Editor’s Note

For our first issue of 2024, the carte blanche team and I are proud to present twenty-four creative works of fiction, comics, photography, poetry, translation, and creative nonfiction which make up our outstanding open-themed issue 48! 

A hearty thanks goes out to our managing editor, Zoe Shaw, for her steady hand in coordinating and managing the production of this online literary journal, as well as to our stellar team of section editors for their hard work in selecting the pieces that appear in this issue.

The fiction section curated by Liana Cusmano features six stories: “Inflation” by Jonathan Bessette, where a couple’s wild lifestyle results in misplacing their baby; “Prescribed Burn” by Megan Callahan, set during the summer when the wildfires in Quebec resulted in the worst air quality in the world; “Mom Wrecker,” a story by Michaela Di Cesare from the perspective of Bella who regularly meets with surrogate mother figures rather than spend time with her own mother; in “Song for Maud” by Elliott Gish, a gay couple fantasize about having a baby; a painful breakup leads the protagonist of “Folie à Deux” by Miriam Richer to go on a healing retreat; and, in “My Baba’s Idea of Sexy” by Eleni Zaptses, Baba attempts to use her matchmaking skills to set up her granddaughter with her new optometrist.   

Comics editor, Francine Yulo, selected “George” by Audrey Larson, an amusing comic which unravels on new sweater day (pun intended) and “Gribble-Horn and Tiara: The Devouring” by Jordan Penland, featuring a character named Tiara whose newfound therapy treatment might just not be the right help for their friend Gribble.

Shaney Herrmann, our photography editor, presents “Task Manual,” a bold collage piece which is part of a longer series by Amanda Yskamp. Also featured in this section are the photo essays “Summer Day in Guelph” by Grace Wang, which captures the beauty of a nostalgic overnight summer visit, and “accidents + emergencies” by Mischa Jakupcak. After witnessing a fatal car accident, Jakupcak experienced an acute psychotic episode and was admitted to the Mermaid Ward, a psychiatric ward in London. She discovered and reframed her world through photos she took with disposable cameras. “accidents + emergencies” is her photographic companion series to The Mermaid Ward, an autobiographical, hybrid documentary.

The poetry section curated by Veronique Synott features seven poems: “If the Villain Is Absence” by grace (ge) gilbert and “In Absence Of” by Sophie Hoss—which juxtaposed together touch hauntingly on absence; “Ouroboros I” musing on the circular symbol that depicts a snake devouring its own tail by Dani Janae; “Lodestar,” Dana Murphy’s sensual first published poem;  the disgustingly titled and boldly ecological “BONE-EATING SNOT FLOWER” by Erin Robinsong; Julie Triganne’s faith-tinged “Consider the Dove a Bird of Prey”; and the droll and witty “toll booth” by Stephanie Yorke. 

“The Bronze Vessel” by Diane Halfpenny, translated from Suzanne Jacob, is a brief but multilayered meditation on art and the complexities of walking in another person’s shoes. Dominique Russell translates the playful and Oulipian poem “Variations on Weights and Measures” by Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau. These pieces were curated by translation editor, Nicola Danby.

Our new creative nonfiction section editor, Caite McNeil, presents four stories, including “Effloresce” by Katherine Li, the 2023 winner of the QWF College Writers Award.  Li’s story touches on her experience as a young second-generation Chinese immigrant looking for a summer job during these strange pandemic times. You’ll also find “Postpartum” by Samuel Freeman, a moving story from the perspective of a physician and a father; “The Earring Collector” by Robin Gow, a brief and lyrically audacious queer piece; and “How to Survive a Femicide” by Jessie Carson, a stunning tale of murder, family-mythologies, and loss. 

I am also thrilled to welcome two more new members to our masthead, Laura Mota-Juang (outreach and events organizer) and Ashton Diduck (communications manager). Both have been past contributors to our magazine and have been hard at work behind the scenes. Welcome Caite, Laura, and Ashton—we are so pleased to have you on board! Learn more about our newest team members here. 

A couple of reminders: the call for submissions for issue 49 on the theme of “Play” is still open until June 15th 2024. After reading our newest issue, consider sending in your work here.

The deadline to apply for the 2024 Fresh Pages Editorial Mentorship is closing soon on April 30th. For the 2024 Editorial Mentorship, the selected Québec-based candidate will work with carte blanche managing editor, Zoe Shaw, to oversee the production of issue 49, gaining coordination and administration skills while learning how to manage a literary magazine. Learn more about the program here.

After a bizarrely mild but wet winter in Montréal, I am eagerly awaiting the longer days and warmer weather. Personally, I’m not so keen on the higher pollen count, mind you, but that’s what allergy medication is for, right? 

I wish you, dear readers wherever you are, pleasant weather and happy browsing of carte blanche issue 48. Cheers!

Greg Santos
Editor-in-Chief
carte blanche magazine
Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, April 2024