What We’re Talking About in Issue 0202 September 2017
The complete table of contents
as it appears in the September 2017 (FIRST ANNIVERSARY) issue of Blank Spaces.
from the editor — Welcome to the Toddler Years
shameless — Dancing with Rita by Jennifer Ellis whisks us back to those insecure days of high school, when nothing was more important than the attentions of that special someone. Presented as a script, it captures the humour and horror of those days with an easy brilliance that’s sure to entertain.
Scum by Leslie Hill recounts a heavy experience of exploitation, exposing the harsh reality of mid-life dating, insecurity, and fear.
Death in Offence by Larry Kozlof is a vulnerable recounting of a traumatic childhood experience, the scars left behind, and the incredible power of moving forward.
Where does one go for solace? How does one practice patience when waiting for a diagnosis? Nicole Schroeder shares the terror experienced when a body turns against its host in Not an Emergency.
flash fiction — Bride by Trisha Causley writes us into a little city apartment where we watch a woman seek a sliver of happiness as she tries on her wedding dress.
Blank Face by Anne Lee Guide puts us in the halls of the dying, exploring the feelings of watching a loved one disappear before they’ve even breathed their last.
red solo cup — The Final Masquerade by Dawn Edgcumbe explores the way we choose to hide our true selves behind masks and what it means it finally let that go.
Carly MacIsaac shares a little taste of her world-view through three powerful untitled poems.
different strokes — Toronto Artist Vicki Smith in Conversation with Erin Saunders, curator for the Bau-XI Gallery. Explore some of Vicki’s artwork and get to know the woman behind the paintbrush.
food of love —In Roots and Roll: Lindon Stone has Soul, staff writer, Pamela Hopwood, introduces us to the man behind the music and what the future has in store for him.
more than words — Lifelines by Neal Panton uses a high resolution copier to erase gender, age, and nationality —proving that we are all inherently the same.
fiction feature — Gregor Samsa Was Never in The Beatles by J. J. Steinfeld leaves us questioning what is real and what is a dream as we journey from a writing workshop to a jail cell.
make art not war — In Coming of Age, artists Mary Kainer, Ramune Luminaire, and Judith A. Mason collaborate on an artistic exploration of what it means to be a sixty-year-old woman in the world today.
between the lines —Gail M. Murray takes a step beyond her regular book review column and brings us a closer look at a Canadian author in Inside Jennifer Robson.
write prompt challenge winner — Pleats by Jenny Parsons unpacks a simple image with a profound punch.
final word/story matters — Using poetry as his vehicle, Richard Weiser shares a tiny glimpse into his world with It Is or it Isn’t and My Daughter’s Laughing Face.
