Phyllis Koppel

Phyllis Koppel studied writing at the Humber School of Writers under Wayson Choy and at UCSD under Alice Walker. Her short stories have appeared in small literary magazines such as the Toronto Writer’s Cooperative Anthology, Fish Food Magazine, and the Spadina Literary Review. Her self-published novel, The Story of Two Suitcases, made it to the quarterfinals on Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel of the Year competition.

Queen of Henna

It’s hard to be the Queen of Henna in Canada. The frigid climate is unforgiving for a tree meant to grow in temperate climates, yet here I am, in my dingy East Toronto apartment, proudly watering a henna tree I’ve raised from seed. She is the lone survivor of many. I look out the window at grey skies and sunless days (my henna’s death squad), and instead of feeling angry, I feel like a million dollars.
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