Just Words Volume 2
Celebrating 37 Canadian authors and their word as featured during the second year of Blank Spaces. Filled with forty-five pieces of creative non-fiction, short stories, and poetry, Just Words Volume Two is a true reflection of the heart, humour, and depth of Canadian creatives; capturing in its text, the very pulse of Blank Spaces. Edited by Alanna Rusnak, Pamela Hopwood, and Michelle McLaughlin. Featuring the work of Ilham Alam, Brian C. Austin, Simon Broder, Trisha Causley, Sue Corke, Joy DeVito, Salvatore Difalco, Dawn Edgcumbe, Katerina Eleftheriou, Matthew Eliot, Jennifer Ellis, Sheri Falconer, Anne Lee Guide, Stephanie Karakochuk Hardy, Leslie Hill, Amy Holodinksy, Beverley Hopwood, D. M. Kerr, Tony Kicinski, Larry Kozlof, Jennifer Lavallee, Rachel Laverdiere, Alan MacLeod, Patricia Manale, Cindy Matthews, Gail M. Murray, Jenny Parsons, Olivia Sapp, Nicole Schroeder, Tsara Shelton, Susan Siddeley, Caitlin Thomson, Mitchell Toews, Lori Twining, and Richard Weiser.
172 pages
Released September 2018
Tsara 5.0 out of 5 stars
Nourishing and Delightful Bite-Sized Nuggets of Canadian Culture
Wow, Just Words did it again! This collection of Canadian stories, ideas, and poems offers more than entertainment and memories shared. It invites you to feel and become part of the diversity and culture that is the Canadian family.
I read Just Words, Volume 1 in a hurry. Gobbling up stories and poetry with an almost insatiable appetite. It was wonderful. This year I read Just Words, Volume 2 slowly, over time. I am busier this year than I was last, and this book has been a gift I cannot describe effectively. Calling to me thoughtfully, without the distracting insistence of a novel but without ever quite letting me go as well. It had more to say and felt comfortable waiting till I had time to hear it. Even when the stories were uncomfortable, I felt cared for and considered. Being uncomfortable is a necessary part of growth, and literature done well grows us, but being uncomfortable works best when crafted with care, perspective, and empathy. This anthology offers that while bringing also a splash of comedy and a title wave of inspiration.
Thank you again, Blank Spaces and Alanna Rusnak for taking the time to curate and deliver profound Canadian literature in these accessible ways. I highly recommend this book and the literary magazine it celebrates!
