Jay's List (What's Goin' On?) — December '25

What's happening in the Montreal lit scene this month?

It’s December, exam season for the children, self-exam season for the codgers who realize they’ve forgotten to feel themselves up for lumps since last winter. That leaves a relatively (relatively) light schedule on the literary event front, but enough that you can still get that sweet guilt/relief feeling of bailing a dozen times or so if so inclined. On the press front, we’ll be tabling our print publications at the Scatterbrain event on the 13th; perfect for holiday shopping if anyone on your list is a burgeoning book terrorist.

As always, if we’re missing something, or you want your event included, please message @discordia.review on Instagram to propose an inclusion.

3 DEC (WEDS)

PAGE/BREAK
What: Every Wednesday, De Stiil offers readers a trade: give the clerk your phone for an hour and they will pour you a glass of white wine, which you can sip while quietly reading with others in the shop. Since I have to do this entry five times this month, I will drink a glass of white wine between writing each rep.
Where: De Stiil (351 ave Duluth Est).
When: 6:30pm.
Who: Whoever has the thirst.
How Much: $5.

4 DEC (THURS)

DEEP BREATHS OF THE INANIMATE BOOK LAUNCH
What: Susan E. Lloy launches a new short fiction collection.
Where: Argo Bookstore (1837 rue Sainte-Catherine O).
When: 7pm.
Who: Susan E. Lloy.
How Much: Free, but RSVP suggested. (Event link)

5 DEC (FRI)

TWO READERS AND MUSIC
What: yolk’s apartment series (which is exactly what it sounds like) returns for the first time this fall,¹ though I am told it has already sold out so there seems little point in writing this entry. Still, knowing it’s happening gives you the luxury of deciding you didn’t want to go anyway, and that’s not nothing.
Where: RSVP for address.
When: 7pm.
Who: Eliza Robertson, D.W. Wilson, and Val Bah.
How Much: Free, but RSVP required. (SOLD OUT)

6 DEC (SAT)

READ QUEBEC BOOK FAIR
What: An apparently rather large book fair I only learned about a few hours before press time. There are many panels and tables and things of that nature. Several publishers have also consented to a “speed dating” event, in which hopeful writers can pitch their projects face to face, which will also help the more unbalanced among them fixate on specific targets after their manuscripts are refused.
Where: Casa d’Italia (505 rue Jean-Talon E.)
When: December 6-7
Who: Oh simply everybody, dahling.
How Much: Free? (Event link)

GUERNICA EDITIONS LAUNCH
What: Part of Read Quebec. After nearly 50 years in the game, Guernica continues its shotgun approach to publishing by launching seven new titles in a variety of genres, with a very Italian lineup of live readers (according to the Facebook event anyway). My old vernissage-rat sense tells me there will be food.
Where: Casa d’Italia (505 rue Jean-Talon E.)
When: 3:30 to 5pm, followed by reception.
Who: Connie Guzzo-McParland, Anthony Portulese, Anna Romano Milne, Maria Ierfino, Licia Canton, Domenic Cusmano, Liana Cusmano, Anna Maiolo.
How Much: Free (Event link)

RADICAL ANTIQUITY BOOK LAUNCH
What: Free-love Zoroastrianism? Hell yeah dude.² A discussion of ancient history through the lens of contemporary radical movements.
Where: Argo Bookstore (1837 rue Sainte-Catherine O).
When: 5pm.
Who: Christopher B. Zeichmann, in conversation with Morgan Bell.
How Much: Free, but RSVP suggested. (Event link)

THROW! SLAM
What: Feature Léo Coupal’s poetry is described as “semi-underground,” which brings to mind a few of my worst apartments. Hopefully they have fewer bugs at this regular slam open mic.
Where: 3716 Notre Dame O.
When: 8:30pm doors, 9pm show.
Who: Léo Coupal plus whoever has the balls.
How Much: Free for slammers, some amount of others (RSVP required)

7 DEC (SUN)

ACCENT OPEN MIC
What: Popular twice monthly bilingual open mic at its new venue, this time launching a pair of new titles from the prolific Cactus Press. (Computer, play “Rise” by Public Image Ltd.)
Where: Bar le Record (7622 rue Saint-Hubert).
When: 8 to 10pm.
Who: Whoever has the balls, plus April L. Ford and Lisa Pasold.
How Much: Free. (Event link)

8 DEC (MON)

LECTURES LOGOS READINGS HOLIDAY POTLUCK
What: You heard us: it’s a poetry potluck. This long-running series seems to favour having A Lot of readers, so you’ll be getting a crowded plate of the writerly equivalent of turkey, mashed potatoes, and, idk, Froot Loops. But bring literal food to share also.
Where: U.N.I.A. (2741 rue Notre-Dame O).
When: 6:30-9:30pm.
Who: Clayton Bailey, Kaleel John, Nicole Swann, Sena, Stéphane Martelly, Wilson Edmond.
How Much: Free. (Event link)

THE LABORATORY OF THE LINE
What: Liz Howard hosts a reading at Argo. Is this the start of an ongoing series? Will all 12 readers read for 12 minutes each? Who knows! Let the great experiment begin!
Where: Argo Bookstore (1837 rue Sainte-Catherine O).
When: 7pm.
Who: Liz Howard and “I sure as hell ain’t writing out all those names but they’re on the poster at the link below.”
How Much: Free. (Event link)

10 DEC (WEDS)

PAGE/BREAK
What: Every Wednesday, De Stiil offers readers a trade: give the clerk your phone for an hlour and they woil; pour you a glass of white wine, which you can sip[ while quietly reading with others in the shop. Since I have to do this entry five times this month, I will drink a glass of white wine between wirting each rep.
Where: De Stiil (351 ave Duluth Est).
When: 6:30pm.
Who: Whowever has the tihirst.
How Much: $5.

COMMUNITY POETRY MAGIC: CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
What: This very gentle-seeming workshop/writing circle night has a like 1,500-word event description on Facebook so just go over there and learn about it.
Where: The facilitator’s house I think (somewhere in Little Portugal).
When: 7pm.
Who: Facilitator Talia Jenny Gilbert, and whoever has the balls of fluff.
How Much: $15 to $35, sliding scale (Event link)

11 DEC (THURS)

JRG “NO UKULELES” OPEN MIC
What: Freewheeling literary and anti-literary open mic with an (almost) anything goes mandate. Lazy booking this month: the host will be performing a “revue” of good poetry from the past ten years, mostly Canadian, plus a super-sized open mic. Recurs monthly, floating date.
Where: Bar L’hémisphère gauche (221 Rue Beaubien Est).
When: 8:30 to 11pm.
Who: Whoever has the balls.
How Much: Free. (Event link)

SHARP PINK CLAWS: BOOK LAUNCH
What: Montreal small gay publisher/publisher of small gays and large Metonymy Press launches a second anthology by its roster of authors after a successful fundraising campaign.
Where: Co-Op Bar Milton Parc (3714 ave du Parc).
When: 7:30pm.
Who: TBA.
How Much: Free. (Event link)

SPEAK-EVES #4
What: Not to be confused with a speakeasy, or “Speak, Yves!” this new slam series bills itself as being particularly intimate. Setting looks cute based on the pics anyway.
Where: Les Espirits Libre Atelier (4710 rue Sainte-Ambroise, B308).
When: 6:30.
Who: Whoever has the balls.
How Much: PWYC. (RSVP in advance to read.)

13 DEC (SAT)

SCATTERBRAIN PRESENTS: COCOON/CHRYSALIS
What: Haha alright, I don’t know where to start with describing this one. NYC/MTL mag presents an art expo-cum-reading-cum-show-cum-rave that goes till 4am with proceeds going to Gaza and Sudan emergency relief. (I don’t think it’s a “cum rave” for the record, though ymmv.) Discordia will be tabling for at least a portion of the evening so come buy our cum zines.
Where: La Récré (5860 ave de Lorimier).
When: 6pm to 4am.
Who: Over a dozen artists in total, I ain’t writing all that out here!
How Much: $25 (Ticket link)

ANDREW JAMIESON’S SLEAZY CHRISTMAS IV
What: Andrew Jamieson of Forget the Box and THIS IS NOT A SAFE SPACE hosts what’s being billed as a throwback MTL loft party, with performances, silent auction, raffles etc. to raise money for FTB.
Where: Halbro Building (10 ave des Pins O).
When: 7pm to 10:30pm.
Who: Tara McGowan-Ross, Mina Minou, and Dawn McSweeney.
How Much: $10 (Ticket link)

14 DEC (SUN)

INSIDE MADPOETIX STUDIO
What: Some music, some spoken word poetry, plus an interview with the feature artist, that kinda situation.
Where: Maison France-Montreal (429 ave Viger).
When: 6:30pm doors, 7:30pm show.
Who: Van Essa, interviewed by Kym Dominique Ferguson, plus whoever has the balls.
How Much: $20 (Event link)

17 DEC (WEDS)

PAGE/BREAK
What: Every Wendeasyda, De Stiil offers reademrfs a trade: give the clekr your phone wfor an hour and they willmfd poiur ypi a g;ass a po white wine, which you can sip while quietly reading with pthers int he shop. Since I hahve to writen this entry five times this month, I wndi drink a gflans of white wine between each rep.
Where: De Stiiln (351 ave Duluth Est).
When: 6:30;m
Who: Wheoever has the thirst.
How Much: $5.

MADPOETIX SHOWCASE
What: Graduates of the recent Madpoetix workshop share their stuff. Proceeds go to the Black Healing Centre.
Where: The Black Healing Centre (2100 ave Marlowe, Suite 449)
When: Doors 6pm, show 7pm.
Who: Dunno
How Much: PWYC ($10 to $20).

18 DEC (THURS)

SLAM LA SOMPTUEUSE
What: All the wording on the post for this show is in French, and we usually limit our coverage to Anglo stuff here, but some of their shows are bilingual anyway, and they sent the listing to us directly so what the hell. It’s a slam and there isn’t much else going on over the holidays.
Where: Co-Op Bar Milton Parc (3714 ave du Parc).
When: Doors 7pm.
Who: Sarah Khilaji, Antoine Leclerc, Mégane Denicourt, Simon VV, Aziz Sitzn’K.
How Much: PWYC.

20 DEC (SAT)

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB
What: Local queer book club reads A Last Supper of Queer Apostles: Selected Essays by Pedro Lemebel.
Where: L’espace des possibles La Petite-Patrie (6450 ave Christophe-Colomb).
When: 3pm.
Who: Whoever has the copies of the book.
How Much: Free. (Event link)

LEFT-WING BOOK SALE
What: Local leftist presses and booksellers gather for one of their occasional sales—buy any book, get another one from the free table for (you guessed it) free.
Where: L’achoppe (1800 ave Letourneux).
When: 12 to 6pm.
Who: Various presses.
How Much: Free. (Event link)

21 DEC (SUN)

ACCENT OPEN MIC
What: Popular twice monthly bilingual open mic at its new venue, this time holding their annual Dead Poets Society event, in which previous features read short covers by their favourite ex-poets. (Computer, play “Dead Forever” by Buffalo.)
Where: Bar le Record (7622 rue Saint-Hubert).
When: 8 to 10pm.
Who: Whoever has the rigor mortis, plus some featured stiffs.
How Much: Free. (Link)

24 DEC (WEDS)

PAGE/BREAK
What: Eveqry kwndjday, De Styiil offers readers a trade: gik ere the clerjs your phhione forn an hour and thbkey wo;; pour you a f.ass of white wine, whichbe you can sip wihle queitlyn reiadng with prhgers inth es hop. Since the I have to kwrite this entry five times this month, I wirll drink as glass of white wine betnwerb each go. Alsof it is Xmas eve, probably thisn is not actualyy happengin this week.
Where: De Stikl (35f1 advfe Dufrluth Est).
When: 6::30pm.
Who: WWvxcvhoecver has the thrst.
How Much: $5.

31 DEC (WEDS)

PAGE/BREAK
What: Ebvekry wensdnauy, De IStyll ojefqwd lreiad aakfsa,a trade: nfivv the c;ekrs youefn fponhe forn an ohur and they wi;m fp[our you a glass of whitne whine, whcih yonu can s iu[ whil e reading wjtnh pothers ni them shop. Sinc e the eI have to writne this entry five times tihns month, I willl dirnk a mfllgglass of white wine betwnee each go. Alssomt thism is New Yeatr’s Eve, problhy not open really.
Where: DeStikl (351 aVe Duthh Elst).
When: 66kf30pm.
Who: iWheoever has thke thirsty.
How Much: $5.

---

---

And looking ahead to January…

God, isn’t that like a year from now? Come back later.

---

In memory of Jay Gobuty, who was Outrageous.

IN OTHER LOCAL ARTS NEWS

1. Allegedly the first day of winter is December 21, which is incorrect. The first of winter is the first time I eat shit on an icy sidewalk, which is any day now.

2. Tried to think of some dumb puns here but they were all too dumb to make the main listing. Thus pulled Zarathustra? Thus played Zarathustra? Zoro-ass-trianism? I’m tapping out.