Canadian Writers’ Cards: Collect Them All!
Northern Journey was a literary magazine published in Ottawa, Ontario, from 1971 to 1976. Issue 4 features a pen and ink drawing by Jan Funnekotter as well as these terrific Canadian Writers’ Cards, including one of the cover artist. Some of the journal’s other issues also include cards featuring contributors with their bios, although in a slightly different format. Which contemporary journal will take up the torch and delight us with a new version of writers’ cards?
If that isn’t reason enough to take a look at Northern Journey, the fourth issue indicates the journal had a brush with literary scandal. A letter from editors Craig Campbell, Valerie Kent, David McDonald and Fraser Sutherland discusses objections to “Short Burn,” a story by Wil Wigle that appeared in the previous issue and mentions Margaret Atwood. Apparently, lawyers representing Atwood and the Writers’ Union of Canada contacted the magazine about Wigle’s use of Atwood in his story, suggesting the editors withdraw the issue and apologize. They didn’t and cite “liberty of expression.”
You can enjoy all the intrigue, stories, artwork and literary cards Northern Journey produced in its five-year run in Memorial Library’s Special Collections. Just remember: We’re closed for the holiday on Monday.