https://maceelsher.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Mace ElsherenThu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/507798/images/62d64bdd-11d1-4320-8ec3-953223c704a1.jpgThe burlesque dancer performs for the crowd at Miss Rita's Lucha VaVOOM in Calgary Alta., on Jan 24, 2026. (Mace Elsher)Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/507798/images/62d64bdd-11d1-4320-8ec3-953223c704a1.jpghttps://media.journoportfolio.com/users/507798/images/ae6a758c-26ef-4043-a139-191537821f6d.jpgMiss Rita leans against the ropes of the arena as the introduction to her event begins in Calgary Alta, on Jan 24, 2026. (Mace Elsher).Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/507798/images/ae6a758c-26ef-4043-a139-191537821f6d.jpghttps://media.journoportfolio.com/users/507798/images/5205be9b-d352-4e4b-9fd7-5a4badb28316.jpgMasked man poses for a photo at Miss Rita's Lucha VaVOOM in Calgary on Jan 24, 2026. (Mace Elsher).Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/507798/images/5205be9b-d352-4e4b-9fd7-5a4badb28316.jpghttps://saitjournalism.ca/thepress/2026/04/21/love-letter-to-japan-finds-home-in-calgarys-chinatown/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...Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://saitjournalism.ca/thepress/2026/04/21/love-letter-to-japan-finds-home-in-calgarys-chinatown/https://open.substack.com/pub/maceelsher/p/cyclists-at-edworthy-park-calgary?r=55zegb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=webSun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://open.substack.com/pub/maceelsher/p/cyclists-at-edworthy-park-calgary?r=55zegb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=webhttps://maceelsher.substack.com/p/the-layers-of-whimsy-and-storiesThe 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...Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://maceelsher.substack.com/p/the-layers-of-whimsy-and-storieshttps://maceelsher.substack.com/p/hobby-shops-the-meaning-they-holdWhen 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...Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://maceelsher.substack.com/p/hobby-shops-the-meaning-they-holdhttps://maceelsher.substack.com/p/lasting-connections-bonds-forgedThe 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....Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://maceelsher.substack.com/p/lasting-connections-bonds-forgedhttps://maceelsher.substack.com/p/fidgetingI 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...Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://maceelsher.substack.com/p/fidgetinghttps://maceelsher.substack.com/p/i-am-walking-down-the-street?r=55zegbI 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...Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://maceelsher.substack.com/p/i-am-walking-down-the-street?r=55zegb