream culture!

• *NEW* The First Time: Try something totally new and write about your experience. It could be a cuisine you’ve heard great things about, an unfamiliar type of music, or an activity you've never tried before. Tell us about it all from the POV of a complete novice.

• *NEW* Dream Team: Write about your ultimate dream collab! It might be a Stephen King children’s books series or a Billie Eilish x Tyler, the Creator supergroup. Tell us what makes your dream team such a gamechanger.

• *NEW* Off-Campus Gems: Tell us about a local gem in and around the University area. It could be a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, your favourite bar, or even your go-to convenience store. Celebrate all things U of A and Old Strathcona!

• Gateway to Gastronomy: Know any fun and easy to follow recipes? Share it in this recurring segment.

• Exploring Edmonton: Do you know any cool places around Edmonton that people should visit? Write about them in this new series!

• Lunch Break: An Arts & Culture series where we share fun recipes with humorous commentary. It's wholesome and lowkey, so check it out and send an installment over!

• Brew Crew/Vino Bitches: A fun, short review of your favourite (or not-so-favourite) beers, wines, or other alcoholic beverages of choice.

• Noodle Nation: Who loves noodles? You (might) love noodles! Write a column on your favourite noodles or noodle haunts.

• Pot Thots: Write about your favourite strains, equipment, dispensaries, and more in our column on the world of legal weed.

• Eating Edmonton: Write about your favourite (or not-so-favourite) local haunts in this miscellaneous foodie column. A great way to spotlight local restaurants in a time when they really need it!

• DatApp: Have an app that’s been a gamechanger? Wax eloquently about it (or a few of your favourites) in this column.

• Top 5: Top 5 streaming shows, places to cry in public, work-from-home tips...you name it, you can write a Top 5 on it!

• Diss Track: Are there 3-4 songs that grind your gears in the worst way possible? Diss the crap out of them in this column.

• Doin’ You: Everyone has something they do exceptionally well. Wanna teach others your wizardry? Walk us step-by-step through the process of a master for this column.

• Playlists: Have killer musical taste? Share it on The Gateway with a curated playlist.

• Retro on Retro: Is some classic piece of media on your mind? Reflect on it with the distance of time in this column. Discuss the qualities, staying power, and impact of your favourite old movie, video game, album, book, play, or whatever else!

• Double Take: Love spitting fire-hot takes on pop culture? You and a friend (or foe) can team up to write opposing takes on some piece of art/entertainment/media.

• ...AND MORE! I'm always open to any pitches you might have for me!

Moonless Oasis is a new documentary by filmmakers Nate Slaco and Bryce Zimmerman following the Glass Sponge Research Team. The team is a group of citizen scientists who dive up to depths of 200 feet to explore prehistoric glass sponge reefs thought to be extinct for more than 40 million years. The documentary is premiering on CBC on October 31, and there is an opportunity to interview Slaco and Zimmerman or request a screener link for a review. Watch the trailer

here.

Reverse Trick-or-Treat brings Halloween to you!Volunteers from the Edmonton costume shop Theatre Garage have been going door-to-door in costume for the last two weeks handing out candy, bringing Halloween to the community! PPE and COVID-19 precautions have been in place, including socially distanced candy drop-off sites. The last day of Reverse Trick-or-Treat is set to be this Saturday in the La Perle and Avonmore neighbourhoods. There are interview, photo, and video opportunities available, so let me know if you're interested!

Conor McNally's new short-film looks at the similarities between his brother’s house arrest and the extended period of COVID-19 lockdown we all experienced earlier this year, and it was made in less than two months on location in Edmonton. The film is only six minutes long, so it's perfect if you want to write a quick review. I can also arrange for an interview with McNally. You can watch the film here.

Out of Her Mind is a new six episode comedy series by British comedian Sara Pascoe airing on Telus Presents. Sara plays a woman who doesn’t know why everyone else in the world is pairing up and having babies, and is determined to prove that romantic love is just chemicals and conditioning. Let me know if you're interested in doing an interview or getting media access to a screener link for a review. Watch the trailer here.