Meet McKenna James Boeckner! McKenna’s poem, “Study of The Human Abdomen; or my dysmorphic adonic confessions,” will be featured in our upcoming poetry special issue, vol. 12!

How McKenna describes this poem in 12 words or less:
“dysmorphic screams resign me new to stories slammed in bedroom doors”

McKenna James Boeckner (they/them) is a writer serotinously transplanted from Thunder Bay, Ontario. They are pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of New Brunswick on the traditional unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik people. Their most recent play, Skylark Song, is scheduled as the mainstage production of Halifax’s OutFest in May of 2022. Follow and find more at memoirsofasodomite.com.

Khaloud Al-Muttalibi‘s poem, “After the Stroke,” will be featured in our upcoming poetry special issue, vol. 12!

How Khaloud describes this poem in 12 words or less:
“An indecipherable war. Thoughts scream. Words scuttle into their holes.”

Khaloud Al-Muttalibi is a poet and translator. She resides in the United Kingdom. Her work has been published internationally by various magazines and journals including Defenestration, the Glasgow Review of Books, Dying Dahlia Review, Akhar, After the Pause, Ygdrasil, Ink Sweat & Tears and The Guardian’s online collection for world poetry day in 2016. She enjoys reading, charcoal drawing and watching classic British comedy.

Meet T. Best! T.’s poem, “The House on Bonnie’s Curve,” will be featured in our upcoming poetry special issue, vol. 12!

How T. describes this poem in 12 words or less:
“‘…sure, it’s Southern Gothic: Southern Ontario Gothic.’ – Timothy Findley”

T. Best (‘tam-ra’/she/they) is a graduate of the Community Worker program at George Brown College and a former student of SEED Alternative in Toronto and the Integrated Arts program in Peterborough. Queer by nature and a performer by habit, Tamara enjoys wondering and wandering past historic places in rural Ontario. You can watch more of Tamara’s poetry in two videos produced by Shatterbox Theatre or read it in the Waterwheel Review, Sparked Literary Magazine, NonBinary Review, Queer Toronto Literary Magazine and a forthcoming anthology with Caitlin Press.