The 2009 spring and summer versions of the Ryerson Review of Journalism were unveiled at a launch party earlier this week. As usual, we perused the books for the juicy bits on Canadian magazines and weren't disappointed. Here are just five of the things we learned:

1. The average household income for a Toronto Life reader is $93,381, but only 41% of that audience hold a bachelor's degree or higher. [From Morgan Passi's "Rookie of the Year," a profile of Toronto Life editor Sarah Fulford.]

2. Since 1980, the United Church Observer's subscriber base has declined from 300,000 to 60,000. The magazine lost close to 18,000 subscribers between 1988 and 1989 after its coverage of the Church's decision to include gays and lesbians in the ministry. [From Christal Gardiola's "The Mission," a feature on the Observer and Canada's church press.]

3. When John Macfaralane took over the editorship at The Walrus, senior editor Marni Jackson and Nora Underwood were both on leave. Macfarlane told Jackson there would be no job for her when the leave ended. Jackson then told Underwood the same thing, but Macfarlane and Underwood never spoke. [From Greg Hudson's "The Long Goodbye," a piece of the new John Macfarlane era at The Walrus.]

4. House & Home Media set modest circulation targets for Maison & Demeure--the French-language version of Canadian House & Home--and exceeded them within the first month of publishing. [From Morgan Dumas' "Helter Shelter," a look at how the recession will affect shelter magazines.]

5. After The New Yorker published his controversial cover illustration of Barack and Michelle Obama dressed, respectively, as a Muslim terrorist and an urban guerilla, Canadian illustrator Barry Blitt received a phone call from his screaming mother: "I turn on the TV and...What did you do?! You're digusting!" [From "Deconstructing Barry," Ashley Walters' profile of Blitt.]