Acclaimed experimental poet derek beaulieu memorializes influential concrete and performance artists Bob Cobbing and Jennifer Pike Cobbing with his 2-part visual poem, In Memoriam..., published by The Blasted Tree in a limited edition 7.5" x 6" folded leaflet. 50 copies of the visual poem were printed on bright satin paper, and the leaflet is now available from The Blasted Tree's Store.
Poetry Leaflet - In Montreal by Mia Poirier
Mia Poirier's poetry is always a welcome departure from the common pretensions of lyrical verse. The Blasted Tree is pleased to present their new poem, In Montreal, which speaks to the unexpected changes we undergo moving to a new city, in a limited edition 4.25" x 4.25" folded leaflet. 50 copies of the poem were printed on top quality Classic Laid paper, and the leaflet is now available from The Blasted Tree's Store.
read IN MONTREAL
New Poetry Chapbook - PRAY / LEWD by Kyle Flemmer
The selected first poems of Kyle Flemmer presents his best work from a variety of projects. PRAY / LEWD includes several poems which have appeared in print, some from ongoing projects, and a few which are new to the world, making an excellent cross-section of Flemmer's early explorations into poetic form, space, and subject. A limited edition of 50 chapbooks have been published, 20 of which are available for purchase from The Blasted Tree Store.
BUY PRAY / LEWD
Year-End Sale and Call for Submissions
A new year is fast approaching, and for us that means an exciting new batch of projects! In 2017 we will begin publishing more than just our trusty chapbooks, including cool print media like leaflets, broadsheets, and longsheets. Of course, we will continue to publish boundary-pushing poetry, fiction, and non-fiction online. We're also looking to diversify our visual media collection by exploring everything from artist prints to video content.
YEAR-END SALE
With that in mind, we've put our entire back catalogue on sale! All remaining chapbooks are now only $3 to make room for our incoming projects. We have a very limited number of chapbooks by Jesse Anger, Laura Rojas, James W. Jesso, Ivan Fischer, Olivia Alexander, and several other fantastic authors, so DROP BY OUR STORE NOW to get the last copies around!
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The Blasted Tree is currently accepting submission of unpublished short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, visual media, and reviews. We're looking for sharp, experimental, subversive, challenging, or otherwise out-there writing and art of all types. Surprise us! We want innovative material we can publish in innovative forms, both physical and digital. Send your most daring work to theblastedtree@gmail.com.
As always, thanks for the support, and we look forward to another year of exceptional Canadian artistry!
Featured Art - base currency by Kyle Flemmer
The Blasted Tree is opening a new line into the worlds of art and poetry! Beginning with this series, we will be making and selling artist prints on behalf of emerging Canadian artists. base currency is a series of concrete or visual poems by Blasted Tree author and editor Kyle Flemmer. The series works within constraints imposed by the analog machine to investigate the social and political significance of money. 20 numbered and signed artist prints of each part have been produced on quality card stock, and the entire series is available from The Blasted Tree's Store.
VIEW BASE CURRENCY
Featured Nonfiction - A Brief Essay Against All Murder, and the Death Penalty
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.
READ A BRIEF ESSAY AGAINST ALL MURDER, AND THE DEATH PENALTY
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.