Prairie Fire (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Prairie Fire is a Canadian
literary magazine
. Based in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, the magazine publishes as a quarterly. Prairie Fire magazine was created in hopes to expand Canadians' knowledge and awareness of literary work rather than focusing on mainstream
writings of our generation
. Included in the magazine are poems, personal essays, stories
and even interviews
. The magazine
has been constructed more so to feature physical characteristics in style of a book
, as many writers inside the pages of the magazine
have either award winning material, or have been recognized for their pieces. Having the magazine
resemble a book
emphasizes the literary work inside rather than giving any sense of mainstream
material.
, Manitoba
, each one reading their pieces to the public. And lastly, the numerous awards the magazine itself has received because of Andris Taskans' management.
. At first it was published privately. From 1983 to 1989, it was published by the Manitoba Writers' Guild
. Since then, it has been published by Prairie Fire Press, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization. The first issue of WNM was published in July 1978. The name was changed to Prairie Fire in 1983 and it took on its present format the following year. WNM arose out of a group called the Winnipeg Writers Workshop (W3). The founding editors were Katherine Bitney, Elizabeth Carriere and Andris Taskans.
The local writing & publishing scene was not as developed in 1978 as it is today. The members of W3 felt isolated both from the established writers of the Canadian Authors Association and from the University of Manitoba
crowd gathered at St. John's College. Writers News Manitoba was created with two goals in mind: to serve as a vehicle for the dissemination of information to the widely-scattered writers of this province and to promote the idea that we needed a province-wide writers' organization. After a few false starts, the Manitoba Writers' Guild
was founded in 1981 and soon thereafter began publishing a newsletter. It was at this juncture that WNM was freed of its advocacy duties to become fully a literary magazine. Even then, however, it continued to hold as a priority the publishing of work by Manitoba writers. As one critic put it, Prairie Fire's job was to map the local literary landscape.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
literary magazine
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
. Based in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, the magazine publishes as a quarterly. Prairie Fire magazine was created in hopes to expand Canadians' knowledge and awareness of literary work rather than focusing on mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
writings of our generation
Generation
Generation , also known as procreation in biological sciences, is the act of producing offspring....
. Included in the magazine are poems, personal essays, stories
Stories
Stories may refer to:* Height of more than one Storey * Stories , a greatest hits compilation album by Randy Stonehill...
and even interviews
Interviews
Interviews is:# the plural form of "interview"# a compilation album by Bob Marley & the Wailers, see Interviews # a C++ toolkit for the X Window System, see InterViews...
. The magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
has been constructed more so to feature physical characteristics in style of a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
, as many writers inside the pages of the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
have either award winning material, or have been recognized for their pieces. Having the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
resemble a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
emphasizes the literary work inside rather than giving any sense of mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
material.
About The Editor
Andris Taskans (married to Katherine Bitney, one of three founding editors of Prairie Fire magazine) has been the editor of Prairie Fire for thirty-three years. He studied at the niversity of Winnipeg. Throughout his career (ongoing), Taskans has made a positive impression on the literary world, not only by editing Prairie Fire magazine; but in addition he supports up-and-coming writers, wrote literary pieces, has received multiple awards and is responsible for discovering many promising writers. Andris Taskans has also created an event a little over ten years ago, which encourages literary enthusiasts to join them at a literary festival named "WordFest". This is a local event which brings many literary writers into WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, each one reading their pieces to the public. And lastly, the numerous awards the magazine itself has received because of Andris Taskans' management.
- Andris Taskans is a founding member of the Manitoba Writers' GuildManitoba Writers' GuildThe Manitoba Writers' Guild was inaugurated in August 1981 at Aubigny, Manitoba, as a grassroots organization for and of Manitoba writers. The Guild has grown from the twenty members who joined after that first meeting to a membership of over 600. The Manitoba Writers' Guild's primary aim is to...
(established in 1981) which “provides professional and personal support to Manitoba writers throughout their writing lives”. - He published Jukebox Junkie in 1987 by Turnstone Press (a poetry chapbook).
- In 1988 Andris Taskans helped start the Manitoba Magazine Publishers Association.
- Taskans accepted the Artists Award, sponsored by The Great-West Life Assurance Company in 2004.
- In 2008, Taskans received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Western Magazine Awards Foundation on their 26th annual Western Magazine Awards in Richmond, BC.
- He was awarded the "Making a Difference Award" from the Winnipeg Arts Council in 2009 at the Mayor's Luncheon for the Arts in Winnipeg, MB.
History
Prairie Fire began as a crudely produced magazine called Writers News ManitobaManitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. At first it was published privately. From 1983 to 1989, it was published by the Manitoba Writers' Guild
Manitoba Writers' Guild
The Manitoba Writers' Guild was inaugurated in August 1981 at Aubigny, Manitoba, as a grassroots organization for and of Manitoba writers. The Guild has grown from the twenty members who joined after that first meeting to a membership of over 600. The Manitoba Writers' Guild's primary aim is to...
. Since then, it has been published by Prairie Fire Press, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization. The first issue of WNM was published in July 1978. The name was changed to Prairie Fire in 1983 and it took on its present format the following year. WNM arose out of a group called the Winnipeg Writers Workshop (W3). The founding editors were Katherine Bitney, Elizabeth Carriere and Andris Taskans.
The local writing & publishing scene was not as developed in 1978 as it is today. The members of W3 felt isolated both from the established writers of the Canadian Authors Association and from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
crowd gathered at St. John's College. Writers News Manitoba was created with two goals in mind: to serve as a vehicle for the dissemination of information to the widely-scattered writers of this province and to promote the idea that we needed a province-wide writers' organization. After a few false starts, the Manitoba Writers' Guild
Manitoba Writers' Guild
The Manitoba Writers' Guild was inaugurated in August 1981 at Aubigny, Manitoba, as a grassroots organization for and of Manitoba writers. The Guild has grown from the twenty members who joined after that first meeting to a membership of over 600. The Manitoba Writers' Guild's primary aim is to...
was founded in 1981 and soon thereafter began publishing a newsletter. It was at this juncture that WNM was freed of its advocacy duties to become fully a literary magazine. Even then, however, it continued to hold as a priority the publishing of work by Manitoba writers. As one critic put it, Prairie Fire's job was to map the local literary landscape.
Awards and Honours
- In 2010 at the Western Magazine Awards Mary Horodyski received the Gold Award Best Article - Manitoba for her essay "The Geography of Ambiguity", published in 31.2.
- At the National Magazine Awards in 2009 many authors received awards and honourable mentions. Alex Leslie won the Gold Award in the Personal Journalism category for her essay "Prehistory", published in issue 29.2. Laura Trunkey received an honourable mention in the Personal Journalism category for “Pennies in My Pocket: Stories of My Brother”, published in issue 29.2. Furthermore Laura also received the Best Student Writer award in the Essays category. Sheri Benning received an honourable mention for "Watching Woman: The Marysburg Project”, published in issue 29.1. And in poetry Barry DempsterBarry DempsterBarry Edward Dempster is a Canadian poet and novelist.Dempster was born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario.Two of his collections, Fables For Isolated Men and The Burning Alphabet , were nominated for Governor General's Awards...
and Sylvia LegrisSylvia LegrisSylvia Legris is a Canadian poet.Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, she now lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She has published three volumes of poetry, the third of which, Nerve Squall, won the 2006 Griffin Poetry Prize and Pat Lowther Award....
were given honourable mentions for their work that was published in issue 28.4 and 29.3.
- In 2009 at the Western Magazine Awards, in the category for fiction Buffy Cram received an honourable mention for her story called “Loveseat” and Nadine McInnisNadine McInnisNadine McInnis is a Canadian author of poetry, short stories and essays.McInnis was born in Belleville, Ontario in September, 1957, and grew up in Toronto and Ottawa. She attended Colonel By Secondary School, where she began a lifelong friendship with the novelist, playwright and actor Ann-Marie...
for “Heart of Blue, Glowing”, both of these stories published issue 29.2.
- At the Gold Award for Best Article –ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
in 2009, both Sarah KlassenSarah KlassenSarah Klassen is a Canadian writer. She is the award-winning author of A Feast of Longing and one other short fiction collection, The Peony Season, and five books of poetry....
and Jake MacDonaldJake MacDonaldJake MacDonald is a Canadian author who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over twenty-five years he has produced eight books of both fiction and non-fiction and several hundred stories for many of Canada’s leading publications, including the Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic, Macleans, Cottage Life,...
received honourable mentions. Sarah received her honourable mention for “Tanya’s Dinner Party (1997)” and Jake received his honourable mention for “Do You Wish to Report a Nuisance Alligator?” both were published in 29.1.
Prairie Fire Followers
- Prairie Fire Magazine also has a group on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, which advertises upcoming literary events in Winnipeg, and surrounding the local area. It has 191 members and is always growing and looking for more! You can find it under the category of “Entertainment & Arts – Books and literature”. Administrators of this page are Perry Grosshans, also recognized as the board president of the magazine, Andris Taskans, known as the magazine’s editor, and Tom Penner, the creator of the FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page itself.