Did we say we wanted it to be hot last month? That was clearly AN IMMENSE MISTAKE AND YE GODS OF WEATHER WE ARE SORRY. Yet despite some truly appalling temperatures, Montreal’s poorly ventilated reading spaces continue to boom. On the Discordia Review front, we’re co-promoting the legendary TRUTH SEEKERS’ BALL on Canada Day, and launching our first issue of Fellow Travellers a little later in the month (July 11).
I’m reliably informed other things are happening too, many of which are listed below.
As always, if we’re missing something, or you want your event included, please message @discordia.review on Instagram to propose an inclusion.
And if you’re on desktop, you can click the bar on the left to see all the dates and navigate around said dates. This list will expand as items are added.
1 JULY (TUES)
THE TRUTH SEEKERS' BALL: BRING YOUR OWN CONSPIRACY THEORY NIGHT
What: Fellow Traveller Dean McClure has brought his Truth Seekers’ Ball to venues around the globe, and it returns to Montreal for Canada Day. Simply prepare a 5- to 12-minute presentation (Powerpoint optional) on a conspiracy theory you either deeply believe in or have invented from whole cloth. Laptop, mic, and light refreshments provided for presenters.
Where: Bar L'hémisphère gauche (221 Beaubien Est).
When: 8pm until 11pm.
Who: Whoever’s medication happens to be running low. Hosted by Dean McClure.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
3 JULY (THURS)
MONTREAL REVIEW OF BOOKS SUMMER LAUNCH
What: MRB’s latest ish is about to ready to heave itself into being, accompanied as is traditional by a flood of viscera and gore. Some readers gather to observe the event.
Where: Casa del Popolo (4873 Boul. Saint-Laurent).
When: 7:00pm.
Who: H. Nigel Thomas, stephanie roberts, Gabrielle Drolet.
How Much: Free (but RSVP requested).
BOOK TALK WITH BETH KANDER AND JACQUELINE GOLDFINGER
What: Two playwrights with rather long CVs get together to chat about the craft.
Where: Argo Bookshop (1841 Rue Ste-Catherine O).
When: 7:00pm to 9:00pm.
Who: Beth Kander, Jacqueline Goldfinger.
How Much: Free (but RSVP requested).
AHOY #3 LAUNCH
What: Is Ahoy veiled in mystery, or have I simply never heard of them? Much to consider there, but info on their launch party at least is certainly thin on the ground: secret location (BYOB friendly), no readers announced (to foil the indictment on conspiracy charges no doubt), cheap n’ cheerful $8 tickets. Cool!
Where: idk!
When: 8pm to 11pm, readings start at 9pm.
Who: idk!
How Much: $8, or $20 for ticket + issue (Ticket link).
5 JULY (SAT)
PASTICHE #3 LAUNCH
What: “Bring your own wine” is kind of a great gimmick, especially since it doesn’t stipulate a limit on how many bottles you can bring. Organizers have vowed to provide “hors d’œuvres, readings, and live jazz” which sounds alright, and likely better as the wine flows.
Where: Café Tenini (248 Rue Villeneuve O).
When: 6pm to 10pm.
Who: Unknown!
How Much: $10. (Ticket link)
6 JULY (SUN)
ACCENT OPEN MIC
What: Popular biweekly bilingual open mic, this time on the theme of “Travel.” (Computer, play “Traveling” by the Vulgar Boatmen.)
Where: La Marche à côté (5043 rue Saint-Denis).
When: 8pm until 10pm.
Who: Whoever has the balls, along with Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt, Brian O’Neill, and Orane Thibaud.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
8 JULY (TUES)
LIBRAIRIE SAINT-HENRI GLOBAL BOOK CLUB
What: The mononymous “Rachel” reads a book, possibly with a “club” (of which you are welcome to be a member). Book in this case is Good Will Come From the Sea by Christos Ikonomou.
Where: Librairie Saint-Henri (4622 rue Notre-Dame Ouest).
When: 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
Who: “Rachel.”
How Much: Free (But RSVP suggested).
9 JULY (WEDS)
LIBRAIRIE SAINT-HENRI… UH, NON-GLOBAL BOOK CLUB
What: The mononymous “Casey” reads a book, possibly with a “club” (of which you are welcome to be a member). Book in this case is Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky.
Where: Librairie Saint-Henri (4622 rue Notre-Dame Ouest).
When: 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
Who: “Casey.”
How Much: Free (But RSVP suggested).
DREAMSCAPES
What: A poetry reading/zine launch curated by artist Delia Landers. The zine features contributions from 11 artists and 18 (!) poets, some of whom presumably will be part of this reading.
Where: Galerie ERGA (4622 rue Notre-Dame Ouest).
When: 6pm.
Who: Unknown, hosted by Delia Landers.
How Much: Free (Event link).
10 JULY (THURS)
JRG “NO UKULELES” OPEN MIC
What: The city has many lit open mics. This is probably the one that most resembles a gang of crows cackling at each other. One of the features will be hurling various enormous dice across the stage.
Where: Bar L'hémisphère gauche (221 Beaubien Est).
When: 8:30pm.
Who: Whoever has the balls, plus Jacob Wren and Chris Lloyd.
How Much: Free (Event link / IG).
11 JULY (FRI)
DISCORDIA REVIEW FELLOW TRAVELLERS NO. 1 LAUNCH
What: We’re launching the first collection of Fellow Travellers out into the world (featuring contributions from Dimitri Karakostas, “The Very Nice Interesting Singer Man” Matt Farley, Fawn Parker and many more) with a huge show at Outremont DIY space The Crumper. Expect frenzied ravings, acid commentary, and a heavy helping of the genuinely strange in the grand Discordia tradition.
Where: The Crumper (ask a punk [or y’know, DM us])
When: 8:00pm doors, 9pm show.
Who: kurichka, Amilcar John Nogueira, Kalden Dhatsenpa, Tara McGowan-Ross, IAN MARTIN, Riquita Lea, Jenna Jarvis, Dean McClure. Hosted by Eris.
How Much: $5 / PWYC. (BYOB) (Event link.)
NOUVEAU POEM #6
What: The adversary of all things good, at least when we happen to have booked a show on the same night, returns with a lengthy lineup (including deploying both tactical Mayas in their arsenal) to a spot unfamiliar to me. Our pal, or I should say rather our bitter enemy with whom we have always been at war, Pome’s Books will also be selling recent finds.
Where: Dye Jardin Papillon (9300 Rue Meilleur)
When: 8:00pm.
Who: Amanda Bylone, Viola Chen, Lucy Earle, Nora Collen Fulton, EJ Kneifel, Maya Stewart Pathak, Maya Martinez.
How Much: Free.
16 JULY (WEDS)
NEVER STOP ACTING FOR PALESTINE
What: A gathering of artists and activists outside Metro Mont Royal, to be recorded for broadcast on Bethlehem-based Palestinian station Radio AlHara, in collaboration local stalwarts CKUT.
Where: Metro Mont Royal Square.
When: 5pm to 7pm.
Who: Alejandro Saravia, Summer Alkhdour, Sarwat Viquar, Jacob Wren, and an anarchist marching band.
How Much: Free (Though donations of any kind to Palestinian relief strongly encouraged, as always.)
17 JULY (THURS)
WORM LOVERS: SPECIAL MTL EPISODE
What: Would you love us if we were worm lovers? Old friend of the press (and current Torontonian) lou beckett visits Montreal this week, bringing along an edition of Worm Lovers, their series of irregular writing get-together sessions. Neither circle nor formal reading, more of a literary swap meet.
Where: Brasserie Beaubien (73 rue Beaubien E).
When: 8pm.
Who: Whoever loves them worms, facilitated by lou beckett.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
18 JULY (FRI)
SCATTERBRAIN: PERFORMATIVE READING
What: “Performative reading” sounds like what I do when I hide a comic book inside my copy of Nawal El Saadawi’s memoirs and seat myself prominently at Café Olimpico—this might be that, or maybe people are reading aloud? Bring your fav book to this, eat some snacks, and see what happens.
Where: Somewhere in Parc LaFontaine (good luck!)
When: 3pm to 7pm.
Who: Whoever has the books.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
20 JULY (SUN)
ACCENT OPEN MIC
What: Popular biweekly bilingual open mic, this time on the theme of “Hypocrisy.” (Computer, play “Let the Knife Do the Talking” by Hypocrisy.)
Where: La Marche à côté (5043 rue Saint-Denis).
When: 8pm until 10pm.
Who: Whoever has the balls, along with features TBD.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
TRANS JOY ARCHIVE: ZINE MAKING WORKSHOP
What: Zine-making workshop, each (trans/genderqueer) person makes one page that’ll go into a collective zine.
Where: Bibliotheque DIRA (2035 Blvd Saint-Laurent).
When: 7:15pm until 9:30pm.
Who: You, possibly.
How Much: $10. (Event link)
22 JULY (TUES)
CARTE BLANCHE #52 LAUNCH
What: The long running QWF lit mag launches its latest at the Rocket Science Room. With the weather this season, consider bringing a bottle of icewater to pour all over your Khia regions.
Where: Rocket Science Room (170 Rue Jean-Talon O).
When: 6:30pm.
Who: Jem Woolidge, Neil Smith, Maude Abouche, Willow Loveday Little, Jean-Guy Forget, D.M. Bradford, Dominique Russell.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
24 JULY (THURS)
CHICKEN & MACARONI BOOK LAUNCH
What: Kind of a shit Popeye’s order without the biscuit, no?
Where: 5442 Rue Hutchinson.
When: Doors 7:30pm, reading 8pm.
Who: David Connor, Lucy Blagg, Butterfly Music.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
26 JULY (SAT)
MONTREAL QUEER + TRANS BOOK + ZINE SWAP
What: Head to the Sherbrooke + Papineau corner of Parc Lafontaine for a little literary swap event, brought to you by Dick’s Lending Library + Sheer Spite Press. Bring books + zines you liked or made yourself. + if it should be raining, they’ll try it at the same time + location on Sunday. Sounds like a good + nice time. Masks requested.
Where: Parc Lafontaine (Sherbrooke + Papineau)
When: 2pm to 5pm.
Who: Whoever has the chutzpah.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
LEFT-WING BOOK SALE
What: Indispensable local left-wing bookseller Kersplebedeb’s latest pop-up book sale. Add to your philosophical armoury.
Where: L’achoppe (1800 Av. Letourneux)
When: 12pm to 5pm.
Who: Nobody, but many books.
How Much: Free (Event link.)
MUSIC - POEMS - TAROT
What: Apartment show featuring music, poetry, and tarot—just like it says on the tin!
Where: Little Italy (DM @rodaisun for address)
When: 7pm.
Who: Sam Dalton, Rodaisun mag, Jared St. James.
How Much: $10 (Event link.)
MIC’D UP
What: Monthly spoken word show, with a theme of how “Art Lives in the Heart,” which is of course contrary to our contention that art moves through the small intestine and then the large, is held in the bowels, and then passed violently out of the sphincter.
Where: Afro Musee (533 Rue Ontario E)
When: 7:30pm.
Who: Whoever has the balls.
How Much: $20 (Event link TK.)
29 JULY (TUES)
LOVE AND SEX AS RESISTANCE
What: A chat on “Writing Queer Romance and Erotica” presented by the Violet Hour Literary Series. Pro tip: whenever your love meets resistance, rub yourself vigorously against it.
Where: Pulp Books. (3952 Rue Wellington.)
When: 7pm.
Who: Gabriel Cholette, Leila Marshy, Jane Walsh, in conversation with Afrooz Zaad.
How Much: Free.
And looking ahead to August…
Violet Hour Book Club reading I Remember Lights (Aug 2), Accent Open Mic (Aug 3), The Dilemmas of Working Women launch with translator Brian Bergstrom at Argo (Aug 12), Turret House/NDA Poetry Night (Aug 14), Young Adult Climate Fiction Panel (Aug 16), Accent Open Mic (Aug 17), JRG Open Mic (Aug 19), Accent Open Mic (Aug 31).
In memory of Jay Gobuty, who was Outrageous.