What We’re Talking About in Issue 0604 (June 2022)
The complete table of contents
as it appears in the June 2022 issue of Blank Spaces.
from the editor—Building Cathedrals
shameless — Alyssa Bushell explores the faulty coping mechanisms she employed to deal with an onslaught of traumatic life events and how the example of her chronically-ill father finally taught her to let emotion back into her life through her creative non-fiction essay Holding on to Happiness.
fiction — Fieldstones by Matthew Gigg navigates themes of existential climate crisis, perseverance in the face of hopelessness, and self-realization.
Like Alfred Hitchock’s film, Rope, which appeared to be filmed in one continuous long shot in real time, Prix Fixe by Eric Prost doesn’t change scenes or setting; instead, the reader must endure the luncheon meeting between a son and his father, where the idiosyncrasies of both men are invited to take centre stage.
Come along as a woman watches the community she helped build crumble around her. Intrigued by a mysterious porch light next door, she finds herself face to face with a life-changing decision in Alisa Caswell’s story, The Porchlight.
red solo cup — Jamie Quinn Mader combines Greek mythology, romantic mystery, and self-discovery in their lyrical poem Emeralds and Oleanders.
India Das-Brown explores femininity, maturity, and the passage of time and generations in her poem Girlhood as motherhood as I see it.
In her poem, I May Not Be Someone, Debbie Boekestein challenges the reader to look past first impressions to the person she is beyond your initial glance.
flash fiction — Below the Deep by Julie Meier is an emotional dip beneath the water, to where loss and guilt reconcile in a haunting reunion.
What happens when you set loose a pyromaniac with a hatred of mass produced classics on a mission to find a self-help book? Wendy Howell is going to let you watch it all transpire in her short story, Burnt Edges.
In From Greed to Need, Rhonda Skinner brings us into a dystopian world where the future has ravaged memories of the past, and man’s selfishness is made evident through the striking effect on humanity’s existence.
Big Kitty by David Brun was inspired by his own experience with social anxiety while facing the prospect of having to help a neighbour find his missing cat during a heatwave.
different strokes — Stephanie Aykroyd invites us into her studio where she explore the possibilities of the forest with natural earth pigments and inks made from plants, using these elements to compliment her paintings in Nature’s Pigments.
more than words — Toronto photographer Sahil Alurkar takes us on a journey through his city as he captures the many bicycles to be found along the way in his growing photo collection, Bicycles of Toronto.
story matters — In Getting Professional Help, Rod Ellard reminds us that there is nothing to be afraid of when considering the idea of hiring an editor for your writing projects.
make art not war — Linda Woolven’s work is characterized by her great love of colour and texture and by the movement she creates in her paintings, using light, layers, and stroke. See for yourself in Light Emotions.
between the lines
Gail M. Murray brings us a review of Lure: Jesse & Hawk by Canadian author, W. L. Hawkin.
write prompt challenge winner — Write prompt winner Finnian Burnett presented a distinctive contest entry with their story Dream of California, one that the judges called “complex” and “endearing.”
final word — Glen Bullock offers a strong closing story. The Wall is striking with great movement and will have you feeling the obscure streets of Paris beneath your feet as you read.
