Absynthe November 2013

But only if you want$4.00 CA

Nov

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15.2

magazine

Hannah Ellsworth

Jenna Goldsmith

Zafer Izer

Amanda Ferreira

Bakhtawar Riaz

VOLUME 15 - ISSUE 3 - OCTOBER 2013

202.7 | Champlain College | Trent University

(705) 748-1011 | ext. 7316 General Inquiries: [email protected]

Editorial Inquiries: [email protected] Inquiries: [email protected]

http://issuu.com/absynthetrenttwitter.com/absynthetrent

NaNoWriMo Photo by Hannah Ellsworth

Sarah StundenSteven SnowYuri Marisett Contents Photo by Caitlin Jones

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CONTENTS

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4 Editor’s Letter 6 NaNoWriMo 9 Feature- Short Story Con-test 10 The Fortune Cookie 12 Silent Heaven 14 Father and His Son 16 Idle No More 18 In Response- On Straight

White Privilege 20 Horoscopes 21 @TrentUProblems

Editor-in-Chief

The end is near! As I write this there are only 13 days of classes left, and I couldn’t be hap-pier. I don’t know about you kids out there in Trent Land, but this has been a rough semester. Instead of working on my last assignments I find myself running Google searches for “Christmas cat” desktop wallpaper as an at-tempt to avoid everything that I need to do. While you might think that’s a low point (I’d have to agree with you), I think it’s just taking a much needed brain break. Which brings me to my always insightful piece of wisdom. As finals are quickly approaching it’s important to give yourself a bit of a mental vaca-tion, even if it’s just for one day. Don’t go from course work right into Exam Terminator mode. It will probably kill you, and then all of that hard work will be for nothing! Take a night to relax. Classes end December 4th (I believe!?) and exams don’t start until December 6th. I know, I know… you’re think-ing “but Vanessa, I have a final on the 6th that I have to cram for”, but trust me on this one. You will be able to absorb the information more efficiently if your brain isn’t exhausted. So go ahead, get into your comfy pants and Snuggie and watch whatever trashy television you can find (this time of year Elf is my go to)! Give yourself a break. Remember to get enough sleep and for the love of god, don’t forget to hydrate – and I do mean with water, not with vodka!

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Photography

Contest

If your files are too large to be emailed you can drop them off at the absynthe office on a CD.

1st Prize: $1002nd Prize: $503rd Prize: $25 March 7th

Send us your best photos for a chance to win cash prizes and have your work published in the March

issue of absynthe!

[email protected]

First place receives a

place on the cover!

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NaNoWriMo

at Trent UHannah Ellsworth

Students who have always been haunted by the goal to write a novel “someday” will be interested to know that National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) has arrived in Peterborough. NaNoW-riMo has been taking place across the globe throughout the month of November and encouraging writers to com-plete a novel within the month of November. Participants are encouraged to work toward a word count marathon of 50 k (50 000 words). Many writers view the intense experience as an opportunity to structure their writing schedule and force themselves to produce a mass amount of content in a limited amount of time. For many students, the

idea of writing for fun seemslaughable as a post-mid-term storm cloud hangs over Trent’s campus. The student population has become di-vided into those who studied over reading week and those who did not. No matter which category students fall into, al-most everyone is feeling the aftermath of midterms. Many students have come to equate the appeal of writing to wash-ing dishes or folding laundry. However, there are some students who have come to recognize the ben-efits of writing as a creative output. The act of writing cre-atively not only relieves stress by addressing internal issues and thoughts, but further im-proves the student’s ability to

maintain efficiency in the out-put of their writing. The NaNoWriMo Pe-terborough community has earned a reputation as a sup-portive atmosphere for partic-ipants, and followed suit No-vember 2 with a Kick Off event at the local library. “Write In” events continue throughout the month, providing further opportunity for participants within the community to meet and work together in a setting that is conducive to writing productively. The organization pro-vides registered participants with many resources, includ-ing visual illustrations of the au-thor’s progress in word count, forums for conversation, local events and articles regarding

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writing topics. Throughout the month, participants will also receive “pep talk” emails from authors, encouraging them to continue toward to 50 k goal. This year’s Pep Talkers in-clude Malinda Lo (Inheritance) and James Patterson (Along Came a Spider). NaNoWriMo alumni are vast and seasoned veter-ans with years of Novembers behind them, some of whom

have even gone on to produce best-selling novels. In fact, more than 100 novels pro-duced through the event have gone on to be published by traditional publishing houses, including Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Marissa Meyer’s Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles and Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. Hundreds more have gone on to be published by small

presses or self-published. Whether you are a sea-soned writer or a curious day-dreamer, there are few events as conducive to productive, quality writing and fewer com-munities who offer as much support and encouragement as NaNoWriMo. Further infor-mation regarding this year’s National Novel Writing Month is are available at: nanowrimo.org. ■

Get InvolvedThere are many forum discussions available on the NaNoWriMo website, and when these are accompanied by the community events that take place locally, there are many opportunities for participants to meet one another and share in

the experience.

Write Every DayAim to produce at least 2000 words each day. Continue writing from where you left off the previous day, without pausing to revise what has already been written.

The goal of NaNoWriMo is to finish a draft, not a polished product.

Location, Location, LocationFind a location that is conducive to your focus. Some writers find that they focus best while locked in their room, away from people. Others find writing in their room distracting because they then have access to all the comforts of home, especially the comfortable bed on late-night writing sprints… There is of course the classic stereotype of writing in a café over a frothy, caffeinated concoction, but other writing spaces can include a favourite restaurant, the local library, art spaces, community parks, nature trails and much more. Dare to exit your comfort zone and enter a new atmosphere – whether it be a rooftop garden, the Seasoned

Spoon, the bleachers of an athletic field or even the Peterborough zoo!

Atmosphere Once you have found a location that suits you, create an atmosphere that is conducive to your creativity. If you are a person who can listen to music while you

NaNoWrimo Survival Kit

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write, tune into music that coincides with what you’re writing. Film soundtracks are often a safe bet, especially if they can be matched to the mood of what you are writing. Podcasts such as Writing Excuses are another resource for writers, addressing conflicts of writing life and offering helpful insight from experienced authors, including the bestselling fantasy and sci-fi author Brandon Sanderson Mistborn). Surround yourself with images, films and other media that inspire the

project you are working on.

Make the TimeNovember is a critical time of the year, as assignment due dates and exams ap-proach. In order to balance school work, writing and other commitments, it is crucial to set aside a block of time each day to devote to writing. Choose a time when you are most likely to be productive. It is important to also remember that the writing life can take place beyond the confines of your writing space. Listening to podcasts is an excellent way to maintain the “writing groove” while walking to

class, washing dishes or even brushing your teeth! ■

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Each year here at absynthe magazine we run a Short Story Contest. We run these contests because everyone could use a cash prize, and more importantly because we are interested in seeing the talent in the Trent community. This year we recieved three submussions. The next

six pages feature those submissions.

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Taylor opened the door to the chinese restaurant. Her eyes scanned the crowd of seated customers for Jason. After a minute her eyes found his head of bushy brown curls and she hesitantly walked over to his table. “Hi, Jason, sorry I'm late.” Taylor said as she slid into the chair across from him, trying not to let her pastel floral skirt ride up too much. Jason was Taylor's mom's choice for a date, and had essentially set them up. He was a nice boy, with good grades and a bright-looking future. He was perfect. “Taylor, how are you doing this evening?” he asked. “I'm alright,” she said, looking down at her menu. She never knew what to say to him, because as much as he was perfect, she was far from it. Taylor suspected that her mom also wanted Jason to rub off on her. The waiter came up to the table and asked for drink orders. Ja-son ordered water, Taylor ordered a Coke. Taylor could almost hear her mom's voice in her head saying, “If you keep drinking all that fizzy stuff, it'll make you so unhealthy.” She was so consumed by her thoughts of what her mother would think, she didn't realize Jason had been talking to her the whole time. She looked up at him, realizing that he hadn't even noticed that she wasn't paying attention. “I really hope to go to university to become a doctor. If that doesn't work out, I think I want to go to law school abroad. I was thinking New York City, since it's the most well known. But, I'm not sure. What do you think, Taylor?” She gazed at him for a moment, stunned by his well planned ambi-tions. “I think you can do whatever you set your mind to.” she said,

The Fortune Cookie

Jenna Goldsmith

Feature

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cringing because she sounded so much like her mother. Jason's eyes studied her for a moment, “You look uninterested.” “Not at all, your future plans are fascinating.” He laughed, catching her sarcasm, “I apologize. I was focussing too much on myself. Do you have any plans for after high school?” “I'm not sure. But, I would love to travel and discover places people don't really see that often.” Jason raised his eyebrows, clearly sceptical on how this could be a valid life decision. “How would you make an income?” he asked. Taylor shrugged as the waiter placed the food they had ordered in front of them. “I'm not sure yet.” Jason looked down at his food and started eating. He was done with the conversation. Taylor frowned and focussed on her food. Ja-son was so much like Taylor's mom, it scared her. She finally sighed, after munching on her sweet and sour chick-en, “Maybe you can help me figure things out a little.” Jason smiled and simply nodded, “I'd love to help.” When their meal was finished the store owner delivered their fortune cookies. She was a tiny woman with her grey hair pulled back into a bun. She wore a blue satin robe with pink flowers. When Taylor took her fortune cookie the tiny woman winked at her. She wasn't sure why until she broke open the fortune cookie and found a small folded map inside. “What is this?” she asked, but when she looked up, the tiny woman was gone. Jason looked at her and asked, “What does it say?” “It doesn't say anything. Look,” I said as a turned the map to face him. He took it from her and examined it. “This must be fake, it even has a little 'X' on it.” Taylor snatched it back and her eyes quickly found the 'X'. But, her eyes widened as she realized something. “This is our town,” she said, “this is a treasure map of our town.” Excitement bubbled up inside her, “We should go see if it's real.” Jason raised his eyebrows, “You really want to go out in the dark to find out if this map is a real map? For what? Treasure?” “Maybe, maybe not. But, at least it's more exciting than law school. At least it would make me happy.” Taylor rose from her seat and marched to the front of the res-taurant. She hesitated for a moment, but she couldn’t turn around. ■

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There was a time when she cared. There were moments of her life that mattered to her, fragments of time that she longed for yet would never be able to return to. Episodes filled with joy and peace and downright bliss that reminded her of why she chose to continue on living. This moment however, nullified all that. None of that was any concern of hers anymore. She threw it all out of her mind. She lodged the memories of her past into a recess and buried them deep inside her brain, never to be accessed again. She longed to be transported somewhere else and melted into something new, something familiar, yet something all at once foreign. Time was limited for her. Time was not something she had much more of. Time was not something you could go to the convenience store down the street and purchase at any given moment of the day. Time was a fabrication of what she once knew, a fragment of the old life she previously led. Time no longer knew who she was or what her name used to be. Time didn’t know nor did Time care. All that Time wanted was to cross her off its list and move on to the next being and re-peat this exhausting process over again. This was all that Time cared about: the progression of things no matter the outcome. She glared at the staircase. She knew this platform represented the end of all things to come, yet couldn’t help climbing it. There was something about the forward movement of time that always brought destruction. It couldn’t be explained. It couldn’t be rationalized. All she could do was walk up those fourteen narrow steps and accept what awaited her. She reached the dim top floor hallway without thinking about her actions now. Her body was on auto-pilot and there was nothing that could come between her and the attic now. The scent, the rotten par-ticles floating about the air; they warned her of what was inside.

Silent Heaven

Steven Snow

Feature

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To her convenience, the stepladder was already laid out in perfect working order for her to perform her final act, her last move on the figurative chessboard. She wasn’t scared to witness the end, nor was she excited. Her indifference guided her on her path and she ascended the stepladder. The attic was empty save for a few generic cobwebs and a family of mice making do with their barren habitat. There was a window lo-cated at the end of the room, sort of in the middle of the wall but a bit off-kilter and occupied more of the right side. She approached the glass with a carefree elegance, something uncharacteristic of suspenseful moments nearing the end of the short horror story. That big phony moon shone its light through the pane, mocking her last mo-ments of existence as it would continue to exist long after she dis-sipated. She heard a creak in the floor but wasn’t fazed by it. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, releasing a smile simultaneously. She relished in the present. She knew what awaited her and was com-pletely okay with it. It was during this time that the elusive figure made itself known. It knew exactly what it was that disturbed her, what is was that made her mind spin (or so it thought). Between the reflection of the figure on the window, the smell of putrefaction circling the room, and the dissonant breathing of itself, the figure knew there was no pleasant way out for her. What was she to do? The window was locked and she wouldn’t have enough time to get it open to escape, if there was even anywhere for her to go from that height. There was no exit aside from the attic stepladder she came up here on, which the figure blocked. Much to her dismay, she couldn’t turn around. She couldn’t turn around and she was that much happier for it. ■

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The broken man sat in the hospital waiting room with his sleeping four year old son’s tiny hand holding his. News from the doctor had come and gone. Both he and his son had been soaked by the blizzard outside. The father’s lengthy hair dripped down like his open jaw. He brushed his hand through Nathan’s hair. The father noticed the boy’s tracks of tears dried down his cheeks. He detached the small hand that had been holding onto his own for two hours and walked over to the payphone. He phoned his brother-in-law. Alexander realized that Max was not going to answer his rings when the answering machine picked up. The family was likely out of town on one of Max’s family getaways. He had hoped they could take care of Nathan. Alexander didn’t know what to do with the kid right then. Usually when a small child’s mother and infant brother are killed in a freak accident, you should soften it up a little, like using a sock puppet and saying that heaven’s a bet-ter place, stuff like that. Nathan had asked earlier in his small, sniffling voice “Daddy, is Mommy going to be okay?” Alexander had not known exactly what his family’s fate was then, but he already had a confident idea. He didn’t even want to speak to the boy, afraid of how easily he could say the wrong life-shattering words that his son might always remember with this night. His boy’s question had gone unanswered besides the nurturing backrub that the father had seen his wife perform.He quietly kept the phone to his head until he heard the beep. “Hello? Is anyone there?” He cleared his throat. “I guess no one’s home. You’re never fucking home, Max! It has always been your stupid machine that I talk to because you and Katie want to raise your kids at airports and five star hotels. I just thought you should know that your sister died tonight. My wife is dead and so is our little boy...,” An unexpected sulk came out. The father continued while his eyes became heavier. “Our little boy, my little Kyle is dead - , both

Father and His Son

Yuri Marisett

Feature

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him and his mother...,” Alexander chuckled as the blood rushed to his face, his eyes watered in embarrassment and confusion. “I think an elevator accident. I have Nathan with me.” The night’s events flashed by. He’d been living moment to moment. Now the facts were beginning to sink in and he had no idea how he was about to handle them. “Hey, have a good trip Max.” He hung the phone up gently and looked back to his son resting in the chair. You need to do the right thing. Alexander protectively held his bundle of life. The little arms held loosely onto the collar of his jacket. He passed a corner in the emergency ward and saw a motionless little girl not much older than Nathan seated alone in the hallway. The child looked prematurely aware of sorrow. She couldn’t turn around. Her defeated expression lacked the smile of healthy minded children who still believed enough in life’s opportunities to justify crying over minor misfortune. Her eyes met with Alexander’s stare and asked for nothing. The man walked on. He removed a small tuque from his jacket and firmly placed it over Nathan’s head, being sure to tuck the ears under the orange fabric. Alexander’s tiny whiskers rubbed against the child’s forehead, a fa-miliar feeling which always woke him. “Daddy? I’m hungry.” Nathan rubbed his eyes. “Is Mommy coming?” His question trembled.“Mommy and Kyle can’t come, buddy. Do you know how much they love you?” The boy buried his face into Alexander’s jacket. A large hand rubbed his back and shoulder some more. “Do you like fishing? I was thinking about taking a fishing trip with my best bud. That’s you.”The father walked through the sliding doors into the dying blizzard. He emerged outside under a big “E” and strolled towards his car. The ploughs were out and the ice was covered in dirt. To him it looked like blood under the tainting street lights. A nurse behind the slid-ing doors noticed his departure into the parking lot. “Mr. Swell?” The father holding his son moved further along the lot like nothing was heard. They disappeared into densely white oblivion as the bliz-zard unleashed its second wind. ■


The proclamation of October 7th as a National Day of Action by Idle No More arrived after a period of relatively low cover-age. Since last spring, when Idle No More – a movement that advocates for both In-digenous rights and environ-mental sustainability – cap-

tured the attention of news outlets nationwide, its cause has been regrettably eclipsed by other topics deemed more newsworthy. Despite what Prime Minister Harper and his Conservatives might wish, however, the movement re-mains persistent. October 7th has a his-torical significance: on that date in 1763, King George III issued a Royal Proclamation affirming, in short, the legal

sovereignty of lands occu-pied by First Nations. At the time this was a more straight-forward matter; all lands east of the Appalachian Moun-tains were considered part of the British Empire, while the western portion of the conti-nent was legally in the hands

of Native peoples. Ostensibly to curtail further injustices, any purchase of this sover-eign land that was not autho-rized by the Crown – in other words, any purchases of land from Native groups by indi-vidual white colonists – was strictly forbidden. By virtue of its existence, this treaty acknowledged the nation-hood, as it were, of Canadian First Nations1. Although it is not very commonly known

among most Canadians, In-digenous communities think of this proclamation as their equivalent of the Magna Car-ta. The notion of sovereignty inherent to the treaty is what Idle No More wished to call to mind in the modern context by holding demonstrations on its 250th anniversary. Today, of course, the Canadian government holds jurisdiction over the entire northern expanse of this con-tinent – save Alaska – and over a mosaic of different peoples. Sovereignty in our time does not refer to lines on a map but to the preservation of essential rights in the face of governmental and corpo-rate apathy and corruption. In the present day, one of the mandates of the cam-paign is to uphold the protec-tion and dignity of aboriginal women. Paragraph six of Idle No More's declaration, Calls For Change, advocates for

What’s Next for

“October 7th has a historical significance: on that date in 1763, King George III issued a Royal Proclamation affirming, in short, the legal sovereignty of lands oc-cupied by First Nations.”

IDLE NO MORE?Zafer Izer

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a “national inquiry into miss-ing and murdered Indigenous women and girls,” as well as to “involve Indigenous women in the design, decision-mak-ing, process and implementa-tion” of such an investigation. Clearly defined, the cause is steadily gaining momentum. In fact, as part of the Day of Action earlier this month, there was a demonstration for Indigenous women's rights in our very own Confederation Square in Peterborough. As public interest waxes and wanes, however, the most burning of the chal-

lenges facing Idle No More is a concrete definition of its de-mands from the Harper gov-ernment. In its manifesto, Idle No More expresses its desire to “deepen democracy in Can-ada through ... proportional representation and consulta-tion on all legislation concern-ing collective rights and envi-ronmental protections”. There is no question that increased aboriginal representation in

our government would be in the best interest of democ-

racy and thus beneficial to all of us – but any details about how, or by whom this may be achieved is woefully left unan-swered. Increased aboriginal consultation on environmen-tal matters is of undeniable importance, and the revision of Bill C-45, or the Omnibus Budget Bill – which contains

legislation that essentially in-creases the authority of the appointed Aboriginal Affairs Minister over Native chiefs, among other concerns – is a vital first step. But the move-ment's literature remains vague on the legal parame-ters of such a concept. Who exactly among the Aboriginal communities ought the Fed-eral government consult over environmental concerns, and

how much veto power would such a party wield? How

would this process be imple-mented in the most demo-cratic way possible? Nothing will be achieved until these questions are collectively an-swered. Canada's future is cur-rently being decided. Real and meaningful legislation is required – and is required immediately – to defend our forests, our waterways, and our citizens from economic and environmental ruin. It is imperative that Idle No More remain relevant – and it must unequivocally understand it-self as an ideology to move forward.

The author has used informa-tion from idlenomore.ca, CBC News, and firstpeoplesofcan-ada.com which is published by the Goldi Group and fund-ed by Heritage Canada. ■

“Sovereignty in our time does not refer to lines on a map but to the preservation of essential rights in the face of governmental and corporate apathy and cor-ruption.”

“Nothing will be achieved until these questions are collectively answered.”


As a white literature student whose primary focus is black American narratives, both oral and written, I have more than once participated in conver-sations (read: arguments) with other students regarding my views on white rap. This topic seems to be of specific inter-est to others considering my own race and privilege, but I am sure that the majority of people who voice these ques-tions expect an answer quite different than the one I am prepared to give. While I ac-knowledge my own specific racial and class privilege in studying what I do with eco-nomic funding, as well as backing from several respect-

ed educational institutions, it is because I have studied the history of racism and black

production in America, and also that I have encountered the very real effects of struc-tural violence in the lived ex-

perience of people close to me, that I have formulated my argument against white art-ists's appropriation of a spe-cifically revolutionary form of racial and cultural expression. In this sense, I am prepared both to offer my own view, while responding to the anon-ymous author's piece titled “Hip Hop and Reserve (Re-verse) Racism”, about Mackl-emore's “Same Love.”

Before even approach-ing the body of this article, the author has made evident

two major sites of conten-tion with the writing to follow. First, by failing to provide a name (a characteristic that

will later be explained as re-sisting bias in readership), the author fails to state their posi-tionality, and also specifically their privilege, or lack there of, in writing this piece. This tactic does not serve to cre-ate an unbiased reading, but rather to mask the experience from which this piece stems, and which very specifically reeks of defensiveness. Sec-ondly, through the title of the article, and the invocation of the term “Reverse Racism”, the author admits an abso-lute lack of knowledge and experience with regards to critical race theory. Reverse

Sarah Stunden

In Response

“Reverse racism, created explicitly by an offended white majority, is actually a misnomer...”

“While I acknowledge my own specific racial and class privilege in studying what I do with economic funding, as well as backing from several respected educational institutions...”

The Importance of Positionality in response to “Hip Hop and Reverse (Reverse) Racism”

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racism, created explicitly by an offended white majority, is actually a misnomer, as it er-roneously describes the main

criteria of racism, which is a systemic ideology imposed through power of the major-ity onto marginalized racial groups. In order for racism to exist, there must also exist a difference of power between the dominant (racist) group and the oppressed (racialized) group. Race itself has been construed multiple times by multiple critics, writers, politi-cians...etc as a construct rath-er than a cold and hard truth. “Reverse racism” is equally a construct because marginal-ized ethnic groups do not hold the balance of power in the diasporic hostlands that they inhabit (the Americas, Europe, the Caribbean...etc). To put it plainly: racism is a one way street based on power, it is not a swinging door. The author begins by suggesting that a historical account of a musical genre or artist’s identity should not

“overshadow the artistic in-tegrity of the work itself.” No work of art operates in total insularity from the culture and historical moment that pro-

duced it, and thus a call to consider a work of art based only on the instance of the specific piece itself is impos-

sible, to say the least. While I believe the author's call here means to privilege the art over the cultural moment that pro-duces it, his/her suggestion is actually self-critical given the historical moment that cre-ated hip hop, and thus made it possible for Macklemore to write “Same Love” (this

doesn't even touch on the history of queer resistance that has brought same sex marriage forward as a site of revolution.) In discussing Ellen Degeneres's introduction of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, the author construes a read-ing of the TV host's state-ment to mean “only that no

other mainstream rapper to her knowledge (or mine, for that matter) has released a song as blatantly in support of gay rights and gay marriage.”

While it is arguable that El-len probably did not mean to consider black culture as inherently homophobic, by naming Macklemore (a white man performing a specifi-cally black form of music) as the only “mainstream rapper” to release an LGBT positive song, Degeneres has (per-haps unwittingly) performed two acts of violence. Firstly, by suggesting that culturally white Macklemore has made queer headway in hip hop is to say that hip hop prior to Macklemore was absent of LGBT positive messages. Be-

cause hip hop is a specifically black American idiom, this message DOES read as sug-gesting that hip hop and rap are at least not queer positive, if not specifically homopho-bic. Secondly, this statement it-self fails to acknowledge the history of black queer writing that predates hip hop (which, contrary to the author's un-derstanding, is actually said to have begun in the 1970s with Gil Scott Heron's “The Revo-lution will not be Televised”), along with the truly subver-sive black rappers who are also queer (Angel Haze, Frank Ocean, Mykki Blanco, Zebra Katz, and Azealia Banks, just

“To put it plainly: racism is a one way street based on power, it is not a swinging door.”

“No work of art operates in total insularity from the culture and historical moment that produced it, and thus a call to consider a work of art based only on the instance of the specific piece itself is impossible, to say the least.”

“Secondly, this statement itself fails to acknowledge the history of black queer writing that predates hip hop...”


to name a few). The problem with Ellen's refusal to name, or recognize, these artists is that, in keeping with racist white patriarchal ideology, the white male voice constantly gets more attention, is given more praise, and is seen as having more legitimacy. No, I don't believe that Ellen in-tended for this result, but no, her intention with this state-ment doesn't matter. The fact is that she did effectively en-act an instance of systemic violence through her actions.

This is something the author fails to understand or ac-knowledge in their consider-ation. Similarly, the state-ment “Nonetheless, the artis-tic choices of a musician can have no bearing on his stance on a social justice issue” linked to the earlier assump-tion that art can somehow be taken as separate from the historical moment from which it was created, seems to pres-ent the artist as having a sort of split personality in which he cannot be taken as both artist and member of society at the same time. Macklemore as a public figure is perhaps in a position to be more cognizant of his “stance on social is-sues”, especially if he intends to work within a specifically liminal musical cultural, and especially if he intends to use

his relative fame to deal with LGBT issues that he has not actually experienced himself. By failing to acknowledge

the position he plays in rela-tion to hip hop culture, spe-cifically his ease at acquiring fame considering the tremen-dous amount of more talented black rappers out there, he is appropriating a cultural move-ment that is not his – that will

never be his, because he is not black, nor is he the mem-ber of a radically marginalized community. In this sense, his use of rap functions similarly to the way plagiarism happens in the academic world – by refusing

to constructively acknowl-edge the traditions he is work-ing from, and that he indebted to, he is effectually stealing rap. (Note: when members of other racialized groups adopt rap as a vehicle for instituting self-actualization, it is almost always with the recognition of where the form came from, which is without contestation, from an attempt to uphold black cultural traditions in a historical moment where pro-

duction and publication were greatly withheld from the ma-jority of the black American community.)

Malcom X was fa-mously acknowledged as saying that racism could only be fought through individual's work in their own communi-ties. In this sense, he was re-ferring to ethnic communities, but the same could also ap-ply as a positive approach for a musician like Macklemore, who wishes to create some-thing productive. Instead of operating in the presumed liminal spaces of black and LGBT peoples, it would be more productive for him to denounce homophobia in his straight community, the same as it more productive to fight racism as a white person in

the white community, rather than presuming you have the ability to hold up black art. The truth is, blackness, just like queerness (or gen-der queerness), doesn't need help to define itself. What it needs, and ironically what whiteness and heterosexual-ity also need, are soldiers who demand change in their own realms of existence, and their own physical and psychic communities. ■

“...I don't believe that Ellen intended for this result, but no, her intention with this statement doesn't matter. “

“The truth is, blackness, just like queerness (or gen-der queerness), doesn't need help to define itself.”

“...it would be more productive for him to denounce homophobia in his straight community...”

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Submission GuidelinesAbsynthe is a submissions-based magazine. Any Trent student who wishes to be published can send their work to us at [email protected]. Submissions can be any length, and can be written in any style. Submissions will be subject to editing for spelling and grammar as well as verified for appropriate content. Please include your name for publication. Photos and images are encouraged, but are required to have a minimum resolution of 300dpi. Articles may be held for publication at a later date.

The mandate of Absynthe Magazine is to encourage constructive dialogue and critical thinking within the Trent community. As an on-campus publication, Absynthe shall strive to represent as many people of the community as possible by presenting varying views on all matters that are of importance to the community and especially the student body. In the spirit of free and independent press, Absynthe shall strive for the highest degree of journalistic integrity and excellence while providing a medium for creative and alter-native expression. It will actively stimulate and concourage discussion through itself or any other means available to members of the Trent community.


Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Last month you questioned

the validity of our horoscopes and for this you shall be punished. Dishonour on you, dishon-our on your cow. A pox on your whole family.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Earth and Love are really

working together for you this month. This means one of two things; either you’re fucking a tree, or your partner is going to bury you alive.

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Dude. I know it’s almost Christmas but don’t spend the rest of this semester curled up watching Love, Actually. Unless you want a sign from

your parents that reads “To me, you are dead.”

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20) Death by West Bank. The battle to the front of the line could get ugly for

you this month. I suggest throwing elbows and hoping that someone doesn’t throw something worse back.

Gemini (May 21 - Jun 21) It’s November

which means you’re count-ing pennies to go to the bar. What this really means is that you should stop going to the bar, and turn in your pennies, putz.

Cancer(Jun 22 - Jul 22) For the low, low, price of just

$19.99 a month Ms. Cleo can give you all of the secrets to life. Act now! Email Ms. Cleo all of your vital information, your first pay-ment and a submission to absynthe to get a little closer to the meaning of life.

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22) You’ll meet a beauti-ful stranger at a party and share a

passionate night with them. Then you’ll find 700 centipedes in your bed.

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19) Religion is the only thing that will make November work in your favour. Please accept Zola Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) If you’re the kind of person who can’t handle the sight of blood you

should be preparing to spend most of the next week on your back, and not in the fun way.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) The key to your success this month is completely dependent upon whether or not you’re willing to send the absynthe

magazine team authentic Lightsabers.

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Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22) Want to spice up your sex life? Just throw

a little Tabasco on it (“it” meaning “your junk”), honey! Go dancing! (If you are the first person to email us and tell us what this is referencing you will get a $10 gift card to Tim Hortons.)

Virgo (Aug 22 - Sep 22) Some day somebody’s gonna make you want to turn around

and say goodbye. Until then, baby, are you go-ing to let them hold you down and make you cry? Don’t you know? Don’t you know? Things can change? Things’ll go your way. If you hold oooon for one more day. (Good luck getting that out of your head.)

Accidentally submitted a rough copy of my paper with no citations. Prof let me re-submit it #TrentUPro via @tiannaelizabeth

Forever lost in Blackburn Hall #TrentUProblems via @colleenswift

When the professors you had last year remember you by name #TrentUPro via @nicoleangela93

Students taking the bus from Bata to Blackburn might have disabilities. Stop harshly judging everyone #TrentUProblems via @ejmidzin

The air conditioning is STILL on #TrentUProblems via @kirstieclarkee

I don't care if it's raining. Taking the bus from Bata to the AC is the pinnacle of laziness #TrentUProblems via @robyn_bells

When you just put all your shampoo on and the water turns off and won't turn back on #LECproblems #TrentUProblems via @Mormorharvey


2013/2014 Submission Deadlines

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Documents

Absynthe November 2013