PRISM international review

PRISM international is a writing magazine that is based in UBC Vancouver. In PRISM, recent works are exhibited, and in the case of the spring 08 issue, all are themed. PRISM is a great journal to pick up, and I have found some very interesting pieces in just one journal. In one issue (published quarterly) one can find fiction, poetry, illustrations, lyrics, nonfiction, and interviews. This hodgepodge makes an eclectic mix of writing, and makes PRISM that much easier to read and digest. For more details one can go to the website (http://prism.arts.ubc.ca/) which is easy to navigate and very informative.

After reading the issue, I went back into it for a closer look at the poetry. Ranging in styles and background, some of these poems were unexpected and extremely pleasing. The translation of some of Fumiko Hayashi’s poetry by Mariko Nagai was haunting and powerful. Other poems were also noteworthy for their interesting style. Stephanie York wrote a vivid poem called fighting the music with a creative topic. But these poems are really just one side of PRISM.

The Issues have the look of a nice mass produced paperback book. Contemporary artists do the covers, and the issues are in black and white. On this particular issue, it is noted as the music issue. When one reads the issue, music is a hard thread to pick up. Still the editors leave a note in the beginning, explaining that music was a theme that was loosely collected. Individual authors were free to use it in whatever tangential way they wished. Within the pages of the book, many of its contributors, editors and otherwise, wrote interesting paragraphs on the role of music in their writing. I found this exercise to be the most interesting part of the entire issue. The blurbs really capture different viewpoints in one place, all around the ethos of language.

I really enjoyed this issue. I plan on looking through more of these PRISMs than what I have already. The most striking part was that the issue feels contemporary. This shows the life of literature today. It is also a great introduction to modern works in many genres. For every piece I didn’t like, there was an opposite piece I loved. I think that a range of works like PRISM has, proves that it is a well rounded and thought out magazine.

Because of its accessibility I can’t recommend PRISM enough.