Possibilitiis

Although I want to be sympathetic to the concept of a publication devoted to the “literary works of writers of colour” I would hate to get involved in a debate concerning the semantics of such a journal. This is one of the main reasons that Possibilitiis immediately becomes an interesting journal both in theory and in practice. Not only can we speculate on what exactly a writer of colour is and how the editors can make sure that the work they publish is indeed the work of writers of colour (as opposed to writers without colour) but we can also see this editorial mandate being, for better or worse, put into place. I know that it seems as if I am making fun of this generally interesting and worthwhile magazine, and this is partly because the main body of Possibilitis’ contents are so earnest that they can be unintentionally funny. The better part of earnest writing is that it comes from the heart: many of these writers describe a Canada at odds with traditional representations of this country, but, nevertheless, a Canada that offers up the undeniable solace of home (I’m thinking here of George Elliot Clarke’s Why I Write About Africadia). However, in the pejorative sense of earnest there is too little attention paid to the kind of language that causes sentences to demand a life beyond the page. Perhaps the editors and writers are being undermined by their need to conform to what should appear in this journal. I would like to see Posibilitiis apply a more stringent emphasis on the quality of the writing, and less emphasis on the political agendas and publishing histories of the writers. (There are a large number of well known Canadian writers in this journal — Dionne Brand, Austin Clarke, Cyril Dabydeen — but I don’t think that we were reading the best works of these writers.) The cover illustration by Alootook Ipellie is fantastic. It immediately connotes the rich and diverse creative energies Canada could and should do more to promote; This journal has the power to harness and display the force of identity at the heart of all writing; The complexities of such a project are almost as boundless as what is possible. Literary Journal / publisher: Maureen Henry / main creators: ? / $4.35 per, $18 for four / 109-2100 Scott Street, Ottawa, ON K1Z 1A3