Submitted by The Black Bear Review
The Black Bear Review will be celebrating its eight annual print edition with a launch party on April 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery.
Established in 2016, the Black Bear Review is the West Kootenay’s only literary magazine. It is a student-led collaboration between Selkirk College’s Creative Writing and Digital Arts and New Media Programs.
The student editors provided feedback on the 100-plus submissions received throughout the year and created a shortlist of 15 submissions to be featured in the print edition.
“There’s a lot of exciting, eclectic work in this issue that represents the immense talent of emerging writers and their preoccupations,” says Leesa Dean, co-founder of the magazine and instructor in Selkirk College’s Creative Writing Program.
“The content ranges from cyberpunk fiction to poems about self-harm and trans rights to experiences faced by peace workers in Palestine. The magazine’s tagline is ‘unexpected literature from the West Kootenay and beyond’ and this year’s edition certainly reflects that.”
Jonathan Ramos has joined the team as the new publisher of the magazine.
“As a former Digital Arts student at Selkirk College,” Ramos says, “I remember how exciting it was to see your work published for the first time. I’m so proud of how serious the students were in their approach to the magazine layout. They showed a level of professionalism and maturity that will take them far in their careers.”
The launch party will feature readings by Morrigan Bonegardener, Liam Borhaven, Noah Ferraro, Cari-Ann Roberts Gotta, Randy Janzen, River Mossfield, Lazarus Reise and Kiera Smith. Copies of the magazine can be purchased there for $10 (cash only). Admission to the event is by donation. After the launch, copies of the magazine will be available at Otter Books, Notably and the Selkirk College bookstore in Castlegar.
For more information about the magazine, please visit the Black Bear Review’s website at www.blackbearreview.ca. The Black Bear would like to thank Selkirk College and NMAG for supporting the event and the magazine.