Winter may encourage reading-related hibernation, but there's plenty of citywide lit activity in the great indoors
It seems only natural that winter is the season of the literary arts. When the north winds force us indoors, poetry and novels become sources of strength that make the darkness and enforced introversion seemingly more bearable. Step outside your hibernation den; the season of spoken word is once again upon us.
The ninth annual Festival Voix d’Amériques (Feb. 5-12) promises to be the most eclectic FVA yet. Ursula Rucker is this year’s honorary guest, renowned for her unique poetic stylings and charismatic stage presence. The full FVA schedule will be released later in the month.
The Words and Music Show, the brainchild of Ian Ferrier, continues its tenure as one of Montreal’s premier spoken word events. Held every third Sunday of the month at Casa del Popolo, the event’s Jan. 24 guests include local wordsmith Catherine Kidd and her musical partner Jack Beets, and on Feb. 24 Ferrier presents Métis performance-poet Moe Clark.
The Black Theatre Workshop will be presenting a poetry jam titled Illusionation on March 21. It promises to be an evocative evening with renowned Montreal poets challenging both themselves and the audience to define the line between illusion and reality.
In the same vein, the Throw Poetry Collective continues to stage shows on the first Monday of each month at its new venue, O’Hara’s Pub (1197 University) – their Feb. 1 featured artist is Greg "Ritallin" Frankson. Also moved to a new venue is Kalmunity, a collective combining musical improv and spoken word every Tuesday night at Le Consulat (1442 Bleury).
Get ready to laugh and to feel the hardcore pain that punk iconoclast and former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins has planned for his devotees when he brings his spoken word Frequent Flyer Tour to Montreal’s Le National on March 22.
And if you prefer to get your literary fix the old-fashioned way, sitting down with a good book, you’ll be happy to learn that Yann Martel‘s much anticipated follow-up to The Life of Pi, Beatrice and Virgil, is set for release later this winter.
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Project of Love From the Fans of Henry Rollins
Thanks to Hank
WANTED: Personal stories from the fans, a.k.a, ‘fanatics’, of Henry Rollins. If Henry Rollins has moved you, inspired you to reach higher, helped you in some way, or just makes your life better by way of knowing he is out there, living art and inspiration, and you are willing to share your story in a future publication of Fanatic Stories of Thanks to Hank, please send your story!
The target goal is to complete the project by February of 2011, Henry’s 50th birthday. All potential proceeds will go to the charity of Henry’s choice.
Fanatic and novice writer, Angela Bennett, commented on the project, “Henry has made such a profound contribution to the lives of many thousands, perhaps even millions of people around the world. He is an inspiration to so many people regardless of age, race, or socioeconomic class. This is an opportunity for fanatics to share their stories with, and thank Henry. During the first week of this project, some really moving stories have come in from across North America, from 16 year olds to 50 year olds, in response to an early post on the internet. It’s one thing to be a fan of a band, or an actor, but often it’s about more than that when it comes to Henry. Henry moves people, he is a catalyst in people’s lives. There’s a quote from The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property, by Lewis Hyde, that captures Henry well, “.the gift we long for, the gift that, when it comes, speaks commandingly to the soul and irresistibly moves us.”
People can contact Angela Bennett with questions, stories, or artwork, at bennettangela@rogers.com, or on Facebook (the Angela Bennett with the pic of Henry), or at http://open.salon.com/blog/angelalala. Angela does not work for, or represent Henry Rollins, other than being one of many grateful fanatics in the global neighbourhood.