Heidegger Stairwell

By Kayt Burgess

Music journalist Evan Strocker has almost finished a book about his time with Heidegger Stairwell, an indie-rock legend from small-town Ontario whose members he has known his whole life. But the band thinks he's left a little too much of himself on the page―letting his experiences as a transgender man and his complicated "romance" with the lead guitarist eclipse the story of the group's dramatic rise and fall. Through notes and marginalia, the musicians argue over their friend's version of the truth and fight to put their own testimony on the record. And, as Strocker's manuscript finally comes together, both band and writer are forced to face a shocking new event that will change their fortunes once again.

Heidegger Stairwell is the winner of the 34th Annual International 3-Day Novel Contest―a notorious literary marathon held every Labour Day weekend that pushes writers to produce risky, original, and fast-paced narratives within highly demanding constraints.