Lovin’ Summer
Hi Gus Readers,
A year ago, I sent out a newsletter with the subject line “This Emotional Roller Coaster We’re On.” Doesn’t feel like we’ve got off it yet, does it? My personal roller coaster hit a new low a couple of weeks ago with the death of my beloved cat, Asparagus’ feline-in-chief Millicent. I wasn’t sure if I should mention this in the newsletter. But some of you knew her in person, and many more of you had seen her sweet face in our social media posts and crowdfunding video. Plus, the point of this newsletter is to keep you up to speed with what’s going on behind the scenes at the magazine. And right now, mourning Millie is one of the things that’s going on.
But it’s certainly not the only thing. It wouldn’t be a roller coaster without highs to balance out the lows, and we’ve got highs aplenty, too. So now that I’ve started things off on a sad note, here’s some good Gus news to put a smile back on your face.
Accolades
We got this news last month, but it still feels worth sharing. Asparagus was named as a finalist for BC Magazine of the Year (alongside Folklife and Fly Fusion) by the Alberta Magazine Awards! (It probably seems odd that the awarding body is in Alberta, but this is actually the only BC-specific magazine award that exists right now.) We’re so thrilled at this recognition of our work. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in September, but being named a finalist is win enough for me.
Meanwhile we’re working away on our Summer/Fall ’22 issue, which should be mailed to subscribers in a few weeks. Whether you’ve received a renewal reminder from Anjali, or have yet to hold a copy of the print magazine in your hands, this is a great week to visit our shop and renew or purchase a new subscription. That way you’ll be among the first to immerse yourself in this collection of our acclaimed journalism (not to mention the luscious post-consumer-recycled paper it’s printed on). I got a chance to see the finished cover illustration this morning, and I promise it will be a beautiful thing to have delivered to your home.
Gus in the community
A completely different way to immerse yourself in our work would be to attend our upcoming event. That’s right, we’re planning our first event in over a year, and our first in-person gathering since February 2020! Because it’s been so long, we wanted to plan something that would braid together a few strands of our work over the last while. We also wanted it to be outside, since Covid-19 has decided to stick around for yet another summer. And we lucked into the perfect partners to plan it with.
The EartHand Gleaners Society was founded by Sharon Kallis, the Vancouver-based textile artist whose nettle coat was featured in Jadine Ngan’s article for our most recent issue. Sharon and EartHand’s work bringing people together across difference to create environmental art from the land is perfectly aligned with the themes explored in our Art for Earth’s Sake issue. And their focus on the local “fibreshed” ties in not only with Jadine’s recent article, but also our recent parenting column about dressing kids (and ourselves) in wool. Plus, EartHand do much of their work outside!
So, we’re collaborating on an event we’re calling Intro to Local Cloth, during which Sharon and some of her artist colleagues will take participants through a number of the steps that go into making textiles locally. It will take place the evening of Monday, August 29, in Strathcona’s Trillium Park. We’ll get a chance to try some of the techniques ourselves, and watch demonstrations of the others. Pre-registration is required for this limited-space event, so sign up today! (To keep the evening as accessible as possible, we are offering registrations on a “pay what you will” scale.)
What’s new
Another source of excitement around here was the recent launch of our new eco-living newsletter, Asparagus Tips. The first edition was sent to everyone who subscribes to this newsletter, but going forward you’ll need to opt in to receive future editions. So if you want a regular serving of bite-sized, evidence-based tips for living more sustainably, don’t forget to sign up for seconds! (You’ll get to vote on the topic for the next edition, too.)
And of course, we’ve got plenty of new reading material for you on the website.
- Two recent pieces explored the stories of people getting fossil fuels out of their homes: Brett Tryon’s article about Christine Boyle and Seth Klein’s efforts to replace all their gas-guzzling appliances, and Leona Humchitt’s essay about the Haíłzaqv Nation’s community energy plan.
- The latest Environmentalist from Hell column explores ways low-income renters can cope with extreme weather events, even if they can’t make expensive changes in their homes.
- Speaking of affordable, Teghan Acres’ recent feature looked at neighbourhood Buy Nothing groups, exploring whether they can build the community we need to weather the climate crisis.
- Larissa Nez shared her experience of the harms trading posts in the US southwest can do to the Indigenous communities they ostensibly support.
- And in the cover story from our Spring ’22 issue, Odette Auger and Lauren Kaljur shared ways First Nations on Vancouver Island are healing sacred old growth forests.
I don’t know about you, but that all feels like a lot to love as this summer rolls on. Even if we can’t completely step off our collective roller coaster, I hope we all get a chance to spend some time at the high points on our personal rides.
Keep taking care of each other,
Jessie Johnston
Editrix in Chief, Asparagus Magazine
