A Thousand Tiny Awakenings

A Thousand Tiny Awakenings is a collection of genuine and heartfelt expressions from young and marginalized creators who challenge the oppressive structures that shape our world. These narratives, poems, and artworks echo across Turtle Island, transcending borders to offer a stirring testament to resilience and hope. Discover 15 young writers, and 23 unique and powerful pieces that embody the spirit of resistance and resurgence; uplifting the upcoming generation in their pursuit to dismantle boundaries that define their bodies, lives, and futures. Through art and storytelling, these voices call for action and inspire revolution, reminding us that our words have the power to transform the world.

About the Author :
Connor Lafortune is from Dokis First Nation on Robinson Huron Treaty territory of 1850 in Northeastern Ontario. He completed his Bachelor's Degree at Nipissing University with a Double Honors Major in Indigenous Studies and Gender Equality and Social Justice. He is currently pursuing his masters in Indigenous Relations at Laurentian University. Connor is Anishinaabek, Queer, and Francophone; he uses his understanding of the world to shape his creations as a writer, spoken word poet, and musician. Connor often combines the written word with traditional Indigenous beadwork and sewing to recreate the stories of colonization, showcase resilience, and imagine a new future. Above all else, Connor is an activist, a shkaabewis (helper), and a compassionate human being. Lindsay Mayhew born and raised in Sudbury Ontario, is an English Literature graduate from Laurentian University, and she is pursuing her masters in Gender & Sexuality and Postcolonial literature at the University of Guelph. Lindsay has published poems and short stories in Sulphur VIII. She has featured in poetry slams across Northern Ontario, including JAYU Canada's poetry slam 2022 and the Multi-University poetry slam. She is the 4 time champion of Wordstock Sudbury's poetry slam. Spoken word and poetry allows her to express her passion for mental health, feminism, and humanity.

Review :
An important gathering of new voices with a canvas as vast and true as Turtle Island for their unflinching communal consciousness. This poetry meets the vital moral questions of our hard times and accrues beyond symbol toward a fuller vision of our many natures. Read this and know that poetry can shield us from our worst whims. -- Canisia Lubrin, winner of the Griffin Poetry Prize This exquisite collection meets you like a crossing guard: protective and determined to make safer passage for all moving through life. Editors Lafortune and Mayhew have curated a precious anthology of underserved voices that call for our most tender attentiveness. These works are moving, gracious, challenging, and synchronized in their pursuit for a more just and awake world. -- Britta Badour, author of Wires That Sputter A cathartic, resonant anthology that conveys guts, emotion, and resilience. From unflinching reflections on contrived compassion to thoughts on God, righteous rage, love, and justice--this is a striking collection of powerful voices. -- Emily Austin, author of Gay Girl Prayers If the poets included in this collection are indicative of the future of Canadian poetry, then we are truly in good hands. A Thousand Tiny Awakenings--skillfully curated and edited by the talented Lafortune and Mayhew--is a beautiful example of the diverse and intersectional ways that oppression can live in and around us. Perhaps more importantly, it demands a revolution against these barriers. Cohesive and moving, this book is a must read. -- Fareh Malik, author of Streams That Leads Somewhere