The Capilano Review

12/02/2023

Marking the start of our fourth series, Issue 4.1: Anti-Monuments dismantles the spectacular monumentality that is bound up with capitalist innovation, colonial extraction, and accelerated growth, instead focusing on how we can slow down, care for, and strengthen existing relationships across time.

Featuring new poetry and prose by Judith Copithorne, Rhys Edwards, Tawhida Tanya Evanson, Kaie Kellough, Danielle LaFrance, D.S. Marriott, Tracie Morris, and Samantha Marie Nock; an artist project by and accompanying interview with Maggie Groat; a special section on the work of Hope Anderson (including an introduction by Jenny Penberthy, a conversation with Wayde Compton, and poems by Hope Anderson, both old and new); a 1975 conversation between Roy Kiyooka and Gladys Maria Hindmarch on friendship, faith, and pain; and an image folio of works by Qian Cheng, Aubin Soonhwan Kwon, Jenine Marsh, Eunice Luk, and Cadence Planthara, with a poetic response by Zoe Imani Sharpe, meditating on slowness and craft.

This issue notably debuts our stunning new design and larger format, thoughtfully conceived by Victoria Lum. Featuring a fresh, art-forward cover, carefully expanded layouts, and a loving return to the magazine’s original 1972 typeface, Baskerville, the new format sees us looking to both the past and the future of what an interdisciplinary publication of contemporary art and writing can be.

Pre-order a single copy of the issue on our website, or subscribe to receive this issue plus two more in 2024 today. Trust us in that you don't want to miss what we have in store!

https://thecapilanoreview.com/issues/fall-2023-anti-monuments/

Image cover: Maggie Groat, from "S LOWER F," mixed media and digital collage, 2023.

11/30/2023

As editors, writers, and arts workers we have been profoundly shaken by the genocidal violence in Palestine and the waves of Islamophobic and antisemitic hatred that have surged in its wake. We extend our deepest sympathy and compassion to the families and loved ones of those who have been killed, to those suffering from wounds, and to all who continue to hold the grief of loss.

We are searching for ways to honestly and meaningfully mobilize our support, and stand with our community in demanding a permanent ceasefire and an end to Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestine.

In the words of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation language advocate Salia Joseph in her introduction to a recent talk at UBC, we seek to “think outside of the ways that we have been pitted against one another. For, as we know from the bottom of our hearts, standing for Palestinian liberation and freedom cannot be separated from standing against antisemitism, and that all forms of oppression are connected.”

The Capilano Review remains committed to publishing dissident voices and to providing a safe platform for critical art and writing that seeks to dismantle settler colonialism in all its forms. We welcome your pitches and submissions of this work to [email protected].

In the coming weeks and beyond, we will also be actively sharing art, writing, readings, events, and other initiatives by Palestinian and Jewish voices, alongside work by new and regular contributors and Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island. We do this as a means of unsettling the colonial narratives through which state violence and genocide are perpetuated and sustaining the vital solidarity work that keeps us hopeful in dark times. We invite you to join us.

In solidarity,
The Capilano Review

11/29/2023

Happy ! To celebrate this special day dedicated to highlighting the exceptional work of charitable organizations (like us!), we wanted to share a special TCR Story by poet Hope Anderson.

"After having the good fortune to be published in TCR 50 years ago, and cherished receiving a $5.00 cheque for my first poem published in the journal, which I kept for several years.
It has been an extraordinary privilege to be invited back to be featured in this fall issue. Having been a college administrator for 22 years, I have a real appreciation of what it takes for the magazine to thrive and now become indispensable to the Canadian Literary community."

The Capilano Review is a journal focused on publishing the best in contemporary writing and art for over 50 years! If you love the content we publish over the years, we're asking our dedicated community of readers to show their support for the journal today. Take a look at our Canada Helps fundraising page and see just how far every dollar goes to putting together every issue!

11/28/2023

It's finally ! Your donation today will help us continue our important work as a fundamental platform for the literary and art communities. For over 50 years, The Capilano Review has proven itself to be the journal for sharing and showcasing the immense talent of West Coast and Canadian poets, writers, and artists alike. Help us continue our unparalleled legacy of championing the best in contemporary writing and art for years to come!

We are so grateful for your support, and we hope you will consider making a donation today to our 2023 fundraising campaign page on Canada Helps here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/capilano-review-contemporary-arts-society/campaign/support-the-capilano-review-a-home-for-contemporary-writing-and-art/

Don't wait, make your contribution today. All donations of $25 or more receive a tax receipt and recognition in the pages of the publication and on our website.

11/26/2023

This is your gentle reminder that the deadline for our Fall 2023 Writing Contest is fast approaching. Submit your best work to be read by River Halen by Thursday, November 30th at midnight PST on Submittable.

Send any questions you may have to us in advance at [email protected]. Fee for the contest includes a one-year print subscription, so you can plan to take TCR with you into 2024.

https://thecapilanoreview.submittable.com/submit/277357/i-have-to-say-what-i-want-to-hear-fall-2023-writing-contest

11/21/2023

November is a busy month in the TCR office, and it's also the month of Giving Tuesday here in Canada. Next Tuesday, November 28th is the big day and we are asking for your support! All donations $25 and up receive tax receipts and you can feel good in knowing your contributions directly supporting over 50 years of featuring Canadian writers and artists.

This in mind, we wanted to share this TCR Story from the desk of poet, and past TCR contributor, Klara du Plessis:

"This image is an unstaged scene in my home office, right beside my desk. I see TCR every day, all the time. It is my favourite literary magazine and the only one I read from cover-to-cover, each issue."

Link to our campaign page is below, help us reach our fundraising goal by the end of 2023, and give us a boost this
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/capilano-review-contemporary-arts-society/campaign/support-the-capilano-review-a-home-for-contemporary-writing-and-art/

11/18/2023

In the fall of last year, TCR opted our usual Writer-in-Residence for an Emerging Writers Mentorship program, where we matched 20 emerging writers with 10 writing mentors, all of whom are past TCR contributors.

For our TCR Stories, one of the Emerging Writer participants, Rose Angelina Baptista, shares a favourite poem which was originally published in Issue 3.45 (Fall 2021) by her mentor, writer and activist Rita Wong.

"In Rita Wong's piece "Blueberry River," featured in The Capilano Review's Issue 3.45: Weather (Fall 2021), she eloquently describes the state of our planet as "A humble, watery globe, so fragile and so necessary." This poignant line powerfully encapsulates the essence of our current environmental challenges, leaving readers feeling enlightened."
—Rose Angelina Baptista

The TCR Stories are designed to share special moments from the journal with you, our readers, subscribers, and friends. If you love TCR and all that we have produced over the past fifty years, we invite you to show your support by donating to our fundraising campaign on Canada Helps.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/capilano-review-contemporary-arts-society/campaign/support-the-capilano-review-a-home-for-contemporary-writing-and-art/?mc_cid=d4e846ac6f&mc_eid=UNIQID

11/17/2023

The final of our Dear Friends & events has come and gone, and we are still glowing from the care, talent, and diversity of the presentations by the readers this year.

Take a look at some photos from the event on Thursday, November 2nd with Samantha Marie Nock, Wayde Compton, and Hope Anderson, and then go to our YouTube channel to watch the reading in full.

https://loom.ly/IVcnrfo

TCR would like to give special thanks to all who attended the Dear Friends & events this year, in-person and virtually through the live stream. We were so pleased at the positive turnout for this inaugural program, and for the incredible production support of Western Front.

Our programs are only possible with the financial support of public funding, subscribers, and individual donors like you. So if you loved the events we hosted this year, why not consider donating to The Capilano Review to ensure the sustainability of public programming like Dear Friends & into the new year and beyond?

You can donate straight to the source through our campaign page on Canada Helps, or contact Managing Editor Lauren Lavery at [email protected] to discuss other ways you can support the future of our public programs.

Video is courtesy of Western Front, and photos are by the brilliant Rachel Topham Photography.

Images: 1. TCR Literary Editor Deanna Fong hosts; 2. Wayde Compton; 3. Samantha Marie Nock; 4. Hope Anderson. All photos by Rachel Topham Photography courtesy of Western Front.

11/16/2023

If you have read all three of our 50th anniversary issues, or the poetry of Stephen Collis, you might find that this next "TCR Story" sounds a bit familiar!

"Pick up 50th Anniversary Issue 3/3 and flip open to big visual gesture where language escapes normative text space or I as viewer fall into said space. Afuwa & Fenn Stewart’s "X" where hands reach out to remove what hands have written white on black handfuls of historic and rigid font lines escaping the rainforests we don’t see. Which is the gift of TCR—keeping the page space active and alive, the language mobile, history reformatable, the next thing we need to say, sayable."

We are so grateful to have such talented and diverse writers, artists, and poets shared in the pages of our publication. If contemporary writing and art is also important to you, consider donating and supporting our fundraising campaign this calendar year. Link below to jump straight there.

https://loom.ly/gEL0c_Y

Images: 2. Spread from "X" by Afuwa and Fenn Stewart in Issue 3.48 (Fall 2022). 3. TCR Issue 3.48 in situ on Stephen's Collis' desk.

11/15/2023

Next up in our "TCR Stories" selections is from a beloved long-time contributor, Montréal-based poet, writer, and translator Erín Moure.

"For over 50 years, The Capilano Review has been one of Canada’s prime writing spaces of collaboration and learning and listening, of visual and word arts, of experimentation. It’s a site of foment, reflection, writing that has always exceeded its institutional and local base, and is a prime influencer of literary culture across Canada. It deserves your support!"

View our fundraising campaign page on Canada Helps today. Go to the link below where you can see how far every donation amount goes in our forthcoming publishing and programming activities.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/capilano-review-contemporary-arts-society/campaign/support-the-capilano-review-a-home-for-contemporary-writing-and-art/

11/12/2023

First up in our collection of "TCR Stories" this month is an extended note from our Board Chair Emily Dundas Oke.

"I've been circling The Capilano Review for a number of years, first as a reader and admirer, now as someone who has known it as a staff and board member. Some of my first encounters with the publication carried a certain sweetness and fascination—I would return to pieces, such as Jónína Kirton's "Everything is Waiting," like I return to fond memories of conversations with friends: finding repose, comfort, and nourishment. This publication, despite its humble operations, offers both anchor and transit. The experimentation it provides is firmly rooted, aware, and responsive to the cultural ecologies of which it is a part.

What I admire most about the publication and its programming is how it retains its autonomy. It is entirely individual and unique; the quality and means through which writing and art intersect are not replicated elsewhere. I also value the publication's flexibility to respond in real time to the world around us: we can play, we can critique, we can change course in the face of real-time news and its unravelling. This is a rare structural feature that many organizations do not have, and one that I cherish.

As much as it is autonomous, the publication is also collective in that it responds to and is responsible for upholding artistic and literary communities who have fewer and fewer avenues for their work to exist and be professionally disseminated. The one branch of the magazine’s autonomy that is perpetually at risk, however, is economic—we need dedicated monetary support to keep these avenues of publication open, and to continue to make space for these practices to exist and be shared in earnest ways.

As Suzanne Morisette writes in Issue 3.38 (Spring 2019): "Another way of doing things has arrived, and it brought company."

I hope you will join us in supporting The Capilano Review this calendar year. You will be in good company."

Links to the fundraising campaign are in our bio, take a peek at our Canada Helps campaign page to see how close we are to our year-end fundraising goal.

11/11/2023

For over fifty years, The Capilano Review (TCR) has been a home for the very best in contemporary writing and visual art—in BC, across Canada, and beyond. Every issue features 120+ pages of thought-provoking poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, visual art, and criticism by emerging and established Canadian artists and writers working at the forefronts of their fields. Our publishing program is joined by lively public events throughout the year, including readings, workshops, writing contests, and an annual Writer-in-Residence program.

As a way to both celebrate and share the impact of TCR on its community, we are thrilled to roll out a series of TCR Stories this month: personal memories, reflections, and praise for TCR from readers, subscribers, contributors, and interns.

If you appreciate TCR and all that we do, please consider donating to help us meet our ambitious $15,000 end-of-year fundraising goal by December 31st. Your donation ensures that we can continue to publish and to program, year after year, sustaining our vital platform for art and literature.

Donate to our campaign today through Canada Helps. Link here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/capilano-review-contemporary-arts-society/campaign/support-the-capilano-review-a-home-for-contemporary-writing-and-art/

11/02/2023

This is your usual reminder that the final event of the year in our "Dear Friends &" series is this evening!

RSVP through Eventbrite to attend in-person, or simply click the Vimeo livestream link at 7:30pm PST to watch virtually. Our Literary Editor Deanna Fong will be hosting the evening and introducing our readers Hopeton (Hope) Anderson, Wayde Compton, and Samantha Marie Nock.

We can't wait to host you! RSVP through the link in our bio.

11/01/2023

The Capilano Review invites submissions to its Fall 2023 Writing Contest. Guest-judged by author River Halen, “I have to say what I want to hear” invites poetry, fiction, and other short forms that, in one way or another, perform the type of generative, self-attentive maneuver suggested by the contest title—a line taken from Halen’s recent book, "Dream Rooms."

A collection of poetry and essays set in the years that led up to the author coming out as trans, "Dream Rooms" is concerned with moments of rupture, beginning again, information concealed in plain sight, and how to recover or regenerate a venue for one’s own becoming. Writers are invited to interpret the contest prompt broadly: be it through speculative works, intimate or large-scale fantasies, dialogues with the self, creative histories, dirty talk, manifestos, hard truths, or tender works of solace. We are especially interested in reading works that, implicitly or explicitly, create a context for their own reception.

The winner will receive a $500 cash prize and publication in an upcoming print issue of The Capilano Review.

Read the full call on our website and submit through Submittable by November 30th, we can't wait to read your submissions!

10/19/2023

Dear Friends,

The Capilano Review and Western Front are pleased to invite you to the final event of 2023 in our monthly reading series, Dear Friends &.

Please join us at 7:30 pm on Thursday, November 2nd, 2023 at Western Front for an evening of poetry by Hopeton (Hope) Anderson, Wayde Compton, and Samantha Marie Nock. The evening will be hosted by Deanna Fong.

Admission is free, but registration is required for in-person attendance. The event will also be available to virtual audiences by livestream. Links to all are in our bio!

Special thanks to Western Front for collaborating with us on this series and to the Kootenay School of Writing for its additional support.

10/15/2023

You waited, and we are delivering! Take a peek at the documentation from our fifth Dear Friends & event on October 5th, 2023 at Western Front.

We are so thankful to those who joined us for the lively and musical readings by Klara du Plessis, Khashayar “Kess” Mohammadi, and Sonnet L’Abbé, with new artworks by Christian Vistan projected behind the readers.

Watch the full video documentation of the reading on our YouTube channel, courtesy of Western Front, and the photo documentation by Rachel Topham Photography

Images: TCR Managing Editor Lauren Lavery; Kiel Torres; Klara du Plessis; Klara and Khashayar “Kess” Mohammadi performing their collaborative writing; Khashayar “Kess” Mohammadi; and Sonnet L’Abbé with their guitar. All photos by Rachel Topham Photography

10/14/2023

This is your final reminder that our special fall promotion of a one-year subscription to both The Capilano Review and Room Magazine ends this Sunday October 15th! Purchase this limited-time offer now and set yourself up for the best in writing, poetry, art, and criticism into 2024. 🍂❄️📚

Purchase it here: https://thecapilanoreview.com/product/tcr-x-room-magazine-subscription-bundle/

10/12/2023

It's been a minute, but we're back with another thoughtful selection of works "From the Archives" of TCR by our Editorial Intern Ana Somani. Her selections included writing by Reg Johanson, and poetry by Abigail Chabitnoy and Stan Persky.

Read her thoughtful collection of works gathered under the title "on disenfranchised grief" on our website here: https://thecapilanoreview.com/from-the-archives-on-disenfranchised-grief/

10/09/2023

TCR is pleased to announce that we are making changes to our digital subscriptions, and are now offering subscriptions for both institutions and individuals through Exact Editions. The digital subscription includes fully searchable access to our modern archive of issues (from 2021 – present), as well as new issues as they arrive.

Through Exact Editions, individuals can subscribe for fully searchable access to our digital archive dating back to 2021, as well as all of our upcoming issues, across web, iOS and Android devices through the 'Exactly' app. Each issue also boasts a linked contents page and the platform’s powerful search function, which can locate key words and topics across single issues and the full archive.

We look forward to elevating your digital reading experience of the magazine, at home or at school! Link in our bio to subscribe today.

10/04/2023

This is your usual reminder that the fifth of our "Dear Friends &" events is tomorrow evening!

RSVP through Eventbrite to attend in-person, or simply click the Vimeo livestream link at 7:30pm PST to watch virtually. Our Art Editor Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross and Western Front's Kiel Torres will be hosting the evening and introducing our poets Klara du Plessis, Khashayar “Kess” Mohammadi, and Sonnet L’Abbé.

We can't wait to host you! RSVP here:

An evening of poetry by Klara du Plessis, Khashayar “Kess” Mohammadi, and Sonnet L’Abbé

09/23/2023

Happy weekend! If this post finds you already cozy with a publication and your morning coffee, why not sign up for our biggest deal of the year for a one-year subscription to The Capilano Review and Room Magazine?

For only $55 you can get a full year's worth of both magazines, that's 30% off the regular price and includes shipping! Don't sleep on this deal since it's only available to purchase until October 15, 2023.

Get your fall and winter reading list booked up now, or gift this special offer for a literary-loving friend. Purchase here:

Subscribe to a full year of The Capilano Review and Room Magazine for $55 including shipping. This offer is limited and only available for purchase between September 15 - October 15, 2023.   If you would like to gift the subscription bundle, please fill out the recipient's name, address and email i...

09/21/2023

Dear Friends,

The Capilano Review and Western Front are pleased to invite you to the next event in our monthly reading series, Dear Friends &.

Please join us at 7:30 pm on Thursday, October 5th, 2023 at Western Front for an evening of poetry by Klara du Plessis, Khashayar “Kess” Mohammadi, and Sonnet L’Abbé. The evening will be hosted by Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross and Kiel Torres.

Admission is free, but registration is required for in-person attendance. The event will also be available to virtual audiences by livestream. Find all of the links you need here: https://loom.ly/uOGc9QY

Special thanks to Western Front for collaborating with us on this series and to the Kootenay School of Writing for its additional support.

We can’t wait to see you again!

Thursday, October 5, 2023 Doors at 7 pm / Readings at 7:30 pm Free Admission In-person at Western Front (RSVP on Eventbrite here) Virtual attendance by livestream (link here) Dear … Continued

09/19/2023

TCR is excited to share the documentation from our fourth "Dear Friends &" reading series event which took place on September 7th, 2023.

We were so pleased to host the experimental readings of new and published works by Junie Désil, our Writer in Residence Tawhida Tanya Evanson, and Isabella Wang, as well as the new responsive artwork created by artist Christian Vistan on display behind the readers.

Watch the video documentation available on our YouTube channel, courtesy of Western Front, with photo documentation by Dennis Ha.

Images: Isabella Wang; TCR Literary Editor Deanna Fong; Junie Désil, Tawhida Tanya Evanson. Photos by Dennis Ha courtesy of Western Front.

09/06/2023

This is a reminder that the fourth of our "Dear Friends &" events is tomorrow evening!

RSVP through Eventbrite to attend in-person, or simply click the Vimeo livestream link on our website to watch virtually. Our Literary Editor Deanna Fong will be hosting the evening and introducing our three featured poets Junie Désil, Tawhida Tanya Evanson, and Isabella Wang.

The event will also be celebrating the close of Tawhida Tanya Evanson’s week-long Vancouver residency. Come celebrate with us!

Thursday, September 7, 2023Doors at 7 pm / Readings at 7:30 pmFree admission In-person at Western Front (RSVP here)Virtual attendance by livestream (Watch here) Dear Friends,  The Capilano Review and … Continued

08/31/2023

As the summer season winds down, we wanted to let our readers and followers aware about those still awaiting for correspondence about our 2023 Open Call for Submissions period.

If you submitted work to our 2023 Open Call, please note that it is taking longer than anticipated to get through the content. Our Editors are aiming to notify successful selections by October 2023.

If you have time-sensitive questions about the status of your submission, please contact Managing Editor Lauren Lavery at [email protected] with the subject line: “2023 Open Call Query.” Please note this open submission period is over and we are not accepting new submissions or pitches at this time. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

08/29/2023

This is your reminder to register for our free virtual event Summer Issue Book Club: In(ter)ventions in the Archive!

The Capilano Review invites readers to join us for an open “book club”-style discussion of the issue alongside co-editors Deanna Fong and Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross. The event will open with an informal discussion of how the issue’s archival concept and contents materialized. We will then open the floor to readers. Which pieces spoke to you and why? What is your own experience working in archives, and how did the issue reflect (or not reflect) that experience? What connections did you find between pieces? Bring your thoughts and questions for discussion. We value your engagement and are excited to connect with you in this new forum!

Register now on Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-issue-book-club-interventions-in-the-archive-tickets-699916718747?aff=oddtdtcreator and have the Zoom link come straight to your inbox for tomorrow's lunch hour discussion. We can't wait to host you and chat about the new issue.

To celebrate the summer launch of Issue 3.50: In(ter)ventions in the Archive, The Capilano Review invites readers to join us for a book club

08/24/2023

Dear Friends,

The Capilano Review and Western Front are pleased to invite you to the next event in our monthly reading series, Dear Friends &. Please join us at 7:30 pm on Thursday, September 7th, 2023 at Western Front for an evening of poetry by Junie Désil, Tawhida Tanya Evanson, and Isabella Wang. The evening will be hosted by Deanna Fong.

The event will celebrate the close of Tawhida Tanya Evanson’s week-long Vancouver residency. Come celebrate with us!

Admission is free, but registration is required for in-person attendance. The event will also be available to virtual audiences by livestream, links will be in our bio and on the website!

Special thanks to Western Front for collaborating with us on this programming and to the Kootenay School of Writing for its additional support.

08/21/2023

"The term support has multiple meanings. If support is a noun, it can be understood as a thing, a system or network, or an embedded structure. When read as a verb, to support is to bolster, and this can take the form of a variety of protective, encouraging, and stabilizing actions. How does the project conceive of these things and actions, and for what purpose is this support gathered? Whom does it serve?"

In our latest See to see— review, writer Yani Kong reflects on the past and present legacies of Cathedral Square Park in Vancouver, which was the location for the series of interactive artist projects curated by Joni Low in 2018, which the published anthology documents.

Read the full review on our website here: https://thecapilanoreview.com/on-what-are-our-supports-edited-by-joni-low-and-jeff-obrien/

Image: Cover of "What Are Our Supports?" ed. Joni Low and Jeff O’Brien (Vancouver/Toronto: Information Office, Doryphore Independent Curators Society, Richmond Art Gallery, Art Metropole, 2022). Courtesy of Joni Low.

What Are Our Supports? was co-published by Information Office, Doryphore Independent Curators Society, Richmond Art Gallery, and Art Metropole in 2022 On a hot, dry day at the end of … Continued

08/19/2023

Summer Issue Book Club: In(ter)ventions in the Archive

Wednesday, August 30, 2023
12:00pm PST / 3:00pm EST
Free Admission

Virtual attendance by Zoom (Register on Eventbrite: https://loom.ly/ECWo3zw)

To celebrate the summer launch of Issue 3.50: In(ter)ventions in the Archive, The Capilano Review invites readers to join us for an open “book club”-style discussion of the issue alongside co-editors Deanna Fong and Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross. The event will open with an informal discussion of how the issue’s archival concept and contents materialized. We will then open the floor to readers. Which pieces spoke to you and why? What is your own experience working in archives, and how did the issue reflect (or not reflect) that experience? What connections did you find between pieces? Bring your thoughts and questions for discussion. We value your engagement and are excited to connect with you in this new forum!

Accessibility and joining information:
The event will be held over Zoom. Attendees are invited to pre-register through Eventbrite.

The Capilano Review is committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful environment for all that is free of harassment, violence, and discrimination. We will not tolerate any disrespectful conduct at the event, and are committed to preventing and eliminating inappropriate behaviour through active moderation.

To celebrate the summer launch of Issue 3.50: In(ter)ventions in the Archive, The Capilano Review invites readers to join us for a book club