Canada’s contemporary literary scene is on the brink of something special. On Oct. 4, La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly converted its tight space into a stage, hosting three significant writers, Alix Ohlin, Megan Gail Coles, and Audrée Wilhelmy. Ohlin and Coles’ novels have just been shortlisted for Canada’s prestigious[Read More…]
Books
Drawn & Quarterly sparks local interest with ‘Mile End Portraits’
When La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly opened its doors to celebrate the release of Mile End Portraits on Sept. 20, the normally quiet children’s bookstore quickly found itself packed with residents looking to honour their neighbourhood. Mile End Memories, a local community center dedicated to preserving the area’s cultural identity,[Read More…]
Marlon James delves into fantasy with ‘Black Leopard, Red Wolf’
In an entertainment market dominated by superhero blockbusters and binge-worthy streaming services, audiences often overlook the fantasy genre’s literary counterparts. On March 5, Dimitri Nasrallah, author of The Bleeds, joined Marlon James at the Rialto Theatre to discuss his new novel, Black Leopard, Red Wolf. The novel has become a[Read More…]
Anti-reading week reading list
Two months into the semester, reading for pleasure seems like a long-forgotten pastime. To some, the thought of willingly digesting more information feels like a cruel joke, but we here in the Art & Entertainment section are firm believers in intellectual procrastination. Here are some books you can read to[Read More…]
Drawn & Quarterly celebrates two of its groundbreaking writers
On Oct. 26, a crowd packed into La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly for the launch of two world-class comic books: Julie Doucet’s Dirty Plotte and Jason Lutes’ Berlin. Beyond its title as the Mile End’s hippest bookstore, Drawn & Quarterly is one of North America’s most influential publishing houses for[Read More…]
Interpreting Shakespeare’s sonnets
David Schalkwyk, a professor of Shakespeare Studies at Queen Mary University of London, delivered a lecture on Oct. 23 on William Shakespeare’s sonnets, focusing on the development of Shakespeare’s dramatic voice. The dramaturge is best known for his plays, meaning that his poetry is sometimes overlooked in popular culture. Schalkwyk’s[Read More…]
Survival and solidarity: Roxane Gay reflects on a decade of activism
Cultural critic and best-selling author Dr. Roxane Gay delivered the 64th annual Beatty Memorial Lecture on Oct. 11 to a rapt audience in Pollack Hall. The sold-out lecture drew attendees of various backgrounds, from students to alumni and faculty, all eager to hear Gay’s thoughts on the #MeToo movement, contemporary[Read More…]
NYRB publishes ‘Moderan,’ a delight of poetic science fiction
In the far-future conceptual world of Moderan, master of literary science fiction David R. Bunch forces readers to consider what it would be like to leave mortality behind. Originally published in 1971, and recently reissued by New York Review Books with 11 previously unread tales, Moderan is a refreshing departure from[Read More…]
Stuff we liked this summer
Summer 2018 saw no shortage of consumable content. But while some plebs may have been watching Netflix rom-com To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on repeat, or blasting Drake’s Scorpion, the A&E team had their ears to the ground. Here’s some stuff for your ears and eyes that we found especially cool.
Montreal’s vibrant zine community
Creative McGill students are building a niche community centred around zines—small-sized, low-circulation publications. Historically used as a tool for marginalized groups to publish content, zines house dialogue that does not ascribe to mainstream rhetoric. Now, groups of university students are using zines to address pertinent social and political issues. On[Read More…]
