Montreal-Based Literary Journal

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"My mother doesn’t cry, at least not in front of me. In fact, she doesn’t want to talk about it or him at all, waving the news out of the air like a bad smell. She does something far worse: she discovers Amazon. "



             -Sabrina Fielding, Excerpt from "Knick Knack," winner of the 2024 Montreal Fiction Prize. Published in yolk Vol. 4.1

"Put yourself first.
Go for a swim, a Flash Sale. An ugly cry.
Code your own Minesweeper game.
Run like your phone is at 1%.
Is your money out making you money?
Why would something this good be free?"



                                           -Sadie McCarney, Excerpt from "Inbox Subject Line Cento," Published in yolk Vol. 4.1, 2024

"In French class I sit with Grace because she talks fast. Is that enough? She says things that I wouldn’t. I’m always surprised. She says things like: Americans could benefit from psychoanalysis, and Québec is anxious about its identity. These are generalizations, but they’re all we know. Our professor comes to our conversation group and agrees or shakes her head. Sometimes she laughs and her bangs go in her eyes. She corrects us when we flounder with our tongues between our teeth, like fish.  "



                      -Zoe Lubetkin, Excerpt from "Too big, the perfect size," second place in the 2024 Montreal Fiction Prize. Published in yolk Vol. 4.1

Digital Publication

Lemon
K.R. Lai
A child’s obsession persists into adult life, souring family ties in the process. Dissociative and musical interludes set the tone in K.R. Lai’s darkly off-kilter tale about a delayed end of innocence.
Spirit Foul
Noah Cain
“Spirit Foul” explores conflicting ideas of masculinity in professional sports. Noah Cain captures the raw voice of a young athlete caught in a crisis of confidence when learned norms of dominance and aggression fail to win over the one person he truly cares about.
Babel
Gospel Chinedu
A poem made up of perhaps more questions than answers, in “Babel,” Gospel Chinedu manages to interweave language, attempts at litany, and Louise Glück together in an effort to find glimpses of solace within.
Trail Running
Franz Jørgen Neumann
An unhappy marriage hangs in suspended animation. Spouses drift apart, each in pursuit of their preferred means of distraction. Franz Jørgen Neumann’s “Trail Running” conveys the shock of not recognizing the person your partner has become, and seeks human connection in the age of the algorithm.
"To staunch a nosebleed" & "If I try to unfold my heart"
Shana Ross
How is one expected to go about their day when the world has erupted into flames? Through the manipulation of familiar language and the questioning of higher powers, Shana Ross’s poetry presents the impossibilities with maneuvering through everyday life now that horror is the new normal.
Club Patch
Sue Murtagh
Sue Murtagh’s work paints a picture of searching for connection in midlife that is at once subtle and bristling with unspoken desires. Her characters are rendered with a wry honesty that offsets their reserve and defies the reader to rethink what it means to belong.
Sorry About Your Soup
Kat Mulligan
In Kat Mulligan’s “Sorry About Your Soup,” the recognizable simplicity of Williams’ plums meets nighttime in Montreal. A drunken hunger informs both the speaker and the city—be it for a salty broth, or perhaps, something more sinister.
"Reunion" & "Happy Family"
Diana Reed
Diana Reed’s work speaks of close familial ties. When bonds are severed without warning, how do those left behind reshape their lives? These contrasting pieces offer a tender portrayal of grief, exploring the hard space between holding on and moving forward.
august
Rebecca Lawrence Lynch
In what could be considered the most haunting addition to our In Transit series, Rebecca Lawrence Lynch’s “august” demonstrates the ways in which memory never leaves us. In this poem, souvenirs transform into ghosts which follow closely behind a speaker as they spiral through Montreal.
Six Paintings
Peter Jones
In addition to gracing the cover of yolk Volume 3.2, Peter Jones’ arresting paintings, L’Hôtel-Dieu, Garlic, Dishes, The Red Couch, Interior, and Windowsill (Smoking) are featured in Vol. 3.2 and, now, in our Digital Publication.
Sicilian Blue
Suparna Choudhury
In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “Sicilian Blue” by Suparna Choudhury first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.
the avian idol panic of my 20s
Ksenia Shulyarenko
In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “the avian idol panic of my 20s” by Ksenia Shulyarenko first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.
Beyond Control
Dian Parker
Through compelling and decades-spanning vignettes coupled with a fascinating veneration of art, Dian Parker writes about the complications of entangling family with purpose.
Age of the Machine
Genie MacLeod
In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “Age of the Machine” by Genie MacLeod first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.
The Other Water: A Story from Parcel B
Nat Kishchuk
In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “The Other Water: A Story from Parcel B” by Nat Kishchuk first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.
This is a Horror Story
Elena Sichrovsky
Where is the dividing line between love and horror? Is it clearly defined, or nebulous and shifting? In "This is a Horror Story," Elena Sichrovsky attempts to lay out that question, with an inventive prose and a cathartic narrative that, through the masterful use of the second-person "you" and other tricks, sticks with the reader, haunting.
Mussels, Manhood, and a Line From The Flaming Lips
Marceline White
In “Mussels, Manhood, and a Line from The Flaming Lips,” boy meets man over a meal of mussels. In this poem sprayed with sea-breeze, Marceline White manages to weave together images and themes that originally seem so foreign to each other, but by the poem’s end, become inseparable.
What I Learned from the Deer — A Conversation with My Dead Son
Jane Harris
Jane Harris' wide, meditative piece is a conversation with her recently deceased son, Christopher, who passed away in British Columbia of a fentanyl overdose after seven years of struggling with mental illness. Harris' text is vital: while carefully personal, many readers will undoubtedly relate with its earnest content.
Sugar-Sick
Matty Kok
In “Sugar-Sick,” Matty Kok reflects on how gender is a performance that begins in childhood. A reflection of youth from a speaker who feels themselves nearly being ripped away from it, melancholy is paired with 4th of July fireworks.
Mollusk
Madeleine Leznoff
Like an octopus' tentacles, Madeleine Leznoff's short story "Mollusk," originally published in vol. 3.1, seems to move in multiple directions at once. But all comes together swimmingly at its core: a moving story about childhood wonder and fear.
"Trial and error is different from the trial of errors" & "If I knew the Spanish word for "yearning," that would be the title of this poem"
Bob Hicok
How many ants are there in the world per person? If your coffee is missing something, is it possible that something is a trip to the opera? In Bob Hicok’s two poems, the domestic is skewed and forced to confront the absurdities of its own strange nature.
“Typical Bedroom,” “Vito’s Garden,” & “Dying Ville-Emard Parish”
Francis De Rosa
De Rosa’s photographs, originally published in yolk Volume 3.1, are striking reminders of entropy. Characterized by uncanny atmospheres and an inviting warmth, the film shots capture a world moving so slowly one might forget it is moving at all.
Sinkholes
Braedan Houtman
Originally published in Volume 3.1, "Sinkholes" is a moving and funny snapshot of a time reliant on the relationships we nurture through monumental changes. Impactful beyond its length, Braedan Houtman's piece is rooted in power meeting presence.
The Waiting Room
Caitlin Stall-Paquet
A waiting room is more than a liminal space. Caitlin Stall-Paquet explores selfhood through the challenges of illness, grief, and legacy through the reflections offered by a space of waiting. And do we ever finish waiting? "The Waiting Room" is a tour-de-force of the memoir genre.
Living With the Atom
Patrick O'Reilly
As featured in Vol. 3.1, "Living With the Atom" is an eerie poem loaded with contemporary concern and a century of tension. With irony and wittiness, O'Reilly's brief piece will have you contemplating the absurd. / Image: Max Côté-Fortin, Sketches for a school project I never submitted, 2019, Digital. Vol. 3.1
In Transit: "My Right to the City"
Harper Ladd
How does urban design contribute to the preying on of bodies? How could one feel safe in the male-owned night and city? Ladd grapples with these questions with respect to Montreal's Plateau neighborhood in "My Right to the City", at once bringing to light the structures of oppression and reclaiming a voice too-often set aside and silenced.
"Poetry", "King Canute", & "Dominion"
Derek Webster
Is a yearling a perfect metaphor for a poem? What is to be said about the doppelganger in your reflection? How does one break the spell of all that is left unspoken? Although Derek Webster’s three poems may differ in style, they are unified in the way they gently ask the reader to pause, take a breath, and, with this, a moment to consider questions larger than oneself.
"Cicada-like.", "Heirloom.", & "Let Me Show You All My Trinkets."
Mary Kelly
Nostalgia is palpable in this series of poems by Mary Kelly, where a speaker reminisces on their girlish youth, eventually leading to what can only be considered inevitable realizations: trying to understand one’s body, the discomfort of one’s own existence, and musings about one’s mother.
Vivente
Eleanor Mota
Few young writers grasp the visceral mundaneness of illness the way Eleanor Mota does in "Vivente". Recounting the story of her father's liver disease and the nuanced ideas of home and family with honesty and care, Mota offers a touching narrative ripe with humour and hope.
The Beach at Trouville
Salvatore Difalco
Salvatore Difalco’s “The Beach at Trouville” immediately sends the reader into both a literal and metaphorical whirlwind; while attempting to traverse a windy beach, sand and umbrellas flying amok, the poem’s speaker attempts to come to terms with a lack of inner stability. In his poem, Difalco utilizes both sand and surrealism to amplify an all-too-familiar sense of uneasiness.
In Transit: "In-Between"
AC Tagubar
AC Tagubar's series "In-Between" holds still the necessary balance of the metro system's architecture, at times resting in symmetry, at times in chaos reminiscent of chemical compounds or anthesis. Tagubar's black-and-white images capture the industrial, murky skin of the underground while nonetheless saying "See? There's an organic order here, too."
Dialogue learned through dictation
Ren Pike
“Dialogue learned through dictation” takes the reader by the hand and navigates a neighbourhood that the speaker considers home. Through airtight images and succinct storytelling, Ren Pike analyzes how a heightened security state only makes neighbours feel less secure. Revealed through unwelcome presences and interrupted tranquility is a deeply unsettling question: are we ever safe?
Miriam
Deniz E. Avci Vile
How odd, to visit at once physically and imaginatively the city you used to call home – and were still meant to. What is more foreign: the place in person, in the novel . . . or you, now? Written as a tribute to Javier Marias, “Miriam” by Deniz Ezgi Avcı Vile is a metafictional exploration of time, place, and memory.
A Summer Thing
Casey Harloe
Casey Harloe’s “A Summer Thing” is a rumination on how the return of summer and its sensations can suddenly transport a person back to a memory from the same time. As long summer days pass, the speaker mourns what was once, reflecting on the sentiments that once coloured her past.
Ways to be Immortal
Amanda Dennis
When we begin to disappear – fingers, legs, taste, smell, relationships – what remains to render us . . . us? As an extension of yolk’s partnership with ILS, we have the privilege of publishing “Ways to be Immortal” by Amanda Dennis, shortlisted for the ILS 2022 Fiction Contest. Set in Paris and Normandy, this story explores the sensorial amalgamations of memory, and is marked by the author’s sharp, attentive, and witty prose.
Throwback
Elana Wolff
Elana Wolff’s “Throwback” is an encounter with the experience of becoming. Through eerie comparisons and strange images, Wolff’s poem succeeds in revealing how childhood memories can become deeply unsettling as we come to understand them.
Deer in Headlights
Karen Zheng
With the help of roadkill, Karen Zheng’s “Deer in Headlights” reveals the complicated subject of human compassion. Zheng’s poem carefully exposes the multifaceted experience of shock, the equation of caring, and how in a capitalist society, it has become our own nature to never be entirely present.
Yes, Thank You. I’m Okay
Willow Loveday Little
“Yes, Thank You. I’m Okay” is a reflection on family, tradition, memory, and the beauty embedded within the languages of the world. At once a review of James Dunnigan’s Windchime Concerto poetry collection and an interview with the author himself, Willow Loveday Little’s writing offers both a technical examination of Dunnigan’s prose as well as an intimate glimpse into his life and philosophy.
Women Talking
Imola Eva Zsitva
"Women Talking" by Imola Eva Zsitva is a series of three poems addressing possible relationships between women and their own voices. Considering conflicts of age and language amongst other themes, Zsitva both amplifies the female voice while bringing stark awareness to its constant silencing.
Doves in the Feeder
Chad Norman
Chad Norman's "DOVES IN THE FEEDER" explores the relationship between distance and tragedy and the ways one can maneuver this space. While attempting to make sense of disaster inflicted by humankind, the speaker finds solace in the natural world.
Tender Softness in the Ordinary
Emily Krueckl
Gracing the cover of issue 2.1, Emily Kreuckl’s paintings distort and exaggerate the sights around us. You will find that in the Young Women series, each portrait offers a uniquely rendered character, in all their personhood and ordinariness.
In Transit: "A Nature God on the STM"
Emily Tristan Jones
Emily Tristan Jones’ In Transit poem “A Nature God on the STM” invites the reader into the anatomy of a moment where youth and yearning meet. Montreal’s metro line not only functions as the setting of this poem, but becomes a muse inspiring nostalgia, romance, and surrealism.
Room Portraits, Still Lifes and Landscapes: An Interview with Sophie Edell
Sophie Edell
Sophie Edell’s paintings give us a peek into the practice of painting in Quebec townships by collecting rooms and landscapes as symbols of a quieter life. Edell chats with us about transitioning from urban to rural, developing a personal style, and the intersection of illustration and painting.
In Transit: A Collection By Dean Garlick
Dean Garlick
Finding beauty in public spaces, Dean Garlick’s photography serves as a reminder to allow yourself the joy of looking. The striking architectural compositions find rhythm in geometric forms, with dark recesses patterned by radiating light. (SP)
"Hurricane Betsey" & "Our Cottage"
Margaret Sullivan
Margaret Sullivan’s two poems "Hurricane Betsey" and "Our Cottage" present a nostalgic look at haunting memories, reminding us of why certain moments never leave us.
In Transit: "Adagio for the Blue Line"
Cole Henry Forster
Cole Henry Forster's In Transit piece "ADAGIO FOR THE BLUE LINE" may be relatively short, similarly to its muse. Nevertheless, through poignant images and existential questions, it encapsulates the eccentric energy that the metro lines carries from Snowdon to St-Michel.
Nosotros Injertáremos (We are Grafters)
Bjornerud & Jerezano
Bjornerud and Jerezano’s series speaks to collaboration, communication, observation, reflection, and human responsibility. The work is a poetic approach to art-making that depicts a conversation spoken slowly and solely through drawing. Two pieces (not pictured here) from the Nosotros Injertáremos (We are Grafters) series have found a home in our 2.2 print issue.
Boarding
Yanita Georgieva
Yanita Georgieva was introduced to Yolk during her first trip to Montreal. In her poem "Boarding", Georgieva presents her beautiful understanding of Montreal through the sweet sentiment of the warmth brought by snow days.
A Garland in the Volcano
Alexander Hackett
Michoacán, Mexico; barren, secretive, Holy. There is a volcano, Paritucín, with a church bell half-buried in the porous rock; there is memory, myth and cosmology, but what else is there for a French-Canadian to discover—to relate to?
"LSD in a church," "Changa at Mayan ruins," "Ayahuasca in the amazon," & "DMT in a bedroom"
Sebastien Clermont
The work's intention is to represent psychedelic visionary states both with abstract and symbolic images. Each piece is based on a particular substance and environment, and named accordingly. I am in general inspired by the contrast between the awe and horror that can both occur in those altered states. The drawings themselves are done in sharpie, and further altered digitally.
ARS POETICA: An Interview with Ceilidh Michelle
Curtis John McRae
Our Managing Editor, Curtis John McRae, had the chance to sit down with Montreal-based author Ceilidh Michelle to discuss her latest book, Vagabond, as well as her experiences in creative writing programs and residencies, her early inspirations, and the writing advice she received from Denis Johnson shortly before his passing.
"Stains" & "Moony"
Arundhathi Anil
Arundhathi Anil's poems "Stains" and "Moony" are an exploration of human intimacy and all that feels unexplainable. While the two poems differ greatly in subject matter, they unite with the common theme of temporality.
In Transit: "Friction"
Kayla Penteliuk
Kayla Penteliuk's In Transit poem "Friction" captures the essence of Montreal's metro system. Although she details certain stations and draws upon how each resonate with her in a specific way, Penteliuk comes to the final conclusion that it is through the metro system as a whole that she feels not only close to the city, but the people within it.
"Old Stuff" & "Among the Licence Plates"
Thomas Elson
Thomas Elson’s two works of flash fiction demonstrate a circular narrative forbearance that contains lifetimes. In “Among the Licence Plates,” we move from one seat to another—the State Capitol Building, on stage with Johnny Cash, on a mother’s lap, in the crowd amongst prisoners—to contemplate the various perspectives of one historical event. By juxtaposing these insights, we are asked to consider our own actions and the impressions we leave on people.
"Photoshopped" & "SX-70 Redux"
William Doreski
William Doreski’s poems “Photoshopped” and “SX-70 Redux” discuss the concept of our personal image of the world versus reality through the metaphor of photography. In “Photoshopped”, a narrator finds himself incapable of removing himself from tampered photographs, and thus legacies, of various writers. In “SX-70 Redux”, memory becomes altered and in a constant state of flux when Poaroid pictures are exposed to the elements.
Pain Management
Nils Blondon
Some dogs hover beneath tables for scraps of meat, while others wag their tails at the sound of an opening cabinet. For Buick, a red and white Greyhound, hardly any coaxing can stir his sickening body–that is, until one day, he hears someone purloin his pills.
In Transit: "VENDÔME"
Jerome Ramcharitar
“VENDÔME” is an ekphrastic poem that explores temporality and the relationship between the internal world of self and the external world. Through Marcelle Ferron’s sculpture, located at Vendome station, the poem investigates what it means to be in constant flux.
interiority, otherwhere
Chloe Gallagher-Smylie
Chloe's Gallagher-Smylie's collection "interiority, otherwhere" celebrates the intimate moments which create meaning in daily life. Here, community and comfort are demonstrated to be the foundation of the home, reflecting the lived experience of those who occupy the space.
"Coupling," "Domestic Theatre," & "Radical Sobriety"
Sasha Manoli
Sasha Manoli’s poems abruptly confront topics such as identity, sex, relationships, and society. The play on form and language creates a poetic landscape that is dynamic and full of momentum.
Dinner with the Rockhounds
Stuart Watson
What do rocks and fame have in common? Well, other than being a rock 'n roll star who may perform at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado - nothing, really. However, Glad thinks there is more.
ARS POETICA: An Interview with Edem Awumey, Phyllis Aronoff, and Howard Scott
Curtis John McRae
A conversation on translation featuring Edem Awumey, author of "Mina Among the Shadows", and the work's translators Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scott.
"Roach" & "Love Letter to My Organs"
Alana Dunlop
Both poems by Alana Dunlop are propelled inwards by speakers that are not afraid to delve into the disturbing, uncanny, and sometimes gross parts of the world and the self. The poems unapologetically investigate both the body's vulnerability and its strength as a barrier between these external and internal ecosystems.
Mexico
Lucinda Everist
This travel photography series documents how Lucinda Everist, and us as viewers, occupy and observe foreign spaces. With a focus on bold structure and unfamiliar color palettes, we visit Mexico City along with the artist.
"But Still You Ask Yourself Why," "I Had A Friend Once," & "Smol Snek"
Robert Beveridge
Light, and sometimes humorous, these poems invite us into small risks we sometimes take. In their individual worlds, everything becomes familiar, even the serial killers in the woods.
"Sick Paper Dolls" & "Categories"
Madison Phyper & Adrienne Gantenberg
This mixed media project couples together Madison Phyper's poetry with Adrienne Gantenberg's visual art. Together, their work exposes quotidian dangers to a painfully surreal perspective.
"Pont du Portage" & "The Man and the Moose"
Ben von Jagow
What does it mean to be Canadian? What part does it play in our identity? These questions, alongside familial tension, guardianship, and division are brought to the forefront in Ben von Jagow’s poems.
Sundogs
Charlotte M. Porter
A “sundog,” or parhelion, is defined as an “atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the sun”; or, as Aristotle and our narrator put it: “accidents of matter, a.k.a fuck-ups off-script.”
Flash-Fried 2.0
yolk
Here are the winners of Flash-Fried 2.0, yolk's short form poetry contest.
In Transit: "Untitled"
Mathieu Lamontagne-Cumiford
While weaving underground on the city’s great pulmonary track from one metro station to the next, Mathieu pauses at Papineau to capture both the stillness and the frenzied rush of being alone, together.
In Transit: "Prochaine Station: Part 2"
Greg Labrosse
In part two of Labrosse's story, Oriana's two pursuits become one. Discover the space with her.
In Transit: "Prochaine Station: Part 1"
Greg Labrosse
From Cartagena, Colombia, to Montreal, Canada, follow Oriana underground, as she discovers the architectural history of Montreal’s metro stations and embarks on a journey that takes her back to the 1976 Olympic games.
"Inflation" & "Hallelujah"
Gale Acuff
If the plate came back around anyway I might pinch my quarter back, or at least take some change for it, a dime and a nickel, say. That would still be a sin but less of one.
Pasture Statues
Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi
But they still had a few minutes. And so Millie mooed. Cate mooed with her. The cow stared at them.
In Transit: A Collection by Chris Shepherd
Chris Shepherd
The lights on the ceiling look like the blue cars and mimic our movements; snaking through tunnels, bending at curves, and eventually, bifurcating in opposite directions.
The Huge Fanged Snake
Ben Fine
"Nothing really bad happened, no one got hurt, but that night I was eaten by a huge, red-eyed, big fanged, foamy-mouthed python."
"Mr. Rundle stalks me." & "Hemlock."
Denbeigh Whitmarsh
Denbeigh Whitmarsh's work serves as a cultural milieu between the rural and the urban.
We Support Black Lives Matter
yolk
Yolk stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
In Transit: "Love Train"
Sarah Velk
“She would fill herself up one night at a time on the Love Train towards Place-Saint-Henri metro station. She watched herself in the window for four stops and listened to the boots tread around her heart for another.”
Jim
Maia Kowalski
“Come on,” Jim said, and he held out his hand in a high-five. “I know you love the handshake.”
at the laundromat
Drew Coble
A familiar setting turned unfamiliar by poet Drew Coble.
In Transit: "] door opens [door closes -a trip"
Erin Lindsay
A conceptual poem documenting a trip through Montreal's underground.
In Transit: "The Transportation of Shadows"
Fabrizio Paulino
When asked about his series, Fabrizio said, “Being a student at Dawson College made me take the metro everyday of the week. Traveling from Cartier to Atwater became a routine for me, so much so that I found the people looked more and more like strange shapes….I think the routine transformed them into shadows.”
Flash-Fried 1.0
yolk
We're happy to present the winners of Flash-Fried, our first short form poetry contest. Crafting a poem comprised of less than 140 characters is difficult, but the poets who submitted these selected works found the formula to achieve just that.
In Transit: A Call For Submissions
yolk
Perhaps every city has its peculiarities, but we have our metro lines, our buskers, our pedestrians, and all those familiar faces we pass by every day in transit, or purgatory, or simply in the morning, before we take this very same line back home. Perhaps, you wrote it down and submitted it to yolk.
These Devils
Nils Blondon
'Keep a prayer on your lips and a good deed in your back pocket.' He pulls a smoke without a filter from a Ziploc and bites it like a toothpick. 'Funerals,' he announces. 'Get used to ’em.'
ARS POETICA: An Interview With Mikhail Iossel
Curtis John McRae
Behind the palazzos, he went on to explain, is an interconnected series of corridors that lead to various courtyards where the real pulse of the city lives, where you find the sordid pith of St. Petersburg.
Egg the Poet
Spencer Nafekh
Yolk told the Montreal literary community to show up, and show up it did.
Punch
Sacha Archer
As conceptual concrete poems, these pieces balance the weightlessness of information with the weight of the material from which that information has been gathered.
Yolk Manifesto
Josh Quirion
Yolk began as an electric conversation around a picnic table in Saint Henri Square.

Lemon

K.R. Lai
November 13, 2024
A child’s obsession persists into adult life, souring family ties in the process. Dissociative and musical interludes set the tone in K.R. Lai’s darkly off-kilter tale about a delayed end of innocence.

A child’s obsession persists into adult life, souring family ties in the process. Dissociative and musical interludes set the tone in K.R. Lai’s darkly off-kilter tale about a delayed end of innocence.

Spirit Foul

Noah Cain
October 24, 2024
“Spirit Foul” explores conflicting ideas of masculinity in professional sports. Noah Cain captures the raw voice of a young athlete caught in a crisis of confidence when learned norms of dominance and aggression fail to win over the one person he truly cares about.

“Spirit Foul” explores conflicting ideas of masculinity in professional sports. Noah Cain captures the raw voice of a young athlete caught in a crisis of confidence when learned norms of dominance and aggression fail to win over the one person he truly cares about.

Babel

Gospel Chinedu
October 2, 2024
A poem made up of perhaps more questions than answers, in “Babel,” Gospel Chinedu manages to interweave language, attempts at litany, and Louise Glück together in an effort to find glimpses of solace within.

A poem made up of perhaps more questions than answers, in “Babel,” Gospel Chinedu manages to interweave language, attempts at litany, and Louise Glück together in an effort to find glimpses of solace within.

Trail Running

Franz Jørgen Neumann
September 11, 2024
An unhappy marriage hangs in suspended animation. Spouses drift apart, each in pursuit of their preferred means of distraction. Franz Jørgen Neumann’s “Trail Running” conveys the shock of not recognizing the person your partner has become, and seeks human connection in the age of the algorithm.

An unhappy marriage hangs in suspended animation. Spouses drift apart, each in pursuit of their preferred means of distraction. Franz Jørgen Neumann’s “Trail Running” conveys the shock of not recognizing the person your partner has become, and seeks human connection in the age of the algorithm.

"To staunch a nosebleed" & "If I try to unfold my heart"

Shana Ross
August 21, 2024
How is one expected to go about their day when the world has erupted into flames? Through the manipulation of familiar language and the questioning of higher powers, Shana Ross’s poetry presents the impossibilities with maneuvering through everyday life now that horror is the new normal.

How is one expected to go about their day when the world has erupted into flames? Through the manipulation of familiar language and the questioning of higher powers, Shana Ross’s poetry presents the impossibilities with maneuvering through everyday life now that horror is the new normal.

Club Patch

Sue Murtagh
July 31, 2024
Sue Murtagh’s work paints a picture of searching for connection in midlife that is at once subtle and bristling with unspoken desires. Her characters are rendered with a wry honesty that offsets their reserve and defies the reader to rethink what it means to belong.

Sue Murtagh’s work paints a picture of searching for connection in midlife that is at once subtle and bristling with unspoken desires. Her characters are rendered with a wry honesty that offsets their reserve and defies the reader to rethink what it means to belong.

Sorry About Your Soup

Kat Mulligan
July 16, 2024
In Kat Mulligan’s “Sorry About Your Soup,” the recognizable simplicity of Williams’ plums meets nighttime in Montreal. A drunken hunger informs both the speaker and the city—be it for a salty broth, or perhaps, something more sinister.

In Kat Mulligan’s “Sorry About Your Soup,” the recognizable simplicity of Williams’ plums meets nighttime in Montreal. A drunken hunger informs both the speaker and the city—be it for a salty broth, or perhaps, something more sinister.

"Reunion" & "Happy Family"

Diana Reed
June 19, 2024
Diana Reed’s work speaks of close familial ties. When bonds are severed without warning, how do those left behind reshape their lives? These contrasting pieces offer a tender portrayal of grief, exploring the hard space between holding on and moving forward.

Diana Reed’s work speaks of close familial ties. When bonds are severed without warning, how do those left behind reshape their lives? These contrasting pieces offer a tender portrayal of grief, exploring the hard space between holding on and moving forward.

august

Rebecca Lawrence Lynch
May 29, 2024
In what could be considered the most haunting addition to our In Transit series, Rebecca Lawrence Lynch’s “august” demonstrates the ways in which memory never leaves us. In this poem, souvenirs transform into ghosts which follow closely behind a speaker as they spiral through Montreal.

In what could be considered the most haunting addition to our In Transit series, Rebecca Lawrence Lynch’s “august” demonstrates the ways in which memory never leaves us. In this poem, souvenirs transform into ghosts which follow closely behind a speaker as they spiral through Montreal.

Six Paintings

Peter Jones
April 10, 2024
In addition to gracing the cover of yolk Volume 3.2, Peter Jones’ arresting paintings, L’Hôtel-Dieu, Garlic, Dishes, The Red Couch, Interior, and Windowsill (Smoking) are featured in Vol. 3.2 and, now, in our Digital Publication.

In addition to gracing the cover of yolk Volume 3.2, Peter Jones’ arresting paintings, L’Hôtel-Dieu, Garlic, Dishes, The Red Couch, Interior, and Windowsill (Smoking) are featured in Vol. 3.2 and, now, in our Digital Publication.

Sicilian Blue

Suparna Choudhury
April 3, 2024
In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “Sicilian Blue” by Suparna Choudhury first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.

In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “Sicilian Blue” by Suparna Choudhury first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.

the avian idol panic of my 20s

Ksenia Shulyarenko
March 27, 2024
In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “the avian idol panic of my 20s” by Ksenia Shulyarenko first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.

In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “the avian idol panic of my 20s” by Ksenia Shulyarenko first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.

Beyond Control

Dian Parker
March 20, 2024
Through compelling and decades-spanning vignettes coupled with a fascinating veneration of art, Dian Parker writes about the complications of entangling family with purpose.

Through compelling and decades-spanning vignettes coupled with a fascinating veneration of art, Dian Parker writes about the complications of entangling family with purpose.

Age of the Machine

Genie MacLeod
March 13, 2024
In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “Age of the Machine” by Genie MacLeod first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.

In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “Age of the Machine” by Genie MacLeod first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.

The Other Water: A Story from Parcel B

Nat Kishchuk
March 6, 2024
In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “The Other Water: A Story from Parcel B” by Nat Kishchuk first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.

In an effort to make the work housed in our print issues available to a wider audience, yolk digitizes a select few pieces from each print issue! “The Other Water: A Story from Parcel B” by Nat Kishchuk first appeared in the Vol. 3.2, Winter 2023 Issue.

This is a Horror Story

Elena Sichrovsky
February 14, 2024
Where is the dividing line between love and horror? Is it clearly defined, or nebulous and shifting? In "This is a Horror Story," Elena Sichrovsky attempts to lay out that question, with an inventive prose and a cathartic narrative that, through the masterful use of the second-person "you" and other tricks, sticks with the reader, haunting.

Where is the dividing line between love and horror? Is it clearly defined, or nebulous and shifting? In "This is a Horror Story," Elena Sichrovsky attempts to lay out that question, with an inventive prose and a cathartic narrative that, through the masterful use of the second-person "you" and other tricks, sticks with the reader, haunting.

Mussels, Manhood, and a Line From The Flaming Lips

Marceline White
February 7, 2024
In “Mussels, Manhood, and a Line from The Flaming Lips,” boy meets man over a meal of mussels. In this poem sprayed with sea-breeze, Marceline White manages to weave together images and themes that originally seem so foreign to each other, but by the poem’s end, become inseparable.

In “Mussels, Manhood, and a Line from The Flaming Lips,” boy meets man over a meal of mussels. In this poem sprayed with sea-breeze, Marceline White manages to weave together images and themes that originally seem so foreign to each other, but by the poem’s end, become inseparable.

What I Learned from the Deer — A Conversation with My Dead Son

Jane Harris
January 3, 2024
Jane Harris' wide, meditative piece is a conversation with her recently deceased son, Christopher, who passed away in British Columbia of a fentanyl overdose after seven years of struggling with mental illness. Harris' text is vital: while carefully personal, many readers will undoubtedly relate with its earnest content.

Jane Harris' wide, meditative piece is a conversation with her recently deceased son, Christopher, who passed away in British Columbia of a fentanyl overdose after seven years of struggling with mental illness. Harris' text is vital: while carefully personal, many readers will undoubtedly relate with its earnest content.

Sugar-Sick

Matty Kok
December 12, 2023
In “Sugar-Sick,” Matty Kok reflects on how gender is a performance that begins in childhood. A reflection of youth from a speaker who feels themselves nearly being ripped away from it, melancholy is paired with 4th of July fireworks.

In “Sugar-Sick,” Matty Kok reflects on how gender is a performance that begins in childhood. A reflection of youth from a speaker who feels themselves nearly being ripped away from it, melancholy is paired with 4th of July fireworks.

Mollusk

Madeleine Leznoff
November 29, 2023
Like an octopus' tentacles, Madeleine Leznoff's short story "Mollusk," originally published in vol. 3.1, seems to move in multiple directions at once. But all comes together swimmingly at its core: a moving story about childhood wonder and fear.

Like an octopus' tentacles, Madeleine Leznoff's short story "Mollusk," originally published in vol. 3.1, seems to move in multiple directions at once. But all comes together swimmingly at its core: a moving story about childhood wonder and fear.

"Trial and error is different from the trial of errors" & "If I knew the Spanish word for "yearning," that would be the title of this poem"

Bob Hicok
November 22, 2023
How many ants are there in the world per person? If your coffee is missing something, is it possible that something is a trip to the opera? In Bob Hicok’s two poems, the domestic is skewed and forced to confront the absurdities of its own strange nature.

How many ants are there in the world per person? If your coffee is missing something, is it possible that something is a trip to the opera? In Bob Hicok’s two poems, the domestic is skewed and forced to confront the absurdities of its own strange nature.

“Typical Bedroom,” “Vito’s Garden,” & “Dying Ville-Emard Parish”

Francis De Rosa
November 15, 2023
De Rosa’s photographs, originally published in yolk Volume 3.1, are striking reminders of entropy. Characterized by uncanny atmospheres and an inviting warmth, the film shots capture a world moving so slowly one might forget it is moving at all.

De Rosa’s photographs, originally published in yolk Volume 3.1, are striking reminders of entropy. Characterized by uncanny atmospheres and an inviting warmth, the film shots capture a world moving so slowly one might forget it is moving at all.

Sinkholes

Braedan Houtman
November 8, 2023
Originally published in Volume 3.1, "Sinkholes" is a moving and funny snapshot of a time reliant on the relationships we nurture through monumental changes. Impactful beyond its length, Braedan Houtman's piece is rooted in power meeting presence.

Originally published in Volume 3.1, "Sinkholes" is a moving and funny snapshot of a time reliant on the relationships we nurture through monumental changes. Impactful beyond its length, Braedan Houtman's piece is rooted in power meeting presence.

The Waiting Room

Caitlin Stall-Paquet
October 25, 2023
A waiting room is more than a liminal space. Caitlin Stall-Paquet explores selfhood through the challenges of illness, grief, and legacy through the reflections offered by a space of waiting. And do we ever finish waiting? "The Waiting Room" is a tour-de-force of the memoir genre.

A waiting room is more than a liminal space. Caitlin Stall-Paquet explores selfhood through the challenges of illness, grief, and legacy through the reflections offered by a space of waiting. And do we ever finish waiting? "The Waiting Room" is a tour-de-force of the memoir genre.

Living With the Atom

Patrick O'Reilly
October 18, 2023
As featured in Vol. 3.1, "Living With the Atom" is an eerie poem loaded with contemporary concern and a century of tension. With irony and wittiness, O'Reilly's brief piece will have you contemplating the absurd. / Image: Max Côté-Fortin, Sketches for a school project I never submitted, 2019, Digital. Vol. 3.1

As featured in Vol. 3.1, "Living With the Atom" is an eerie poem loaded with contemporary concern and a century of tension. With irony and wittiness, O'Reilly's brief piece will have you contemplating the absurd. / Image: Max Côté-Fortin, Sketches for a school project I never submitted, 2019, Digital. Vol. 3.1

In Transit: "My Right to the City"

Harper Ladd
October 11, 2023
How does urban design contribute to the preying on of bodies? How could one feel safe in the male-owned night and city? Ladd grapples with these questions with respect to Montreal's Plateau neighborhood in "My Right to the City", at once bringing to light the structures of oppression and reclaiming a voice too-often set aside and silenced.

How does urban design contribute to the preying on of bodies? How could one feel safe in the male-owned night and city? Ladd grapples with these questions with respect to Montreal's Plateau neighborhood in "My Right to the City", at once bringing to light the structures of oppression and reclaiming a voice too-often set aside and silenced.

"Poetry", "King Canute", & "Dominion"

Derek Webster
September 20, 2023
Is a yearling a perfect metaphor for a poem? What is to be said about the doppelganger in your reflection? How does one break the spell of all that is left unspoken? Although Derek Webster’s three poems may differ in style, they are unified in the way they gently ask the reader to pause, take a breath, and, with this, a moment to consider questions larger than oneself.

Is a yearling a perfect metaphor for a poem? What is to be said about the doppelganger in your reflection? How does one break the spell of all that is left unspoken? Although Derek Webster’s three poems may differ in style, they are unified in the way they gently ask the reader to pause, take a breath, and, with this, a moment to consider questions larger than oneself.

"Cicada-like.", "Heirloom.", & "Let Me Show You All My Trinkets."

Mary Kelly
August 30, 2023
Nostalgia is palpable in this series of poems by Mary Kelly, where a speaker reminisces on their girlish youth, eventually leading to what can only be considered inevitable realizations: trying to understand one’s body, the discomfort of one’s own existence, and musings about one’s mother.

Nostalgia is palpable in this series of poems by Mary Kelly, where a speaker reminisces on their girlish youth, eventually leading to what can only be considered inevitable realizations: trying to understand one’s body, the discomfort of one’s own existence, and musings about one’s mother.

Vivente

Eleanor Mota
August 9, 2023
Few young writers grasp the visceral mundaneness of illness the way Eleanor Mota does in "Vivente". Recounting the story of her father's liver disease and the nuanced ideas of home and family with honesty and care, Mota offers a touching narrative ripe with humour and hope.

Few young writers grasp the visceral mundaneness of illness the way Eleanor Mota does in "Vivente". Recounting the story of her father's liver disease and the nuanced ideas of home and family with honesty and care, Mota offers a touching narrative ripe with humour and hope.

The Beach at Trouville

Salvatore Difalco
July 19, 2023
Salvatore Difalco’s “The Beach at Trouville” immediately sends the reader into both a literal and metaphorical whirlwind; while attempting to traverse a windy beach, sand and umbrellas flying amok, the poem’s speaker attempts to come to terms with a lack of inner stability. In his poem, Difalco utilizes both sand and surrealism to amplify an all-too-familiar sense of uneasiness.

Salvatore Difalco’s “The Beach at Trouville” immediately sends the reader into both a literal and metaphorical whirlwind; while attempting to traverse a windy beach, sand and umbrellas flying amok, the poem’s speaker attempts to come to terms with a lack of inner stability. In his poem, Difalco utilizes both sand and surrealism to amplify an all-too-familiar sense of uneasiness.

In Transit: "In-Between"

AC Tagubar
June 30, 2023
AC Tagubar's series "In-Between" holds still the necessary balance of the metro system's architecture, at times resting in symmetry, at times in chaos reminiscent of chemical compounds or anthesis. Tagubar's black-and-white images capture the industrial, murky skin of the underground while nonetheless saying "See? There's an organic order here, too."

AC Tagubar's series "In-Between" holds still the necessary balance of the metro system's architecture, at times resting in symmetry, at times in chaos reminiscent of chemical compounds or anthesis. Tagubar's black-and-white images capture the industrial, murky skin of the underground while nonetheless saying "See? There's an organic order here, too."

Dialogue learned through dictation

Ren Pike
June 2, 2023
“Dialogue learned through dictation” takes the reader by the hand and navigates a neighbourhood that the speaker considers home. Through airtight images and succinct storytelling, Ren Pike analyzes how a heightened security state only makes neighbours feel less secure. Revealed through unwelcome presences and interrupted tranquility is a deeply unsettling question: are we ever safe?

“Dialogue learned through dictation” takes the reader by the hand and navigates a neighbourhood that the speaker considers home. Through airtight images and succinct storytelling, Ren Pike analyzes how a heightened security state only makes neighbours feel less secure. Revealed through unwelcome presences and interrupted tranquility is a deeply unsettling question: are we ever safe?

Miriam

Deniz E. Avci Vile
May 18, 2023
How odd, to visit at once physically and imaginatively the city you used to call home – and were still meant to. What is more foreign: the place in person, in the novel . . . or you, now? Written as a tribute to Javier Marias, “Miriam” by Deniz Ezgi Avcı Vile is a metafictional exploration of time, place, and memory.

How odd, to visit at once physically and imaginatively the city you used to call home – and were still meant to. What is more foreign: the place in person, in the novel . . . or you, now? Written as a tribute to Javier Marias, “Miriam” by Deniz Ezgi Avcı Vile is a metafictional exploration of time, place, and memory.

A Summer Thing

Casey Harloe
April 28, 2023
Casey Harloe’s “A Summer Thing” is a rumination on how the return of summer and its sensations can suddenly transport a person back to a memory from the same time. As long summer days pass, the speaker mourns what was once, reflecting on the sentiments that once coloured her past.

Casey Harloe’s “A Summer Thing” is a rumination on how the return of summer and its sensations can suddenly transport a person back to a memory from the same time. As long summer days pass, the speaker mourns what was once, reflecting on the sentiments that once coloured her past.

Ways to be Immortal

Amanda Dennis
April 7, 2023
When we begin to disappear – fingers, legs, taste, smell, relationships – what remains to render us . . . us? As an extension of yolk’s partnership with ILS, we have the privilege of publishing “Ways to be Immortal” by Amanda Dennis, shortlisted for the ILS 2022 Fiction Contest. Set in Paris and Normandy, this story explores the sensorial amalgamations of memory, and is marked by the author’s sharp, attentive, and witty prose.

When we begin to disappear – fingers, legs, taste, smell, relationships – what remains to render us . . . us? As an extension of yolk’s partnership with ILS, we have the privilege of publishing “Ways to be Immortal” by Amanda Dennis, shortlisted for the ILS 2022 Fiction Contest. Set in Paris and Normandy, this story explores the sensorial amalgamations of memory, and is marked by the author’s sharp, attentive, and witty prose.

Throwback

Elana Wolff
March 17, 2023
Elana Wolff’s “Throwback” is an encounter with the experience of becoming. Through eerie comparisons and strange images, Wolff’s poem succeeds in revealing how childhood memories can become deeply unsettling as we come to understand them.

Elana Wolff’s “Throwback” is an encounter with the experience of becoming. Through eerie comparisons and strange images, Wolff’s poem succeeds in revealing how childhood memories can become deeply unsettling as we come to understand them.

Deer in Headlights

Karen Zheng
February 24, 2023
With the help of roadkill, Karen Zheng’s “Deer in Headlights” reveals the complicated subject of human compassion. Zheng’s poem carefully exposes the multifaceted experience of shock, the equation of caring, and how in a capitalist society, it has become our own nature to never be entirely present.

With the help of roadkill, Karen Zheng’s “Deer in Headlights” reveals the complicated subject of human compassion. Zheng’s poem carefully exposes the multifaceted experience of shock, the equation of caring, and how in a capitalist society, it has become our own nature to never be entirely present.

Yes, Thank You. I’m Okay

Willow Loveday Little
February 3, 2023
“Yes, Thank You. I’m Okay” is a reflection on family, tradition, memory, and the beauty embedded within the languages of the world. At once a review of James Dunnigan’s Windchime Concerto poetry collection and an interview with the author himself, Willow Loveday Little’s writing offers both a technical examination of Dunnigan’s prose as well as an intimate glimpse into his life and philosophy.

“Yes, Thank You. I’m Okay” is a reflection on family, tradition, memory, and the beauty embedded within the languages of the world. At once a review of James Dunnigan’s Windchime Concerto poetry collection and an interview with the author himself, Willow Loveday Little’s writing offers both a technical examination of Dunnigan’s prose as well as an intimate glimpse into his life and philosophy.

Women Talking

Imola Eva Zsitva
January 13, 2023
"Women Talking" by Imola Eva Zsitva is a series of three poems addressing possible relationships between women and their own voices. Considering conflicts of age and language amongst other themes, Zsitva both amplifies the female voice while bringing stark awareness to its constant silencing.

"Women Talking" by Imola Eva Zsitva is a series of three poems addressing possible relationships between women and their own voices. Considering conflicts of age and language amongst other themes, Zsitva both amplifies the female voice while bringing stark awareness to its constant silencing.

Doves in the Feeder

Chad Norman
December 20, 2022
Chad Norman's "DOVES IN THE FEEDER" explores the relationship between distance and tragedy and the ways one can maneuver this space. While attempting to make sense of disaster inflicted by humankind, the speaker finds solace in the natural world.

Chad Norman's "DOVES IN THE FEEDER" explores the relationship between distance and tragedy and the ways one can maneuver this space. While attempting to make sense of disaster inflicted by humankind, the speaker finds solace in the natural world.

Tender Softness in the Ordinary

Emily Krueckl
December 3, 2022
Gracing the cover of issue 2.1, Emily Kreuckl’s paintings distort and exaggerate the sights around us. You will find that in the Young Women series, each portrait offers a uniquely rendered character, in all their personhood and ordinariness.

Gracing the cover of issue 2.1, Emily Kreuckl’s paintings distort and exaggerate the sights around us. You will find that in the Young Women series, each portrait offers a uniquely rendered character, in all their personhood and ordinariness.

In Transit: "A Nature God on the STM"

Emily Tristan Jones
November 11, 2022
Emily Tristan Jones’ In Transit poem “A Nature God on the STM” invites the reader into the anatomy of a moment where youth and yearning meet. Montreal’s metro line not only functions as the setting of this poem, but becomes a muse inspiring nostalgia, romance, and surrealism.

Emily Tristan Jones’ In Transit poem “A Nature God on the STM” invites the reader into the anatomy of a moment where youth and yearning meet. Montreal’s metro line not only functions as the setting of this poem, but becomes a muse inspiring nostalgia, romance, and surrealism.

Room Portraits, Still Lifes and Landscapes: An Interview with Sophie Edell

Sophie Edell
October 21, 2022
Sophie Edell’s paintings give us a peek into the practice of painting in Quebec townships by collecting rooms and landscapes as symbols of a quieter life. Edell chats with us about transitioning from urban to rural, developing a personal style, and the intersection of illustration and painting.

Sophie Edell’s paintings give us a peek into the practice of painting in Quebec townships by collecting rooms and landscapes as symbols of a quieter life. Edell chats with us about transitioning from urban to rural, developing a personal style, and the intersection of illustration and painting.

In Transit: A Collection By Dean Garlick

Dean Garlick
October 1, 2022
Finding beauty in public spaces, Dean Garlick’s photography serves as a reminder to allow yourself the joy of looking. The striking architectural compositions find rhythm in geometric forms, with dark recesses patterned by radiating light. (SP)

Finding beauty in public spaces, Dean Garlick’s photography serves as a reminder to allow yourself the joy of looking. The striking architectural compositions find rhythm in geometric forms, with dark recesses patterned by radiating light. (SP)

"Hurricane Betsey" & "Our Cottage"

Margaret Sullivan
September 7. 2022
Margaret Sullivan’s two poems "Hurricane Betsey" and "Our Cottage" present a nostalgic look at haunting memories, reminding us of why certain moments never leave us.

Margaret Sullivan’s two poems "Hurricane Betsey" and "Our Cottage" present a nostalgic look at haunting memories, reminding us of why certain moments never leave us.

In Transit: "Adagio for the Blue Line"

Cole Henry Forster
August 16th, 2022
Cole Henry Forster's In Transit piece "ADAGIO FOR THE BLUE LINE" may be relatively short, similarly to its muse. Nevertheless, through poignant images and existential questions, it encapsulates the eccentric energy that the metro lines carries from Snowdon to St-Michel.

Cole Henry Forster's In Transit piece "ADAGIO FOR THE BLUE LINE" may be relatively short, similarly to its muse. Nevertheless, through poignant images and existential questions, it encapsulates the eccentric energy that the metro lines carries from Snowdon to St-Michel.

Nosotros Injertáremos (We are Grafters)

Bjornerud & Jerezano
July 18, 2022
Bjornerud and Jerezano’s series speaks to collaboration, communication, observation, reflection, and human responsibility. The work is a poetic approach to art-making that depicts a conversation spoken slowly and solely through drawing. Two pieces (not pictured here) from the Nosotros Injertáremos (We are Grafters) series have found a home in our 2.2 print issue.

Bjornerud and Jerezano’s series speaks to collaboration, communication, observation, reflection, and human responsibility. The work is a poetic approach to art-making that depicts a conversation spoken slowly and solely through drawing. Two pieces (not pictured here) from the Nosotros Injertáremos (We are Grafters) series have found a home in our 2.2 print issue.

Boarding

Yanita Georgieva
June 28, 2022
Yanita Georgieva was introduced to Yolk during her first trip to Montreal. In her poem "Boarding", Georgieva presents her beautiful understanding of Montreal through the sweet sentiment of the warmth brought by snow days.

Yanita Georgieva was introduced to Yolk during her first trip to Montreal. In her poem "Boarding", Georgieva presents her beautiful understanding of Montreal through the sweet sentiment of the warmth brought by snow days.

A Garland in the Volcano

Alexander Hackett
June 7, 2022
Michoacán, Mexico; barren, secretive, Holy. There is a volcano, Paritucín, with a church bell half-buried in the porous rock; there is memory, myth and cosmology, but what else is there for a French-Canadian to discover—to relate to?

Michoacán, Mexico; barren, secretive, Holy. There is a volcano, Paritucín, with a church bell half-buried in the porous rock; there is memory, myth and cosmology, but what else is there for a French-Canadian to discover—to relate to?

"LSD in a church," "Changa at Mayan ruins," "Ayahuasca in the amazon," & "DMT in a bedroom"

Sebastien Clermont
May 16, 2022
The work's intention is to represent psychedelic visionary states both with abstract and symbolic images. Each piece is based on a particular substance and environment, and named accordingly. I am in general inspired by the contrast between the awe and horror that can both occur in those altered states. The drawings themselves are done in sharpie, and further altered digitally.

The work's intention is to represent psychedelic visionary states both with abstract and symbolic images. Each piece is based on a particular substance and environment, and named accordingly. I am in general inspired by the contrast between the awe and horror that can both occur in those altered states. The drawings themselves are done in sharpie, and further altered digitally.

ARS POETICA: An Interview with Ceilidh Michelle

Curtis John McRae
April 28, 2022
Our Managing Editor, Curtis John McRae, had the chance to sit down with Montreal-based author Ceilidh Michelle to discuss her latest book, Vagabond, as well as her experiences in creative writing programs and residencies, her early inspirations, and the writing advice she received from Denis Johnson shortly before his passing.

Our Managing Editor, Curtis John McRae, had the chance to sit down with Montreal-based author Ceilidh Michelle to discuss her latest book, Vagabond, as well as her experiences in creative writing programs and residencies, her early inspirations, and the writing advice she received from Denis Johnson shortly before his passing.

"Stains" & "Moony"

Arundhathi Anil
April 5, 2022
Arundhathi Anil's poems "Stains" and "Moony" are an exploration of human intimacy and all that feels unexplainable. While the two poems differ greatly in subject matter, they unite with the common theme of temporality.

Arundhathi Anil's poems "Stains" and "Moony" are an exploration of human intimacy and all that feels unexplainable. While the two poems differ greatly in subject matter, they unite with the common theme of temporality.

In Transit: "Friction"

Kayla Penteliuk
March 14th, 2022
Kayla Penteliuk's In Transit poem "Friction" captures the essence of Montreal's metro system. Although she details certain stations and draws upon how each resonate with her in a specific way, Penteliuk comes to the final conclusion that it is through the metro system as a whole that she feels not only close to the city, but the people within it.

Kayla Penteliuk's In Transit poem "Friction" captures the essence of Montreal's metro system. Although she details certain stations and draws upon how each resonate with her in a specific way, Penteliuk comes to the final conclusion that it is through the metro system as a whole that she feels not only close to the city, but the people within it.

"Old Stuff" & "Among the Licence Plates"

Thomas Elson
February 23rd, 2022
Thomas Elson’s two works of flash fiction demonstrate a circular narrative forbearance that contains lifetimes. In “Among the Licence Plates,” we move from one seat to another—the State Capitol Building, on stage with Johnny Cash, on a mother’s lap, in the crowd amongst prisoners—to contemplate the various perspectives of one historical event. By juxtaposing these insights, we are asked to consider our own actions and the impressions we leave on people.

Thomas Elson’s two works of flash fiction demonstrate a circular narrative forbearance that contains lifetimes. In “Among the Licence Plates,” we move from one seat to another—the State Capitol Building, on stage with Johnny Cash, on a mother’s lap, in the crowd amongst prisoners—to contemplate the various perspectives of one historical event. By juxtaposing these insights, we are asked to consider our own actions and the impressions we leave on people.

"Photoshopped" & "SX-70 Redux"

William Doreski
January 21st, 2022
William Doreski’s poems “Photoshopped” and “SX-70 Redux” discuss the concept of our personal image of the world versus reality through the metaphor of photography. In “Photoshopped”, a narrator finds himself incapable of removing himself from tampered photographs, and thus legacies, of various writers. In “SX-70 Redux”, memory becomes altered and in a constant state of flux when Poaroid pictures are exposed to the elements.

William Doreski’s poems “Photoshopped” and “SX-70 Redux” discuss the concept of our personal image of the world versus reality through the metaphor of photography. In “Photoshopped”, a narrator finds himself incapable of removing himself from tampered photographs, and thus legacies, of various writers. In “SX-70 Redux”, memory becomes altered and in a constant state of flux when Poaroid pictures are exposed to the elements.

Pain Management

Nils Blondon
January 5th, 2022
Some dogs hover beneath tables for scraps of meat, while others wag their tails at the sound of an opening cabinet. For Buick, a red and white Greyhound, hardly any coaxing can stir his sickening body–that is, until one day, he hears someone purloin his pills.

Some dogs hover beneath tables for scraps of meat, while others wag their tails at the sound of an opening cabinet. For Buick, a red and white Greyhound, hardly any coaxing can stir his sickening body–that is, until one day, he hears someone purloin his pills.

In Transit: "VENDÔME"

Jerome Ramcharitar
July 22nd, 2021
“VENDÔME” is an ekphrastic poem that explores temporality and the relationship between the internal world of self and the external world. Through Marcelle Ferron’s sculpture, located at Vendome station, the poem investigates what it means to be in constant flux.

“VENDÔME” is an ekphrastic poem that explores temporality and the relationship between the internal world of self and the external world. Through Marcelle Ferron’s sculpture, located at Vendome station, the poem investigates what it means to be in constant flux.

interiority, otherwhere

Chloe Gallagher-Smylie
June 30th, 2021
Chloe's Gallagher-Smylie's collection "interiority, otherwhere" celebrates the intimate moments which create meaning in daily life. Here, community and comfort are demonstrated to be the foundation of the home, reflecting the lived experience of those who occupy the space.

Chloe's Gallagher-Smylie's collection "interiority, otherwhere" celebrates the intimate moments which create meaning in daily life. Here, community and comfort are demonstrated to be the foundation of the home, reflecting the lived experience of those who occupy the space.

"Coupling," "Domestic Theatre," & "Radical Sobriety"

Sasha Manoli
June 6th, 2021
Sasha Manoli’s poems abruptly confront topics such as identity, sex, relationships, and society. The play on form and language creates a poetic landscape that is dynamic and full of momentum.

Sasha Manoli’s poems abruptly confront topics such as identity, sex, relationships, and society. The play on form and language creates a poetic landscape that is dynamic and full of momentum.

Dinner with the Rockhounds

Stuart Watson
May 5th, 2021
What do rocks and fame have in common? Well, other than being a rock 'n roll star who may perform at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado - nothing, really. However, Glad thinks there is more.

What do rocks and fame have in common? Well, other than being a rock 'n roll star who may perform at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado - nothing, really. However, Glad thinks there is more.

ARS POETICA: An Interview with Edem Awumey, Phyllis Aronoff, and Howard Scott

Curtis John McRae
April 27th, 2021
A conversation on translation featuring Edem Awumey, author of "Mina Among the Shadows", and the work's translators Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scott.

A conversation on translation featuring Edem Awumey, author of "Mina Among the Shadows", and the work's translators Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scott.

"Roach" & "Love Letter to My Organs"

Alana Dunlop
April 10th, 2021
Both poems by Alana Dunlop are propelled inwards by speakers that are not afraid to delve into the disturbing, uncanny, and sometimes gross parts of the world and the self. The poems unapologetically investigate both the body's vulnerability and its strength as a barrier between these external and internal ecosystems.

Both poems by Alana Dunlop are propelled inwards by speakers that are not afraid to delve into the disturbing, uncanny, and sometimes gross parts of the world and the self. The poems unapologetically investigate both the body's vulnerability and its strength as a barrier between these external and internal ecosystems.

Mexico

Lucinda Everist
February 21st, 2021
This travel photography series documents how Lucinda Everist, and us as viewers, occupy and observe foreign spaces. With a focus on bold structure and unfamiliar color palettes, we visit Mexico City along with the artist.

This travel photography series documents how Lucinda Everist, and us as viewers, occupy and observe foreign spaces. With a focus on bold structure and unfamiliar color palettes, we visit Mexico City along with the artist.

"But Still You Ask Yourself Why," "I Had A Friend Once," & "Smol Snek"

Robert Beveridge
January 12th, 2021
Light, and sometimes humorous, these poems invite us into small risks we sometimes take. In their individual worlds, everything becomes familiar, even the serial killers in the woods.

Light, and sometimes humorous, these poems invite us into small risks we sometimes take. In their individual worlds, everything becomes familiar, even the serial killers in the woods.

"Sick Paper Dolls" & "Categories"

Madison Phyper & Adrienne Gantenberg
December 13th, 2020
This mixed media project couples together Madison Phyper's poetry with Adrienne Gantenberg's visual art. Together, their work exposes quotidian dangers to a painfully surreal perspective.

This mixed media project couples together Madison Phyper's poetry with Adrienne Gantenberg's visual art. Together, their work exposes quotidian dangers to a painfully surreal perspective.

"Pont du Portage" & "The Man and the Moose"

Ben von Jagow
October 22nd, 2020
What does it mean to be Canadian? What part does it play in our identity? These questions, alongside familial tension, guardianship, and division are brought to the forefront in Ben von Jagow’s poems.

What does it mean to be Canadian? What part does it play in our identity? These questions, alongside familial tension, guardianship, and division are brought to the forefront in Ben von Jagow’s poems.

Sundogs

Charlotte M. Porter
September 24th, 2020
A “sundog,” or parhelion, is defined as an “atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the sun”; or, as Aristotle and our narrator put it: “accidents of matter, a.k.a fuck-ups off-script.”

A “sundog,” or parhelion, is defined as an “atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the sun”; or, as Aristotle and our narrator put it: “accidents of matter, a.k.a fuck-ups off-script.”

Flash-Fried 2.0

yolk
September 17th, 2020
Here are the winners of Flash-Fried 2.0, yolk's short form poetry contest.

Here are the winners of Flash-Fried 2.0, yolk's short form poetry contest.

In Transit: "Untitled"

Mathieu Lamontagne-Cumiford
September 10th, 2020
While weaving underground on the city’s great pulmonary track from one metro station to the next, Mathieu pauses at Papineau to capture both the stillness and the frenzied rush of being alone, together.

While weaving underground on the city’s great pulmonary track from one metro station to the next, Mathieu pauses at Papineau to capture both the stillness and the frenzied rush of being alone, together.

In Transit: "Prochaine Station: Part 2"

Greg Labrosse
August 19th, 2020
In part two of Labrosse's story, Oriana's two pursuits become one. Discover the space with her.

In part two of Labrosse's story, Oriana's two pursuits become one. Discover the space with her.

In Transit: "Prochaine Station: Part 1"

Greg Labrosse
August 8th, 2020
From Cartagena, Colombia, to Montreal, Canada, follow Oriana underground, as she discovers the architectural history of Montreal’s metro stations and embarks on a journey that takes her back to the 1976 Olympic games.

From Cartagena, Colombia, to Montreal, Canada, follow Oriana underground, as she discovers the architectural history of Montreal’s metro stations and embarks on a journey that takes her back to the 1976 Olympic games.

"Inflation" & "Hallelujah"

Gale Acuff
August 5th, 2020
If the plate came back around anyway I might pinch my quarter back, or at least take some change for it, a dime and a nickel, say. That would still be a sin but less of one.

If the plate came back around anyway I might pinch my quarter back, or at least take some change for it, a dime and a nickel, say. That would still be a sin but less of one.

Pasture Statues

Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi
July 29th, 2020
But they still had a few minutes. And so Millie mooed. Cate mooed with her. The cow stared at them.

But they still had a few minutes. And so Millie mooed. Cate mooed with her. The cow stared at them.

In Transit: A Collection by Chris Shepherd

Chris Shepherd
July 16th, 2020
The lights on the ceiling look like the blue cars and mimic our movements; snaking through tunnels, bending at curves, and eventually, bifurcating in opposite directions.

The lights on the ceiling look like the blue cars and mimic our movements; snaking through tunnels, bending at curves, and eventually, bifurcating in opposite directions.

The Huge Fanged Snake

Ben Fine
July 7th, 2020
"Nothing really bad happened, no one got hurt, but that night I was eaten by a huge, red-eyed, big fanged, foamy-mouthed python."

"Nothing really bad happened, no one got hurt, but that night I was eaten by a huge, red-eyed, big fanged, foamy-mouthed python."

"Mr. Rundle stalks me." & "Hemlock."

Denbeigh Whitmarsh
June 28th, 2020
Denbeigh Whitmarsh's work serves as a cultural milieu between the rural and the urban.

Denbeigh Whitmarsh's work serves as a cultural milieu between the rural and the urban.

We Support Black Lives Matter

yolk
June 8th, 2020
Yolk stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.

Yolk stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.

In Transit: "Love Train"

Sarah Velk
May 27th, 2020
“She would fill herself up one night at a time on the Love Train towards Place-Saint-Henri metro station. She watched herself in the window for four stops and listened to the boots tread around her heart for another.”

“She would fill herself up one night at a time on the Love Train towards Place-Saint-Henri metro station. She watched herself in the window for four stops and listened to the boots tread around her heart for another.”

Jim

Maia Kowalski
May 15th, 2020
“Come on,” Jim said, and he held out his hand in a high-five. “I know you love the handshake.”

“Come on,” Jim said, and he held out his hand in a high-five. “I know you love the handshake.”

at the laundromat

Drew Coble
May 11th, 2020
A familiar setting turned unfamiliar by poet Drew Coble.

A familiar setting turned unfamiliar by poet Drew Coble.

In Transit: "] door opens [door closes -a trip"

Erin Lindsay
May 2nd, 2020
A conceptual poem documenting a trip through Montreal's underground.

A conceptual poem documenting a trip through Montreal's underground.

In Transit: "The Transportation of Shadows"

Fabrizio Paulino
April 13, 2020
When asked about his series, Fabrizio said, “Being a student at Dawson College made me take the metro everyday of the week. Traveling from Cartier to Atwater became a routine for me, so much so that I found the people looked more and more like strange shapes….I think the routine transformed them into shadows.”

When asked about his series, Fabrizio said, “Being a student at Dawson College made me take the metro everyday of the week. Traveling from Cartier to Atwater became a routine for me, so much so that I found the people looked more and more like strange shapes….I think the routine transformed them into shadows.”

Flash-Fried 1.0

yolk
April 7, 2020
We're happy to present the winners of Flash-Fried, our first short form poetry contest. Crafting a poem comprised of less than 140 characters is difficult, but the poets who submitted these selected works found the formula to achieve just that.

We're happy to present the winners of Flash-Fried, our first short form poetry contest. Crafting a poem comprised of less than 140 characters is difficult, but the poets who submitted these selected works found the formula to achieve just that.

In Transit: A Call For Submissions

yolk
March 14, 2020
Perhaps every city has its peculiarities, but we have our metro lines, our buskers, our pedestrians, and all those familiar faces we pass by every day in transit, or purgatory, or simply in the morning, before we take this very same line back home. Perhaps, you wrote it down and submitted it to yolk.

Perhaps every city has its peculiarities, but we have our metro lines, our buskers, our pedestrians, and all those familiar faces we pass by every day in transit, or purgatory, or simply in the morning, before we take this very same line back home. Perhaps, you wrote it down and submitted it to yolk.

These Devils

Nils Blondon
February 29th, 2020
'Keep a prayer on your lips and a good deed in your back pocket.' He pulls a smoke without a filter from a Ziploc and bites it like a toothpick. 'Funerals,' he announces. 'Get used to ’em.'

'Keep a prayer on your lips and a good deed in your back pocket.' He pulls a smoke without a filter from a Ziploc and bites it like a toothpick. 'Funerals,' he announces. 'Get used to ’em.'

ARS POETICA: An Interview With Mikhail Iossel

Curtis John McRae
February 19th, 2020
Behind the palazzos, he went on to explain, is an interconnected series of corridors that lead to various courtyards where the real pulse of the city lives, where you find the sordid pith of St. Petersburg.

Behind the palazzos, he went on to explain, is an interconnected series of corridors that lead to various courtyards where the real pulse of the city lives, where you find the sordid pith of St. Petersburg.

Egg the Poet

Spencer Nafekh
February 5th, 2020
Yolk told the Montreal literary community to show up, and show up it did.

Yolk told the Montreal literary community to show up, and show up it did.

Punch

Sacha Archer
January 22nd, 2020
As conceptual concrete poems, these pieces balance the weightlessness of information with the weight of the material from which that information has been gathered.

As conceptual concrete poems, these pieces balance the weightlessness of information with the weight of the material from which that information has been gathered.

Yolk Manifesto

Josh Quirion
January 15th, 2020
Yolk began as an electric conversation around a picnic table in Saint Henri Square.

Yolk began as an electric conversation around a picnic table in Saint Henri Square.

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