Aleisha Parr – Type A Media Literature, Arts & Culture

A. A. Parr is a writer, artist and entrepreneur who calls both Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto home. She holds a Specialised Honours BFA from York University in Theatre (Devised Ensemble Creation; Playwriting) with a double minor in Psychology and Cultural Studies. She is also the Founder and Managing Editor of Type A Media.

Visit: typeamedia.ca

Type A Media is a new small press and indie literary publisher in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, established with an aim to publish fresh, diverse voices in poetry, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, visual arts, cultural thinkpieces, and hybrid creative works from Northern Ontario and beyond.

We prioritise supporting voices from our northern communities because they are underrepresented in the publishing world. While our shared geography has definitely helped inform and inspire these voices, we know it certainly does not – and should not – limit them. We are interested in promoting those works which both celebrate our diversity and explore our shared experiences.

The publishing industry can be a difficult one to access for Canadians in general, but is especially inaccessible for members of northern communities (with most publishers operating out of Toronto, and a few further away on the West Coast). A large part of the problem is one of access: many writers and artists living in the north are held back by issues such as lack of funding, cultural concerns, family obligations, inconvenience of travel, lack of industry connections . . . the list goes on. We’re not able to access a lot of resources found in places like Toronto – even those as simple as having the opportunity to network at a magazine launch or to attend a book fair.

Our northern communities are rich with culture, with untapped talent, with educated and trained writers, artists, creators. With heritage passed down through generations, and with innovators making leaps and bounds with mere ink and paper. The demand exists for work from Indigenous, Black, queer, disabled, gender diverse, feminist, intersectional and otherwise marginalised writers and artists from Northern Ontario to be given a platform. These voices deserve to be amplified, to be given the opportunity to be heard, to be seen, to be acknowledged and legitimised.

Our communities are evolving, but the publishing industry has been slow to keep up. We believe it does not have to be that way, and are committed to being the necessary change for our northern communities, to breaking down those barriers and allowing many more of our voices to have the opportunity to participate in the creation of our cultural legacy.

We know there is great value in raising our voices, in promoting our unique perspectives, our multiple languages, and our many creative skills. We are reminded right now especially of the value of sharing our unique perspectives, and of forging connections based on our underappreciated similarities. Type A Media is here to bring together our community, to empower our citizens to recognise their own unique value, and to share these gifts beyond our community.

So whether you’re an artist or a writer – or a lover of the arts – we exist for you. We are here for you. We support you.

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Her poetry series written for and about strangers, “I Wrote You This Poem”, is published weekly on Channillo.com, and she is the author of the poetry chapbook, “What Lasts Beyond the Burning”, from Nightingale & Sparrow Press. Her creative works have been seen on stages, in galleries, and in print throughout North America over the past two decades. In her work, she seeks to explore difficult themes in an attempt to shine a necessary light into our darkest crevices.

For more information on her creative works, please visit her website here: www.aaparr.wixsite.com/ourghosts

“The future of publishing is about having connections to readers and the knowledge of what those readers want.”

seth godin