Love is in the air and on people’s minds throughout February, making it the perfect theme for the non-profit arts organization Yellow Pad Sessions’ (YPS) OPTIMISTA event on Feb. 11. OPTIMISTA: Amour/Love was the third iteration in a unique series of multimedia art events that feature keynote speakers, films, and[Read More…]
Tag: poetry
A penny for your prose
Encapsulating one’s thoughts and emotions into words can be as rewarding as it is daunting. Such rewards are monetary in the case of the bi-annual Montreal International Poetry Prize, a competition for poems of 40 lines or less, where the winning poet receives $20,000 and, along with 54 finalists, gets[Read More…]
Carving fish in the sand
Every time I’m in the lecture hall analyzing a poem, I’m of two minds. On the one hand, as an English student, I am thinking of the poem as a critic would—sifting and weighing the words. But on the other hand, I am reading as a Christian, conscious of every[Read More…]
Literary theorist Jeff Dolven pays a virtual visit to the English department
On Jan. 19, the McGill English Department held its 2022 Spector Lecture, an annual event that highlights contemporary work in the literary field. This year, the department welcomed Jeff Dolven, a poet, literary critic, and Princeton professor of English. Later, students and faculty had a chance to hear several of[Read More…]
A modern approach to long-form poetry readings
Content Warning: Mention of suicide On Nov. 26, Concordia professors Jason Camlot and John Emil Vincent held a reading of their new poetry books, Vlarf and Bitter in the Belly, respectively. Hosted by English literature professor Katherine McLoed at Concordia’s 4th Space, the long-form reading was inspired by literary events[Read More…]
Thinking through race in anthropology through poetry
On Nov. 3, the McGill Anthropology Graduate Student Association (AGSA) organized the workshop Thinking Through Race with Ethnographic Poetry as part of an ongoing series on racism and racial justice within anthropology. Ethnographic poetry is a research method where anthropologists study an individual’s poetic works in an attempt to understand[Read More…]
Comedic, joyful, and sombre: ‘The Best Canadian Poetry of 2021’
Canadian poets, consistently overshadowed by American writers, rarely get the recognition their talents deserve. is A collection of 50 poems by Canadian poets, the Best Canadian Poetry 2021 anthology is curated by its guest editor Souvankham Thammavongsa, who has author of five books, including How to Pronounce Knife, and received[Read More…]
Mcsway takes a breath of fresh air at “Poetry in the Park”
Voices came alive at Jeanne Mance Park on Sept. 30 with Mcsway Poetry Collective’s first open-mic night of the semester, “Poetry in the Park.” Gathered around a tree strung with lights that acted as a stage, the audience sat on blankets, listening to poets valiantly share their words and their[Read More…]
Kasia Van Schaik’s literary talents bridge separate spheres
Kasia Van Schaik, also known by her pen name Kasia Juno, is a McGill doctoral candidate whose work focusses on environmentalism, feminism, and physical spaces. Her writing has been featured in popular journals, including The Los Angeles Review of Books and The Best Canadian Poetry Anthology. Currently, Van Schaik straddles the[Read More…]
Avleen Kaur Mokha’s “DREAM FRAGMENTS” impresses with emotional depth
On Oct. 1, McGill alumna Avleen Kaur Mokha, also known as Mirabel, released the 40-page poetry chapbook DREAM FRAGMENTS through Cactus Press. A collection of personal poetry and confessional writing, Mokha’s chapbook highlights her journey growing up neurodivergent, processing trauma, and learning to find beauty in her dreams and darkest moments.[Read More…]