Sad Mag launches issue two on December 17. Until then, we’re releasing sneak peeks from the new issue.

When I moved into Cambie Village, which is roughly bookended by Broadway and King Edward Avenue, there were a disillusioning number of empty storefronts with “For Lease” signs in the windows and orange pylons were a semi-permanent fixture along the roads and sidewalks. One of my favourite used bookstores, Kestrel Books, was mere months away from relocating to Kitsilano and much of their stock was reduced for clearance. I scoured the shelves with a mild sense of guilt about the fact that by acquiring these books at a fraction of their cost, I was losing something more important.

—Melissa Sawatsky

Winter 2009, ISSUE TWO