What We’re Talking About in Issue 0503 (March 2021)
The complete table of contents
as it appears in the March 2021 issue of Blank Spaces.
from the editor—Where Do We Go From Here?
shameless — Jordan Colledge shares a vulnerable account of domestic disturbance and loss in his raw tale of Rabbits in Cages.
—A snowy drive can reveal a lot about a person, from past motivations to new fears. In Andrew Dasselaar’s case, it also brings up questions of spirituality and emotional hunger which he shares in his visceral story Crashing Cars With Christ.
red solo cup — In her poems Petals and A List of Things That Are Safe, Vanessa R. Bradley gives us little glimpse into her brain where her thoughts are tinged with a sweet sense of longing and secrets.
—Nicoline Antonovitch’s poem Death By Girl explores the rush of writing and the exhilarating moment of making someone fall in love with you through your words.
fiction feature(s) — Sacrifices by Claudette Manzanares puts us in the middle of homestead horror as a father has to decide how far he will go to protect his children from pain.
—Oliver is estranged from his wife and reawakened to past regrets when an old friend reaches out to mend fences and address grievances. George A. Herbers’ Inspiration invites us to track Oliver’s thought process as he navigates emotions he doesn’t know how to process.
—The Complete Works of Min-Ju Kim by Tristan Marajh follows a young woman depressed over the negative effect multiculturalism has on her city. Determined to face her concerns with strength and persistence she begins to initiate small changes in her environment that lead to big changes within herself.
different strokes —Angela Dallago encourages us to explore The Essence of Water with her resin art, inviting us to hear the call of the waves in undulating shades of ocean blue.
flash fiction — What Are You Afraid Of? by Bruce Geddes drops us right into the action as we find ourselves trapped in a box beneath the earth with an unlucky protagonist.
—Shawn Stibbards allows us to join a couple on a camping trip as they observe the suspicious neighbour in the site beside them in his brief story If.
make art not war — How do we interpret the enigmatic language of the emotional world around us? Where do you feel safe? Lonely? Connected? Disassociated? How do we create safe spaces? Artist Eva Dominelli explores answers to these questions in her ongoing series of watercolour and gouache illustrations, Between Being & Nothingness.
more than words — In her photo essay, Transformations, Angela Zheng captures the growing sense of mystery and peace as snow blankets a quiet forest.
between the lines — Gail M. Murray brings us a review of The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham.
write prompt challenge winner — James Dick rose to the top with his contest entry, Rain Over Rivne, a story that the judges deemed both profound and original.
final word — Inspired by the death of her grandparents, Deathbed by Riley Kelly is an intimate portrait that takes possession of a narrator experiencing his last days and reflecting on the things that really matter.
