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Christopher Turner

@turnstylin

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Award-winning writer. Dreamer. Sneakerhead. Editorial Director at Ideon Media. On X & Bluesky at: @turnstylin.

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If you’ve ever been to the house, you’ve seen the giant Marilyn Monroe print hanging in the living room. And if you’ve ever been on a Zoom call with me, you’ve probably noticed the James Dean print on the wall behind me in my office. Both were gifts from the one and only Salah Bachir, who passed away earlier today.

Many friends already know how much I love these two pieces, but the stories behind them are pretty great too.

Marilyn arrived a few years ago, not long after Salah had been reminiscing with me about his time hanging out with Andy Warhol in New York in the early ’80s. Those stories came up while I was helping him with his 2023 memoir, First To Leave The Party: My Life With Ordinary People… Who Happen To Be Famous. Some of those stories made it into the book. Others, well, did not.

James Dean appeared on my doorstep after another conversation, this time about our Old Hollywood crushes. I mentioned, almost in passing, that as a teenager I had a James Dean poster taped inside my high school locker. Not long after, there he was again—this time framed and ready to hang on the wall of my office, courtesy of Salah.

That was Salah. He found a way to turn some small detail you had shared with him into a gesture that made you feel incredibly special.

His passing is an enormous loss for Canada’s arts and queer communities, both of which he championed with extraordinary generosity throughout his life. He was a true force, devoting his voice and influence to countless causes over the years. His many honours included 5 doctorates, and both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada, recognizing his leadership as an entrepreneur and his commitment to the arts and social justice.

But tonight, it isn’t really the accolades I’m thinking about. I’m thinking about our conversations, his stories, his generosity, his wicked sense of humour and all the advice he gave me—on what to write, what to wear (and, naturally, how to accessorize), and what art should hang on my walls. And I’m thinking about Marilyn and James, still hanging on my walls. Two little reminders of a remarkable man I was very lucky to know. by @turnstylin

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9 days ago

"And I'm sailing away..." ⚓️🌊🥂💙

Calm seas and a camera roll full of memories with friends celebrating one very happy couple. ⚓️🌊🥂💙 by @turnstylin

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3 months ago

Suited up. 😊 by @turnstylin

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3 months ago

Happy Pride, Toronto!
❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️❤️ by @turnstylin

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4 months ago

Can officially cross attending a World Cup match off my bucket list. ⚽️🌎

Ghana 1 - 0 Panama 🇬🇭🇵🇦 by @turnstylin

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4 months ago

My mom absolutely loved The Beatles, and I’ve got some pretty good stories about her teenage fangirl days.

I stopped by the AGO for a couple of hours this afternoon. Today was the last day of the "Paul McCartney: Eyes of the Storm" exhibit, which traces the frenzy of Beatlemania in 1963 and 1964. I really wish she were here to see it with me. She would have just loved it. ❤️❤️❤️ taken in AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario by @turnstylin

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4 months ago

Just enough escape: March Break getaway to PV for a little sun, swim, sand, friends, queens, reluctantly being pulled up on stage, and pinna yaddas. 🇲🇽❤️ taken in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco by @turnstylin

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7 months ago

Your boy took home two silvers tonight at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards. One for 'Best Column' for my The Story Of column and one for 'Best Multicultural Story' for a feature I wrote last year about Viola Desmond. 🎉🎉

Big smiles all around. 🥰🥰

Flipping through pics and this one puts an even bigger smile on my face because I got to celebrate my wins with the Ideon team, as well as my friend and colleague Jess, who also took home silver tonight for her work directing the incredible digital video series What The Mother Teaches. 🥰🥰 by @turnstylin

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8 months ago

Just a few moments from my lil' NYE getaway to PV. Swipe accordingly.
❤️🇲🇽 taken in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco by @turnstylin

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9 months ago

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
❤️❤️❤️🎄🎄🎄 by @turnstylin

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10 months ago

Birthday hit a little different this year. Still... I'm very grateful for all the people who reached out today and through the last few months to check in. ❤️❤️❤️
Here's to another trip around the sun.
✌️✌️✌️ by @turnstylin

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a year ago

Sunday afternoon with Pablo Picasso, Morris Louis, and Yayoi Kusama.
🎨🎨🎨 taken in AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario by @turnstylin

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a year ago