Bring life to your sub inbox by adding these unique publications that tackle topics like colonization and its generational effects, lesbian culture and feelings of love and anger
By: Julia Lawrence
Collage by Julia Lawrence using photos courtesy of Feels, Lez Fez Spread the Word and Living Hyphen
The journalism industry wouldn’t be what it is today without the work and dedication of independent publications. Often referred to as indie publications, these collectives operate outside the realm of corporate or commercial organizations. Rooted in their local communities, they’ve inspired writers to come out of their shells and share personal stories of hope, trauma, and so much more.
By supporting the works of Living Hyphen, Feels and Lez Spread the Word, you are contributing to the flourishing of a new world in journalism. Let’s take a moment to learn more about these three magazines and why they deserve our attention.
Living Hyphen
Living Hyphen is a magazine that explores the experiences of hyphenated Canadians. Based in Tkaronto (the denomination of what is colonially known as Toronto), their community has storytellers all across Turtle Island. They use short stories, photography, poetry and illustrations to examine what it means to live in-between cultures as individuals who call “Canada” home but with roots elsewhere.
“Our stories are beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting, contradictory, and constantly unfolding,” says Justine Yu, founder and editor of Living Hyphen.
“Beyond the magazine, we also host a podcast featuring the voices of artists and writers all across Canada, as well as deliver cultural programming to encourage courageous and tender storytelling within our communities.”
Read this post by Yu titled Shifting the Question of “Where are you from?” and get introduced to Living Hyphen’s mission.
How you can shop Living Hyphen: Check out Living Hyphen’s shop page to purchase their issues and merchandise. The magazine is also for purchase at Issues Magazine Shop and Queen Books, and be sure to check out their social media accounts to stay up to date on where their work is being sold.
Feels Zine
Feels is a contributor-based independent publication featuring personal essays, poetry, illustration and photography. Feels started in Tkaronto where co-creators Sarah Vardy and Hannah Browne both grew up, but Vardy moved to Calgary and Feels now thrives out of both cities. Each issue focuses on a different feeling and explores it from a raw, vulnerable, judgment-free place to cultivate connection and community.
In an email to CanCulture, Vardy and Browne say the publication is “a place to explore, to share, and to be honest. Having an open dialogue about what’s going on inside of us can foster meaningful connection and make us feel less alone, especially in the social-media era that asks us to curate and polish our lives and feelings before sharing them — if we share them at all.”
“Feels believes there are no good or bad feelings — the value comes from how we relate to them, how we experience them and what we learn from them.”
Read the Feels team's favourite article from their Freedom issue, where they interviewed Jeremy Dutcher. It hinges on raw emotions, touching on traditional song and Indigenous sovereignty issues within Canada.
How you can shop Feels: Check out Feels’s shop page to purchase their issues and merchandise. The magazine can also be found across the nation and worldwide in these locations.
Lez Spread The Word
Lez Spread The Word (LSTW) is an arts-based print publication in Montreal dedicated to producing content by and for lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer women. According to its about page, “it aims, among other things, to move away from the stereotypes conveyed in society and to give visibility to more positive role models.”
In an article with CBC, co-editor-in-chief Stéphanie Verge says that since the beginning, “the LSTW team has been committed to moving forward with initiatives that advocate for LGBTQ+ communities and initiatives that mirror our realities. That's true now more than ever, given the current political climate. There aren't a million magazines out there devoted to women who love women — there aren't even 20 magazines.”
How you can shop LSTW: Check out LSTW’s shop page, where you can purchase their issues and merchandise within Canada and around the world.
These publications share their love for uplifting the unheard and misrepresented; support their work by reading their latest issues, following their social media or subscribing to their newsletters.
While each of these magazines periodically accepts pitches for their upcoming issues, submissions are currently closed across the board. But as the world is never short of stories to be told, be sure to keep an eye on the publications’ websites to see when submissions open back up.
Of course, if you’re looking for a fourth publication to support that’s based in Canada, don’t forget to check out CanCulture’s recently published work on our website and follow us on Instagram as well. We’re always accepting pitches!