Katie Hargrave / Toronto (traveling through Toronto, Illinois with his Toronto)

Toronto (traveling through Toronto, Illinois with his Toronto) is a project born out of a seven year penpal / friendship I had with a boy living in Toronto while I lived in the Midwest area of the United States. Throughout the seven years of knowing him, I never visited Toronto, which eventually led to the demise of our friendship. Because of the nature of our relationship, I have several hundred pages of email correspondence with him. Mostly discussing music and politics, a sizeable amount was written about his city in anticipation for my visiting there.  

A few months ago, I discovered that there is a Toronto, Illinois located only about an hour from my current home. In order to feel some kind of connection to the place that I have heard described for more than half a decade, I planned a trip to Toronto, Illinois. On the trip, I filmed myself listening to audio recordings while driving through the Illinois town.

I am interested in how we negotiate and understand a place, and furthermore, how imagination works to create a place. I have never been to Toronto, nor am I too familiar with pictures of it; however, I have a sense of the city. I know Toronto, though I have never experienced it.   How much of that landscape would also fit Toronto, Illinois? Is there any connection between the landscape of Toronto, Illinois and that of "the" Toronto.   Is one the "real" place and one a simulacrum?

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