The Autumn 2022 issue features Jenny Hwang's winning essay from the 2022 Creative Nonfiction Contest, as well as work from Tolu Oloruntoba, Corinna Chong and many other fantastic writers. Order your copy of issue 293 today!
The 2022 Summer Creative Nonfiction issue was edited by Rowan McCandless and includes exceptional work from Fiona Tinwei Lam, Megan Cole, Sena Moon, Tanis MacDonald, Isabella Wang and many more. Order your copy of issue 292 today!
The Spring 2022 issue features Anne Marie Todkill's winning story from the 2021 Fiction Contest as well as Marco Melfi's winning poem "The Faulty Porch Light" from the 2021 Ralph Gustafson Poetry Contest. Order your copy of issue 291 today!
The BIPOC Solidarities Special Issue is meant as an opening, extending the invitation to BIPOC writers to transform the content and spirit of The Fiddlehead far beyond a single issue; this issue is a commitment to transformation and accountability. To order a copy of issue 290 please email fiddlehd@unb.ca.
The Autumn 2021 issue features K Ho's winning essay from the 2021 Creative Nonfiction Contest as well as a memorial tribute to Eleanor (Belyea) Wees. To order a copy of issue 289 please email fiddlehd@unb.ca.
Introduction: Mark Jarman and Clarissa Hurley
Fiction: Brianna Minks, Alix Ohlin, Tamas Dobozy, Kate Cayley, Martin James Ainsley, Wayne Curtis, Roy Kesey, Cassidy Menard, Jonathan D. Meyer, Donna Tranquada, Miriam Vaswani, Jowita Bydlowska, Aidan O’Donoghue, Nadja Lubiw-Hazard, Melanie Bell, Kate Hansen, Maria Kubacki, Matthew Hooton
Reviews: Richard Cumyn, Carol Bruneau, Kate Kennedy, Richard Kelly Kemick, Véronique Darwin, Rebecca Geleyn, Clarissa Hurley
Artwork: Muhammad Al-Digeil
The Spring 2021 issue features Emma Miao's winning poem from the 2020 Ralph Gustafson Poetry Contest as well as a memorial tribute R.M. Vaughan. Order your copy of issue 287 today!
The Winter 2021 issue is packed with outstanding poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction! The issue features a memorial tribute to Don Domanski, as well as Rubens' Salmon by Elise Thorburn, the winning story from our 2020 Fiction Contest.
Introduction
6 Ariel Gordon: Creative Nonfiction Contest Editorial
The Fiddlehead 75 — Birthday Greetings
7 Tammy Armstrong, David Huebert, Shane Neilson
Creative Nonfiction
9 Morgan Charles: Plagued
47 Julia Cottrelle: Letting Go
Introduction: Sue Sinclair
Poetry: Ian Williams, Conor Kerr, Patricia Young, Marianne Boruch, Sharon McCartney, Scott Lemoine, Rayanne Haines, Alyda Faber, Billeh Nickerson, Lindsay Bird, Adam Sol, Tammy Armstrong, Eleonore Schönmaier, Jaswinder Bolina, Émile Nelligan trans. Ben Ladouceur, John Reibetanz, Gary Barwin, Kirby, Simon Brown, Isabella Wang, Heather Bartlett, Stephen Dunn, Shane Neilson, Kevin Heslop, Geneviève Paiement, Jessica Johns, Domenica Martinello, RM Vaughan, M.L. Martin, Jordan Abel, John Barton, James Langer, Neil Surkan, Ellie Sawatzky, Terese Mason Pierre, Helen Robertson, Perry Reimer, Cynthia Hogue, Rhea Tregebov, Kevin Shaw, Alice Burdick
Reviews: Travis Lane, Lynn Davies, Clarissa Hurley, Emily Skov-Nielson, Susan Haley
Artwork: Derek Beaulieu and Rhys Farrell
Introduction: Sue Sinclair
Advisory Board Introductions: Sharon Bala, Brian Bartlett, Billy-Ray Belcourt, Jo-Anne Elder, Rowan McCandless, Soraya Peerbye, Shannon Webb-Cambell
Contributors: Roy J. Adams, Mary Barnes, Brandi Bird, J.D. Black, Selina Boan, Nicole Breit, Brian Brett, Laurie Brinklow, Jake Byrne, Antony Di Nardo, Jo-Anne Elder, Tanya Evanson, Alyda Faber, Sue Goyette, Mackenzie Ground, Maureen Scott Harris, Maheen Hyder, shalan joudry, Jónína Kirton, Eva Kolacz, Hege A. Jakobsen Lepri, Lee Maracle, Rachel McCrum, Sofia Mostaghimi, Susan Musgave, Nolan Natasha, Cecily Nicholson, Arleen Paré, Barbara Pelman, E. Alex Pierce, Michelle Porter, Gabriel Robichaud, Ingrid Ruthig, Clarisse Baleja Saïdi, Anna Swanson, Michelle Sylliboy, Émilie Turmel, Arielle Twist, Jean Van Loon, Margo Wheaton.
Artwork: Sophie Hamidovic, Saman Sarheng, April White.
Introduction: Sue Sinclair
Creative Nonfiction: Emily Pifer, Rebecca Givens Rolland
Fiction: Chris Bailey, Sandra Barnidge, Richard Kelly Kemick, Susie Taylor
Poetry: Joshua Ackerman, Devon Balwit, Dominique Béchard, Marvin Bell, Anne Compton, Emily Crompton, Adebe DeRango-Adem, Nome Emeka Patrick, Conor Kerr, Jennifer LoveGrove, Canisia Lubrin, Cassidy McFadzean, Christopher Merrill, Barbara Nickel, Dan O'Brien, Angela Sorby
Artwork: Crtis Botham
Introduction: Sue Sinclair
Creative Nonfiction: Sherry Coffey, paulo da costa
Fiction: Emily Bossé, Shaelin Bishop, Diane Carley, Shashi Bhat, Carmelinda Scian
Poetry: Dani Couture, Marika Prokosh, Curtis LeBlanc, Katie Jordan, Allison LaSorda, Jake Kennedy, John Kinsella, Kevin Spenst, Jennifer LoveGrove, Elena Johnson, John Steffler, Daniel Scott Tysdal, Sophie Crocker, Paul Vermeersch, Ojo Taiye, D.A. Lockhart
Introduction: Sue Sinclair
Creative Nonfiction: Dafna Izenberg, Madeline Sonik, and Barrett Bowlin
Fiction: Marléne Zadig, Florence MacDonald, and Tamas Dobozy
Poetry: Georgette LeBlanc, Anouk H. Henri, Ken Babstock, Roxanna Bennett, Maheen Hyder, Heather Christle, Nisa Malli, George Bowering, Gordon Lonethunder, Cara Waterfall, Carolyn Oliver, Alexei Perry Cox, Koby L. Omansky, Corey Ginsberg, Jenny Boychuk, Nancy Kang, Christina Shah, and John Elizabeth Stintzi
Introduction: Mark Anthony Jarman
Fiction: Eden Robinson, Daniel Woodrell, Jowita Bydlowska, Steven Heighton, Cynthia Flood, Rabindranath Maharaj, David Huebert, Lisa Alward, Mehdi M. Kashani, Charlie Fiset, Andrew Tibbetts, Marcia Walker, Tamas Dobozy, Georgina Beaty, Joelle Tymchuk, and Raymond Fraser
Reviews: Catherine Greenwood, Richard Cumyn, Ian Colford, Susan Haley, Starlit Simon, and Steve Noyes
Introduction: Sue Sinclair and Ross Leckie
Creative Nonfiction: Annie Q. Syed and Dominik Parisien
Fiction: Ahmad Danny Ramadan, Michael Maitland, Jacqueline Mastin, and Chris Benjamin
Poetry: Kazim Ali, Kim Trainor, Nolan Natasha, Alycia Pirmohamed. Erin Noteboom, Patrick Deeley, Geoff Pevlin, Megan Denton Ray, Síle Englert, Matthew Gwathmey, Soraya Peerbaye, Jean-Philippe Raîche (trans. Jo-Anne Elder), Rebecca Thomas, Herbert Woodward Martin, Patricia Corbus, Tim Fab-Eme, Herménégilde Chiasson (trans. Shane Neilson and Janet Sunohara-Neilson), and Jaclyn Desforges.
Reviews: Shane Neilson, Brian Bartlett, Ian Colford, Kim Fahner, and Susan Haley
Introduction: Sue Sinclair
Creative Nonfiction: Rowan McCandless
Fiction: Liane Gabora, Catherine Austen, Avi Sirlin, and Chris Graham-Rombough
Poetry: Gwen Benaway, Matthew Stepanic, Shannon Webb-Campbell, Susan Haldane, Tim Bowling, Sneha Madhavan-Reese, David Barrick, Maureen Hynes, Elizabeth Ross, Bruce Bond, Rob Winger, and Nancy Lee
Reviews: M. Travis Lane, Susan Haley, David Creelman, Clarissa Hurley, and Katia Grubisic
No. 277 (Autumn 2018)
Our first ever creative nonfiction issue sets side by side a broad collection of creative nonfiction works, ranging in subject matter from psych wards, spider games, and shootings. Reading this issue resembles the experience of sitting around a campfire recounting true stories to loved ones using literary techniques of storytelling, keeping everyone hooked on every word. There’s sometimes a personal attachment to each story, creating a deep connection between author and reader. It is an intense reading experience entangling heavy topics with the gripping literary techniques of fiction writing.
What is creative nonfiction? Alicia Elliot attacks this question in the editorial. The issue is left unresolved; “there’s something about CNF that defies definition, that pushes against any box anyone tries to force it into.” There is no clear and concise answer that could fully incorporate all expressions of creative nonfiction writing. It is what you want it to be and becomes apparent by the diverse forms of writing found in the issue.
“The Lives of Milton Acorn” by Nicholas Herring reviews the life of Canadian poet Milton Acorn. Herring lists monumental moments throughout Acorn’s life but adds a realistic twist to the narrative. It demonstrates that writing a creative nonfiction piece does not have to be a personal project but can focus on a true story outside of oneself. Whereas “Garlic Pussy” by Zarrin Darnell-Martin juxtaposes an everyday life problem, having a yeast infection, with dealing with grief. It exemplifies an extremely intimate, almost voluntarily uncomfortable, form of creative nonfiction work.
The cover is from a local artist, Braelyn Cyr. It depicts Chief Allan Polchies Jr., Atlantic Canada’s first two-spirit leader. This portrait, as well as six others, were auctioned off as a fundraiser for Rainbow Railroad, a charity protecting LGBTQ2+ refugees against state sanctioned violence.
—Bailey Noiles
Intern, November 2021
Our summer issue is now on its way to your mailbox and to newsstands. It's packed with poems from Liz Howard, Ali Blythe, John Reibetanz, A.F. Moritz, John Barton, Catherine Seton, Anita Lahey (with artwork by Pauline Conley), Jan Conn, Alisha Dukelow, Shane Rhodes, Gwen Benaway, Amanda Jernigan, Stephanie Bolster, Herménégilde Chiasson (with translations by Jo-Anne Elder), Rebecca Păpucaru, Janet Rogers, Stewart Cole, Paola Ferrante, Marc Di Saverio, Mariah Lynne Dear, Julie Mannell, Shane Neilson, Katie Fewster-Yan, Catriona Wright, Robin Richardson, Claudia Coutu Radmore, the Erasing Frankenstein Collective, Joshua Whitehead, Neil Surkan, Adam Sol, Mary Dalton, Peter Richardson, Danielle Hubbard, Kayla Czaga!
Welcome to our 2018 Spring issue! Read the winning poems and excerpts from the winning stories from our 27th annual literary contest. And as editor Ross Leckie puts it: "Pick up the gorgeous spring issue and you can bend its soft pages this way and that, pulling an early spring toward you or stretching the snowy pages toward May flowers."
Fiction: Bipin Aurora, Elly M. Graff, Richard Kelly Kemick, Brad Hartle, Michael Meagher, Chris Kuriata, and Andrew Rai Berzins.
Poetry: Jennifer Zilm, Thomas O'Grady, Sue Chenette, K.V. Skene, John Wall Barger, Connie Pan, Frederick Wilbur, Conor Mc Donnell, Jonathan Greenhause, Frances Boyle, Sarah Wolfson, andrea bennett, and Roy J. Adams.
Nonfiction: David Adams Richards.
Reviews: Sue Sinclair, Lynn Davies, Richard Cumyn, Susan Haley, and M. Travis Lane.
Remembering Alden Nowlan: Ross Leckie, David Adams Richards, and Corinne Schriver Wasilewski.
Fiction: Brent van Staalduinen, Carmelinda Scian, Tony Robinson-Smith, David Huebert, Tina Silver, Andrea Routley, and Hugh Graham.
Poetry: Bardia Sinaee, Darren Bifford, Warren Heiti, Douglas Burnet Smith, Jim Johnstone, Katrina Naomi, Laura Ritland, and Paul Vermeersch.
Reviews: Lynn Davies, Clarissa Hurley, Kate Cayley, Alexander Carey, and Susan Haley.
Introduction: Mark Anthony Jarman.
Fiction: Eden Robinson, Bill Gaston, Margaret Sweatman, Segun Afolabi, Carly Rosalie Vandergriendt, Sam Shelstad, Allison LaSorda, Lisa Alward, Richard Cumyn, Catherine Austen, Nick Michalak, Paige Cooper, Christopher Graham-Rombough, and Sean Johnston.
Nonfiction: Matthew Ferrence.
Reviews: Kate Kennedy, Ian Colford, Richard Cumyn, Clarissa Hurley, Richard Kelly Kemick, Susan Haley, and Steve Noyes.
Introductions: Ross Leckie.
Fiction: Kate Finegan, Steven Benstead, Ann Cavlovic, Shane Goth, and Deirdre Simon Dore.
Poetry: Dominique Bernier-Cormier, Tammy Armstrong, Kim Trainor, Norman Dubie, Julie Eliopoulos, Kurt Skov-Nielsen, Barry Dempster, Rocco de Giacomo, Heather Cadsby, and Michael Trussler.
Reviews: Mark Dickinson, M. Travis Lane, Susan Haley, Richard Kelly Kemick, Rebecca Geleyn, and Shane Neilson.
Poetry: Steve McOrmond, Simon Armitage, Matthew Tierney, David Hickey, Kim Trainor, Kevin Shaw, M. Travis Lane, Sonnet L’Abbé, Adam Sol, Cellan Jay, Richard Sanger, Jan Conn.
Fiction: Jasmina Odor, Charlie Fiset, David Clerson, Darryl Whetter, David Carpenter.
Reviews: Mark Dickinson, Susan Haley, Ian Colford, Katia Grubisic, Lynn Davies.
Fiction: Richard Kelly Kemick, Sheila McClarty, Jaki McCarrick, Grant Buday, and Martin L. West.
Poetry: Aislinn Hunter, Brittney Scott, D.S. Stymeist, Bruce Bond, Andre Demers, Joelle Barron, Monica Kidd, Jami Macarty, Laura K. McRae, Julie Cameron Gray, Rob Taylor, Ricardo Pau-Llosa, Doyali Islam, Ellen Kombiyil, Cristina Viviani, Mallory Tater, Gerald Hill, and Deirdre Laidlaw.
Out of Place: Ann Copeland.
Reviews: Anita Lahey, Clarisssa Hurley, Emily Skov-Nielsen, Ryan Gaio, and Mark Dickinson.
Introductions: Ross Leckie and Ian LeTourneau.
Poetry: Mary Jo Salter, Alyda Faber, Marlene Cookshaw, Ruth Roach Pierson, Michael Prior, Teresa Ott, Shane Neilson, Ben Ladouceur, Don McKay, Thylias Moss, Dani Couture, Cassidy McFadzean, Charles Wright, Lynn Davies, John Steffler, Gregory Scofield, Jan Zwicky, Patricia Young, Weyman Chan, Joseph Kidney, Dina Del Bucchia, Stevie Howell, and Les Murray.
Reviews: Thomas Hodd, M. Travis Lane, Susan Haley, Mark Dickinson, Shane Neilson, Triny Finlay, and Richard Kelly Kemick.
It's that time of year when fiddleheads are now bountiful along New Brunswick riverbanks, which means it's that also that time of year for our Spring issue. Inside you'll find a lovely tribute to Frances Firth Gammon, one of The Fiddlehead founding members, written by her daughter Carolyn Firth Gammon. You'll also find the winners of our 25th annual literary contest, Brent van Staalduinen for short fiction and Michael Eden Reynolds for poetry.
Editorials: Ross Leckie, Carolyn Firth Gammon
Fiction: Brent van Staalduinen, Sarah L. Taggart, Cathy Kozak, Lauren Carter, Michael Meagher, Connie Gault, Barry Dempster.
Poetry: Frances (Firth) Gammon, Michael Eden Reynolds, Alison Goodwin, Jeff Parent, Ruth Roach Pierson, Richard Norman, Michael Pacey, Adèle Barclay, Susan Gillis, Clea Roberts, Adele Graf, Maureen Scott Harris, Peter Richardson, Bill Howell.
Reviews: Ian Colford, M. Travis Lane, Susan Haley, Richard Kelly Kemick, Allen Bentley, Sean Johston.
Fiction: Sara Taylor, Mona'a Malik, Mark Jacquemain, Moez Surani, Rolaine Hochstein, and Shirley Sullivan.
Poetry: Matt Rader, Tammy Armstrong, Claire Kelly, John Reibetanz, John Steffler, Shane Rhodes, Jane Awde Goodwin, Jan Conn, Jennifer Houle, Diane Tucker, Jim Johnstone, and Marvin Bell.
Reviews: M. Travis Lane, Susan Haley, Sean Johnston, Ian Colford, and Anita Lahey.
Fiction: Steven Heighton, Lorna Jackson, Paul Carlucci, and Wayne Yetman.
Poetry: Rachel Rose, Dan O'Brien, Nick Thran, Annick MacAskill, Allison LaSorda, John Terpstra, Jane Spavold Tims, Lenea Grace, Sean Howard, John Barton, Elizabeth Hoover, Howard Wright, Michelle Barker, Nathan Mader, Mike Caesar, Conor Mc Donnell, Sarah B. Wiseman, and Bert Almon.
Reviews: Shane Neilson, Richard Kelly Kemick, M. Travis Lane, Rebecca Geleyn, and Mark Dickinson.
Editorial: Mark Jarman.
Fiction: Daniel Woodrell, Alice Peterson, Kathy Page, Mona'a Malik, D.R. MacDonald, Paul Leathers, Paige Cooper, Rod Moody-Corbett, Charlie Fiset, Kevin Hardcastle, Cynthia Flood, Mark Jacquemain, Rachel Adams, and Rob Doyle.
Reviews: Richard Cumyn, Clarissa Hurley, Richard Kelly Kemick, Ian Colford, Reid Lodge, and Susan Haley.
Editorial: Ross Leckie.
Fiction: Lisa Alward, David McLaren, Kari Lund-Teigen, Mark Jordan Manner, and A.W. Marshall.
Poetry: Sean Howard, Michael Prior, Julie Cameron Gray, Louisa Howerow, Barry Dempster, Kate Kennedy, Emily Skov-Nielsen, Michael Quilty, Gerald Hill, Sue Chenette, Iain Higgins, David Solway, John Kinsella, Darryl Whetter, Laura Matwichuk, Micheline Maylor, Roger Nash, Amber Homeniuk, Kateri Lanthier, Bill Howell, and rob mclennan.
Reviews: M. Travis Lane, Ian Colford, Jenny Haysom, Rebecca Geleyn, and Richard Kelly Kemick.
Fiction: Shane Neilson, Margaret Sweatman, Erich Mulhall, and Kris Bertin.
Non-Fiction: Rachel Lebowitz.
Poetry: Leonore Hildebrandt, Ron De Maris, Jordan Mounteer, Steve Lautermilch, Tim Bowling, Kate Cayley, Kayla Geitzler, Bruce Bond, Amanda Jernigan, Norman Dubie, Jane Hodgkinson, Jeredith Merrin, Alexandra Gilbert, Sheri Benning.
Reviews: Ian Colford, Susan Haley, M. Travis Lane, Allison Lasorda, and Karen Schindler.
Editorials: Ross Leckie, Mark Anthony Jarman, Douglas Gibson, and D.R. MacDonald
Stories: Alistair MacLeod, Matthew Leslie, Richard Cumyn, and Charlie Fiset.
Poetry: Stephanie Yorke, Brian Bartlett, Susan Buis, Jocko Benoit, Rocco de Giacomo, Michael Prior, Catherine Graham, Roger Nash, John Wall Barger, Kerry-Lee Powell, and Erin Noteboom & Seánan Forbes.
Reviews: Rebecca Geleyn, Michael Greenstein, Mark Sampson, Susan Haley, M. Travis Lane, and Shane Neilson.
Editorial: Ross Leckie.
Poetry: Rae Armantrout, Sina Queyras, Bruce Bond, Richard Kelly Kemick, Jenny Haysom, Cassidy McFadzean, Nyla Matuk, Patricia Young, matt robinson, Miranda Pearson, Jan Conn, Jan Zwicky, Stephanie Bolster, Kayla Czaga, Michael Pacey, Anne Compton, Robyn Sarah, A.F. Moritz, Patrick Warner, Marvin Bell, Shoshanna Wingate, Bren Simmers, Steve Tomasko, Mary Cameron, Shane Neilson, and M. Travis Lane.
Reviews: M.Travis Lane, Richard Kelly Kemick, Susan Haley, Patricia Young, and Gerard Beirne.
Editorial: Ross Leckie.
Fiction: Myler Wilkinson, Jill Widner, Wayde Compton, Naben Ruthnum, Michael Doyle, and George McWhirter.
Poetry: Kayla Czaga, Kyeren Regehr, Maureen Hynes, Joanna Lilley, Dorothy Field, Heather Cadsby, Cynthia Woodman Kerkham, John Reibetanz, John Barton, Keith Taylor, Michael Milburn, Ben Ladouceur, and Joan Shillington.
Reviews: Richard Kelly Kemick, Susan Haley, Rebecca Geleyn, Mark Sampson, Sue Sinclair, Emily Bossé, and M. Travis Lane.
Fiction: Jane Rogers, Michelle Barker, Emily Bossé, and Michael Patrick Jessome.
Poetry: Christopher Merrill & Marvin Bell, Alberto Ríos, Ricardo Pau-Llosa, Alice Major, Molly Sutton Keifer, Adam Sol, Jeredith Merrin, Glenn Hayes, Bruce Bond, Robin Richardson, Michael Eden Reynolds, Antony Christie, Lee Peterson, Shane Neilson, Gary Allen.
Reviews: Laurie D. Graham, M. Travis Lane, Richard Cumyn, Richard Kelly Kemick, and Rebecca Geleyn.
Editorial: Nick Thran.
Fiction: Eliza Robertson, Sheila McClarty, Sean Johnston, Michael Dunwoody, and Michelle Butler Hallett.
Poetry: Yusef Komunyakaa, Anne Compton, Sue Sinclair, Allison LaSorda, Linda Frank, Sadiqa de Meijer, and George Elliott Clarke.
Reviews: Sue Sinclair, Susan Haley, Shane Neilson, and M. Travis Lane.
Editorial: Gerard Beirne.
Fiction: Clea Young, Amy Jones, Daniel Woodrell, Craig Davidson, Mary O'Donnell, Hugh Graham, Raymond Fraser, F.W. Birt, Jann Everard, J.M. Villaverde, Mike McCormack, Wickliffe Walker, Célia Thompson, R.W. Gray, Eoin McNamee, and Margaret Sweatman.
Reviews: Shane Neilson, Gerard Beirne, Ian Colford, Heather Jessup, and Rebecca Geleyn.
Editorials: Ross Leckie and Chasity St. Louis.
Fiction: Rhonda Collis, Jennifer Manuel, Vin Fielding, Greg Shupak, and Jeremy Lanaway.
Poetry: Elizabeth Brewster, Kim Trainor, Sue Chenette, Samantha Bernstein, Ruth Roach Pierson, matt robinson, Sean Howard, Elizabeth Ross, Alison Dyer, Tim Prior, Alec Hershman, Darryl Whetter, Peter Imsdahl, Daniel Karasik, Naomi Mulvihill, Robert Alan Burns, Desmond Graham, and Scott Andrew Christensen.
Reviews: Mark Dickinson, Barbara Colebrook Peace, Rebecca Geleyn, Richard Cumyn, and Susan Haley.
Fiction: Shana Myara, Billy O'Callaghan, Tamas Dobozy, Robin Evans, Kate Cayley, Patti Grayson.
Poetry: M. Travis Lane, Anne Pierson Wiese, Kevin Phan, Patrick M. Pilarski, Christine Walde, Jan Conn, Shane Rhodes, Daniel Kincade Renton, Shawn Riopelle, Emily Carr, Rachel Lebowitz, Mitchell Parry, Len Krisak, Carole L. MacKay, Julie Cameron Gray, David Pimm, Ava Gregorian, Doug Ramspeck, Ron De Maris, Brian Henderson, David Martin, Rhea Tregebov.
Reviews: Shane Neilson, Malcolm Forbes, Allison LaSorda, Susan Haley, M. Travis Lane.
No. 253 (Autumn 2012)
Home is where the heart is, but heart is often tied to a place where fond memories are created. Ross Leckie, editor of The Fiddlehead at the time, reveals the importance of place in the editorial opening of the West Coast issue: “writers in Canada think deeply about how we imagine home, environment, place and space.” He emphasizes how place, although not always important to readers, is often important to writers. It is a part of a writer’s identity and often, consciously, or unconsciously, seeps into their writing. The Fiddlehead and The Malahat Review, founded on opposite coasts, are two widely renowned Canadian literary magazines. In Autumn 2012, they collaborated on a project focusing on Canadian writers. This issue of The Fiddlehead displays West Coast writing at its finest, just as the twin issue of The Malahat Review presents the best of East Coast writers. The goal of this collaboration was to give subscribers of The Fiddlehead the opportunity to experience West Coast writing, creating a diverse collection found in one space. It allows readers to learn more about the communities and locations, doing so through the eyes of those who’ve lived there.
The issue features prominent West Coast writers. George Bowering, Canada’s first parliamentary poet, contemplates the progression of the world and death in two short poems. Canada’s proud unofficial national sport is referenced in “Birdwatching During the Playoffs” by Bren Simmers and “Geoffrey Hill at Duck Mountain” by Tim Lilburn. At the time, Bren Simmers worked as a park interpreter in Vancouver and was awarded the Arc Poem of the Year Award, and Tim Lilburn was a professor at the University of Victoria and had written a book entitled Assiniboia. Vanessa Li, born and raised in Vancouver, was in the process of publishing a memoir on her “wickedly outrageous Chinese family” at the time the issue was published. She highlights a local spot in BC in her short story “Wreck Beach,” shifting from the description of place to plot and bridging the gap between both.
The cover is an acrylic painting painted by west coast artist Nathan Birch. He was born in the US but moved to Canada early on in his life. He has devoted much of his artwork to landscape paintings, illustrating different places he’s lived. This specific painting depicts Drumbeg Park, located on Gabriola Island in British Columbia. Birch captures one of the many beautifully preserved landscapes that can be visited on the west coast.
Bailey Noiles
Intern, December 2021
Editorial: Ross Leckie.
Poetry: Eleanor Wilner, Anne Compton, Charles Wright, David Reibetanz, Jeremy Spohr, Elena E. Johnson, Gary Allen, Maureen Hynes, Shoshanna Wingate, Patricia Young, Stephanie Yorke, Cassidy McFadzean, Orlando Ricardo Menes, John Barton, Jeffery Donaldson, Jeffrey Gustavson, Daniel J. Langton, Craig Poile, Jacqueline Bourque, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Roger Nash, Kyeren Regehr, Rhonda Douglas, Hollay Ghadery, Jesse Patrick Ferguson, Matthew Tierney, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Rachel Lebowitz, Kenneth Sherman, Matt Schumacher, :Michael Trussler, Shane Neilson, Rocco de Giacomo, Rob Taylor, Esvie Coemish, Joanna Lilley, Adam Dickinson.
Reviews: Sue Sinclair, George Amabile, M. Travis Lane, Rebecca Geleyn, Mark Dickinson, Ruth Roach Pierson, M. Travis Lane.
Editorial: Ross Leckie.
Fiction: Cody Klippenstein, Valerie Spencer, Kevin A. Couture, Yasuko Thanh, Grant Buday.
Poetry: Jim Johnstone, Michael Londry, Michael Quilty, Shane Neilson, Ken Victor, Coleena Fanjoy, John Wall Barger, Heather Cadsby, Bruce Whiteman, Bruce Bond, Karen Enns, Branka Petrovic, Zachariah Wells, Gary Barwin, John Donlan, Yvonne Blomer, Emily McGiffin, William Buchan, Donna Kane, Brandi George, Murray Reiss, John McKernan.
Reviews: Rebecca Geleyn, Allison LaSorda, Sue Sinclair, M. Travis Lane, Ian Colford, Edward O'Connor, Susan Haley, Pat Leech.
Fiction: Christopher Meades, George McWhirter, David Swanson, Jill Sexsmith, and Gregory Phipps.
Non-Fiction: Ben Miller.
Poetry: Airica Parker, Lynn Davies, Howard Wright, Pamela Porter, Darren Bifford, George Murray, Mike White, Darryl Whetter, Jami Macarty, Jade Scapillato, Thomas O'Grady, Michael Lithgow, and Norman Dubie.
Reviews: Rebecca Geleyn, M. Travis Lane, Mark Silverberg, Susan Haley, and Allison LaSorda.
Fiction: Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Dede Crane, Rachel Knudsen, and Patty Houston.
Poetry: Anita Lahey, Lise Gaston, Shane Neilson, Ricardo Sternberg, John Pass, Mary di Michele, Bruce Bond, Jeanette Lynes, Alberto Ríos, Susan Gillis, and Cara-Lyn Morgan.
Reviews: M. Travis Lane, Karen Schindler, Shane Neilson, Susan Haley, Zachariah Wells, Peter Norman, and Ian Colford.
Editorial: Mark Anthony Jarman
Fiction: Elisabeth Harvor, Bill Gaston, Alice Petersen, Douglas Glover, Katherine Govier, J.M. Villaverde, Forrest Orser, Matthew Swaye, ML West, Andrew Smith, Wayne McIntyre, F.W. Birt, Gregory Foran, Rea Tarvydas, Leon Rooke, Rebecca Rosenblum, and Clark Blaise.
Reviews: Ian Colford, Susan Haley, Steve Noyes, Naomi K. Lewis, Ed O'Connor, Sharon Hunt, Shane Neilson, and Mark Dickinson.
Editorial: Ross Leckie and Mark Anthony Jarman.
Fiction: Will Johnson, Tim Bowling, Sandra Jensen, Michael Laverty, and Diana Swennes Smith.
Poetry: Susan Steudel, Charmaine Cadeau, Catherine Owen, Melissa Walker, Ricardo Pau-Llosa, Darryl Whetter, Bruce Taylor, Julie Joosten, Elana Wolff, Cory Brown, Kim Trainor, Geoffrey Cook, George Moore, J. Mark Smith, Shoshanna Wingate, Craig Poile, Kay Weber, Jacob Boyd, Michael Carrino, Mathew Martin, and Jim Johnstone.
Reviews: Shane Neilson, Ruth Roach Pierson, Jesse Patrick Ferguson, Shane Neilson, and Evan Jones.
Fiction: Michael Doyle, Sheila McClarty, Greg Bechtel, Shane Neilson, and Marjorie Celona.
Poetry: Jan Zwicky, Charmaine Cadeau, Christine Lowther, Sandy Pool, Marcus McCann, Matthew Goss, Jack Hannan, Medrie Purdham, Bill Howell, Tom Wayman, Garth Martens, Stephanie Yorke, Ian Williams, Steve Myers, and Shane Rhodes.
Reviews: M. Travis Lane, Shane Neilson, Ian Colford, and Kirstie McCallum.
Editorial: Brian Bartlett.
Fiction: Jane Silcott, Alexander MacLeod, Wasela Hiyate, Erika Van Winden, and Kevin A. Couture.
Poetry: Bill Bauer, Aislinn Hunter, Tim Bowling, Jane Munro, Barry Dempster, Jan Conn, A. F. Moritz, Daniel Aureliano Newman, Stewart Cole, Patrick Warner, and Danny Jacobs.
Reviews: Mark Dickinson, Naomi K. Lewis, Susan Haley, Collette Saunders, and Heather Jessup.
