What We’re Talking About in Issue 0304 (June 2019)
The complete table of contents
as it appears in the June 2019 issue of Blank Spaces.
from the editor — Looking Ahead
shameless — Taking Flight by Harvey Mitro captures a rare moment where natural beauty meets the pursuit of happiness, illustrating a snapshot of how precious and elevating an evening run can be.
—Tokyo Tomato by Jonathan Mendelsohn follows a bored working man on the search for excitement and new tastes.
— Will’s Jackpot by John Alpaugh puts us along the shores of Cape Breton, surfer friends searching for the perfect wave.
red solo cup — Mirjana Villeneuve believes silence is a magnifier of pain, this is why she focuses much of her work on her recovery from anorexia. Her poems, Self-Help and Step One, give a raw glimpse into her experiences.
— The incredible power of story rules in Tracy Evans passionate poem Surface Tension.
— Since her father’s death, Magida El-Kassis has been writing a collection of poetry, prose, and notes called ‘boys are like bees’, containing all the things she wishes she could have said to him while he was alive. The three untitled poems showcased here are part of that emotional collection.
flash fiction — Glass by Alyssa Thiessen watches as a young woman encounters a shadow from her past, seeing who she thought she was, and realizing who she really is.
— In his piece, Glown, Craig Clark explores a moment of over-examination, showing how one statement can become a circular obsession.
— The Sandcastle by Rosalind Goldsmith is a heartbreaking glimpse into the mind of an autistic boy and his mother.
different strokes — Catching the Light with Ober-Rae Starr Livingstone (cover artist) uses dreamy colours and many layers to depict the beauty inspired by the diverse landscapes of a diverse travel log.
fiction feature — Take a deep breath. Time Infinite Squared by Jennie Hunter is an exhausting look at the minute-to-minute life of a new parent, the confusion of a distracted sleep-cycle, and the constant worry about the well-being of another living thing.
more than words — In Urban Visions, Riley Martin takes us downtown, revealing the breathtaking beauty to be found in brick and iron through the lens of his camera.
make art not war — Italian-Canadian artist, Silvana Vettese Virdiramo, celebrates the diversity and beauty of women with as she poses with her work, At Home Among Her Flower Children.
between the lines — Gail M. Murray shares her reflections on The Dutch Wife, a powerful and disturbing debut from Canadian author Ellen Keith.
write prompt challenge winner — Heather McLeod impressed our judges with her relatable and human story, Without Her, reminding us of the truth in that age-old statement: you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
final word — In No Art and No Art pt 2: Neighbours, Anna Baines uses poetry to explore feelings of isolation that come with depression and addiction, arguing that art can only be created purely from a place of health. Through her pieces we witness an artist move past the weight of their illness and into a space where they can leave those shadows behind, moving on to make new art.
