Mace Elsher

Some of my favourite pieces

The Meliorist Publishing Society •

LGBTQSIA2+ Histories in Japan and China 

Views: 8Written by Mace ElsherThis series will explore Queer identities, representation, and the oppressive ideologies met by the LGBTQS2IA+ community within Chinese and Japanese history. Before continuing, I would like to state that I will be using language such as “homosexual,” “transvestism,” and “queer,” this is not to offend people of the LGBTQS2IA+ community but to establish terminology that is specific to historical cases. Contemporary individuals that associate themselves with the LGBTQS...

Love letter to Japan finds home in Calgary’s Chinatown – The Press

The warm lighting from the green, blue and beige lamps casts a gentle glow across the spines of books nestled safely on cypress shelves.
A teal curtain is pulled back by a gold rope over a small window. Cool lighting from the snowy space outside filters in to the cozy space inside. The smell of rose and freshly cut wood hangs in the air.
“We are the first and only (exclusively) Japanese book store in Calgary,” says Antonella Ella, owner of Nekoto Books. “The space is designed like a small Hokkai...
These Words •

The Layers of Whimsy and Stories: TTRPGs and LARPing

The adventurers bound across the snow covered hill and they quickly dive into the thick bramble of the wood for shelter. They pant heavily as they throw their backs against the trees to take cover from their persecutors. A guttural screech rips through the air and the five party members cover their ears, and crumple to the ground. The heavily armoured paladin glanced back as the ground shook and snow was blasted away in massive clumps of dirt and grass.Through the sheen of snow falling, time see...
These Words •

Hobby Shops: The Meaning They Hold for the Community

When you walk into The Sentry Box, if the Egyptian hieroglyph mural doesn’t capture your attention, the dungeon styled mezzanine certainly will. Perhaps the armies of miniatures that have been carefully sculpted and painted on display will draw you in. Ranging from Warhammer, to Dungeons and Dragons, to Gundam, Battletech, World of Warcraft, Pathfinder, and so much more. They sit poised in their carefully crafted scenes, inviting visitors in to have a look and marvel at the tiny details. Their s...
These Words •

Lasting Connections: Bonds Forged from TTRPGs

The stalactites fall from the ceiling and collide with the thin volcanic crust. The terrain shifts as the rock parts and the sea of molten lava spills forth through the cracks of stone. The rumbling of the volcano, a once quiet murmur, is now a roaring quake that shakes the walls, the floor, and the beings that have found themselves trapped within the stirring volcano. One by one, the adventurers are separated by plates of volcanic stone that are parted by the overflowing scalding waves of lava....
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

<strong>Black History Month: A Reflection of Military Pride</strong>

Views: 651Written by Mace Elsher Considering February is Black History month, let us look into the past, so we may do better in the future to be mindful, grateful, and understanding. Stories of the war’s past become increasingly distant in our minds because of the passage of time, but for others, moments in history are as fresh as if they happened yesterday. Again, a day or a month should not provoke the conversation of black history and the challenges faced by Black, Indigenous, Desi, and East...
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

Remembering

Views: 573Written by Mace ElsherTo determine the future has always been a heroic, almost glorified mission placed upon future generations. Learning from past mistakes to create a healthier future has been the ideology placed upon future generations, as it applies to personal lives and society as a collective. However, time proves to be the number one adversary when learning from the past. The gap grows bigger between now and WWI and WWII. Learning and reading about historical events is essential...
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

A Path of Mixed Emotions

Views: 473Written by Mace ElsherMaskwacis and EdmontonEdmonton witnessed a historical event on July 24th, 2022. Pope Francis visited Edmonton, Alberta, in the Catholic Church’s mission to strengthen and reconcile with the Indigenous people of Canada. A subject that is politically, socially, and culturally charged. As such, because of this subject’s delicate nature and what it means for the Indigenous community, there will be a disclaimer here that I will discuss topics like Residential Schools,...
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

Genderfluidity and The Importance of Magic in the Viking Age: 750-1050 BCE

Views: 430Written by Mace ElsherJacob Bell offers a different approach to interpreting the past as he begins with an introduction of the storming of Capitol Hill in the U.S.A on January 6th, 2021. A strange event to consider when approaching the subject of queer Vikings and women from 750-1050 CE. Nevertheless, Bell explains how symbols, iconography, and religious aspects of practitioners of Heathenism and Ásatrú (“belief in the Æsir”); are abused by the alt-right. With any radical group that tw...
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

Hunting Witches: Historical and Contemporary Wars on Women

Views: 456Written by Mace ElsherIntroduction and DisclaimerThe first thing that comes to mind about Witch Trials is the Salem Witch trials. The second thing that comes to mind is the dark and brooding history surrounding it. People rarely think of Scandinavia, Germany, Russia, or England in the context of witch hunting, despite its steeped origins in paganism and magic. Germany was known to be the “Heartland” of witch-hunting that influenced its European neighbors in their methods of hunting wit...
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

The Ukraine Crisis

Views: 401Written by Mace ElsherIntroductionWe think of WW I and WW II most of the time when we think of war. An era that feels so remote and removed from our own time when in reality, the first world war ended 104 years ago, and the second one ended 77 years ago. Events happened long ago, but we still have people who lived through them. Time has proven to be the most effective form of distancing and making recent generations unable to truly understand the human cost of war. Waking up on Februar...
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

History of Transgender and Two-Spirit in Canada

Views: 658Written by Mace ElsherIntroduction and Content WarningWhen discussing LGBTQSIA2+ histories, we must keep in mind the various terminology used to describe the community. I must begin by saying I intend to use language such as “queer”, “transvestism”, and “homosexual” to discuss the histories and stories of the LGBTQSIA2+ community. It is also important to note that “LGBTQSIA2+” is a new term and can only be loosely applied to the discussion of the past, but I do not intend to discredit...

Personal Essays

Mace Elsher
These Words •

Fidgeting

I fidget endlessly in my chair as I listen intently to my professors speak. Their words hang on the edge of my attention, and I can feel myself unable to pay them mind. I knew I should not have had so much coffee before making the hour-long trek to campus. I must use the restroom. I wait for a break, a pause, a moment for when I can slip away to find a washroom. I try to be the first. Everyone tries to be the first. I need to be first. Otherwise, the confused and disapproving glances are thrown...
Mace Elsher
These Words •

I am walking down the street

I am walking down the street. Winter’s breath has left nothing untouched. The brick streets hold patterns of the icy tendrils left behind by the dense fog of winter's caress. The intricate patterns of the ice shifting across the cracks and pockets of something man made; a reminder that nature is ever present and will always be there to overcome man-made structures. Frost that has built atop another on the branches of trees perfectly spaced along the street bow under the weight of winter's burden...
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

Life After Post-Secondary

Views: 687Written by Mace Elsher Nothing in this world could prepare you for the gauntlet that is post-secondary. The reality is that post-secondary education is all-consuming and will attempt to swallow your sanity. Depending on the length of your degree, the workload, living conditions, and mental health going into post-secondary, it can be overwhelming. There is something cathartic, though, when you finally cross the finish line, you shed the stress and worries of university life, a sense of...
The Meliorist Publishing Society •

Change

Views: 389Written by Mace Elsher Is there a better simile to describe change? Change can come in small waves, like your favourite TV show changing time slots. Change can come in medium waves, like replacing clothes that have served their purpose. Change can come in large waves, like moving to a different city unknown to you. Finally, change can come in massive hurricanes and storms, like losing a loved one, losing a job, being ostracised from a friend group, being scorned by family, or losing a...