Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.'s new indie lit publisher, Type A Media, is announcing the publication of its second book, an anthology of original poetry, stories, art and more.
Home for the Holidays: Northern Ontario perspectives on coming, staying, and finding home is locally-published and bound, with proceeds going toward its contributors and the establishment of the new press, as well as 20 per cent of all book sales donated directly to Sault Ste. Marie's Cafe 4 Good to assist them in delivering services and programs within the community.
"As the air begins to chill and we feel the pull to cozy up after what has been an incredible summer of arts and culture here in the North, we are setting out to bring some light and reflection this winter season to our communities through our second full-length compilation books featuring writing and art from 14 members of our local communities: Tova Arbus, Patrick Aura, Brenda Barefoot, Samantha Everett, J. L. Fizzell, Casey Gallant, Cynthia Goguen, Olga Grapsas, Emma L. R. Hogg, Riley Korschin, Tom Mills, Kitty Nielsen, A. A. Parr, and Katelyn Townsend," a news release said.
The news release is as follows:
Home is a complicated theme. So many of us have returned home to the North, especially over the past several years as we navigated a global pandemic with far-reaching implications that altered the way we live, work, and relate with one another.
Others who live elsewhere, are reaching back to their hometowns, reliving memories and seeking to bridge lost or damaged connections. There are those of us within our communities who do not have the luxury of a safe, reliable, or accessible home. Many of us have found that home is simply not a place, it is intrinsic to who we are, what we have lived. How do we find home? How do we come home? What is home? This book offers us the opportunity to share space in exploring themes of seeking, remembering, questioning, being, or reflecting on home in Northern Ontario over the winter holidays.
Home for the Holidays is a response to the critical questions we must all ask ourselves aloud. It is an anthology of lived experiences, of anecdotes and insight, of exploration and accountability, of acknowledgement and affirmation. It is an opportunity for us to share our stories of contemporary winter life in Northern Ontario – in prose, poetry, and visual art or any combination thereof.
“With this work,” explains managing director and publisher A. A. Parr, “we’re setting out to document a time in a place in history, but we’re also looking to widen the lens through which we view our own communities – we are hoping to connect as much as to discern, to relate as much as to respond, and to extend compassion as much as to express our individual and collective joys and trials.”
“The holidays are widely viewed as a time of required celebration. Of connection and compassion and community. Our book certainly is brimming with stories celebrating the magic, wonder, and beauty of the season. But what of those who struggle during the holidays? What of those who feel alone, who face hardships, who need support? There is space for us to talk openly of that, too. There is value in coming together over the holidays with people who need to hear a voice similar to their own, with people who need to know they are not alone in their experiences, in exploring whatever home is to them.”
Home for the Holidays will be published in-house in print and digital formats, with an official launch on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Cafe 4 Good located at 326 Queen Street East in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., from 4-7 p.m.
The launch is a free event, and will feature readings and book signings by several talented contributors.
For more about books, visit the Reading space on SPACES, Sault Ste. Marie's own social media site hosted by community champions.