A Collection
Best Friends For Now
Written by Sarah Phillips, Illustration by Carmen Lew
If you believe that feelings can be art, there is no better exploration of that belief than this collection of stories about tender feelings; stories that are, as the author warns us in her introduction, “deceptively simple.” These six vignettes, based on real-life stories Sarah Phillips has collected with care, demonstrate the kind of courage that takes an immense amount of emotional energy, self reflection, and intention on the part of the author. When Sarah tell us about the ending of her friendship with “D.”, her emotions are tangible and honest; the dissolution of a friendship often leaves us with unanswered questions and a tangle of messy feelings to sort through. Sarah's own motivation to understand this kind of loss informs this project; each story is made more empathetic and real with an author who can relate to her subjects.
Featured story for November 2019
“Over a beer, they kept things light. They laughed a lot and neither of them acknowledged the break in their friendship or Liz’s coming out. When they got up to leave, Liz stopped at the door and said, ‘Thanks for not bringing up the pink elephant in the room.’ Shelley thought she had done the right thing, but a few days later, she wasn’t so sure. They got together a few more times, but to Shelley, it wasn’t the same — even though Liz talked a lot when they were together, it always felt like she was holding something back. Or maybe it was Shelley who was.”
carmen lew
Carmen Lew is a Toronto based illustrator. Her work primarily explores the connection between one’s self and their surrounding environment. Having travelled thoroughly throughout Europe, Lew draws from her memory, feelings of unfamiliarity, and perpetual movement. In response, rather than fixating on naming those feelings, Carmen illustrates characters who are seemingly indifferent; characters who subtly contemplate the wonder and discomfort of the unfamiliar, a refreshing rebuke against our desire to control the unknown. Carmen’s use of a strong colour palette and textured elements in her art speaks to the depth of these experiences. As an emerging illustrator she is constantly trying to push her work and try new things to better her practice.
sarah phillips
Sarah Phillips is a writer, brand strategist, and lecturer. Her writing has appeared in WORN Fashion Journal, Ephemera Magazine, Miss Grass, strategy magazine, WIPP and Invisibilities Zine. She is the co-founder and curator of Queenstown Seminars, a Toronto-based monthly salon series. She usually writes about women, culture, the workplace, and weed. She has a M.A. in English Literature and has taught at Humber College and Miami Ad School.