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Welcome to Young Voices 2015 Where have all the young Toronto poets, artists, essayists, gone, since 1965, year after year, for now 50 years? Well, they have come to this blueprint magazine, this weather-forecast magazine, revealing what’s inspiring or bothering young creative minds. Just think: The young voices presented here in 2015 are part of an echo chamber of forever-young voices going all the way back to Beatlemania, the arrival of the “Three Wise Men”in Ottawa, and the first unfurling of Canada’s Maple Leaf flag. It’s noteworthy that youth remain very critical of the world their elders have created. Karen Dunbar was in Grade 10 in 1970 when she wrote her poem about youth on “vacation,” playing, just before they are told to pick up their guns and return to war. She likely had the Vietnam War in mind. Fast forward to Domenic Calla and Adrian Benvenuto and their 1991 poem about a Middle East conflict, namely, the Persian Gulf War. The poems are a generation apart and name different wars, but their sentiments are similar. Themes of alienation and yearning resound through the years. See Chanel Fyffe (2008). But some poems are playful. See Rick I Green (1971). Toronto’s young writers and artists will continue to praise beauty and critique wrongs, starting right here, in 2015, and continuing right on to 2065 and beyond. Write on! George Elliott Clarke Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012-15)
(1965-2015), Check out 50 Years Young, a Young Voices retrospective (1965-2015 starting on page 55. The Young Voices 2015 editorial board:
FRONT COVER ART
Pride Novaya Politra, age 14
Robert Adragna Samin Ali Gary Barwin Michael Brown Kathleen Chen Nini Chen Angela Dou Kristyn Dunnion Benjamin Gabbay Carol Hu
Karen Krossing Tracy Li Wenting Li Geraldynn Lubrido Saambavi Mano Camille Martin Claire Merner Leigh Nash Anupya Pamidimukkala Alana Park
Terese Pierre Rishi Syam Evi Tampold Matthew Tierney Dunja Tomic Caleb Tseng-Tham Navkiran Verma Annie Vimalanathan Allen Wang Maria Yang