Anthony J. Gavin's debut on The Blasted Tree is no small feat of creative nonfiction. His philosophical look at killing as an act of just condemnation does what so few essays are willing to do: examine its own principles. In so doing, Gavin has mounted a passionate attack against the practice of all murder, state-sanctioned or otherwise, an essay both experimental in form and fundamental in its ethical ramifications. This essay is a must read for philosophic minds of all stripe.
Featured Poetry - Lunar Flag Assembly Kit by Kyle Flemmer
Experimental poetry at the intersection of science and modern mythology, LUNAR FLAG ASSEMBLY KIT is the first of its kind at The Blasted Tree. Kyle Flemmer tells the story of six flags planted on the moon by Project Apollo, translating the rigorous procedures of space exploration into textual and visual poetry that celebrates the audacity of such a technical feat. 10 limited edition chapbooks of the collection are available for purchase, each printed on high-quality paper, hand-sewn, and numbered by the author. Lunar Flag Assembly Kit available from The Blasted Tree Store.
READ LUNAR FLAG ASSEMBLY KIT
Feminist Perspectives 6 - Yvonne Raaymakers
Welcome to The Blasted Tree's creative nonfiction series Feminist Perspectives! The final entry in the our six-week program is provided by Dutch-Canadian engineer and mother of three, Yvonne Raaymakers. My Story: letter to a YWCA support group, originally written in response to the group counseling Raaymakers underwent after leaving a decades-long abusive relationship, recounts her journey from victimization to empowerment, and proves it is never to late to ask for help.
MY STORY: LETTER TO A YWCA SUPPORT GROUP
If you're new to this series, we recommend beginning with the Forward, also by 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 5 - Dana Neily
Welcome to The Blasted Tree's creative nonfiction series Feminist Perspectives! This week's entry is an autobiographical account by Victoria-based author Dana Neily. What happens when a feminist makes a mistake? Neily lays out a plan toward self-awareness, compassionate conflict resolution, and personal growth through failure. HOW TO FUCK UP LIKE A FEMINIST shows that, while nobody is perfect, the option to improve is always there.
HOW TO FUCK UP LIKE A FEMINIST
If you're new to this series, we recommend beginning with the Forward, also by 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 4 - Bea Keeler
Welcome to The Blasted Tree's six-part online series, Feminist Perspectives! Our fourth entry, by series co-editor Bea Keeler, is an essay arguing for intersectionality in the feminist movement. QUEER LIBERATION IN FOURTH WAVE FEMINISM makes a compelling case for unity and understanding across lines of gender and sexuality in our fight for equality under a banner of 'fourth wave' feminism. Keeler's essay provides the theoretical backbone for the Feminist Perspectives series, informing our understanding of feminism as a necessarily multifaceted movement able to rise above its own internal discrepancies.
READ QUEER LIBERATION IN FOURTH WAVE FEMINISM
If you're new to this series, we recommend beginning with the Forward, also 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 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.