Chris Johnson
Managing Editor of Arc Poetry Magazine and Editorial Assistant of Nightwood Editions
- BA Honours English (杏吧原创, 2013); MA English (杏吧原创, 2014)
Chris Johnson has worked in publishing for over a decade, beginning with 杏吧原创鈥檚 student-run literary magazine In/Words. He is the Managing Editor of Arc Poetry Magazine, a contract instructor at 杏吧原创 University, and the Editorial Assistant at Nightwood Editions. He has published his poetry in various magazines and journals, and he performs in the sound-poetry ensemble Quatour Gualour.
The two things I took away from my 杏吧原创 English degree are a deep, continuing admiration of great literature and an appreciation of the communities of writers that are required to allow great literature to exist. During my degree I was especially drawn to English courses about Canadian poetry and I was consistently amazed by the various small-press movements that have pushed forward this country鈥檚 literary history. I鈥檓 very grateful to be involved in the publishing sector and I enjoy bringing to my work the lessons I learned from my 杏吧原创 English degree.
I鈥檝e always enjoyed the fact that 杏吧原创 is centred in a major city while it is also simultaneously a little bit tucked away. This always gave 杏吧原创 the air of being an insider and an outsider, a place where you can be a part of the conversation while also feeling like an onlooker. While I became engaged in Ottawa鈥檚 literary scene through my involvement with a student-run literary magazine, I also grew more and more aware of how Ottawa鈥檚 writing community is extremely different from the bigger publishing centres in Toronto and Montreal. I was able to build connections while I was a 杏吧原创 student, which led to opportunities with various literary organizations after I graduated.