(free pop) Music lovers have been flocking to the Pop Montreal festival for the past 9 years – and now we’re celebrating 10 whole years of the little fest that could! While most of the shows aren’t free (they’re pretty cheap though!), there’s plenty that is. The biggest free ticket is the outdoor Arcade Fire show at Places des Festivals on September 22, of course, but free shows are scattered here and there throughout the fest (at venues like Divan Orange, Le Pick-Up, Santropol and the Notman House), and there’s also an entire Pop Symposium free for the learnin’, with music and industry related talks and workshops throughout the fest, as well as Art Pop, including art from The Raincoats and Marcel Dzama, at POP Quarters (3450 St-Urbain) and at the SAT (1201 St-Laurent).

(outside art) Art and performance festival Escales Improbables launches its 8th edition on September 7 with a wide selection of music, dance, theatre and art installations at the Quays of the Old Port every day until September 11. Take an audio stroll around the world in installation La Babel Sonore, watch the live painting of Collective RGB, witness L’Ensemble Karel’s urban soundscape sculpture, listen to Nozen’s blend of jazz, modern music and traditional Jewish music, and more.

(photo op) Working with the theme of lucidity, the 12th edition of Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal (September 8 to October 9) sheds much-needed light on these dark times and shows us the world in all its shades of grey and bright colours alike. The international biennale event pushes the boundaries of what photography is capable of in its 25 solo exhibitions, outdoor installations and group shows by artists from Canada and around the world. Le Mois de la Photo launches with a free party and exhibition for all on September 8 at Arsenal (2020 William – corner of Canning and Notre-Dame W.), 6 p.m. and continues there and at local galleries, including several in downtown Montreal, Dazibao in the Cinematheque Quebecoise and, in the Plateau neighbourhood, Articule, Clark and Maison de la culture du Plateau-Mont-Royal.

(latin quarter flavor) OUMF, Montreal’s newest music, film and arts festival, takes place in the city’s Latin Quarter (on and around St-Denis between Ste-Catherine E. and Sherbrooke) until September 10. Along with public art installations, film screenings at the Cinémathèque Québécoise and National Film Board’s CinéRobothèque, every evening from 4 p.m. until late, there’s music in the street from local bands like We Are Wolves, Parlovr, Valleys and Random Recipe, and in the metro from Regroupement des Musiciens du Métro de Montréal. Also check out the urban-inspired work of graduate design students at UQAM’’s Place Pasteur. A few days later, on September 15 at noon, UQAM presents an outdoor performance by sound artists Jean-Pierre Gauthier and Mirko Sabatini at Place Émilie-Gamelin.

(literary minds) For lovers of both the French language and literature, Le Festival International de La Littérature has arrived, with readings, discussions, film screenings and more from Montreal, Quebec and around the world, September 16–25. While most of the festival’s literary events are reasonably priced to begin with, a handful are just plain free. From September 16-23, from 5–7 p.m. at the Cabaret des Terrasses Saint-Sulpice, there are poetry readings MC’d by José Acquelin and accompanied by live music. Le Grand Bibliothèque screens documentary films about major Quebec writers: Gallimard on September 18 and Gaston Miron on September 24. And on September 22 in the foyer of Place des Arts, choreographer and dancer Paul-André Fortier begins his 30-day in-situ work, Le Solo 30×30, with new contributions from 30 invited writers, taking place every evening at 5:15 p.m. until October 21.

(all that jazz) The Montreal Jazz Festival isn’t confined to a few fabulous summer weeks this year: starting September 16, the Bistro Le Balmoral turns into a late-night jazz club every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. The first four weekends are like a mini jazz fest: Jean Félix Mailloux and Jérôme Beaulieu on September 16 and John Roney on September 17, the gypsy jazz of the Christine Tassan trio on September 22, Martin Tremblay on the 23 and Lou Boustani on the 24, a weekend of blues with Dan Livingstone on September 29, bassist Stephen Barry and guitarist Andrew Cowan on September 30.

(classical autumn) The Montreal Symphony Orchestra has a brand new home! Doors open September 8 at 2 p.m., with free guided tours of the concert hall and performances by emerging pianists, throat singers, a string orchestra, a contemporary ensemble as well as duos and trios from around Quebec. Tours and concerts continue September 9 at 12:30 p.m. and September 10. at 2 p.m. And the 13th Orgue et Couleurs Fall Festival of classical organ music runs September 23 to October 2, featuring free lunch-time concerts and reasonably priced evening concerts at churches, music venues, cultural centres around town.

(walk and run) Cheer on participants or be a participant yourself in Ca Marche, a walk to benefit people living with HIV and AIDS and break down social stigmas. Proceeds go to local organizations dedicated to the overall health and welfare of Montreal’s diverse communities. And on September 25, see the Oasis Marathon de Montreal, with long-distance runners from Montreal and around the world. The marathon starts at the Jacques-Cartier Bridge in Parc Jean-Drapeau at 8:30 a.m. and follows a winding course to Parc Maisonneuve, home of the Olympic Stadium and Montreal Botanical Gardens. If you’re an avid runner yourself, check out the Expo Marathon exhibition and market place at Place Bonaventure, September 22–24.

(open culture) At the very end of September comes Journees de la Culture (September 30 to October 2), a weekend of free activities around the city, celebrating the arts in Montreal, in tandem with celebrations across the province. Now in its 15th year, the community-driven festival promises even more, including an open invitation to musicians to play John Cage’s 4’33 outside at McGill’s Queen Victoria statue, a exhibition by Hans-Peter Feldmann at Cinémathèque québécoise, performances and workshops in art, dance, theatre, music and writing, and as always, open doors to almost all of the city’s galleries and museums.

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The Summer Literary Seminars are in Montreal for the second year. Now, before you all stop reading, you should know that this is one of the best festivals of its kind. Not saying much, you think? Well, you’d be wrong. The two week long seminar brings together world-class authors, up-and-coming writers and literary enthusiasts for workshops, readings and panel discussions in the heart of downtown Montreal…

Past faculty and students include George Saunders, Chuck Klosterman, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Ames, Padgett Powell and Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, poet laureates and best-selling authors. The Summer Literary Seminars have already been established as an institution in St. Petersburg, Kenya and Lithuania and finally here in Montreal.

This year’s faculty includes Christian Bök, Terry Hoagland and Mary Gaitskill, who has been nominated for several awards and is one of America’s greatest contemporary writers. Because the workshops are all full by this point, you should try to take advantage of the panel discussions and readings that will be taking place at Concordia University for the entire month of June.

On June 14, check out a panel called “On Montreal” featuring Montreal writer David McGimpsey who is a professor at Concordia University, contributor to the Globe and Mail and writes the “Sandwich of the Month” column for EnRoute magazine, Carolyn Marie Souaid, a three-time nominee for the A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry and Jason Camlot, the Chair of English at Concordia University and the poetry editor of the Punchy Writers Series for DC Books. The panel is an overview of Montreal literature and a discussion about the current Anglo-Quebec literary community. Following the panel is a reading starting at 7:30 featuring Camlot, Saskia Hamilton, a writer and professor at Barnard College in New York, and Johanna Skibsrud who won the 2010 Giller Prize. The reading will showcase some of Montreal’s best contemporary English writers.

Then, on June 15 at 11am, there’s a panel examining “The Online Journal” with Gillian Size, Jared Bland and Dawn Raffel. Starting at 12:15 and going until 1:15, check out another panel discussion called “Creative Non- Fiction Craft Talk” with Michael Weinreb and Rachel Resnick. Then at 7:30, there’s a reading with the hilarious and talented McGimpsey, Nancy Mauro and panelist Michael Weinreb, winner of the Quill Award and regular contributor to ESPN and The New York Times. This should be a very informative panel with a guy who knows what he’s talking about.

On June 17, Chicago writer Adam Levin who won the 2003 Summer Literary Seminars Fiction Contest and the 2004 Joyce Carol Oates Fiction Prize will be reading from his latest work. His writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, Tin House and several other publications. If you do one thing during SLS, see him read from his book The Instructions. Levin reads with Steve Almond and Francine Prose, who was a finalist for the National Book Award and the president of the PEN American Center. Lastly, on June 23, go see a reading with Vancouver writer Lee Henderson, Miguel Syjuco and the extraordinary Mary Gaitskill.

So for a whole month, downtown Montreal will host events with some of contemporary writing’s best and brightest. Check out videos of the panels and readings the Summer Literary Seminars have scheduled. If you don’t like reading, then you should especially go because this is one of the rare instances where someone else will do the reading for you, and this “someone” will likely be among the best writers in North America.

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THE DETAILS

Summer Literary Seminars, June 12-25, 2011

Concordia University Library Building, deSeve Cinema, 1455 de Maisonneuve West

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Make sure you check out the Beast of the East, either by watching the roller derby games, aka “bouts”, or by attending the parties later. Studio 303 has its eccentric programming as per usual, with a NYC meets Montreal exchange of dance performances. Hunter Valentine and Rae Spoon are in town too, so support your homo-musicians and get out to their concerts. At the end of the month is the freshest dance party-cum-performance, with Big Freedia coming back to Montreal. I think she’s developing quite a crush on us… see you on the floors!

May 1: Transgendered singer songwriter Rae Spoon with a band and Süss. Süss is a sassy, musical lyricist; while Rae’s dulcet voice carries you far and wide. 8:30 pm.

May 1: Beast of the East 2011. Massive convergence of derby teams from all over the east coast coming to compete in a high-stakes derby tournament. But only one team can be declared the winner, the Beast of the East! May the best derby team win! Tickets are technically sold out, but they promise to have some openings for fans around 2 pm. Check out their Facebook account for updates on both bout days. Arena St-Louis, 5633 Saint-Dominique.

No derby tickets? Fear not! If you don’t make it to the derby bouts over the weekend, there’s always the salacious booty pumping affair—the infamous Beast of the East after-parties. This one boasts a booty-shaking contest with winners in categories like best team-booty shake, featuring players from the bouts earlier in the day. Booty and the Beast II: She on the flo’! Playhouse, 5656 Avenue Du Parc. Free! With 2 for $5 buck beers!

May 7: Launch of Feminism FOR REAL + Fundraiser for Native Women’s Shelter. Respected activist Jessica Yee launches the book she edited, FOR REAL: Deconstructing the Academic Industrial Complex of Feminism. The evening will feature presentations and round table discussions. Free. 7 to 9pm.

May 8: Hunter Valentine + Sick of Sarah + Lucas from the Clicks at Il Motore, 179 JEAN-TALON W. Tickets are 15$ advance at Cheap Thrills.

May 14: Studio 303 is doing an amazing collaboration with the New York Performance Mix Festival during the event Exchange/Échange. Co-hosted by local sound artist, emcee and lesbian favourite Alexis O’Hara, dance is on the menu at this eclectic performance venue. Make sure go for the More Ladies performance. It’s by Sasha Kleinplatz, a prolific local choreographer and it features “some eating, some fighting, some dancing.”  372 Ste-Catherine Street W. $ 12-15, 7 and 9 pm.

May 19: Montreal’s newest dance floor sensation continues to get bigger each month. With more than 300 homos crammed the ballroom at the event in April, the May event’s got the spring fever going for it. But really, you go for the outfits. POMPe with DJs Kalmplex (Toronto), Jonny Bonny Rock, Aleks C & Herr Pop. $5 cover, 10:30 pm.

May 29: SlutWalk Montreal is the walk of all walks, the SlutWalk has gone all over North America and it’s only fair that the kids over at sex-positive Glam Gam Productions organized one for our fair, and sexy, city. After a Toronto official said disparaging comments about women’s revealing way of dressing, people all over have been organizing the walk in hopes to show that being a slut is a-ok. So that means awesome sex positive messages and women, proudly, scantily-clad! Location TBA, 2 to 4 pm.

May 31: Get your bounce on with this charismatic “sissy bounce” performer from New Orleans. Big Freedia, who is transgender, is hooking up with DJ Lynne T from Lesbians on Ecstasy to teach Montrealers what it’s like to have let it all hang out. Viewer discretion is advised. Le Belmont, 4483, St-Laurent Boulevard, 9 pm.

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Guest Blogger: Lina Harper

Photo Credit: Big Freedia- Shot in the City

The post LESBIAN MONTREAL: MAY appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

This year’s festival boasts over 200 events and promises that over 200 writers will be milling around Montreal and the Holiday Inn comparing dictionary sizes and look for places to drink. With such an extensive program, figuring out just what to see can be daunting so here are the cliff-notes!

If you’re new to Montreal, check out Imagine Montreal which is a performance written by a few of Montreal’s most prominent writers like Gail Scott, Zoe Whittall and Edward O. Phillips, among others. Esteemed Montreal actors read stories that revisit some of Montreal’s milestones, like the infamous ice storm, some political controversies and, of course, the glorious Montreal summer. The City as Character, an event in a similar vein, takes place on April 28 and involves a panel discussion with Gail Scott, Peter Dubé and Teri Vlassopoulos exploring Montreal and Quebec writing, presented by the Quebec Writers Federation.

This year, the festival has placed a special focus on Indian writing and there are several events to choose from. On April 28 there’s Voices From the Indian Diaspora, where Bharati Mukherjee (who is also the focus of Face to Face event on May 1), Amitav Ghosh and Koyamparambath Satchidanandan will be speaking with Eleanor Wachtel about Indian writing and the literary scenes in India. Merrily Weisbord, Meena Kandasamy and Satchidanandan will be paying homage to Kamala Das, an Indian poet who died in 2009. Das has achieved worldwide acclaim and is best known for her work that is considered transformative for its blunt accounts of female sexuality.

On April 30, three Indian writers speak candidly about the books in their libraries that have challenged and inspired them in an event called Celebration of Indian Writing: Opening Your Libraries. If book recommendations are what you’re after, Opening Your Library: Canadian Edition is the event for you too. Get public book suggestions by four Canadian writers (Charles Foran, Alexander MacLeod, Kathleen Winter and Kate Pullinger) who reveal which books inspired them the most.

Bernhard Schlink, a European man of letters with a very impressive resume, discusses his new novel The Weekend and the themes that inform his writing. A former judge, he splits his time between teaching at Humboldt University in Berlin and at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. Schlink publishes crime novels primarily, you know, when he’s not writing essays about German guilt or focusing on his scholarly work about law and morality and the meaning of justice. The event is hosted by Noah Richler on April 28^th.

McGill University is presenting a free talk with the Gore Vidal, where he will be discussing the American and international media. The 90 minute talk will be hosted by Marc Raboy. Alternately you could catch Gore Vidal on April 30th when he speaks with CBC’s Michael Enright about his life, his work, his legacy and maybe even that moment above on the Dick Cavett show where Vidal and the irascible Norman Mailer famously duke it out…

Finally, there’s the perennially popular CBC Blue Series moderated by Carol Off. This is a chance for you to see your favourite CBC radio personalities in real life interviewing the likes of Gore Vidal, Alexandre Jardin, Amitov Ghosh and Bernhard Schlink.

The Blue Met is also a family friendly event. The 4^th Annual Blue Metropolis Children’s Festival offers over 75 events with authors and illustrators and storytellers at no cost for children under 12 and their families. With so much going on this year, there’s something for everyone at this year’s Blue Metropolis.

Guest Blogger: Sophie Naima Caird

Photo Credit: Blue Met Children’s Fest- Monique Dystra

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The Blue Met Fest is a celebration of international literary superstars and some of Montreal’s finest writers. This year’s programme is impressive- for instance, there’s a face to face with Gore Vidal hosted by CBC’s Michael Enright. Or if that doesn’t float your boat, you can see one of Europe’s finest writers, Bernhard Schlink (The Reader), hosted by Noah Richler (yes, son of that Richler). If non-fiction is your thing, then Montreal’s Joel Yanofsky (Bad Animals), Charlene Diehl and Judy Fong Bates read from their memoirs for a program called Blue Met Nightcap. According to me, a series of symposiums called “Nightcaps” can only be read as an indication of how much writers love to drink.

Now, there are some things that are stereotypes because they’re true. For instance, most hippies have actually piloted a decrepit, seatless school bus with a bed in the back and a Mason jar full of sprouts growing on the dash. Likewise, on any given night most writers have enjoyed a drink or seventeen. The romance of the writer and the drink has been unfolding for centuries and is alive and well all over Montreal today. Here’s a look at the past, present and future of where Montreal writers drink.

The likes of Mordecai Richler, Irving Layton and Leonard Cohen have all called Montreal home. However, you’d be hard pressed to find Leonard Cohen yakking it up at local bar and you probably won’t see Anne Carson traipsing around Jeanne Mance Park, playing dominoes and drinking out of a paper bag. However, that’s not the case for scribes like Layton and Richler. In fact, Richler could usually be found engaged in animated conversation with patrons and journalists at bars like Woody’s, Winnie’s (pictured above), Ziggy’s and Grumpy’s, fondly referred to as Dink’s in his writing. In Richler’s flusher years, he was known to enjoy some drinks at the now defunct Maritime Bar at the Ritz Carlton. Less of a man about town, Irving Layton is lovingly remembered for imbibing in his McGill office. Even though current Montreal writers seldom go to these places, they’re worth a peak just to see where these former men of letters slurred their words.

Presently, you can find the Montreal literati at a few choice locales. For instance, local writer David McGimpsey mentioned that you’re likely to find sportswriters of all colours at the universally beloved Hurley’s Irish Pub. If you venture north towards the plateau, you’ll find yourself at the infamous Copacabana on Saint-Laurent. This bar features a Tiki inspired sunset on the wall, a conspicuous palm tree and a neglected pool table. The bar’s a bit of a dive but it’s dark, quiet and cozy. I’ve often thought that you can deduce the quality of an establishment by its bathroom and Copa’s bathrooms are immaculate, so there you go. Countless local writers, journalists and poets have spent countless dollars on their no frills drinks. Occasionally the bar will host a customer’s book launch, as a nod to their clientele. The bar itself is nothing fancy, but it’s well worth it.

The future of Montreal writing can be found all over the place, but they tend to congregate once a month at the Pilot Reading Series which takes place every last Sunday of the month at Sparrow.  Keep an eye out for these youngsters; soon they’ll be taking over the Blue Met.

Guest Blogger: Sophie Naima Caird

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THE DETAILS

The Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival, April 27-May 1, Holiday Inn Select Montreal Downtown Hotel, 99 Viger Avenue West

Woody’s Pub, 1234 Rue Bishop, (514) 954 0771

Sir Winston Churchill’s Pub Complex, 1455-1459 Crescent Street, (514) 288 3814

Ziggy’s Pub, 1470 Crescent St, (514) 285-8855

Grumpy’s Pub, 1242 Bishop St, (514) 866-9010

Ritz- Carlton, 1228 Sherbrooke West, (514) 842 4212

Copacabana, 3910 Saint-Laurent, (514) 982-0880 ‎

Sparrow, 5322 Saint Laurent, (514) 690-3964

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Photo Credit: Hurley’s- Appaloosa

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