Short Story writers take Literary Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay's Marion Agnew hits the jackpot with a sizzling and provocative short story published in the latest edition of Prairie Fire. Cass is a member of AA, a street smart woman with a big heart. We walk with her as she tries to make sense of her life.  A tough, interesting story.  Agnew writes swift, strong prose that captures the reader.  Available at Chapters and Northern Women's Bookstore.

Colette Maitland sends us a note.   Hi Joan and Lit Thunder Bayers

Here's a link for y'all where you can find one of my stories from the linked collection of stories called SNAFU -- http://prairiejournal.org/stories.html This story was a finalist for hard-copy version of The Prairie Journal, but then they found they didn't have enough room for it. FYI: The Prairie Journal has just begun to publish content on its website, both poetry and fiction. They are particularly interested in publishing longer bits of fiction on their website. Enjoy.

Colette Maitland, one of Canada's premier writers of short fiction, tells the story of a little boy in the 1960's who has his own concerns at school while the assassinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King create a disconcerting back drop to his life.  Colette's  story is called The Changing of the Guard, an apt title.  Available on line at Prairie Journal.

The Prisoners of War, written by Joan Baril, is based on a true event.  In World War II, German prisoners of war were allowed to work on local farms around Thunder Bay.  Martin Mueller (fictional character) is sent from Neys POW Camp to a local dairy farm and his life becomes entangled with the two women who run the farm and a young POW farm hand.  The conflict overseas suddenly destroys their quiet rural lives, making them all prisoners of  the war.

The story will be published in the spring edition of The New Orphic Review published in Nelson BC.

The magazine NorthWord declared "Sin" to be the theme of an upcoming edition.  Joan Baril's short comic story, If I Had a Hammer, will introduce readers to two larcenous Sunday School girls. Sin means nothing to them.

Three Cheers for Colette Maitland

Maitland is one of Canada's best short story writers. Her stories have been published in The Antigonish Review, The New Quarterly, Pottersfield Portfolio, Descant, Room, The Puritan, The Prairie Journal, Freefall, The Nashwaak Review and The Fiddlehead. Most recently, she was a finalist in the 2009 Writers' Union of Canada Annual Postcard Competition.

You can pick up her latest story "Birthing Elva" on line in the Wascana Review at http://journals.sfu.ca/wascana/index.php/Wascana/index  Maitland writes about ordinary women in not so ordinary situations.

On a sadder note, the Wascana Review from the University of Regina, has discontinued its print edition and is now on line only.  An positive step for some (it's free, easy to access, no waiting for the mail), the on line format is less than optimal for others who like the "book in the hand."  Many people do not like reading from a screen.  Quite likely many other Canadian literary journals will follow the Wascana Review into computer land.  Alas.