ArticlesAriel Gordon
Ariel Gordon is a literary writer and freelance journalist with a BSc in Biology from UWinnipeg and a Bachelor of Journalism from Halifax’s University of King’s College. She publishes in literary journals and publications such as The Winnipeg Free Press, Quill & Quire, and Prairie Books NOW.
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Poetry
Poet/scientist shows her mind’s workings with OCD in various forms
Samantha Jones is a poet and earth/ocean scientist with OCD and a deep commitment to whimsy. “I think play and whimsy are so important for innovation, whether in poetry or science,” says the Calgary-based writer. -
Poetry
Poet took her time to grow 2nd book from themes of monsters, fairy tales, and her own body
Courtney Bates-Hardy’s first collection of poetry, House of Mystery, came out in 2016. “My first book was written as my master’s thesis, and I was cramming the writing into lunch breaks while working full-time,” Bates-Hardy notes. “I still work full-time, and the nerve pain I experience makes it difficult to be at a desk or bent over a notebook for long periods of time.” -
Non-Fiction
Charlotte Bellows hopes to help teens struggling with eating disorders through debut memoir
Calgary’s Charlotte Bellows just graduated from high school this past June. But she already has another milestone to celebrate: the publication of her memoir, The Definition of Beautiful. -
Poetry
Poetry collection grasps after communal ‘we,’ hostility inherent in the city
Nikki Reimer is a multimedia artist, a writer, and a chronically ill neurodivergent Prairie settler. She says that her new collection of poetry, No Town Called We, is for anyone who finds comfort in melancholy. -
Poetry
Amid upheaval, Lucas Crawford took to the page, reflecting on queer sex, love, and place
Maritime poet Lucas Crawford’s latest poetry collection, Muster Points, has its origins in the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, Crawford arrived at the Banff Centre for the Arts, ready to mentor writers at a retreat. -
Poetry
Skylar Kay pairs marginalized topics with form traditionally used for travel journals
Relating transitions in her life to the phases of the moon was the challenge trans poet Skylar Kay set herself in her debut poetry collection, the haibun journal Transcribing Moonlight. -
Fiction
Steven Ross Smith maintains quirky tone while playing with very short fiction pieces
After a decade in Alberta, Steven Ross Smith is back in Saskatchewan. He had good reasons to leave Saskatchewan’s vibrant literary community: he was appointed Director of Literary Arts at the Banff Centre and then Banff’s Poet Laureate. -
Poetry
Brigette DePape’s work contributes to the conversation of healing, as others’ did for her
People say you’ll never forget the launch of your first book. That adage has been turned upside down by the pandemic and its restrictions on gathering the last two years, but Winnipeg poet and playwright Brigette DePape hasn’t let that bother her. -
Poetry
Debut was formed through ‘natural cadence’ of creativity, spread over decades
Carol Harvey Steski’s debut collection of poetry, rump + flank, was a long time in the making. “I want people to know that this book has been in the works for a quarter of a century, so emerging writers: don’t give up!!” says the Toronto-based writer, who works in corporate communications. -
Poetry
Collection reflects ‘the chaos of healing’ through grief and trauma
Putting out a collection of poetry during the coronavirus pandemic is difficult, but Rayanne Haines has become used to working through trauma in her life and in her art.