Andrew James McKay Andrew James McKay, painter/printmaker

Cover art for ISSUE 2.4: 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 by Andrew James McKay (andrewjamesmckay.com)

ISSUE 2.4 Beck | Berezintsev | Cummings | Dionne | Gardiner | Grace | Hurdle | MacDonald | McKay | Mkhonza | Myr | Triganne

ISSUE 2.4 (longconmag.com/issue-2-4/) is Morgan Maclaren Beck, Justine Berezintsev, Caitlynn Cummings, Angel T. Dionne (@woodenmormyrid.bsky.social), Hannah Gardiner, Cicely Grace, Crystal Hurdle, Tanis MacDonald, Andrew James McKay, Kianna Mkhonza, Darby Myr, & Julie Triganne

[This immersive monologue brought to you by 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑒 in partnership with 🎨 Alex Colville's 𝑇𝑜 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐸𝑑𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐼𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑, 1965.]

#litmags #canlit #canadianpoetry #canadianfiction #canadiannonfiction #canadianart #canadianartist #canadianartists #canadianpainting #canadianmusic #artaboutart

Wait now: that one too! Yes, that one that replies to a work by legendary ON/NS painter #AlexColville!

Haaaand it over.

[Enter the inaugural Mountebank Prize by June 30: longconmag.com/prize/.]

Hey! We can see that artwork you have there. Yep: that artwork. The one right there that replies to 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒's artwork!

Give it here, please?

[Submit by April 30 for inclusion in ISSUE 2.5: longconmag.com/submit/]

The Mountebank Prize honours our permanent theme—"art re. art"—with each prize period inviting replies to the work(s) of a specific artist.

Our first Mountebank is Alex Colville, of 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 (1954) fame.

Our new, twice-annual Mountebank Prize is the most prestigious-sounding prize for a single artwork by an artist currently living in canada!

Details at longconmag.com/prize/

"On my car, a crawling layer

of fur, and underfoot, goo. The world
is too strange and it is with us. "

Excerpt from Nicholas Bradley's long poem "Mountain" + cover of Gary Snyder's 𝑀𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐸𝑛𝑑 (1996)

Read Nicholas's "Mountains" in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/ni...

"for aging men in private
who settle in the woodgrain"

Excerpt from Foster Gareau's poem "Impressions" + detail from Edvard Munch’s 𝑀é𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑒 𝐼𝐼𝐼 (1902)

Read Foster's "Impressions" in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/fo...

"Walked outside and my hands struck their own / endings, more mind than my mind. My mind didn’t end."

Excerpt from @effervescentvoid.bsky.social's poem(s?) "River at Night" + detail from Matthew Wong's 𝑅𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑡 𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 (2018)

Read "River at Night" in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/ma...

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐍𝐒: please extend solidarity to your NS compatriots. This may be a watershed moment for the arts in Canada, and we need your support to fuel our resolve.

SPEAK UP! Rally for Arts, Heritage, & Culture Starting at 9:30am on March 4, members and supporters of all Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia (CFNS) are invited to our offices (1113 Marginal Rd, Halifax) to gather, help create signs for the rall...

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐒: find info gathered by @writersfedofns.bsky.social in collaboration with the umbrella Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia at writers.ns.ca/events/speak...

#friendsofthefed

They will not take the arts from us, and they will not take the arts from you.

𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑛 is a remote satellite in the Canadian and Nova Scotian creative systems—receiving no public funding—and even we will be impacted by these proposed 20% to 100% cuts to arts, heritage, and culture in Nova Scotia.

"He holds the orb to his nose, cradling it, inadvertently kissing the rind."

Excerpt from jamilah malika abu-bakare's short story "Free the King" + Jean-Michel Basquiat's 𝑈𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 (1982)

Read jamilah's "Free the King" in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/ja...

"alienation, loneliness, and a courageous yearning to find others"

From Louie Fermor's statement on their painting 𝑃𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑡 10, 𝑜𝑟 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝐴𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑦𝑛𝑒 (2019) + Romaine Brooks's 𝑃𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝐴 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝐺𝑖𝑟𝑙) (1923-1924)

See Louie's 𝑃𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑡 10 in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/lo...

"Do you remember how your tongue at one time caressed your name."

Excerpt from Sarah Hilton's poem "Death Walk" + cover of Allen Mandelbaum's 2013 translation of Ovid's 𝑀𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠

Read three of Sarah's poems in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/sa...

"every sentence is the outcome of a hidden process of revision"

Excerpt from Emma Moss Brender's essay "The Moving Element" + diagram from Stephen Watkins Clark’s 𝐴 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟 (1847)

Read "The Moving Element" in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/em...

"only the cigarette is certain"

Excerpt from David Hull's serendipitous occasional poem "Algol" + Benvenuto Cellini's 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑢𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑠𝑎 (1545 - 1554)

Read David's "Algol" in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/da...

Superimposition of 𝐸𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝐷. 𝐴𝑏𝑙𝑜'𝑠 𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑎𝑙𝑖’𝑠 𝐴𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑡'𝑠 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑠
+ 𝐴𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑡’𝑠 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑠 (1933)
+ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑢𝑠 (1857-59)

See Elle's vision in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/el...

"I was buried with the dead and found your eyes"

Excerpt from Emily Simon's found poem "from 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛" + lil slashes of 1st ed binding from Mary Shelley's 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛 (1818)

Read "from 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛" in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/em...

"I’m back in the therapist’s office with my parents, watching the snow fall."

Excerpt from Courtney Bates-Hardy's (@poetcourtney.bsky.social) poem "𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛, 2025" + promotional poster for del Toro's 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛 (2025)

Read "𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛, 2025" in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/co...

It's the final day to submit your art-that-replies-to-other-art for issue 2.4!

What's on our wishlist for this issue, you ask? More creative nonfiction, and more visual art!

Details at longconmag.com/submit/

(🎨 Suki Seokyeong Kang's 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑀𝑎𝑡, 2014-2018)

"You can't read a fairytale on a day of sunshine and deep blue skies."

Excerpt from Duru Gungor's story "Pride of Lions, Murder of Crows, Darkness of Dragons" + cover illustration from the 2004 Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index of fairytales

Read Duru's story in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/du...

"one lover’s hands upon
another’s ribs, in flagrant dereliction of
the horror known as truth"

Excerpt from @mishasolomon.bsky.social's poem "Ernest Dances Siegfried in 𝑆𝑤𝑎𝑛 𝐿𝑎𝑘𝑒" + early decor design for Tchaikovsky's 𝑆𝑤𝑎𝑛 𝐿𝑎𝑘𝑒

Read Misha's two poems in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/mi...

"cheer the world
splitting along the blade
of the horizon"

Excerpt from L. R. Anderson's poem "Study Aids (xxiii)" + cover of Louise Glück's poetry collection 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 (2014)

Read L. R.'s poem in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/l-...

"the measure of similarity to humanity...is the primary determiner of a creature's happiness"

Excerpt from Sacha Archer's 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑑 + envelope of Robert Grenier's unbound poetry collection 𝑆𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑇𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑑𝑠 (1975).

See Sacha's 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 in ISSUE 2.3: longconmag.com/issue-2-3/sa...

This Valentine's Day, send us your love letters!

But, like, love letters to specific artworks, and the love letters are also artworks.‡

You get it: longconmag.com/submit/

‡ literary, visual, video, & audio—all of it!

(🎨 Suki Seokyeong Kang's 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟 𝟎𝟑, 2011-2016)

We want your visual, video, and audio art, your music, nonfiction, fiction, and poetry for our next issue!

Our eternal theme? Art by canadians that replies to other artworks by anyone.

Submit by Jan 31: longconmag.com/submit/

(🎨 Suki Seokyeong Kang's 𝐽𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑔, 2014 - 2015)

Very excited to be joining the @longconmagazine.bsky.social team as a poetry editor!!! 😊😊😊

More importantly, Angie's paintings were featured in 7 solo exhibitions from 2022 to 2025. Her next, 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑎𝑑𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 (ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑎 𝑟𝑢𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛), opens at Gallery Merrick (Victoria, BC) on Jan 30.

Link at linktr.ee/longconmag to RSVP for the opening; same link, later on, to see the collection.