Jay's List (What's Goin' On?) — January '26
What's happening in the Montreal lit scene this month?
We are laughably late with this. So let’s just pretend there were no shows for the first third of the month and that everyone had actually collectively decided to just chill out okay? In other news, we finally put together a catalogue of our print items to date—check that out now!
As always, if we’re missing something, or you want your event included, please message @discordia.review on Instagram to propose an inclusion.
12 JAN (MON)
LECTURES LOGOS READINGS HOLIDAY POTLUCK
What: The long-running poetry series continues…running with its usual superabundance of features, plus eight open mic slots.
Where: U.N.I.A. (2741 rue Notre-Dame O).
When: 6:30-9:30pm.
Who: Anita Anand, Annie-Lou Chester, Ethel Meilleur, Frédéric Boisrond, Maguy Métellus, Orlando Ceide, and whoever has the balls.
How Much: Free. (Event link)
14 JAN (WEDS)
LAMP LIT
What: Fiction-focused apartment reading series with good lighting, often (though not guaranteed to be) followed by a low key vinyl DJ set. Close your eyes and imagine the Montreal of yesteryear.
Where: Atlas Building (170 Rue Jean Talon O, DM @evalazvegas for exact unit)
When: 7pm.
Who: Alexandra Trnka, Jacob Wren, Jennifer Ruskey, Megan Lindy.
How Much: $5/PWYC. (Event link)
17 JAN (SAT)
yolk ISSUE LAUNCH
What: An honest to goodness BYOB show to launch the latest issue of yolk—calibrate your intake carefully to reach your desired level of candour.
Where: Art Loft (4152 Blvd Saint-Laurent).
When: 7pm to 1am.
Who: Hannah Berger and others.
How Much: $10 (Already sold out!)
18 JAN (SUN)
ACCENT OPEN MIC
What: Popular twice monthly bilingual open mic at its new venue. Episode 129 (!) features the 20th anniversary of the associated chapbook publisher Cactus Press. (Computer, play a compilation of Phil Leotardo complaining about spending 20 years in the can from The Sopranos.)
Where: Bar le Record (7622 rue Saint-Hubert).
When: 8 to 10pm.
Who: Whoever has the balls, plus some Cactus people.
How Much: Free. (Link)
WRITERS BLOCK NO. 9
What: Come take in some improvised ambient music, intended to help you get into *the zone* and do some free writing. Occasionally your concentration will be interrupted by readings from some of the RODAISUN mag editors.
Where: P’tit ours (5589 ave du Parc).
When: 7pm.
Who: Musicians Aaron Dolman, Walter Stinson, Naomi McCarroll-Butler and readers from RODAISUN.
How Much: $16.69. (Link)
22 JAN (THURS)
SOLILOQUIES ANTHOLOGY 30TH ANNIVERSARY LAUNCH
What: The Concordia student writing anthology is now old enough that, were it in a relationship with many of its contributors, the age gap would be considered problematic in some quarters. Go to the launch and make sure nothing untoward is transpiring.
Where: Bar le Record (7622 rue Saint-Hubert).
When: 7pm.
Who: They asked us to put exactly this, so here it is: “Hosted by co-EICs Micaela Day and Foster Gareau, featuring talents by emerging Canadian talent.”1
How Much: PWYC or free if you buy the issue (Link)
QUIST #3 LAUNCH
What: An even younger group of artists has decided to go head to head with the rapidly graying Soliloquies people. Quist, a journal for Quebecers aged 14 to 21 launches its latest issue.
Where: Librairie Pulp (3952 rue Wellington).
When: 7pm.
Who: TBD.
How Much: Free. (Link)
AHOY #4 LAUNCH
What: Hahahahaha yet ANOTHER magazine launch for the 22nd, which ALSO does not list who’s actually performing. This one raises the game by not telling you where it is. This rules. I don’t even know what meme to go with here. Let’s go with the simplest one:
Where: Secret venue (gotta buy a ticket).
When: 7pm, sharp.
Who: “Readings and live music.”
How Much: $8 in advance… puzzlingly the event says you can pay $10 at the door instead, but how can you find out where the door is if you haven’t already bought a ticket? (Link)
24 JAN (SAT)
VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB
What: Local queer book club reads Five Points on an Invisible Line by Su J. Sokol.
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)
MUTT READINGS
What: Fashionable-looking NYC reading series crash lands in Montreal (looks like this probly), poster says wine is “by” Jonah Campbell (whereas your job is to “buy” it, presumably).
Where: Espace Maurice (916 Rue Ontario E, Unit 320).
When: 6 to 9pm.
Who: SABRINA PAPANDREA, DAVID ARMSTRONG SIX, JAKE VALENTE, ALANA DUNLOP, STEVE ANWYLL, AND Grace Kalyta. (That’s the casing on the poster idk why Grace is so small.)
How Much: Free. (RSVP required)
RAISING FUNDS FOR RAVEN
What: RAVEN is a nonprofit that supports Indigenous Nations fighting for their rights in court. A big whack of environmentalism-focused writers are getting together for a group reading in support.
Where: Hôtel Gault (449 Rue Ste Hélène).
When: 5 to 8pm.
Who: Lotta lotta people, check the link.
How Much: Free… but it is also a fundraiser, so probably there will be donation opportunities. (Event link)
MADPOETIX UNLEASH YOUR VOICE SHOWCASE
What: Showcasing participants in this spoken word workshop.
Where: Black Healing Centre (2100 Marlowe, Suite 449).
When: 6pm doors, 7pm show.
Who: TBD
How Much: $10 to $20, NOTAFLOF (Event link TK)
29 JAN (THURS)
DEATH-DEFYING: A PALESTINE LEGAL ACTION FUNDRAISER
What: It is the JRG Open Mic host’s birthday and he’s throwing a variety show at usual haunt L’hémisphère gauche, which will purportedly include some poetry, some music (from Discordia favs Dirty Milk and Mona Gendron), some swordfighting, and some other stuff. Proceeds go to legal defense for a group of pro-Palestine activists.
Where: L’hémisphère gauche (221 rue Beaubien E).
When: 8pm.
Who: Jack Daniel Christie and Gwen Aube doing poetry, Mona Gendron and Dirty Milk doing music, Evelyn Turpin and Rosemary Davies swordfighting, more to come.
How Much: $10/PWYC (Link)
And looking ahead to February…
We’ll fill this in as events come to us.
In memory of Jay Gobuty, who was Outrageous.
IN OTHER LOCAL ARTS NEWS
“Emerging” talents are of course divided into “ruptured” and “fistular” talents, and are distinguished from “impacted” and “submerged” talents on one end of the axis, and “erupted” and “ejected” talents on the other.