Welcome, Dear Reader, to the shitty part of winter. The parties are over, the sparkly hits have been packed away, and now…well, now it's just cold and dark.

On the corner of St Laurent and des Pins lies a tall yet unassuming building that you might recognise from the bold lettering that spells out “HALBRO BLDG.” For the past few decades, its lofts have served as a sort of haven for artists looking to rent studios or find a place to stay.

Michael A. Occhionero is a Montreal based author whose work spans three novels and a collection of poetry. Between holding an M.A. in English Literature and finalizing his upcoming novella, he finds his rhythm spinning old records and traveling.

Words have power. In so many ways, we speak things into reality. For instance, the people who are always complaining, tend to lead themselves into reasons to complain, while attracting others who thrive on the same fuel.

Jackki Harrt writes real songs that live in the underbelly of life, blurring heartbreak and addiction into something human and holy. By dragging the things people hide into the light, they turn pain into power chords and confession into connection. Influenced by the rougher edges of the punk lineage, Harrt proves that there is truth in the noise and power in surviving the mess.

There's a wide range of ways to step into the new year. The spectrum goes from rolling off someone else's couch, wondering what day it is, to waking up with the sun, meditating, then heading off to the gym, committed to a new paradigm.

A better way to spend Halloween proper in 2025 couldn’t have existed. It had been a minute since I’d been to the historic Cafe Cleopatre. Situated in what was once Montreal’s red light district, across Saint Laurent from the Montreal Pool Room, the main floor of the venue is a strip club with the venue on the second floor. Waiting in line on the stairs brought back a lot of (blurry) memories.

Anisia Alexe, also known as Amnesia, is a 22-year-old non-binary, mixed-media artist based in Montreal. While the name Amnesia is a staple of the local drag scene, they are also an accomplished hip-hop dancer, currently performing with the E.Y.E. dance crew under the mentorship of Professor Word.

Friends, the days are getting longer again. Sure, it's barely perceptible, but it's true. We've crossed the threshold, and now the same slow slide that brought us How’d It Get So Dark? is slowly leading us back to Early Sun / Prolonged Evenings, which is everyone's favorite show.

Mona Maarabani knows what she’s doing. She’s used to surprising people when she walks into a room for the first time, confident and ready to take on any challenge sent her way. “Being able to say that about myself right when I was starting out… It was very much a realisation of, ‘oh, I can literally do anything,’” she tells me.