This piece originally appeared November 12, 2010, in issue 1845. Last year, I celebrated Remembrance Day in Afghanistan, 20,000 km from my home in Vancouver, BC. We got up at five in the morning and left our Forward Operating Base to do a routine patrol, and at noon, when we came back dusty and soaked… Read more »
This fiction piece originally appeared on April 23, 2010, in issue 1816. ?Lilium Enchantment,? Val says as she puts a bulb into the hole she has made with her hands and covers it with soil. Val and her mother, Rhea, are planting lilies in the back garden on the Saturday after the long weekend in… Read more »
This editorial originally appeared May 28, 2010, in issue 1821. According to the people with something to sell, privacy’s a thing of the past. Nobody wants it anymore. If you aren’t posting photos of yourself or sending tweets about your personal grooming habits, You’re going to be left out. Left out of what, I’m not… Read more »
This selection originally appeared August 27, 2010, in issue 1834. Sustained triple-digit temperatures, no rain, and the resulting death of my azaleas and tomato plants have led me to appreciate water a little more this summer. That’s why, when I came across National Geographic‘s Water Footprint Calculator, I was intrigued. I’d had to break out… Read more »
Happy New Year! we’re ringing in 2011 by celebrating what The Voice Magazine is all about: outstanding writing and great selection. As always, the first issue of January highlights some of the best work we’ve published during the preceding year. It also makes a nice snapshot of The Voice‘s focus. From personal accounts to historical… Read more »
This column originally appeared September 3, 2010, in issue 1835. Allow me to retell a story told to us this afternoon by a salesman named Allan. A quick and dirty analysis reveals a story arc, tension, interesting characters, humour, climax, and resolution. But how much of a story’s appeal comes from the teller and the… Read more »
This column originally appeared December 17, 2010, in issue 1850. You know that niggling feeling you get when You’re sure that you’ve misplaced something but can’t think what it might be? Or that there’s something really important You’re supposed to remember and It’s just outside your mental grasp, flitting like an elusive moth among the… Read more »
This column originally appeared January 15, 2010, in issue 1802. Book: John Geiger, The Third Man Factor: The Secret to Survival in Extreme Environments (Penguin Canada 2009). Someone is Out There ?Who is the third who walks always beside you? When I count, there are only you and I together But when I look ahead… Read more »
This interview originally appeared June 25, 2010, in issue 1825. Home Routes is an exciting, new non-profit initiative creating music events that benefit musicians, consumers, communities, and the earth. Recently, Home Routes volunteer coordinator Ali Hancharyk took the time to answer some questions from Wanda Waterman St. Louis. Home Routes was the brainchild of our… Read more »
This article originally appeared February 19, 2010, in issue 1807. It seems doubtful that any teacher in Canada would deny that an important aspect of education is to mould young people into well-rounded adults. A holistic approach combining practical with interpersonal knowledge is generally espoused by well-meaning educators as well as by parents. Yet there… Read more »
This review originally appeared October 15, 2010, in issue 1841. As a horror fan, I’ve bemoaned the recent spate of huge-scope, quasi-horror flicks that focus too intently on action and external forces. For me, the demarcation line between horror and sci-fi is clear: horror is intimate, often uncomfortably so, while sci-fi is broad and sometimes… Read more »
This article originally appeared October 8, 2010, in issue 1840. It’s October, and Thanksgiving celebrations are right around the corner. Many of us are planning an ample Thanksgiving harvest meal, attempting to balance healthy eating with a feast-like menu. But what is the health rating of a typical Thanksgiving spread? Red, Red Cranberries Make sure… Read more »
This article originally appeared September 17, 2010, in issue 1837. Browse the web, and you’ll find a plethora of study advice. Make a schedule. Set goals?but reasonable ones. Study for short periods. Schedule in break time. But most of all, create a study space. Most ?experts? describe the ideal study space as having certain characteristics…. Read more »
Vegetarian, schmegetarian?what am I going to serve for dinner? Good news: there are countless easy recipes that allow you to avoid meat and still enjoy a satisfying and delicious meal. The Internet is, of course, a goldmine of suggestions for vegetarian and vegan cuisine. There are some good finds on the Vegetarian Times‘s website (the… Read more »
Curious as to how your past coursework might transfer for AU credit? Want to find out whether courses at other universities are equivalent to AU courses, or transferable as AU program requirements? You’ll want to check out AU’s new web-based Transfer Credit Search application, which allows ?students to search transfer credit decisions at Athabasca University… Read more »