The Town Crier

The Town Crier operated as a hub for criticism and commentary, connecting a community of writers, readers, and commentators through social media, and focusing on the interplay of literary opinion in and around the city of Toronto until its closure in February 2021.

• The End of Eco-Poetics

  By Jessica Bebenek | July 3, 2018

  Town Crier guest editor Jessica Bebenek concludes June's theme of eco-poetics, with a reflection on the month's contributors and their understanding of what "nature" means to them.

• Mountain Folk, Urban Foraging

  By Ola Kado | June 28, 2018

  Continuing the Town Crier's month on eco-poetics, Ola Kado discusses urban foraging and wild crafting, with references to Robin Wall Kimmerer.

• TAKE PHOTOS OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS UNTIL THE MEMORY OF WINTER RECEDES

  By Adèle Barclay | June 25, 2018

  Adèle Barclay continues the Town Crier's month on eco-poetics with a poem from her debut poetry collection "If I Were in a Cage I'd Reach Out for You."

• An Excerpt from Sabrina Scott's Witchbody

  By Sabrina Scott | June 22, 2018

  Sabrina Scott continues the Town Crier's month on eco-poetics with an excerpt from their first graphic novel, "Witchbody."

• Tonight, The Mayfly

  By Canisia Lubrin | June 19, 2018

  Canisia Lubrin continues the Town Crier's month on eco-poetics with her poem "Tonight, The Mayfly," which appeared in The Puritan Issue 36, Winter 2017.

• Being good will never solve the problem because the problem is not that I am bad

  By Clementine Morrigan | June 8, 2018

  Clementine Morrigan continues the Town Crier's month on eco-poetics with an intense personal memoir, with references to nature, witches, and witchcraft.

• The Time Is

  By Sandra Huber | June 6, 2018

  Sandra Huber opens the Town Crier's month on eco-poetics with her poem "The Time Is." Huber is the author of Assembling the Morrow: A Poetics of Sleep (Talonbooks, 2014).

• The New Pastoral

  By Jessica Bebenek | June 4, 2018

  Town Crier guest editor Jessica Bebenek introduces June's theme of eco-poetics, with references to Jacob McArthur Mooney and what's to come.

• Author Note: Paola Ferrante

  By Paola Ferrante | May 31, 2018

  Paola Ferrante talks about poets she admires and the influence behind her poem “Laws in Motion,” which appeared in The Puritan Issue 40, Winter 2018.

• Conclusion: What We All Gain from Narrative Generosity

  By Stephanie Harper | May 28, 2018

  Town Crier guest editor Stephanie Harper concludes May's month-long discussion on narrative generosity, with reflections on social media, different kinds of narratives, and the stories people choose to share.

• A Shared Truth: Reconciling Creative and Academic Narratives

  By T.E. Hahn  | May 24, 2018

  Continuing the Town Crier's month on narrative generosity, T.E. Hahn discusses his experience learning how to build and examine creative and academic narratives, and the differences and similarities between the two.

• The Power of Giving in the Literary World

  By Erin Ollila | May 22, 2018

  Spry Literary Journal co-editor Erin Ollila discusses the reasons behind the creation of the journal, the importance of community, and the generosity she has discovered working with other writers.