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Shut Up Slow Down Let Go Breathe: An Interview with Marcus McCann

Interview by Matthew Walsh

Over last summer, during Toronto Pride season, I got to have a conversation over Twitter with poet and lawyer Marcus McCann about his new collection of poetry, Shut Up Slow Down Let Go Breathe published with Invisible Publishing. McCann’s collection focuses on gay relationships, dating, homophobia, but it doesn’t stop there, moving from very serious material to tender and funny anecdotes about dating and acceptance of one’s identity. We got to talk about the poetry scene in Toronto, the Naked Heart reading series, and Glad Day Bookstore and Café, where Marcus is part-owner.

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Courage and Imagination in Cli-Fi: Canadian Tales of Climate Change

Cli-Fi: Canadian Tales of Climate Change
Edited by Bruce Meyer
Exile Editions
Review by Emilie Moorhouse

A woman waits in line to get her water ration. She hasn’t had a sip of water in nearly three days. Her mouth is parched; she stumbles as she waits her turn for over an hour in the hot sun. When she he finally gets to the iTap and inserts her card into the machine that controls the water flow, the light turns red and her card is rejected. Her water credits have run out.

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Moments of Perfect Balance in Fun Home: A Coming of Age Musical

Fun Home: The Coming of Age Musical
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel
Review by Mikaela Asfour

“At times my father appeared to enjoy having children,” Alison narrates, “but the real object of his affection was his house.”

As a fan of Alison Bechdel’s comics, I was pleased to see Fun Home: The Coming of Age Musical onstage in its Canadian premiere at Arts Club Theater’s Granville Island Stage in Vancouver. Fun Home, based on Bechdel’s 2006 autobiographical family tragicomic of the same title, was adapted for the stage by Lisa Kron (book and lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori (music). In its 2015 Broadway run, the show won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. A heart-rending drama balanced with wonderful moments of levity, Arts Club Theater’s production of Fun Home met my high expectations for the show.
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Get to Know: Adebe DeRango-Adem

Interview by Jessica Johns

Hello, friends. Meet Adebe DeRango-Adem, a doctoral candidate in English at the University of Pennsylvania and author of two full-length poetry collections: Ex Nihilo, nominated for the prestigious Dylan Thomas Prize and Terra Incognita, which was a finalist for the 2015 Pat Lowther award. Her newest poetry collection is forthcoming from Mansfield Press. After reading Selina Boan’s Get to Know with Liz Howard, Adebe reached out and introduced herself. After reading some of her work online (her WordPress site is astounding), I asked if she’d like to be a part of the series.

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How to Interview: For Beginners and Pros

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Looking to prepare for your interview or brush up on some do’s and don’ts when interviewing? PRISM editorial assistant, Derrick Gravener, interviews poetry editor, Shazia Hafiz Ramji, to chat about the interview process. Shazia has interviewed authors such as André Alexis, Jonina Kirton, Thalia Field, and Jay Gamble, and shares steps for starting interviews as well as tried-and-true pro-tips.

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Massy Books: Behind the Murphy Door

Interview by Jessica Johns and Claudia Wilde

In addition to providing resources for emerging writers on our website, PRISM is dedicated to featuring spaces and organizations that exist at the intersection of writing and community. Spaces that are essential to bridging the gap between what is uncertain and what is possible. Naturally, our attention turned to Massy Books, a 100% Indigenous-owned and operated bookstore. Currently, the store is located at 2206 Main Street, Vancouver, but will be moving to their new location of 229 E. Georgia St at the end of February. Though the new location will have a different layout, it will preserve its secret bookshelf door (built by carpenter Sam Grzesik, owner of S.G. Contracting and who also worked on the set of Harry Potter!). Other features include 14 ft high pipe shelving with semi-rolling ladders and a 500 sq. ft art gallery space upstairs. 

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