Feminist Perspectives 3 - Ilona Martonfi

Welcome to The Blasted Tree's Feminist Perspectives, a six-part online series on the topic of (you guessed it) feminism! Part 3 of the collection is contributed by Montreal author and community leader Ilona Martonfi. Her work, SONG OF THE SYBIL: SIXTH LESSON, combines prose and poetry to create an elegant and brave retelling of her flight from a troubled family, a retrospective at times heart-breaking, yet ultimately inspiring.

READ SONG OF THE SYBIL: SIXTH LESSON

If you're new to this series, we recommend beginning with the Forward by co-editor Bea Keeler as a quick way to familiarize yourself with the issues and with the general approach we've taken in curating this collection.

Feminist Perspectives 2 - MAY GN

Welcome to The Blasted Tree's Feminist Perspectives, a six-part online series on the topic of (you guessed it) feminism! Our second part, written by Calgary-based artist and poet MAY GN, certainly looks like a poem, but the piece goes well beyond its form in speaking to contemporary feminism. KNOWN FEMINIST DEALINGS draws upon the work of conceptual artist Jenny Holzer to interrogate how feminism is experienced and displayed in public spaces, and we are very excited to be exhibiting it here, in a space both digital and public.

READ KNOWN FEMINIST DEALINGS

If you're new to this series, we recommend beginning with the Forward by co-editor Bea Keeler as a quick way to familiarize yourself with the issues and with the general approach we've taken in curating this collection.

Feminist Perspectives 1 - Sammy Fogel

Welcome to the first installment of Feminist Perspectives, a six-part online series on the topic of (you guessed it) feminism! We're very excited to share all the great writing we have in store for you, so lets jump right in. Our first official entry, NOTE TO AN AIRLINE PILOT by student and writer Sammy Fogel, is a first-hand account of responding to sexist humor encountered in daily life. Fogel asks: what is the message behind the joke, and how do you get through to the funnyman in the cockpit?

READ NOTE TO AN AIRLINE PILOT

If you're new to this series, we recommend beginning with the Forward by co-editor Bea Keeler as a quick way to familiarize yourself with the issues and with the general approach we've taken in curating this collection.

Feminist Perspectives - Series Launch 30/3/16

Exciting news! Our six-part creative non-fiction series FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES begins Wednesday, March 30th with a prefatory Forward by series co-editor Bea Keeler and a short piece by Sammy Fogel on everyday activism, Note to an Airline Pilot. New entries will be posted every Wednesday for six weeks, aiming to sketch a portrait of the many-faceted movement that is contemporary feminism. Make sure you follow The Blasted Tree on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date on this series and more from rising Canadian authors and artists!

Featured Story - Choke by Herman

CHOKE is a collection of brief vignettes, each focusing on a different time the protagonist loses his breath, arranged to tell a wider coming-of age story. Sent in by the mysterious Herman, Choke is the 13th installment in our Short(er) Fiction series and the first work on The Blasted Tree published under a pseudonym. (Be prepared for physical trauma and sexually explicit content with reference to a minor.) Take a deep breath, then read Choke using the link below.

READ CHOKE

Featured Author - Ted Elliot

Ted Elliot is a burgeoning force in Montreal's literature scene. In addition to his own writing practice, Elliot co-produces a monthly poetry series at Café Lucci in Montreal. His verse bears an elevated polish and a close attention to detail, and we're pleased to bring you four new poems by this adroit young author. Elliot's work, featured now on The Blasted Tree, includes BACKPACK, XXXI, NEVER A DULL MOMENT ON ELGIN STREET, and FAREWELL PRELUDE. Read these poems, then check out Elliot's bio using the link below.

VIEW TED'S PROFILE

Information about the next Café Lucci reading event (March 4, 2016) can be found HERE.

Feminist Perspectives - Call For Submissions

The Blasted Tree is looking for creative non-fiction for a new series on FEMINISM! The series, to be published online in the coming months, will approach this issue from several perspectives, and we welcome all styles of non-fiction writing, from academic essays to autobiography and beyond. Help us celebrate feminist voices by sharing your wisdom and experience! Please send your original work to theblastedtree@gmail.com by midnight on February 29 for consideration.

Feel free to share this call with the feminists in your life. We'd love to hear from as many people as possible!

Featured Poem - Elegy by Jamal Chandler

Jamal Chandler excels at combining old world erudition with new school sensibilities, crafting poetry both classical in tone and modern in gait. ELEGY is no exception, and we've selected it to feature from among his three poems recently published on The Blasted Tree for it's skillful use of narrative and a special attention to the intersection of auditory and visual elements. Check out Chandler's concrete poem ELEGY, and be sure to follow us online for more great content coming soon!

READ ELEGY

Featured Author - Dana Neily

Hailing from beautiful Victoria, Dana Neily is the newest author on The Blasted Tree's growing line-up of emerging Canadian talent. Neily uses her writing as a means of drawing attention to mental illness and neuroatypical experiences, advocating for compassion and understanding in regards to mental health. ONE DAY'S BATTLE, published in our Short(er) Fiction series, speaks directly to these issues, illuminating the daily struggle between the protagonist and a surreal manifestation of Death. Additionally, we are please to bring you two of Neily's poems, AN ESCAPIST'S FANTASY and the comically titled AIM FOR AN 'OCEAN'S 11' RATHER THAN A 'RESERVOIR DOGS' BUT EITHER WAY WE WILL LOOK KILLER IN SUITS. Read her work online, then check out her bio using the link below!

VIEW DANA'S PROFILE

Featured Story - All Day Breakfast by Michael Smilovitch

Toys aren't the only inanimate objects with rich inner and interpersonal stories. Meet Room and Fan, a couple of "things" who get to know each other through their mutual acquaintance, the human being Tony. All Day Breakfast, Smilovitch's debut on The Blasted Tree, experiments with extreme perspective and abrupt narrative shifts to bring you into the word of every day objects. Just because Tony isn't there doesn't mean his stuff isn't going about its business...

READ ALL DAY BREAKFAST

All Day Breakfast is one of three original stories appearing in our brand new chapbook Short(er) Fiction Vol. 3, now available from The Blasted Tree Store!