Snow still fell at the beginning of May as I put the last touches on this issue’s layout. I felt burdened by the weather, by this weighty long winter that threatened to pull at every silver-lining I struggled to cling to. My motivation was thin, my office was chilly, and it felt like the sun would never return to its full summer glory.

Years ago, a conversation with my husband about our personal passions went a long way towards helping us better understand one another. That discussion taught us to make space in our relationship to pursue those things, ultimately resulting in both of us being happier. I would even go so far to say Blank Spaces wouldn’t exist without that conversation.

The complete table of contents for the March 2019 issue of Blank Spaces.

We are thrilled that the fine folks at The Writers’ Trust/McClelland & Stewart have once again invited Blank Spaces to put forth three emerging writers we were privileged enough to feature in 2018.

Sometimes, the span between issues seems enormous when I think about everything that happens in that space. Since our second anniversary edition in September, we released a new anthology (Just Words Volume 2, coming out as the number two new release in Canadian collections and readers on Amazon in its first week); we took to the Toronto Harbour Front for Word on the Street (so nice to chat with so many readers and contributors there!)…

The complete table of contents for the December 2018 issue of Blank Spaces.

We had the great pleasure of participating in the 'From Pen to Published' publishing fair at the University of Toronto, on November 17, 2018. Hosted by The Soap Box and the 11th Floor Writers, the event was geared towards students looking to break into the world of publishing.

The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976, is the most honoured literary project in America. They welcome up to six nominations (print or online) from little magazine and small book press editors throughout the world, and selected winners will appear in their annual publication.

It's been a whole week since we set up at the Toronto Harbour Front, stretched our smiles, and greeted the huge number of literary lovers who came out to this amazing free festival. This was our third year attending, second year running a booth, and it just gets better and better.

Two years ago, September 2016, I was in my day-job office when the mail-lady delivered the first issue of Blank Spaces. My hands shook as I opened the package, dread coursing through me as I thought of all the people who had pre-ordered the debut edition based on my bold promotion. The night before I had dreamed the issues arrived printed on tissue paper, stapled together haphazardly. Everything was on the line—at least, it felt that way. My reputation, my pride, my future. I had a vision of bringing Canadians together, who, like me, were tired of rejection, tired of the ‘you must be published to get published’ Catch-22, desperate for a place to belong. I pictured a beautiful, glossy piece of art that anyone would be loathe to ignore; something that would be cherished in a collection rather than discarded in a recycling bin.

The complete table of contents for the September 2018 issue of Blank Spaces.

This edition of Blank Spaces marks the eighth issue. That’s eight collections of Canadian art and literature launched into the world!

The complete table of contents for the June 2018 issue of Blank Spaces.

In every new issue of Blank Spaces we publish a write prompt image hoping to invoke some great creativity and inspire new voices to send us work. When the pressure of submission is taken away, it's sometimes easier to take that first plunge into magazine publication and we're happy to make that available to our readers. It's always fun to see the unique ideas spun out of one image.

If you’re anything like me, winter has a way of beating you down. We romanticize memories of summer and lament the long months using snowman and crying face emojis. In true Canadian spirit, we leave our footprints in the snow, wrap our mittened hands around a Tim Horton’s cup, and increase our forearm muscles as we tackle the ice on our cars each morning. And, on the days when the mercury dips so low our furnaces and wood stoves can’t keep up, we sit in our   offices donning toques, scarves, and wool sweaters, repeating the life-giving mantra: this too shall pass.

The complete table of contents for the March 2018 issue of Blank Spaces.

We are passionate about building community and perpetuating print publication in Canada and we can do that, not only by publishing the work of passionate creatives, but also inviting future publishers/editors to hang out with us behind the scenes.

Blank Spaces would be nothing without the support of its team, and this month, instead of my normal ‘look how far we’ve come’ bit, I’m going to write a love letter for the women who have helped ‘how far’ become a true reality.

The complete table of contents for the December 2017 issue of Blank Spaces.

The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976, is the most honoured literary project in America. They welcome up to six nominations (print or online) from little magazine and small book press editors throughout the world, and selected winners will appear in their annual publication.