Dear friends, subscribers, and soon-to-be readers,
We’ve had a busy few months getting Traces off the ground, and we’re so grateful for all your support thus far! The journal's inaugural issue will launch next week on November 6th, 2024. We have an excellent lineup of poetry, reviews, interviews, and essays reflecting on spirituality and the arts from a distinctly Canadian perspective.
The Goal: 100 subscribers by next week!
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve already reached 97 subscribers before the launch of our first issue. The enthusiasm for this project has been overwhelming, and we hope to deliver an excellent lineup of writing for our growing audience. With this in mind, please consider sharing Traces with your friends, students, classmates, or colleagues before the release of our inaugural issue on November 6th, 2024. We hope to hit 100 subscribers before next week’s launch!
Inaugural Issue: Sneak Peek
The inaugural issue of Traces is on its way… As you patiently wait for next week’s launch, here’s a sneak peek from
’s interview with :Sarah: Who are your favourite Canadian writers?
Malcolm: When I was in grade school and junior high, one of the authors I enjoyed was Farley Mowat. Mowat wrote wonderful stories set in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, often about the schooners and the fishermen. I’ve always loved the sea and ships so I love those Farley Mowat books. Then I was listening to Leonard Cohen as a songwriter but soon realized he was a poet and bought his poetry books as well. The main Canadian influence in my mid to late teens was more musical than literary, but the music was literary in its own way. Joni Mitchell is a great poet. In the 70s you could still go to folk cafes where everybody remembered the last time Neil or Joni played there. And then in 2011, I met the Canadian singer-songwriter, Steve Bell, and we became mutual fans. I loved his singing and songwriting and he liked my poetry. We have had a long, rich collaboration which has brought me back to Canada several times.
Supporting Traces
Thanks again to everyone who has supported us by subscribing, donating, or volunteering their time. With the paid subscriptions and donations we’ve received, we’ve acquired a personalized domain, avoiding the pesky .substack URL and its subsequent limitations on X (Twitter).
Speaking of Twitter/X, you can find us over there too. If you’re the tweeting type, please give us a follow and help spread the word about the inaugural issue.
Coming soon…
Winter call for submissions: We’ll open our winter call for submissions in mid-January. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to traces.editor@gmail.com with pitches for interviews, essays, and reviews. We’re always happy to discuss pitches and potential collaboration ideas with writers and artists, regardless of our submission windows.
Hiring a Reviews Editor: We will hire a Reviews Editor in the new year to help solicit, edit, and write book reviews regularly. If you’re interested in the position, know someone who might be a good fit, or are interested in donating to help fund this role, please reach out to traces.editor@gmail.com for more information.
Faith & Art News: In the coming weeks, we will launch a new column featuring “faith & art” news in Canada. This monthly newsletter will include upcoming events, contests, book releases, and artist spotlights from across the country (and beyond!). We are always interested in hearing from our readers on what to include, so please reach out if you are aware of any faith & art-related news in your area.
Sincerely,
The editors at Traces Journal