| Any survey of Calgary’s literary scene would be impossible without a look at filling Station magazine. The first issue of filling Station was published in 1993, growing out of a loose writing group called Fait Fabuli. "It’s a bastardized Latin way of saying, ‘Let there be stories,’" explains Tom Muir, one of filling Station’s original co-managing editors. "At one of our regular Wednesday meetings of Fait Fabuli, Rob Brander, the other co-managing editor of filling Station, turned to me and said, ‘Why don’t we just publish a magazine ourselves? How hard can it be?’ I had volunteered for the Dandelion Magazine Society, so we said, ‘Sure, let’s get a bunch of people together to talk about it."
That collaborative spirit remains an integral part of filling Station to this day. derek beaulieu, who has been the magazine’s managing editor since 1998 (except for a two-year break when he edited dANDelion), emphasizes that, "fS is collectively run. There isn’t a hierarchy, final decisions are made by the group. It’s that polyphony of voices that makes a difference at fS – we’re open to a lot of different styles and, because we’re constantly getting new people, there’s a really fresh sense of energy. And," beaulieu adds, "we’re always open to new volunteers. Everyone’s welcome."
The magazine’s name emerged from a four-and-a-half hour cut-up session, where multiple names (including Thresher and Lead Deli) were considered and rejected. "filling Station was the only one we could agree on," Muir remembers, and the first issue featured a picture of a now-demolished filling station on Highway #2, halfway between Calgary and Didsbury. "We were trying to create a bridge in the community. We were interested in interactivity, exchange of ideas, we wanted to see high modernist poetry next to the avant-garde, and conversation about that intermixing." Variety continues to be a filling Station standard. Every issue features fiction, poetry, interviews, reviews and two recently-added sections, film/video and visual art. "Anyone can submit," says beaulieu. "We’ve published new and established writers from all over the world. We even have dedicated space for translation, which has featured everything from French to Farsi."
filling Station is published three times a year. Issues are $8 each or $22 for a subscription, and they can be found at Pages Books or McNally Robinson. More information is available at www.fillingstation.ca
2007 kicks off with two exciting fS-sponsored events. First, the ongoing flywheel reading series hosts the Collaboration Experiment, where four pairs of writers (beaulieu/Jane Thompson; Jason Christie/Weyman Chan; Bronwyn Haslam/Samuel Garrigo Meza and Natalie Walschots/ryan fizpatrick) will perform collaboratively created work. That’s on January 4 at 7:30 p.m., at McNally Robinson.
Then, filling Station participates in a massive-multi launch, featuring fS #38, NoD Magazine #5, Garry Morse’s Transversals for Orpheus & the untitled 1-13, Natalie Simpson’s Accrete or Crumble, Jacqueline Turner’s Seven into Even, readings by Frances Kruk and Jordan Scott and a musical performance by Hot Little Rocket. That’s all at the Carpenters’ Union Hall on January 5 at 7:30 p.m.
This past April, a new literary magazine popped up in Calgary – or, more specifically, on the web. Eleventh Transmission is an art/culture/media/activism e-zine and the brain-child of Kirk Ramdath. "I didn’t so much decide to start the magazine," he says. "It was pretty organic. I registered the domain name and started up a blog, but an early blog entry said, ‘I do not want this to be a blog. It is more than a blog.’"
Ramdath started by asking friends to submit content, and his first issue included poetry, articles, interviews and photography. The ninth issue is now online, featuring all of the above plus reviews, event listings and an exclusive mp3 house music mix. "I want it to be a full-spectrum magazine," says Ramdath. "If people check out the house music set, they’ll see an article on global warming and poetry from local writers. It’s accessible to all kinds of communities." The magazine is updated with new content every two months.
Activism, according to Ramdath, has a fundamental and crucial relationship with the arts. "I want to make my living as an artist," he says, "but in order for me to do that, it requires certain things from my society. There are lots of places where that life is not possible, where there are bombs falling and there’s no food or water. You can’t really be an artist when you’re struggling to keep your family alive, and the dangers those people are facing are directly related to the luxurious lifestyle we enjoy. To be an artist is a privileged position and there should be some awareness. We should contribute something.
Eleventh Transmission is now hosting its first annual fiction contest. Submission deadline is January 31, 2007. Prizes range from books and gift certificates to a $200 first prize. For more information, and to check out the magazine itself, visit www.eleventhtransmission.org.
Don’t forget to check out the Calgary Poetry Slam on December 28 at 8:00 p.m., at the Beat Niq Jazz & Social Club. Visit www.calgaryspokenwordfestival.com for more information. |
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