Joan Beecroft is inviting you to submit to "Things That Used to Matter: An Anthology of the Redundant"

There are two topics I hear a lot about lately, ‘minimalism’ and ‘downsizing.’ I’ve heard many stories from people who move from a home they’ve lived in for decades into a smaller flat or a seniors’ residence, and have to make sometimes difficult decisions about what stays, what has to go, and the deep, deep feelings that are part of the decision-making.

I’ve heard from other, mostly younger, people who’ve made a conscious decision to live with less, to live with only what they can carry when they move on.

It’s all got me thinking about change and what we take along with us for the ride, and that’s where you come in!

I’d love to hear your stories about “things that used to matter” to you, that have lost their importance, and the why and how of the change.

The ‘thing’ could be a tangible item you once loved, an idea you inherited and believed until you questioned it, a tradition that came from generations past, a way of life you chose, or anything else really, anything that used to matter. What prompted you to let it go? Could it be that letting it go was enriching? Was it liberating? Or is there still a pang when you remember it?

In collaboration with The Ginger Press, we look to publish these pieces in September 2022, because for anyone who has been through the school system, September is the start of a new year and that’s when we typically start to clean house, as it were. Entries in prose or in verse are welcome, and the writer of each piece selected will get a copy of the book. A pen-name can be used if you wish. This opportunity is open to anyone who lives in Grey Bruce.

Deadline: February 28 2022

Send your entry to ThingsThatUsedToMatter@gmail.com and feel free to pass this on.

source: media release