What We’re Talking About in Issue 0302 (December 2018)
The complete table of contents
as it appears in the December 2018 issue of Blank Spaces.
from the editor — The Future Is As Bright As We Dream It To Be
shameless — Scarborough by Kelly-Anne Maddox remembers innocent days of youth and the misplaced safety she felt while wandering the same places a notorious serial killer frequented.
—Things You Can’t Do With a Broken Left Arm by Cynthia Scott Wandler lists all the struggles a mother of a child with a mental health disorder faces when she finds herself down a limb.
— Canadian Birthright by Tamzin Mitchell compares the cold of Lake Ontario during a New Years Day polar bear dip, to that of Québec City, pondering her affection for the cold, and toying with the question of whether it will ever be too much.
red solo cup — In New Directions in Compartmentalization, Trevor Abes uses prose poetry to share about the work of an artist, part of a conceptual project where he explores themes of healing, based on people he’s worked with at a hospital gift shop.
— Two Birds People Watching, by Brianne Christensen explores the wonder of watching a chickadee and how that raises questions of self: who is better—the one who merely watches, or the one who shares their snack?
— In her prose poem, Grapefruit Break, Kristin Fast pulls fragments of memory from her time at university, sharing one short coffee break in which a small part of the narrator dies.
flash fiction — A Dead Black Bear by Spencer Dawson is a piece of short horror inspired by the logging industry during the turn of the century.
— Absent Friends and New Acquaintances by David Perlmutter connects two people at a costume party, dressed as characters from different shows, begging the question: what would have happened in a cross-over episode?
different strokes — Boxed Boys Boxing showcases a powerful collection of paintings by Canadian artist Ann-Marie Brown where she explores gender-limiting stereotypes, hoping to perpetuate the conversation about envisioning and accepting a wide identity spectrum. The accompanying essay by Joseph Rosen unpacks these ideas in such a way as to challenge tradition, asking us to take the boys out of the rigid box society still tries to put them in.
fiction feature —J.J. Steinfeld shares an existential holiday love story set in the Cradle of Confederation with Hanukkah/Godot/Christmas. Join him as he lovingly deconstructs the season.
more than words —In Perception, photographer Eva Lewarne uses her images to ask how our perception of life has changed in the last decade due to the rapid evolution of technology.
make art not war — In Talking Art with Kim Duhaime, the Québec artist from Mille-Isles shares us how memory and the natural world influence her work, and why she paints abstract art. She explains her approach to making her work, and how she sees her art evolving in the future.
write prompt challenge winner — Cold by Jordan Ryder uses the provided write prompt image to reveal the visceral experience of a college co-ed facing the consequences of a drunken long weekend.
between the lines — Gail M. Murray shares her thoughts about the sun and her flowers, the second poetry collection by the bestselling South Asian Canadian, Rupi Kaur.
final word — Compassion by Candace Janelle Ormond is a challenge for anyone going through a tough separation or divorce. What if, instead of lashing out in anger, you approached the situation with empathy and compassion? How would that change your outlook? How would it affect your children?
