Editor's Note
Greetings! I am so pleased to present our milestone 50th issue of carte blanche magazine. This online literary journal of ours has been chugging along for a remarkable twenty years since 2004. For those of you who might not be aware, carte blanche originally launched as a project to help create a sense of community amongst writers in Quebec Writers’ Federation workshops and to promote the work of emerging writers.
Our first issue, which you can view here, featured works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. We have since grown in scope to become an internationally renowned magazine, showcasing many genres and forms from writers and artists from across Quebec, Canada, and beyond. Do stay tuned for an interview on our blog with past editor/co-founder, Maria Schamis Turner, to celebrate the magazine’s 20 years.
Since the beginning, our tagline has been “there’s more than one way to tell a story,” and the carte blanche team and I are thrilled to present the eclectic twenty pieces of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, translation, photography, and comics which make up issue 50.
The fiction section curated by Liana Cusmano features six stories, including “The Girl Who Learned What Freedom Was,” a reimagined tale about a beast and a girl by Kai Cheng Thom, and the intriguingly titled “pee girl gets the belt” by Tara McGowan-Ross.
Poetry editor, Veronique Synott, selected seven poems, including “Flourish’ by celebrated poet/translator Erin Mouré and “Vacation Town” by Khashayar Mohammadi.
Cate McNeil, selected the creative nonfiction piece “Washes” by Rachel Hanson, a first-person account of an oar guide navigating the Colorado River which flows by Nankoweap Canyon.
Photography editor, Shaney Herrmann, curated two photography essays titled “Issue 50” by Mia Huang and “Single House Light” by Hannah Polinski.
The translation section selected by Nicola Danby features two pieces: “Reflections From an Escort” by E. Merrill Brouder, translated from Jean Le Roy; and “The Bastard’s Return” by AJ Bermudez, translated from Naima Lahbil Tagemouati.
In this issue, we are also featuring works by the winners and honourable mentions of the first Roslyn and Max Margles Young Writers Contest, whose writers range from grades 3 through 6. This year, the second edition of the contest is open once again to young writers and submissions will be accepted until Friday, March 7, 2025. More details can be found at the link here.
Congratulations to our intrepid team of section editors for their work curating the pieces that make up this milestone issue. A special thank you goes out to interim managing editor, Rachel Chin, for her help in overseeing the management and production of carte blanche during a time of transition. Wishing Rachel best wishes on her future endeavours, and we hope to see you around in the arts and literary community.
I am thrilled to welcome two new members to our masthead, Gabrielle Cole (comics editor) and Jade Palmer (managing editor). Gabrielle was carte blanche’s 2023 Fresh Pages editorial mentee and selected “The Light-Haunted Museum,” a graphic novella by Andrew Field in this issue’s comics section. Jade served as co-editor-in-chief of Concordia’s Soliloquies Anthology (2022-2023) and currently works with SpokenWeb. Welcome to the team!
As I finish this write-up on a mid-January afternoon, it’s snowing outside my office window and it’s forecast to get even colder. I hope, dear readers, that you find a piece of writing or work of art in issue 50 that resonates with you and warms your spirit for the chilly winter ahead.
There’s many ways to tell a story. May we continue to offer a platform for writers and artists of all kinds to tell their stories for many years to come. It’s an honour and a privilege to go on this journey with you all. Cheers to twenty years of carte blanche!
Greg Santos
Editor-in-Chief
carte blanche magazine
Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, January 2025