A literary journal with roots at York University is beginning a new chapter after more than a decade.
Parchment: Contemporary Canadian Jewish Writing, the only literary journal devoted to contemporary Canadian Jewish writing, has been relaunched by Associate Professor David S. Koffman at York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
Founded in 1992, Parchment published fiction, poetry, essays, reviews and translations. It was originally published by York University Libraries before moving to Toronto Metropolitan University, where the last issue was released in 2014.
With support from York University's Koschtizky Centre for Jewish Studies, the J. Richard Shiff Chair for the Study of Canadian Jewry and the Association for Canadian Jewish Studies (ACJS), which is housed at York, the publication has been revived with its first issue released in June.
“The return of Parchment marks an important step toward reviving a publication that has helped showcase Canadian Jewish literary voices,” says Koffman, who holds the J. Richard Shiff Chair for the Study of Canadian Jewry at York University.
The journal is published by the ACJS under the editorial leadership of Orly Zebak, the managing editor of Brick: A Literary Journal, and a national editorial team that includes Koffman and Joshua Tapper, as co-executive editors. York faculty members on its advisory board also include Professor Sarah R. Horowitz and instructor Olga Stein.
Published twice a year, Parchment features poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction, while also welcoming other literary forms including reviews, interviews, translations and visual storytelling. The journal aims to provide a national forum for contemporary Canadian Jewish writing and creative expression.
“This relaunch builds on the University's longstanding connection to the publication,” says Koffman. “York University's support helps sustain a platform dedicated to celebrating and advancing contemporary Canadian Jewish writing for readers across the country. The literary journal now joins its sibling-journal, Canadian Jewish Studies / Études juives canadiennes, our more traditional academic journal, which is platformed through York Digital Library’s Open Journal System and is open access, bilingual and multi-disciplinary.”
New print editions are available through bookstores and online retailers every spring and fall.