To me, this artifact will always be a reminder of the senselessness of war, and of the pain and suffering that war invariably causes. My hope against hope is that one day our world will see the end of violence, and the dawn of a lasting peace.

Here's one of the actual gas masks referenced in my essay, which to my surprise not only survived my family’s migration to Canada decades ago but had been stored this whole time in, of all places, the garage of my parents’ house in suburban Oakville.

The launch event Monday night at Flying Books was an absolute blast, with beautiful readings by Josiah Nelson and David Chariandy & wonderful emceeing by publisher Laurie Graham (I snuck in a reading too :)). Thank you to everyone who came out and supported!

Thrilled that my piece appears alongside those written by so many literary luminaries, the brightest of the bright, several of my personal writing heroes. Thank you to the @brickliterary.bsky.social team that helped shape this piece, helped hone its raw edges.

Special thanks to @bookhugpress.bsky.social and @ecwpress.bsky.social who recommended me to the OAC to receive this grant! Both of these presses publish amazing work by incredibly talented writers, and I feel honoured to have received their recommendation.

This support will help me to complete the memoir-in-essays that I've been plugging away at for several years now, one that explores my journey from country to country in the early part of my life, and touches on everything from war, to wistfulness, to weddings, to city-wide water fights.

Love this essay, by Jennifer Thuy Vi Nguyen: longreads.com/2024/06/11/c...

So amazing, thanks for sharing this. Can't wait!