If you've been in Vancouver for any amount of time, Megaphone Magazine isn't new to you. You've seen it in the hands of street vendors, you've seen it here on V.I.A. a few times (most recently in our Print Matters article profiling them) and hopefully you've actually bought a copy and enjoyed it.
Last year I shared the story of Voices of The Street Volume 1 which was a perfect-bound edition that featured writing, poetry and prose from Megaphone’s community writing workshop program, which is run in treatment centres, social housing buildings and community centres in the Downtown Eastside and downtown Vancouver. Megaphone vendors happily managed to sell out that first issue, and I'm very happy to let you know that the most recent one (pictured below) is about to be released and it is nothing short of fantastic.
Vancouver Book Award winning author, Michael Christie, is quoted in the foreward saying that this writing program is invaluable in that encourages people in recovery to speak and to grow, so I figured I'd let you know about how this book also affected me, the reader.
The writing program is meant to affect people in treatment, and to help them through it, and I have absolute confidence that it does in a major way. But it also affected me in a big way. I just finished reading it cover to cover and the amount of raw emotion and truth that's contained within it's pages is at first a little overwhelming, then heartening and in the end incredibly hopeful. You'll read real stories from people overcoming their own personal hurdles and, much like Michael Christie's work in his book The Beggar's Garden, in the end you will walk away being reminded that they are human and that they are a lot like you. And that they are you.
Buy a copy of Voices On the Street off of a street vendor later this week when it comes out, or if you're interested head out to the Waldorf this coming Thursday when they're doing their release for the issue at an event where some of its authors will be doing readings. Details HERE.
