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The Boy Who Saw the Colour of Air
[Book Review] Abdo Wazen dedicates this middle-grade novella “to the blind who defied their blindness and shone the light of their insight upon us.”
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The Talk
Listen to Brendan Wanderer's script "The Talk"—featured in Portal 2022—as performed by CREW students and faculty.
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Like a Noose
Chris (Seabacola) Beaton reads his poem “Like a Noose” published in Portal 2022. Related Images:
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Only Human
Kirsten Dayne reads her short story “Only Human” published in Portal 2022. Related Images:
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THE WITCH’S DIARY
[Book Review] The Witch’s Diary is a great read for anyone who is, has, or will soon be looking for work after acquiring student debt; life can vex you, but supportive friends, staying true to oneself, and the fine art of persistence will make you adept enough to ace any test worth taking.
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THE ANNUAL MIGRATION OF CLOUDS
[Book Review] Premee Mohamed’s The Annual Migration of Clouds is a speculative novella that foreshadows post-apocalyptic Alberta, a place where climate change has ravaged the province and a mysterious intergenerational parasite called Cadastrulamyces fungi (Cad for short) can control the host’s body and mind.
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TO KNOW YOU’RE ALIVE
[Book Review] Written and drawn by Dakota McFadzean between 2013 and 2020, To Know You’re Alive is a collection of graphic works printed in a combination of pink and black ink on white paper, allowing the medium to take on the characteristic look and feel of the ‘funny pages’ of a local newspaper. A splash of colour adds beautiful elegance to McFadzean’s simple art while delving into complex ideas with an often-chilling subtext. This unease invites the reader to question what they take for granted to be safe or familiar.
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LAST TIDE
[Book Review] Last Tide, Andy Zuliani’s debut novel, is a dark exploration of how people come together in the midst of crises—both natural and man-made. The book is split into three parts: “Reformatting,” “Fifteen Feet,” and “Death and Surfing.” Although it is literary fiction, it bears a resemblance to disaster science fiction. Despite this, Last Tide is so frighteningly possible, readers may soon forget these origins; just because it hasn’t yet happened doesn’t mean it won’t.
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DAYS BY MOONLIGHT
André AlexisCoach House Books, 2019224 pages9781552453797$19.95 Days by Moonlight follows botanist Alfred “Alfie” Homer as driver and research assistant to his parent’s friend Professor Bruno, a biographer searching for the mysterious poet John Skennen. The publisher’s website describes it as “Gulliver’s Travels meets The Underground Railroad: a road trip through the countryside – and the psyche.” Alfie is ever hopeful and constantly surprised as they encounter towns where Black residents speak only in sign language or that hold Indigenous Parades; it is a land of werewolves and witches. Days by Moonlight is a Dantesque journey taken when the sun is setting and makes us question what is real. As Alfie and Bruno…
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THE LIST OF LAST CHANCES
Christina MyersCaitlin Press, 2021215 pagesISBN-13: 978-1-773860596$22.95 Reviewed by Tammi Carto Ruthie is 38 years old when she catches her boyfriend having sex on their couch with “Flower Shop Girl.” On Valentine’s day, no less. Cue the downward spiral. Ruthie lands single and unemployed on her best friend Jules’ couch. She sinks into a darkness fuelled by anger and betrayal until one day Jules forces her to answer an ad placed by the son of an elderly woman looking for someone to drive his mother from PEI to his house in BC. Ruthie considers loosening her grip on the wine bottle and abandoning her pajamas and lumpy couch, but protests. “I…
