Kiva Reardon is a writer, programmer and the founding editor of cléo, a journal of film and feminism. If you haven’t read the latest issue yet, get on it.

What spaces in Toronto do you find inspiring?

I love the lake, especially in the winter when there are fewer (or no) people on the boardwalk by Sunnyside Pavilion. Also High Park, which feels like you can actually get lost in it.

What aisle do you spend the most time in at the grocery store?

I spend most of my time trying to find affordable quinoa. (It doesn’t exist.)

Which virtue do you try to cultivate within yourself?

Patience.

The receipts in your wallet would indicate what?

That I eat out more than I would like to admit.

If you could reinvent your career and be something totally different, what would that be?

Tour manager of the penultimate all-female Bruce Springsteen tribute band, Boob Springsteen.

When you dream about travel, what place in the world comes to mind?

Somewhere cold and remote.

What makes you happy?

My friends.

What makes you cringe?

Being called “lady.”

What quality do you loathe most in others?

Dismissive, holier-than-thou irony.

What, in your opinion, is overrated?

Richard Linklater’s Boyhood.

How do you feel about life at this moment?

My Christmas tree is dope.

What quality do you value most in a lover?

Humour. And good hair.

What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday?

Last Saturday my roommate, my boyfriend and I pulled out the couch, made a fort out of duvets and pillows, then watched Buffy. That was pretty great.

What is your comfort food?

Ruffles Sour Cream and Onion chips.

What phrase should we all use more?

I’m listening.

 

15 minutes gets up-close-and-personal with compelling personalities and people to watch in Toronto.