The Role of the Preserved Poem
Acclaimed poet A.F. Moritz is the 2021–2022 Ralph Gustafson Distinguished Poet at VIU. Moritz has written over 20 books of poetry, most recently As Far As You Know (2020). He has won many awards including the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Guggenheim Fellowship, and was nominated three times for the Governor General’s Award. He is … Continued
2021 in (Book) Review
I read 45 books (and five plays) in 2021. I’ve always been a big reader, but last year was the first time I set out to make a comprehensive list of all the books I read. I was surprised by how many I got through! I read across a variety of genres last year, stepping … Continued
Why I (Sometimes) Read Romance Novels
Romance isn’t my genre of choice, yet romance novels have been cropping up on my “recent reads” lists a lot more often lately. I usually read mysteries, and most of my personal collection is made up of stories about supposedly haunted sites in Canada. Once in a while, however, I enter the public library’s romance … Continued
Terrifying Texts
Halloween is coming up and everywhere you look is decisively spooky. If you’re literarily inclined, one way to indulge this seasonal atmosphere is to curl up with a good horror book. Creative Writing students Kenzie Clarke and Erika Parsons are both huge horror buffs, and are happy to share their favourites. Clarke has a broad … Continued
A Review of the Brontë Sisters’ Work
Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre might be a rite of passage for first-year English students at VIU. I’ve seen the university edition being read on the number 40 bus and in the hallways of building 345 before classes start. There are upwards of five copies sitting on the bookswap shelves in the Student Union building—it’s hard … Continued
Robert Hilles’ Book Launch
VIU Creative Writing and Journalism professor Robert Hilles has a book launch coming up this Sunday, October 3rd. The event will be for not one, but two new books: a novel called Don’t Hang Your Soul on That and From God’s Angle, a poetry collection. The launch will take place virtually, via a Zoom webinar … Continued
Spenser Smith:
“People who choose to take this stuff can die. The answer is to choose not to take them. It’s a choice.” —R. D. This is a comment on a CBC story written late last year on the overdose crisis in BC. Of the 554 comments the piece received, the one calling for the death of … Continued
Juno-Award-Winning Lillian Allen to Deliver Reading and Lecture
As part of VIU’s Global Citizens Week, Juno-award-winning poet Lillian Allen will be delivering this year’s Gustafson lecture, as well as hosting a student-oriented poetry reading. Coined the “godmother of dub,” Allen is VIU’s Gustafson Distinguished Poet for 2020-21. The reading will take place on Wednesday, February 10 at 10 am, followed by a Q&A. … Continued
Wildflowers
The roses were decaying, petal by petal. Green leaves overtaken by patches and mottling spasms of brown and grey. The edges and undersides crinkling as though previously burned. They lay crumpled in the trash can, stems twisted and crinkled in all the wrong ways, blossoms and blooms frozen in time except for the march of … Continued
Greyhound Ride
It was a greyhound back of the bus love story. His name was DeVon. Tall, lithe, black as night. He was a sad boy, starry-eyed but not sorry. He said come on, balled and cried with de-light. We rode through Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas. Held hands, whispered stories, kissed and… chewed new manna (bread), a hot … Continued
October Horoscope
Aries (March 21 to April 19) You need to slow down. Like really, stop whatever you’re doing and take a deep breath. It must be hard juggling six classes, two jobs, 3 clubs, and hiking Mount Benson at 5 am every morning, but you really need to slow down and take some time for … Continued
Pinnacle Internalization
When confronted in life with two options, to choose the road used over and over again or the road less travelled, what will you choose? Will you choose to follow in your mentor’s footsteps and model yourself after the parts of your icons that resonate with you? Or will you create your own runway and … Continued
I Went to the Sun Once
Rufus woke up and something was very wrong He could feel it in his bone, still wet yet somehow smoking in his mouth. He thought, gosh how long have I been asleep? Is it summer already? And why can’t I just dream of sheep? He peeled open his little eyes, to take a look around … Continued
Compassion Fatigue
Resentment looks a lot like Narcan in a sharp and feels like it’s forcing out my will. I grab them both; Naloxone and the tarp, the outcome undetermined by my skill. Same guy, same place, same drug; third time today, his unresponsive body cold to touch. Compassion has fatigued and crawled away, when I see … Continued