BOOKISH
On our cover: Iliana
BLAKE EATON Ariel pink bikini
Back To School Notre Dame St. W
SNAP!
FREE
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ARts + LifestylE
Collection 08
cloakroomsuite220.blogspot.com
Contents: ON THE COVER: 40/ an Interview With blake eaton Of the cockroaches 43/ katie kotler talks to ariel pink 42/ montréal’s bikini by alex chinien 79/ Where We’d rather be: Hannah byrne talks travel 71/ the SNAP! street guide: Notre Dame West
INSIDE: 07/ contributors 06/ the editor’s letter 12/ september/October events calendar
Back To School: 24/ blogging 101 26/ café guide 28/ Food page: brunch 30/ recipe: mexican Hot chocolate 32/ ‘Framed’ library chic 36/ Nice rims: some locals Who are Four-eyed For real
POINT OF VIEW 15/ Video game page 57/ movie column 82/ sex column 84/ gay column 79/ travel
FASHION + BEAUTY 61/ Falling For Her: photographed by alain astruc 68/ cardigan gets 70/ look Of the Issue
ART+ DESIGN 09/ my metro 10/ books and Design
38/ Store Profile
16/ an exercise in Hand typography
47/ book reviews
19/ Profile: Kevin Lo
48/ Waxing poetic: a selection Of poetry
52/ Inside the Workspace
85/ Horoscopes
78/ Found art
STREET GUIDE
COVER GIRl
In this issue we focus on Notre Dame west, a stretch of street so long and diverse that a day may not easily cover it. beginning from st. laurent and traveling west to the atwater markets we noted the nightspots, stores, restaurants and architectural details that make this beautiful old street famous, as well as some of the hidden gems you may not yet know about. starts on page 71
Iliana antonova caught our eye at a recent vernissage and had us chasing all over town weeks later when we decided her intelligent beauty would work perfectly with our fall theme. this bulgarian-born, Ontario raised femme fatale rocks a signature set of bright pink lips and drifts easily from conversations about Fellini, proust and canada’s contemporary art scene to making goofy faces and mocking her ability to predict rain with her eyebrows. We asked her a few questions after wrapping up the shoot:
MANGA For our third issue our modmanga was penned by amanda argento, a local art student and photographer. She is the first female artist to try her hand at our ongoing manga series and is also the first artist to introduce colour to her drawings. check it out on page 87 check out more work by SNAP! cover photographer Alain Astruc: AlAINASTRUC.COM. Maude Tremblay also shot some images for this issue, you can see more of her work at MAUDETREMBlAY.CARBONMADE.COM. ALL COnTEnTS Of ThiS MAgAzinE ARE COPyRighTEd ©2008 SnAP inC. 1/4064 ST. LAuREnT, MOnTREAL, QC, h2W 1y8 OR ThiRd PARTy-PARTy COnTEnT PROvidERS. SnAP inC. ASSuMES nO RESPOnSiBiLiTy fOR COnTEnT Of AdvERTiSEMEnT. REPROduCTiOn Of EdiTORiAL iS STRiCTLy PROhiBiTEd WiThOuT PRiOR PERMiSSiOn Of SnAP inC. SnAP! WiLL nOT hOLd iTSELf RESPOnSiBLE fOR unSOLiCiTEd COnTRiBuTiOnS.
Who are some of your favourite authors?
thomas pynchon, Jorge luis borges, Dostoevsky, tolstoy, bulgakov, thomas mann, charles Dickens, salman rushdie, kafka.
What was the last book you read?
a collection of interviews with american artists by art critic, David sylvester.
What did you study at school? art History.
did you travel anywhere over the summer?
I went to london in the spring to see a peter Doig retrospective, but I haven’t left the city at all since then- there’s no where else I’d rather be! 5/
Editor’s Letter A considerable portion of my youth was spent in dusty second-hand shops or garages, quietly waiting for my dad to sort through books stuffed in cardboard boxes or stacked haphazardly in piles. Some may call my dad a book collector; my mother calls him a hoarder. Still there is something beautiful and comforting about books and I owe my parents much for the love of reading that they cultivated in me. Now that the summer is over, one can draw some consolation from the turning of the leaves. The cool air and moody beauty of the fall is an open invitation to get a little BOOKISH, to read, to learn, to cultivate new talents and practise already existing ones. And being BOOKISH -though not a highly valued trait in high-school- has its own appeal when you enter the real world and realize that being quirky, wearing wire-rimmed glasses or knowing T.S. Eliot by heart can actually make you pretty cool. This issue is dedicated to geeks, to students, to book lovers and writers, poets, to evenings spent curled up with a book and to the fall in MontrÊal, when her beauty is laid out in greys, golds and browns. I hope you enjoy it. SP
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What did you think? Let us know. info@snapme.ca PhOTOgRAPh By KEnny MATiC ThEWhOLEPiC.COM
Contributors Independent Publisher and Editor Shayl Prisk Art Direction Vanda Daftari Design Vanda Daftari, Xavier Tolentino, Hannah Byrne Writing Shayl Prisk, Alexandre BelandBernard, Erica Ruth Kelly, Hannah Byrne, Katie Kotler, Alex Chinien, Rebekah Ward, Alec Ellsworth, Jordan Stewart, Sarah Brideau, Gandhar Chakravarty, A.J. Little, Lauren Jane Heller, Roberto Cialdella, Christina Vincelli Artwork Robby Reis, Vanda Daftari, Kevin Lo, Pascale L-Georgiev, Natalie Reis, Shayl Prisk, Nizar Shorbagi Photography Dan Popa, Shayl Prisk, Alain Astruc, Maude Tremblay, Karin Demeyer, Laura Musselman, Xavier Tolentino, Esther Gibbons, DUNCAN RAWLINSON Founders Hannah Byrne and Shayl Prisk Marketing and Communications Hannah Byrne Web Editor Hannah Byrne Printers Marquis Book Printing
Web Director Jeff Traynor
Advertising Information 514 576 7867
SNAP! TV Directors Alexandre LeBlanc and Julien Gregoire
Offices 4064 St Laurent Blvd, Suite 1, MontrĂŠal QC H2W 1Y8 www.snapme.ca
info@snapme.ca
Gallery Ariane Gregoire, Armance Brandenburg
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POP SHOP
4081 Blvd St Laurent, Mtl
514 848 6300
These shots are part of a stop motion film by Dan Popa called ‘Present’. This project was part of Moment Factory’s ‘Nomad Moments’. www.nomadmoments.tv
My Metro
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Books and Design
1/ Geneva’s international airport 2/ Matej Krén 3/ J. Ignacio Diaz de Rabago
by Shayl Prisk
Jerry Seinfeld’s character on his namesake show once pondered the custom of storing books on a shelf after they have been read. Is it a prize? A trophy for one’s intellectual endeavours? In fact books themselves are quite attractive creatures, especially the older ones made with a bit of attention to detail, like embossing and letter pressing. Incorporating books in design can often lead to quite stunning results. We found three examples from contemporary designers and artists around the world to prove to the Jerry Seinfeld’s among us that books are more than simply functional. Matej Krén, an artist living and working in Prague, created a number of architectonic structures constructed entirely from books. The image shown here is of Krén’s Book Cell, one of three structures in a series. The
Book Cell was shown at an exhibit in Portugal in 2006. 2/ A temporary installation in Geneva’s international airport had travelers gazing upward as hundreds of books were suspended at varying heights. The installation was conceived to celebrate a partnership between Geneva’s 2007 book fair and Switzerland’s busiest airport. 1/ J. Ignacio Diaz de Rabago, a European artist known for a series of library installations in Paris, Stockholm, Malmo and Oslo, was commissioned to construct a similar work at the University of California in Berkeley in 2005. The spiral staircase in the university’s library was showcase to hundreds of books hung with transparent fishing wire as if slowly floating through the air. 3/
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EVENTS CALENDAR
Words by Hannah Byrne Photograph by Duncan Rawlinson
magic lantern festival
SEPTEMBER 7TH – OCTOBER 31ST MONTREAL BOTANICAL GARDEN www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca
Expect over 700 traditional, hand-painted silk lanterns from this yearly festival. It happens in the Chinese section of the Botanical Garden and ’08 is themed as ‘A Thousand and One Stars.’ The festival aims to introduce different elements of traditional Chinese culture and will showcase jugglers, contortionists, and acrobats along with live musicians. It runs for over a month so you have no excuse to miss out on this one! How can you say no to real live contortionists? Seriously? Montreal Marathon
September 14th Starts on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and ends at the Olympic Stadium www.marathondemontreal.com
A friend was set to participate in the marathon last year but never quite made it. I was sorely disappointed and life has never been quite the same since. I lost faith but also lost the chance to prostrate myself on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and listen as 1,000’s of wannabe athletes thundered their way across to dehydration, exhaustion, and finish-line collapse. 12/
This year we’ve decided to get involved in the big race. If you’re participating, drop us a line and we’ll set you up with your very own ‘SNAP! Marathon Tee’. If you’re feeling a little bored and up for a challenge, we dare you to dust off the sneakers and get out there and run! You have a week or so to get in shape - how hard can 42.195km really be? Plus, if you win, we’ll give you a book. The Blue Man Group September 25th The Bell Center www.blueman.com
If you’re any kind of ‘Arrested Development’ fan, then this should be in your September schedule. Men dressed in black and painted blue will dazzle you with a dramatic mix of music, comedy and theatre. Apparently it’s quite the spectacle! I hear it’s difficult to get tickets this late in the game but do your best to try and nab some. You could always pull out the paint and try and blend in with the cast. And you never know, maybe Tobias or George Senior will make a guest appearance. If you haven’t yet seen Arrested Development, please go and download it now.
The Story Telling Festival
October 19th-28th Concert venues, libraries, and theatres around Montreal www.festival-conte.qc.ca
This festival is now in its 9th year with more than 140 events across the city in both English and the Francais. 100 story tellers will be descending on Montreal, making the trip from Wales, Scotland, England, New York, Sicily and of course Canada. In this day and age, we seem to have lost the gift of the gab and storytelling is all but passing from our culture. It’s time to reclaim the magic of a good story well told! Montreal get out there and support! POP Montreal
Expoart Montreal
POP Montreal is an annual thing and ’08 marks their 7 year anniversary. It’s a festival of music and live performance as well as fashion, film, photography, a conference and art events. It happens across Montreal and music lovers should ink this malarkey of events into their calendar.
Expo Art Montreal is now in its third year. Montreal’s downtown will be overrun by artists and galleries transported from around the world. The festival is all about contemporary and modern art with over 1,000 drawings, photos, paintings, sculptures and more on exhibit.
We have some POP Montreal tickets to give away. Drop us a line at info@snapme. ca and tell us why you deserve the glory of a free pass and we’ll see what we can do.
We are sponsoring the event so keep an eye open for us down there!
We also have tickets to the ‘Paper Bag Records Showcase’ on October 4th at Blue Dog. Loads of great bands are playing (we can’t divulge the details at this stage) so drop us a line to win one of three double passes!
October 8th-19th In and around the city www.nouveaucinema.ca
October 1st – 5th Across Montreal www.popmontreal.com
Black and Blue Festival October 8th – 14th In and around the city www.bbcm.org
This week long gay festival has billed over 60 events including sports and arts along with a military ball and a jock party. It’s the biggest non-profit gay festival in the world with proceeds going towards providing direct care to people living with HIV/Aids as well as to the gay and lesbian community.
October 23rd – 26th Place Bonaventure www.expoartmontreal.com
Festival du Nouveau Cinema
It’s their 37th shot this year around so these guys must be on to something. The festival covers your more backyard variety of films, steering away from the conventional and mainstream. Each year they chose just 100 feature films with a strict selection process in place. Films are chosen with the intent of surprising, shocking, and amazing the audience. It’s ranked number 1 amongst Canadian International Film Festivals. The 2008 program is still a little hush-hush but will be revealed in September. We suggest you call in sick for a week and enjoy the festival for all it’s worth. “I think I might have food poisoning” is always a good one.
VIDEO GAMES
by alexandre beland-bernard
Metal Gear Solid Metal Gear. What does the name sound like to you? Depending on who you are it might evoke a piece of equipment, spies, conspiracies, or a giant anthropomorphic nuclear remote-controlled walking robottank hybrid. Sound familiar? Metal Gear Solid was the revival of an oldschool NES franchise. It asked something different from gamers, used to running and gunning even back then, getting through games by taking down everything that moves. MGS was one of the first games to introduce what is now widely known as “stealth” gameplay, which means that a player has to stay in the shadows, make no noise and most of all, avoid confrontation. You mostly play as protagonist Snake, both in his modern cloned incarnation, Solid Snake, or his younger, original self, Naked Snake, a relic of the Cold War. Throughout diverse infiltration missions into the heart of heavily guarded underground complexes or hidden bases in the furthest reaches of the jungle, you meet with a diverse cast of characters who do not hesitate to manipulate you with their double-crosses and betrayals. Still, Snake soldiers on, strong in his belief -or lack thereof- that his actions in war can make a difference.
Why do you fight?
Because your commander told you so during the game’s introductory cinematic.
Because you, as Snake, are nothing but a soldier that extraneous forces can manipulate as they wish. What is the purpose of war in a videogame anyway?
War has changed.
Today games are, even more so than 10 years ago, orgies of blood and violence. The war never stops. There seems to be no place for a hero like Solid Snake anymore. Indeed, he is now Old Snake and his aging genes, cloned from the original Snake’s, seem to be a metaphor for a time and place which has no use for someone like him any longer.
Facing the inevitability of fate, gamers – and Old Snake – are now forced, whether they like it or not, to change and adapt to the metafiction of war. Infiltration is now just a tactical choice in the fight. War has changed. Metal Gear Solid (Konami, 1998), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Konami, 2001), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Kojima Productions, 2004) and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Kojima Productions, 2008) were directly or indirectly referenced to write this article. If you did want to go through the whole series again (or for the first time), I highly recommend the Metal Gear Solid Collection which came out this year and includes the three first games in their reedited director’s cut editions before tackling the fourth (and allegedly final) chapter in the series.
THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG
an exercise in hand drawn typography
typograhy + postering BY Robby Reis + Vanda Daftari photography BY Dan Popa
pangram: a sentence that contains every letter in the alphabet.
Typographers have long used this sentence to test, try and design fonts. So, with this in mind, we made like a quick brown fox and hit the Plateau with our own hand drawn posters. 16/
For more info visit our blog: www.24karrots.com/dime_a_dozen
THE LO-DOWN:
A Conversation with Montréal Graphic Designer, Kevin Lo WORDS BY Erica Ruth Kelly
Kevin Yuen Kit Lo is the kind of artist you want to drink coffee with. Waxing philosophical about graphic design, social change and the addictive nature of nicotine is easy to do in his presence, even if you know nothing about the topics in question. Friendly and modest, Lo works at his own Montréal-based creative arts studio, LOKi design, and as the art director for Fjord Interactive. When not teaching typography at Concordia University, Lo finds the time to edit, design and publish the critically acclaimed experimental zine “Four Minutes to Midnight.” Having just turned 30, and with a Masters Degree from the London College of Printing (now Communication) under his belt, Lo remains as level-headed as they come, openly talking about his childhood tendency to draw “superheroes and hot girls,” admitting that he was once “young, idealist and hungry” and even going so far as to renounce the title of “artist.”
The following is an abridged version of a conversation with the man in question about graphic design and “Four Minutes to Midnight.” What are some common misconceptions about graphic design, given that the tools required, i.e. the software, are now so readily available? There’s definitely a craft to it, and that’s maybe the part that gets missed when using these tools. I guess that’s one of the losses I see with the widespread, everywhere-ness of graphic design. I certainly think it’s great that everyone has access to the tools, I think its very democratizing, but I also think an appreciation for craft work is really important. The other thing is people tend to assume: “Okay, you’re a graphic designer, you’re an advertiser,” and I think those are 2 very separate things. They definitely co-mingle, but graphic design exists far beyond the advertising sphere. 19/
Can you tell me about the impetus for “Four Minutes to Midnight?” “Four Minutes to Midnight” officially started as part of my Masters thesis that I did at the London College of Printing. It’s something that I work on closely with John (W. Stuart),. Years ago, we tried to start a design magazine, but we never actually did. We thought about it, and talked about it and jammed about it for 4 or 5 years before we actually found a way in which to get it done, which was through my thesis. In my thesis, I was looking at 2 things that were kind of important to me at that time: I was looking at the politics of underground publishing… I traced the notion of independent and subversive publishing back to the turn of the century in Russia, then looked at it through arts like Dadaism and surrealism and then carried through to when it turned into punk. So, that was one thing I was actually researching, and then I used the zine as a practical means to explore that. Another thing I was really interested in was a theoretical notion of dialogue as an agent of social change, as put forward by the physicist and philosopher David Bohm.
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Where does the title come from? It’s a reference to the atomic clock, which is something that was put together by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists during the Cold War to measure how close the world was to nuclear destruction. They used midnight as the time when the buttons would be pushed and we would all perish in a nuclear blaze… so it’s very apocalyptic. The reason for 4 minutes is that I thought the most common reference that people would understand was 5 minutes to midnight, because it was 5 minutes for quite awhile, and I liked the idea of moving the clock one minute forward. How has the zine grown since then? I had so many people supporting me in getting it out there and I thought that maybe this is something that can exist outside of academia, maybe it’s something that was worth continuing…. The 7th issue is the first issue I put together once I got back to Montreal. I wanted to make something more permanent, more aligned with how I envisioned it from the start and I had a little bit of money saved up luckily. So I de-
cided to put out a perfect bound publication…We got a great response from it. We started hitting up a few of the local zine fairs and stuff like that, networked around the local artists and creators here and found a really open and welcoming community that helped out. We won the first Expozine award for the Best English Language zine and it’s really taken off since then. The first issue of “Four Minutes to Midnight” asked the question “What’s wrong?” to its contributors. How has this question come up in subsequent issues? When we asked our first question “What’s wrong?” we got responses ranging from “There’s too many styrofoam coffee cups” to very long, political diatribes about the situation of American foreign policy, to people, such as myself, pining over lost love. My friend Erin simply wrote “Too much hate, not enough love.” We put all this stuff together, using the design to illustrate common threads and that became the first issue. Since then, we tend to ask contributors to try and create work that responds to the previous issues. So, in many
ways, that initial question is echoed even up to the current one. All the work that I gather, design and put back out is just part of one long, never-ending conversation. The 10th edition of “Four Minutes to Midnight,” themed “Subversive Beauty” will be launched October 2008. To see some of Kevin Lo’s work visit www.lokidesign.net/2356
To catch a glimpse of Kevin at work, turn to page 52.
Need new glasses?
We’ve got you covered.
harry toulch vision www.toulch.com 4021 St. Laurent (514 288 7495) 1327 Greene Avenue (514 937 0446)
BACK TO SCHOOL COVER Back to School...
...Or work, or life as we know it outside of the dazzling dream-world of summer, trips abroad or long days of revelry in the city. Back to the grindstone, back to routine, to shorter days, longer nights, and new schedules.We put together this section to get you inspired by the change in seasons and to celebrate the school-day traditions that make fall a pleasure, not a curse.
INSIDE: Page 24 to 32 Blogging 101 Your MontrĂŠal CafĂŠ Guide The Breakfast Club: Brunching DIY: Mexican Hot Chocolate Fall Fashion Preview: Prep School Grabs
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Blogging 101 Taught by Hannah Byrne
I started a blog a few years ago and quickly added it to the list of ‘things which changed my life’ along with my new video camera, sliced bread, a deck of cards, Cool Tang Doritos and Tuesday night quiz night. I took delight in writing about mundane yet hilarious daily antics. The blog was well received and energetically commented on by me and my 4 pseudonyms. A few weeks later and my hits started to dwindle. The world clearly wasn’t ready for my particular breed of magic so I quit. Several years on and blogs have spiked and dropped and spiked again. Everyone is on the ‘interwebs’ these days, spinning home crafts, fashion, DIY kitchen maintenance and pictures of posing cats.
So if you’re interesting in learning some more, here are a few tips that I’ve picked up. Install ‘Google Reader’ which will allow you to view all of your subscribed blogs on one page - great for checking which have been updated. You can also use another feed aggregator/feed reader such as ‘Blog lines’ or an email client like ‘Mozilla Thunderbird.’
Setting It Up
It’s simple, free, and all you need is an email address and a half-decent idea. You can create a blog through Blogspot www.blogspot.com or a smaller host such as Typepad www.typepad.com or Word Press www.wordpress.com.
Make It Personal
People like to read/watch/follow/spy on other people’s lives. Differentiate your blog by adding a little personal touch.
Build Your Blog
Keep your posts short, to the point, and add images. Leave comments on other blogs - you’ll build your network and get your own name out there. Start a ‘blog roll’ in which you can add other cool blogs.
Here are a few good Montréal blogs www.snapme.ca
SNAP! should be your homepage; it’s mine. We try to keep an eye on the Montréal arts and lifestyle scene. If you see or hear of something cool, let us know at info@ snapme.ca. www.ratsdeville.typepad.com
Rats de Ville is bilingual and updated dai-
ly with news on arts and events. Once the editor-in-chief Eric Bolduc collects 9 items he sends them out as a newsletter. You can join his distribution list and get informed about the Montréal art world. scottburnham.com
Scott Bernham is the creative director of the Montréal Biennale ’09 and has worked everywhere and in everything from Urban Play to Droog Design. “It’s not urban design but it’s designing the urban” (Aaron Betsky) is a quote which pops up a lot when describing Scott’s work. The Biennale happens in May ’09 and our very own Vanda Daftari and Natalie Reis, are involved so watch out Montréal! www.indyish.com
Indyish is an online community of 170 or so artists blogging, adding podcasts, videos and selling handmade wares. www.midnightpoutine.com
Midnight Poutine continues to win the ‘Best of Montréal’ award for their blog. This year we ‘challenged’ them which involved us emailing our nearest and dearest and hoping that Aunty Cheryl would fill in the correct boxes. We lost. What of it? These guys do good restaurant/café/ bar reviews as well as keep a finger on the pulse of Montréal’s music scene.
www.24karrots.com/dime_a_dozen
Dime a Dozen is the blog of local film and design collective ‘24 Karrots’. It’s not updated that regularly but when they do post, it’s usually worth a second glance. www.bettinaforget.com/TheBelgoReport
The Belgo Report covers the exhibits and events happening in the Belgo Building, which houses over thirty art galleries and studios. www.breeapperley.blogspot.com
Applejacks is an art & design blog by Bree Apperley. She studied in Montréal but is now living in Brooklyn. It’s regularly updated with some great photos and a cute sense of humour. www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery
The Canadian Design Resource is all about memorabilia and vintage with stuff ranging from Expo ’67 posters, ‘60s mugs made in PEI, and stamps from Edmonton in the ‘70s. It’s a random collection of artifacts. www.laparia.ca
La Paria is a cool street-art collective based in Montréal. www.theheartattackclub.com
The Heart Attack Club is run by Alex Chinien who plays host to Montréal music and musings. www.thefriendattack.com
The Friend Attack is Montréal’s version of ‘Last Night’s Party’ with Laura Marais posting photos from parties across Montréal.
Here are a few blogs from around the world www.lostateminor.com
Lost at E Minor reviews films, music, fashion, art, design, architecture etc. The cofounders are two NYC-based brothers from down under. Rock on Australia! www.woostercollective.com
Wooster Collective is a great street art blog. www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com
The Sartorialist is great for street style and fashion inspiration. postsecret.blogspot.com
Post Secret is an interesting read. People post in their secrets and each Sunday a selection are added to the site.
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NDG/Westmount Café Wild Bean 6128 MOnKLAnd
this quiet café in the NDg serves locals and students and is perfect for a few quiet hours of study on monkland. Has local art, wireless and great cappuccinos. lattes cost $3.45. Note: they roast their own beans here, and it smells amazing.
Shaika 5526 ShERBROOKE WEST 514.482.3898
CAFÉ GUIDE
WORdS And PhOTO By ShAyL PRiSK
Friendly, colourful and eclectic, this café was inspired by the owner’s travels to Cuba and definitely has an international air. With wireless, gourmet food and a stylishly designed interior shaika makes your study session feel a little more like a scene from a movie. bright and clean, with lattes starting at $3.80.
Guy/Concordia kafein For some people, studying is a library affair- all hushed voices and quiet cubicles, nothing but the rustling of paper and the light tapping of keyboards. For others, like myself, we need the lively clutter of coffee cups and plates, a bit of background music and the come and go of people to keep us buzzed and alert to the work in front of us. SNAP! went about the mission of putting together a list of some of the best cafés around the city for studying. Our criteria included -among other things- wireless internet connection, lattes under $4, proximity to a metro or central bus route, and student-friendly (meaning you can linger long, kick back and relax and not feel the cashiers staring at you). Here are our top picks, plus some honorable mentions, so you can get your study on in the best possible setting.
1429A BiShOP 514.904.6969
A two floor study spot that also exhibits the work of local talent and is one of the few shisha bars left in the area. Open til 2am, it is cosy, friendly and serves small meals and smoothies alongside the coffee and muffin fare. A latte will set you back $3.45. Notes: cash only.
Cine Express 1926 ST. CAThERinE WEST 514.939.2463
Open 24 hours, this favourite to many concordia kids has all the comforts of home- simpsons on the t.V., chess and backgammon as well as a very laid back clientele and snacks like nachos and brownies. lattes for $3. Note: also show films every night and host regular screenings and exhibits of local talent.
McGill Ghetto Presse Café
le Cagibi
3501 AvE du PARC 514.844.1101
5490 ST. LAuREnT 514.948.3303
the tons of plants, huge wood tables, wireless internet and long hours of this presse café make it the best pick in the ghetto. lattes for $3.80 and a selection of cakes, paninis and salads also available. Note: Watch out for the cranky lebanese owner, though some might say he just adds to the quirky charm of the place?
this mile end favourite used to run under the name of ‘esperanza.’ after a protracted closure, they have been back in business for some months now. the place is huge with good coffee, cheap burritos and jugs of beer. It’s a good place to study and keep an eye on their schedule as they have loads of cool stuff happening. hAnnAh ByRnE
Plateau
Papineau
Else’s 156 ROy EAST 514.286.6689
We are big fans of this little gem just east of st. laurent on roy. comfortable, colourful and with a sweet old-fashioned bar, this spot to grab a coffee and read or chat can easily lead into an evening pint or some whiskey when your work is done.
Café Pi 4127 ST. LAuREnT BLvd 514. 286.4828
the long and narrow space known as pi is dedicated to all things chess, but amid the groups of old russian men huddled over games you will find a number of students taking advantage of the atmosphere, the wireless and the menu. pi now exhibits art and recently got a television screen for european sporting matches and hockey. a latte sets you back $2.25.
Mile-End Art’s Café 201 fAiRMOunT WEST 514.274.0919
this is one of my favourite cafes in the city, especially during the summer. there is a terrace along the side which is great for a languid afternoon coffee. It’s a laid back place and not impossible to tap into the wireless while nursing a slow coffee. they have a bunch of night time events with art exhibits, bands etc. so ask the staff. they also do a mean breakfast. hAnnAh ByRnE
Bistro In Vivo
4731 ST. CAThERinE 514.223.8116
With different menus every day, wireless, music dance and theatre in the evenings and a bunch of plants, this café coop is great for those doing a bit of study on the east side of the city. lattes for $3.50, pressed hot or cold cider and beer cocktails also available. Note: the tea, coffee, sugar and chocolate sold here are all fair trade.
Honourable Mentions: Nocochi
2156 MACKAy 514.989.7514
patisserie/café with wireless and a selection of unique goodies to snack on.
Zawedeh 3407 PEEL ST 514.288.4141
best spot just west of mcgill to have a coffee and a bite while studying or reading. student-friendly with “some” wireless.
Club Social 39 dAnTE ST 514.272.7386
Friendly and popular with locals, serving good coffee with terrasses. WIFI.
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BRUNCH
words by shayl prisk photo by alain astruc, taken at Dusty’s
Brunch is pretty much the best thing about weekends, is a great hang-over cure and a perfect meal to eat if you are low on cash, with many diners and cafés serving up a classic breakfast plate with coffee refills for less than 5 bucks. Here are our fave brunch spots to hit when you are craving some cheap breakfast calories.
Le Vieux St. Laurent
Place Milton
3993 St. Laurent blvd.
220 Milton street
Basically the SNAP! Headquarters, many a $4 breakfast plate has been enjoyed here and with the super friendly staff it pretty much feels like home. Their potatoes are delish and they don’t skimp on coffee refills, unlike some places. 2 eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee for $4.40. Add bacon, ham or sausage and it’s $4.85.
Small with a lot of personality, this little French café spot sits smack in the middle of the Anglo McGill neighbourhood. Cooking simple Quebecois inspired breakfast fare like crepes, omelettes, cretons and féves au lard, Place Milton serves the two egg, potato, toast and coffee combo for $4.25. Add bacon and it’s $5.25.
Dusty’s
Moe’s
4510 Avenue du Parc
1455 Lambert Close
A perennial favourite, Dusty’s is an oldschool diner with cred for being comfy, retro and affordable. Boasting a huge dining room and a bar with counter, there’s lots of room so you can linger over your coffee after breakfast is done. Dusty’s two eggs, home fries, toast and coffee plate is $4. Add bacon, ham or sausages and it’s $4.95. They also serve blintzes, crepes and French toast, along with some lunch dishes.
Breakfast all day long every day of the week- that’s Moe’s just near the AMC Forum, a sweet little diner that Concordia kids love. Famous for their thick fluffy pancakes and milkshakes, their breakfast plate doesn’t disappoint. Always crammed full, there are booths or seats at the counter where you can watch your eggs fry in front of you. Classic plate for $4.40
Notables: Cosmo 5843 Sherbrooke west
Blanche Neige 5737 Côte-des-Neiges 28/
RECIPE
Photograph by shayl prisk special thanks to glenys byrne
This recipe yields a more exciting version of a regular hot cocoa and does a great job of impressing your friends due to its exotic and unusual taste. Give it a go on a chilly afternoon or for an after dinner drink. We sometimes spike it with some Bailey’s‌ not sure if the Mexicans would endorse such a thing, but damn it tastes good. Combine milk, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts and dissolves. Beat eggs in a mixing bowl, then add roughly one cup of the hot milk, stir briskly to combine. Return egg mixture and milk to the saucepan, add vanilla and whisk well for two minutes, or until frothy. Finally, add dried chili peppers and stir. 30/
Serve in mugs. Makes 5 or 6 portions.
Mexican Hot Chocolate 6 cups milk (2% or 3% works best) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon dried chili peppers Pinch of salt 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla
FRAMED
Some smart fall accessories to bring out your inner librarian STYLING BY PASCALE L-GEORGIEV PHOTOgraphy BY DAN POPA CONCEPT BY VANDA DAFTARI This Page: Clockwise from top: Ralph Lauren frames; Vintage stockings; All necklaces from Woodenapples. Opposite Page, above: Clockwise from top: Vintage brooch and chains; Tassle chain, custumized by stylist; H&M scarf. Opposite Page, below: Clockwise from top: Simons scarf; Persol frames; Necklace from Woodenapples. In this story H&M / www.hm.com; Lustre / 4429 St-Laurent, Montréal, Qc; Simons / www.simons.ca; Woodenapples / 5403 av. Du Parc, Montréal, Qc
Above Clockwise from top: Dim stockings; Earrings from Woodenapples; Old World Sparrows hair clip from Lustre. Below Clockwise from top: Lustre by Yasmine design Scarf; Vintage necklace; Burberry frames.
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JEREMY / 20 / ART STUDENT, WAITER
PASCALE / 23 / STYLIST
Nice Rims
Here are some of our friends who are four-eyed for real.
PHOTOGRAPHs BY THE LOVELY MAUDE TREMBLAY
ROBBY / 25 / FILMMAKER, PAINTER, PHOTOGRAPHER
Xavier / 24 / PHOTOGRAPHER, graphic DESIGNER
JASON / 21 / ART STUDENT
WILLIAM / 25 / p.r. & d.j.
THOMAS / 23 / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NIGHTLIFE MAGAZINE
marc / 26 / EN DEVENIR
ANITA / 23 / ART STUDENT
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STORE PROFILE Harry Toulch Vision 4021 Saint-Laurent 1327 Greene Avenue
In this issue we are doing something of a salute to peeps with glasses. When you are a child, having to wear glasses is often considered an affliction, a curse you have to live down or try to hide. Funnily it’s later in life that one realizes the aesthetic statement a bold pair of glasses can make, and the fact that eyewear is indelibly married to design culture. Pretty much every top fashion design house has created a line of eyewear and a striking pair can really mark out creative individuals: think Buddy Holly, John Lennon, Elvis Costello, Elton John and Karl Lagerfeld.
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Design and optometry is a concept done really well by a local family run store, Harry Toulch Vision. Many a passenger on the 55 bus will be familiar with the window displays that are frequently installed in their St. Laurent store by a two-man design team. Their works –most displays changing every 5 weeks or so- are an eye-catching statement meant for art’s sake.
Some recent displays include a photographic comment on war, a look at the work of Tom Ford for Gucci, and an eyecatching sculpture made of glass and mirrors. Inside the store there is a similar nod to design, with an art series subtly hanging near the ceiling and a painting hung between two glass cases. Michael Toulch, one of the family owners and son of namesake Harry, is also involved in design and has produced a line of eyewear and accessories bought by a European company which now sells worldwide. We were happy to profile this store for SNAP! Magazine’s Bookish issue, both for their keen design aesthetic, and also as a thank you for the cool windows that light up our wait for the bus most afternoons! Words andphotography by shayl prisk
371 Mont-Royal 3966 St. Laurent 3811 St. Catherine East
HE’S A REAl PIECE OF WORk Blake Eaton of the Cockroaches WORdS By ShAyL PRiSK PhOTOgRAPh By KARin dEMEyER
perhaps known best for his wild rockabilly antics in the three piece band the Cockroaches, Blake Eaton is no one-trick pony. He also jams in various incarnations to the beat of country, roots, bluegrass and- on occasion- classical orchestra, all the while thumping on his signature double bass.
the cockroaches, the magnetic rockabilly trio born in montréal in late 2004, features -alongside the charismatic ‘eddy’ blake eaton- two other stellar local musicians: Dale macDonald (guitar player for chocolat) and Danny marks (drummer for the cpc gangbangs). proving that -at least in certain situations- open relationships can actually work, the three piece gem continues to thrill their fans, win acclaim from critics and gain interest from international labels.
With tours scheduled for europe later this year, and a recording contract with the british label raucous planned at the same time, the cockroaches continue to develop their sound, a mixture of various high energy rock and roll and roots influences. “the typical rockabilly crowd is underground and totally wicked,” says blake. “It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. It’s just like a big crazy family.” When asked to name his favourite rockabilly bands he immediately lists several home-grown acts like the canadians, bloodshot bill, ronnie Hayward (calgary) and slim sandy (formerly of montréal and now in Victoria).
ble bass, writing some songs and finding his country voice. after high school, he spent several years jamming in bluegrass bands in edmonton before moving to montréal to study at mcgill’s music school. between playing in a 100 piece orchestra, blake discovered some of the city’s chief bluegrass hauntsthe Wheel club, l’esco, Quai des brumes and Barfly (where Blake met Cockroaches band member Dale as well as his fiancée and muse, tara).
“but I’ve been to a few weekenders” he says, “and also seen some mind blowing acts from around the world, like the Wild records gang from la, and guys like Dusty chance or Omar romero are super cool. also, you’ve got to hand it to the nerd-a-billy stylings of Deke Dickerson, it’s boss. some of the old timers still sound real good, too. I really dig art adams, the guy who sang ‘Dancing Doll’.“
the cockroaches spent several years just having fun and honing their collective skills doing selected covers by buddy Holly, chuck berry or Joe clay. each member tried his hand at writing and each developed solo careers. However the cockroaches plugged on and slowly defined their sound- reaching for influences ranging from rockabilly, 60’s garage, country, rhythm and blues and the early brit invasion. Their first album was released in February of this year and the second –titled ‘the cockroaches… Have a baby’ - is set to be released late this year.
blake has managed to encounter this many musical acts over the years due in part to his ability to juggle multiple bands and projects. right now blake is cultivating a number of solo projects, a burgeoning husband-wife style duet, the Dishwater Duo, and an urban country album long in the making titled saskatchewan. “I get inspired from day to day life, conversations with friends, and those things can’t be limited to one genre. If I’m just shooting the shit and something clever comes out, it may become a song. also, I take a lot of inspiration from old country songs.”
While frontman blake brings energy and charisma to the mostly-love-song rock style of the cockroaches, he has long been keen to develop slower more acoustic song-stories and to explore his different narratives. We asked him what is the one thing that ties together his musical range. “I’ve gotta say the people I play with. I admire them. I find it amazing that I get the chance to play with so many great artists in montréal. I consider them all my friends and learn so much from them. they are how I get better and often where I get the inspiration to try new things.”
born in a one-radio-town in rural saskatchewan, blake eaton grew up a country boy. and while you can take the man out of the country, you can’t take the country out of the man. even still, in his teens Blake cites various influences, in particular classic punk rock bands like the ramones and Nomeansno. From farm to city, blake continued to experiment with music, playing the first bass in his school band and dabbling in guitar. struck by Willy Dixon, Blake finally started playing the dou-
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have captured the attention of fans and tastemakers around the world.
BIKINI
‘Our Songs Come From Where the Wild Things Are’ by alex chinIen
Some things change and some things stay the same. Montréal based Bikini takes this to heart without much more than a pair of synthesizers and a now trademark self awareness. All the childhood nostalgia held for your best friend, favourite pet and first kiss broadcast seamlessly through the appropriately named single ‘I Remember Being Young’ with an acute sense of clarity and entitlement. The single tackles the tragedies and triumphs of youth through a lens of unabashed honesty. The resulting EP ‘Concerning the Number 7 and Your Love’ finds its beauty in the same unexpected places as its subject matter; in its simplicity, its flaws and its enthusiasm. The group consists of Oliver and Johnny, who have been friends since an early age. Oliver describes Bikini to me as “watching the sunset with a girl you love and knowing you’ve only got 15 minutes with each of them. You mustn’t hold on to the moment too tight, but you must enjoy it. When it is gone you will remember it”. Whether what remains is a wiser, jaded look on the nostalgia of youth or an optimistic celebration of what once was, one thing is certain. Bikini’s infectious beats
Starting with a refreshing cover of Feist’s ‘1 2 3 4’, Bikini began crafting originals in their own manner. A manner to which the other half of the band, Johnny, insists is a lot like making love: “you may try to control your mind, but soon there is something else instead that leads you on. You must continue with this thing you don’t understand. Let go and enjoy. Music is no different”. It might be this organic and unexpected element of Bikini which keeps their music relevant, letting their lives seep into the music rather than sitting down with a planned subject or direction. Pieces of both Oliver and Johnny can be uncovered in the music like golden flakes of human existence in a busy riverbed of relaxed electronic beats harkening Daft Punk and The Postal Service. Oliver explained this sentiment to me with startling sincerity and clarity. “I think I am always falling in love and then forgetting about everything I’ve tried so hard to remember. I like to find new things I never knew before and put these ideas into new tracks”. The band has just finished recording a cover of ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’ by The Police for a compilation album which will be released sometime soon; they are also in talks with Pop Montréal about an appearance in the music festival this October. Along with a full length album next year, discussion of re-scoring a Truffaut film and a screenplay of their own, Bikini is in talks with several major bands about a Bikini remix. Although Bikini remembers being young, they share with all their listeners a love for the present and a hope for the future.
ARIEL PINK
words by katie kotler Photograph by Laura Musselman
Ariel Pink and his band, Haunted Graffiti sound like waking up from a Saturday nap, when the TV is playing infomercials and afternoon movies. SNAP! recently interviewed the band after their Montréal debut at Zoobizarre.
KK/ How do you come up with your music videos?
AP/ Whenever I’m working with a direc-
tor, I tell him not to think about it too much and to just shoot me singing, maybe throw in a girl there somewhere and not to have too much content. [I want] a really bad video that isn’t a grand statement, but actually carries a performance. I perform in front of the camera. I don’t care for narratives… they could be great, but somebody else has to provide them.
KK/ What kind of music were you into
when you were at your most impressionable?
AP/ When I was in the fifth grade, I was really into metal. It was the first time that music was really my own, because nobody else really listened to it. It cultivates a sense of okay-ness with being different. KK/ Were you happy when the eighties became trendy again?
AP/ No, then I had competition! And I thought they were getting the wrong aspects of it, missing the soulful parts that were the most influential and lasting. Not just the appearances- there was always this primal musicality to it that got lost when the beat took over. There’s something that’s practically gone, extinct from it now, no matter how much it’s imitated. I see the
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eighties, seventies and sixties in the same way: they all had the potential to tap into so many little feelings, yet throughout rock revivals it’s hard for them to remain. But people do it, sometimes. Electroclash was too reliant Everybody’s like, “No, on visual mockI don’t like L.A.” You’re ups and theatjust saying that because rical poses, and there was you’re not there right then David Bowie’s now and you have to give lesson about beyourself an excuse. ing pretentious.
Jimi/ Maybe it has to do with time and in
ten years from now, popular music will be so bad we’ll look back on electroclash and think it was a refresher.
AP/ Yeah, exactly, I think it’ll need a lot of time in certain cases.
KK/ How do you think L.A. has influenced you?
AP/ Well it’s not for us to know, now, is
it? It’s for other people to gauge. We still live there, I was born and raised there, I never really left, I don’t have any perspective. I do have a sense of pride about it. The sounds that came from L.A. have been pervasive in music, even to this day.
Jimi/ It’s hard for us to be conscious of it,
but I would imagine that it probably affects us in all kinds of ways in our subconscious, the environment. You tend to make different sounding music depending on where you live… L.A. radio in the eighties had a huge influence on all of us. And the thing has I think a lot of people do pop always been an karaoke in L.A. because overwhelming they saw Ariel and real- thing underlyized they could do it too. ing L.A.
AP/ All the successful bands that come
from L.A. have that: Mothers of Invention, the Beach Boys, the Byrds...
Jimi/ A lot of bands try to dabble in that
country-rock-psychedelic hybrid... Even jazz, in the forties, Sparks, freakish pop stuff, punk rock, the Germs... 44/
AP/ It’s also really competitive in the industry, to actually get on the airwaves so that something can be disseminated anywhere else. So what’s interesting about L.A. is that you can have someone like Johnny Rotten who lived there, you have all these people that I totally built up in my mind and they have their own stories from where they came from and yet they all descended on L.A. It’s hard to feel, like it wasn’t supposed to be that way. AP/ People tend to make excuses for why
they’re not there, in my opinion. Everybody’s like, “No, I don’t like L.A.” You’re just saying that because you’re not there right now and you have to give yourself an excuse. You know you wanna be there because I think the whole world, if they knew what was good for them, would be there. But I like it just the way it is. It creates the best bi-products of people’s dreams that have been shattered because of their grossly overestimated ambitions.
KK/ Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?
AP/ Robin Guthrie, from the Cocteau Twins.
Tim/ Lee Perry. KK/ How has your music shifted? Jimi/ All sorts of people have come and
gone [within the band]. It’s gone from being a chaotic energy.
AP/ It started as a messy, karaoke-y thing. Jimi/ I think a lot of people do karaoke in L.A. because they saw Ariel and realized they could do it too.
AP/ Apparently Beck did it before I did. I never saw him [do it] but...
KK/ Have you met Beck? AP/ I’ve actually met Beck. No comment. It’s between me and my Scientologist therapist.
WIN
Pull out the accordion and strike up the choir! It’s that time again Montreal - competition time! This time around we’re looking for a comic strip. No restrictions, no themes, or clauses. Check our site for entry details (www.snapme.ca). Prize packs include gift certificates from Pop Shop and Cul de Sac, beer from Bierbrier and jewelry from Love Montreal. Not bad, eh?
pop shop
CHILD’S PLAY Book Reviews
It’s funny that many people consider the comic book and illustrated novel medium to be a childish pleasure. Thankfully there are still those among us who appreciate this art with many locals producing and selling them across the city. Drawn & Quarterly is one such distributor, as well as quite a few kids out there who are making and selling high quality books right off their own back. We chose a selection of illustrated novels and stories in comic form to review for you. All of them are made or printed locally.
Gameness By Jeremy B. R.
A beautifully drawn short story by local budding comic illustrator Jeremy B. R., this limited edition book follows the story of a dog from its birth to tragic death. Set within the world of dog-fighting, the images cast an unsettling eye on the cruel and inhumane practces done to dogs. Available by request through jeremybr@hotmail.com. shayl prisk
What It Is The Push Man, And Other Stories By Yoshihiro Tatsumi Drawn & Quarterly Montréal
A collection of short stories originally published in a Japanese magazine, Tatsumi creates brief and often semi-tragic portraits of mostly unhappy middle aged men dealing with the idiosyncratic issues of their daily lives. There is a sexually frustrated medical student, a unappreciated sheet metal worker, a sewer cleaner with a secret. All roughly 8 pages long the book presents some beautiful modern examples of Japanese manga made for English readers. shayl prisk
By Lynda Barry Drawn & Quarterly
Lynda Barry has created many gems under the one title ‘What It Is’. With no distinct plotline, her innovative scrapbook format uses a free drawing style and looping script to string together a mishmash of concepts, from autobiographical anecdotes to art-making advice. The glue that keeps these pieces together is Barry’s continuous use of brain-teasing questions. Reading this book is not only a perfect window into the mind and art of Lynda Barry, it urges readers to think, create and reflect on their own. rebekah ward
Wimbeldon Green, The Greatest Comic Book Collector In The World By Seth Guelph Drawn & Quarterly Montréal
The cartoonist known as ‘Seth’ explores the character of a magnetic figure named Wimbeldon Green who is purported to be ‘the greatest comic book collector in the world’. The story of Wimbeldon Green is told by numerous friends and acquaintances in a quirky, firsthand reporter style. One store owner muses over Wimbeldon’s curious smell ‘like buttered toast’ while another man suggests that his mustache is fake. Following is a series of anecdotes from Wimbeldon’s lustrous career as a comic book collector, the stories combining fantasy and drama with Seth’s usual flair for comic illustration. shayl prisk
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WAxING POETIC The following five young writers help prove that the poet’s spirit is still alive and kicking in Canada.
kalifornia to kolkata Selected Sections K. gAndAhAR ChAKRAvARTy
I. Why do all american cities look like computer chips, especially at night? Is there some master plan Well beyond our sight? On a night flight From pearson International bound to san Fran, Felt like I was hovering above some circuit board, man. even microsoft can crash. aren’t airplanes also computer operated? Which gates do you pray for? … IX. gazing at kalifornia’s bust, In De Young museum somewhere near king saul. I swear she smiled at me, From mesmerizing marble lips. and then he watched her eyes shift, as if some other realm lurked behind her stare. she became hazy, masked in shooting stars. X. a fancy shoe stepped through a black hole three days later. It walked off the plane Into a wet, warm, and moist vagina, the air so thick, He could lick it. … XII. Finally, sunrise. barely survived a kolkatan cab ride, swerving side to side, like dodging bullets.
stepped into a hotel, materialized from an ancient dream. communal bath, desk, and bed. all a poet needs to rest his head. as he half-slept He felt the whole city shake, like one universal pulse beating the tablas In eleven-four time, One thought drifting through the clamour in his mind: kolkata is falling apart. Destruction would be a welcome fresh start to resurrect a city that’s falling apart. a welcome relief From years of breathing Diesel grief. … XIV. so he discovered, No city of joy, but a city somewhere in its future, the gap between poor and rich as thick as buddha’s belly. and everywhere he went, He smelt shit. Within the same city block street urchins rummaged through a free market garbage dump, shopping for the day’s meal, While businessmen gloated about their latest e-commerce triumph, bloated on the rawness of the deal. sure, every city supports street dwellers, but in kolkata their bodies pave the street, scattered like dhuno across coals, baking in the sun. kolkatans create space Where there is none. … XXII. He looked up and saw two lizards poised as ying and yang, Framed by candlelight, While the spider on the wall crawled on, swiftly to their right.
live Urgently ALEC ELLSWORTh
start moving and you might understand the meaning of movement unshackled from your cellular prison, liberation turned inside out or maybe what I meant to say is that to move is just a prefix for meaning start writing and you might stumble upon your voice unbridled unsaddled unhinged and unspoken useful for once, a proverbial pacman gobbling up the decomposting goo left over from a lifetime of education start asking is what I’m doing right now better than sex? or a good book, or a handstand, or storytime with your mother? no near death experience needed thank you very much mine is now, and tomorrow and next tuesday so i’ll pass on the 6.75 an hour don’t try to put a price on my moments start thinking about death and you may discover the urgency of life.
Me and My Jazz Musician SARAh BRidEAu
me and my jazz musician we are six year olds together we are silly fools that invent their own words that have music and dances and games Me and his saxophone candlelight like fire us and our non-linear thoughts that follow each other like a set of jazz riffs me and my jazz musician we are poets who walk awkwardly on slushy sidewalks and hide in subterranean cities we hold a string of abstract thoughts we feed it forever and it never runs out we stretch it for 850 miles he has me in the words I write to him and I have him in the music by which I write we undress ourselves of censures and become nudes by the thoughts that go too far yet never far enough me and my jazz musician we are a poem and a song not yet written but already on perpetual repeat in a repertoire of our favorite songs and a song that burns bright enough to warm me up on cold January nights.
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30 Speed Zone ERiCA RuTh KELLy
Banks, Pockets, and Sock Drawers JORdAn STEWART
late for work, Where was I going again? and drunk again. I’d better get to work, my wrist the summer sun beating down will need a gold watch in 30 years on his sweating forehead. so I can tell you what time has elapsed He thinks of all the places people I’ll construct a map keep their money. pointing out all the places I went wrong His briefcase why I can’t sell a song packed for a long stay. why I haven’t made my first million in due time Ham sandwich and a six shooter. what time is it? check my wrist He silently wonders I’ll make a right here. if people even call them that taking out our to-do lists, leafing through anymore. catalogues to find our beloved the grey carpeted half walls make checkmarks inside boxes, notches in belts shake hands happily-ever-after all, love is success with the blue carpeted and when we disconnect through our silence, full floors. exhausted from too many vacations His office: the answer is simple: children can solve this remarkably unremarkable. this is a sharp turn. be careful. He wonders what 9 months and off to the nanny with them a bullet would look like we wonder why they do not listen to us when they misbehave we berate them, punishment for having excluded so many other travelling through the water cooler. possibilities a silver-haired swimmer, we have learned nothing diving from the highest board. they have not healed us the police report would read they stem from us and still the core evaporates as we neglect it as follows: our three dimensions dissolving Warning shots fired into water cooler, but we can live through them takes own life. We’ve made too many left turns. an avid fan It’s time to ask for directions. of ham sandwiches. our drive to create will get us everywhere hopes high to live something real, something true dreams matching for the future we hold on tightly to what’s dear fearing evolution though it’s what brought us here our children will grow up to be themselves as other parts of ourselves will be born in the morning we will feel as grade-schoolers at night we will feel as old sages every year we will let go a little bit more and from one generation to another, some things will change but no number of machines can ever outdo the power of the passionate heart I don’t know where we were going. I think we have arrived.
THE WORKSPACE
words by shayl prisk photgraphs by xavier tolentino
Where do you pen your prose? Paint your portraits? Spend all-nighters with strong coffee and the internet? We asked four creative Montréalers to let us into their workspaces and tell us a little about what they do.
Simon Duhamel Montréal-born, Dawson educated photographer Simon Duhamel works from his Plateau studio on a number of commercial and artistic projects, including a recent portrait series published in Urbania and a stop-motion music video picked up by Musique Plus. His latest collaboration with Julien Vallée and Eve Duhamel will be featured in ELLE Magazine’s September issue of Decoration in the UK. See his work on www.simonduhamel.com and read his blog at simduh.blogspot.com.
* Note Simon shot SNAP! Magazine’s first two covers. He is a consummate professional.
Kevin Lo An art director and graphic designer with over 7 years of agency, studio and freelance experience, Kevin Lo is the co-founder of ‘Four Minutes to Midnight’, an experimental literary arts zine published independently in Montréal. Kevin also teaches applied and experimental typography at Concordia University and considers his workspace any place that has internet, coffee and good music. We tried to shoot at Le Cagibi but they were closed for vacation!
* Note You can read more about Kevin and
his publication 23:56 in our artist profile, featured on page 19.
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Natalie Reis With a Fine Arts degree from Concordia, a permanent gallery rep and solid press interest, Natalie Reis is one of Montréal’s most promising visual artists. Her work combines painting, illustration and print work and has been exhibited both in Canada and abroad.
* Note Natalie and her brother Robby Reis
will be featured in an upcoming exhibit aptly titled “Reis’ Pieces.” The exhibit begins with a vernissage on September 25 at the SNAP! Salon. For more details contact us on info@snapme.ca and to see Natalie’s work visit www.nataliereis.com
Eric Bolduc Eric studied Fine Arts at the University of Ottawa before returning to his home town of Montréal. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the bilingual website ‘Rats de Ville’ – a valuable source of info on upcoming art exhibits, events, and competitions across the city as well as artist/entrepreneur profiles. His ‘visual arts, diversity webzine’ is generating buzz and keeps its readers informed of Montréal art happenings. Eric works mostly from home and in the warmer months calls his garden and sun room his office.
* Note Read more about ‘Rats de Ville’ in our ‘Blogging 101’ article on page 24.
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SNAP! TEES ARE HERE! Check www.snapme.ca for our catalogue of designs as well as details on how to get your dirty little paws on one of these bad boys.
FILMY RESIDUE Words by A.J. Little Illustration by Natalie Reis
I take the metro every morning. I take the metro long before the school children and upwardly mobile shuttle off to their respective destinations. The only people riding the train with me are the overworked, the underpaid, and the mass of MontrÊal’s underbelly as well as the occasional vampire. I ride the metro with the cast of a Fellini film.
It was the Thursday before last when the morning metro brought a vision in nerd and sat her across from me. She was all horn rimmed glasses, bangs and cardigan sweaters. She had piano player hands, long and slender, that touched the spine of the book with grace. The book, Woody Allen on Woody Allen, was swollen with basement dampness. I stared at the front cover intently and started to mouth the opening monologue from Manhattan.
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“Behind his black rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat; Oh I love this, New York was his town and it always would be.” I could almost hear George and Ira over the hum and dissonance of the metro car. I want to live in Allen’s New York. I want to have the angular innocence of Mariel Hemingway professing an undying affection for me beneath the most convenient street light. I want to live in George Willis’ stark black and white cinematography. I want the toothy skyline of New York to dance in tableau to Gershwin tunes. I want to have a romance with a friend’s mistress, fall in love with her, get caught in the rain and have the pretentious conversations I would be too scared to have at any other time. I want to make esoteric jokes at blacktie fundraisers. I want to have a lesbian ex wife write a tell-all memoir about our relationship. I want to live in the world of deconstructed sophisticated pseudo intellectuals, the very kind that Allen has committed to film in Manhattan. Allen was said to be so displeased with the final product of Manhattan that he told United Artists he would direct another picture for free if they shelved it. They balked at the idea. Manhattan was always a favourite of my friends who - like me- had a lasting love for the esoteric. Although Allen is making fun of the overtly cerebral in the film it is still filled to the brim with obscure references. If you overheard someone at a party make all these name drops you would surely poison their drink for being an asshole. Allen filmed the movie in a wide aspect ratio in an effort to showcase the setting. It is a markedly different movie for him. Deciding to use the black and white method that had become antiquary in the commercial realm of cinema, Allen had to have his own lab built to process the film. It bleeds a style that could have only happened in a stark grey scale.
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There are a hundred and one ways to deconstruct this movie- be it from the sexual partner musical chairs, to Woody Al-
len’s predilection for young women. Diane Keaton gives a sterling performance as the mistress of Woody’s friend, with whom Woody starts a torrid affair. Keaton spends most of the movie in a cerebral jog, talking over herself in apparent non-sequiturs -“I mean I can’t even have this conversation… I mean, I am from Philadelphia… I believe in God”. The real treat in watching the movie resides in the fact that the characters are almost incidental… are just a piece of city it self. Every location seems like a place you have been before and would like to go again. I want to live in the New York of the movies. It was the Thursday before last, on the morning train, where I dreamed about dalliances with a girl I judged like the cover on a book; sitting there all bangs cardigan sweaters and horn-rimmed glasses, reading Woody Allen’s thoughts on himself. I wanted to talk to her, to maybe “sit around on the floor with wine and cheese, and mispronounce ‘allegorical’ and ‘didacticism’.”
In a cinema near you: SNAP! gives you a heads-up on some cool flicks coming soon.
Burn After Reading / September 12 The Coen brothers direct this crime/comedy starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovitch about two gym employees who unwittingly get tangled up in the C.I.A.
Choke / September 26 Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk ‘Fight Club’, Sam Rockwell ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ plays Victor Mancini, a sex-addicted con-man.
Miracle at St. Anna / September 26 A Spike Lee joint, this film is set in 1944 Italy, and touches on the story of four black American soldiers who get trapped in a Tuscan village.
Body of Lies / October 10 Ridley Scott once again casts Russell Crowe as his star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Strong in a modern day war thriller involving a journalist based in the Middle East.
FALLING FOR HER
Good style is always in the details. Photographs by Alain Astruc Styling by Shayl Prisk Model Iliana Antonova
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ABOvE BE ChARMEd BLOuSE fROM LuSTRE $110 EMAiL uS AT infO@SnAPME.CA fOR yOuR ChAnCE TO Win ThiS BLOuSE. SiMPLy TELL uS yOuR fAvORiTE PiCK-uP LinE, And yOu COuLd WALK AWAy WiTh ThiS hAnd-TAiLOREd PiECE.
AUTUMN’S BEST FRIEND
WORdS And PhOTOgRAPhS By ShAyL PRiSK
the best thing about getting dressed during early fall? the fact that you can still wear all your typical summer garb. throw a cardie on top and those cool breezes won’t bother you a bit.
1/ COTTOn gRAndPA CARdigAn By Bdg / uRBAn OuTfiTTERS / $60.00 2/ ShAg fLEECE CARdigAn in MuSTARd / AMERiCAn APPAREL / $48.00 3/ vinTAgE BLACK And WhiTE CARdigAn / BuffALO By dAvid BiTTOn / $78.00 4/ nuMPh OiSEAuX CARdigAn / OnzE / $94.99 5/ COTTOn CARdigAn in WidE STRiPES / AMERiCAn APPAREL / $50.00
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Beauty
READ MY LIPS They say hats are the new bags- but this fall the best beauty accessory is a pair of dark lips, from a plummy stain to a rich burgundy hue. Carolina Herrera’s fall show conjured images of Robin Hood, equestrian jaunts and crisp autumn days outdoors. Models donned fedoras, feathers, breezy hair and flushed cheeks but it was the wine-stained lips that really set the look apart. Other fall runways showcasing rich lip palettes include Donna Karan, Peter Som, Dolce & Gabbana, Rodarte, Derek Lam, and 3.1 Phillip Lim. Shown: Rachel at Carolina Herrera Fall/Winter 08. Image from www.stardustfashion.com
Street Guide
Notre Dame West
words and photos by Shayl prisk
Notre Dame street west is heaven when you have a camera in your hand. So many textures and beautiful details, the wonderful chaos of old next to new and the surprising diversity of the people drifting past. Tourists eating ice cream or poring over maps, plotting their next destination. Business men and women in flawless suits, dashing to pick up their dry cleaning or to take in a quick lunch at any of the fine French bistros nearby. Exceptionally friendly shop owners more than happy to chat to a passerby about the history of the beautiful buildings or to just smile and pose for a picture. Chefs, families, busboys, carriage-drivers, students. There are the very rich and the very poor. There are rows of antique stores, rows of galleries, hotels and restaurants, and rows of parking lots, vacant buildings and fields. Several blocks on Notre Dame street west are in disrepair; bare, punctuated only by short bursts of bright graffiti. New constructions are slowly being added, many bringing even more parking lots and threatening to congest the already steady line of traffic flowing past. Old eras are ending and new ones beginning: Antique stores that have been open for decades are closing and young bloods, looking to create a new restaurant mile away from the main are moving in with chefs and fresh ideas. Notre Dame street west is one of the oldest and most beautiful sections of the city. Always changing, it nonetheless remains one of the favourite spots for tourists to visit when in MontrĂŠal, and one of the romantic pleasures of the MontrĂŠaler who, needing a quaint spot for a date or an inspiring muse to light up their camera, returns again and again.
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Bistro Claude Postel 75 Notre Dame west 514.844.8750
Serving sandwiches, soups, pastries, chocolates and assorted other baked goods. They offer catering services and now have a liquor license.
Food and Drinks Bonny’s 1748 Notre Dame west 514.931.4136
Creative, organic, fresh, this restaurant serves up original food that delivers on every front without the intimidation factor of other vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Interior decor is simply heartwarming. Probably the best vegetarian restaurant in Montréal. alec ellsworth
Quoi de N’Ouef
2745 Notre Dame west 514.931.1598
Specializing in breakfast foods, in particular eggs and omelettes. Reasonable prices and a friendly, colourful ambiance.
Dillalo Burger
2523 Notre-Dame west 514.934.0818
Famous burger joint right on the corner of Atwater and Notre Dame west serving typical diner specialties like smoked meat, poutine and brunch food.
La Sarosa Restaurant 56 Notre Dame west 514.844.8595
Serving traditional Italian thincrust pizza. Once you try thincrust, you never go back.
Tatami
140 Notre Dame west 514. 845.5864
Beautifully designed Japanese restaurant with exotic fish in aquariums and perfectly executed sushi made in front of you.
Delmo
211 Notre Dame west 514.448.1869
Fine seafood restaurant which also features several meat dishes on the menu. Positioned on two floors with many of the old building’s original features and a classy comfortable setting.
Aszu
212 Notre Dame west 514.845.5436
Another fine food slash classy night spot on Notre Dame west, Aszu features many light meals and snacks for guests out to drink and socialize in the bar, as well as a fuller bistro menu for those in the dining room.
Da Franco
233 Notre Dame west 514.844.9481
French cuisine skirting a mix of traditional and modern dishes.
Pasta a Piacere 260 Notre Dame west 514.842.3060
Mid-range friendly Italian eatery.
Le Nantua
275 Notre Dame west 514.288.4288
Restaurant with fresh ingredients and a wide variety of seafood cooked in a French style.
Muscadin
639 Notre Dame west 514.842.0588
Italian dining with a huge reputation and home to one of Canada’s largest wine cellars.
Pub Victoria
698 Notre Dame west 514.864.5060
Favourite of students at the nearby Ubisoft campus as well as others looking for a comfortable pub atmosphere.
Aux Deux Olives
1205 Notre Dame west 514.509-7779
Beautifully designed contemporary dĂŠcor and fine Lebanese cuisine make this a restaurant worth noting. Not the usual cheap falafel fare, Deux Olives serve gourmet creations based on authentic Lebanese cuisine and have mastered the little details entailed in good service. Stock an extensive range of wines from Lebanon and beyond.
Limon
Griffintown CafĂŠ
1378 Notre Dame west
With new owners and some minor renovations to the space, this 19th century building is airy and charming and has a small open kitchen where the chef can be seen making market fresh dishes each day. Brunch on weekends as well as ever-changing lunch and dinner menus, Griffintown is also home to a regular Friday night blues jam. Friendly and fun in a beautiful old setting.
Gusto
1380 Notre Dame west 514.939.2130
A unique mix of Italian, Peruvian and French cuisine. Favourites like chicken cacciatore, veal a la crème, and shrimp specialties.
La Trattoria
1551 Notre Dame west 514.935.5050
Pleasant bring your own wine Italian restaurant.
Restaurant Ambiance 1874 Notre Dame west 514.939.2609
A lunch-only restaurant with an affordable menu.
La Gargote Des Antiquaires
1708A Notre Dame west 514.678.6429
A clever idea for competing with the many other antique stores on this street, La Gargote is a restaurant set within and beside an antique space. Selling various antique wares, dishes and frames, it also serves traditional French cuisine and has a beautiful sun filled terrasse.
2472 Notre Dame west 514.509.1237
Mexican restaurant with a clean, modern dining room and a variety of classic meals like quesadillas and fajitas available.
Burgundy Lion Pub 2496 Notre Dame west 514.934.0888
Pub food done well, this place is popular with the business sets and has a large, pleasant dining room where guests enjoy the popular bistro menu.
McKiernan
2485 Notre Dame street west 514.759.6677
A new luncheonette and winebar that serves inventive twists on Irish lunchtime classics like sandwiches and soup, cheese plates and roasted meat. Stylish interiors.
Cafés Toi et Moi
Notre Dame west 514.788.9599
Joe Beef
2491 Notre Dame west 514.935.6504
This hoppin’ bistro shines in a neighborhood full of breakfast joints. Fair Trade Organic coffee is roasted in-house, and will not disappoint. alec ellsworth
With a name like this you may expect a boys-club style food bar serving thick slabs of meat and pints of frothy beer. Actually the name comes from a local legend who fed many a Montréaler in 19th century Old Montréal. In homage to him, and to the old establishments of Notre Dame street, this small eatery features a raw bar (oysters, clams, mussels, crab, lobster) as well as more traditional meat and veggie dishes made a cut above by top chefs just back from the Atwater Markets.
Lili & Olli’s
Liverpool House
Itsi Bitsi
2501 Notre Dame west 514.313.6049
2621, rue Notre-Dame 514.509.3926
Yet another super stylish small-scale dining spot between Charlevoix and Atwater, Liverpool House serves modern takes on traditional crowd pleasers like risotto, osso bucco, veal scaloppini and various amazing desserts like trifle and chocolate mousse.
Cute cupcake store also serving homemade ice creams and drinks.
Note/ All three of these last eateries are owned by celebrity chefs/entrepreneurs Allison Cunningham, Frédéric Morin and David McMillan.
2515 Notre Dame west 514.932.8961
The driftwood in the front window speaks to the rustic homey-ness of this cafe. Clearly a neighborhood favorite, a steady stream of regulars pours in the whole morning long. alec ellsworth
Les Iles de Catherine Café 2519 Notre-Dame west 514.807.3097
Unique café-style spot with food inspired by the cuisine of Guadeloupe.
Europea Espace Boutique 1227 de la Montagne 514.398.9229
Gourmet sandwiches and tarts for passersby or workers grabbing a bite for lunch. A large range of coffee and tea as well as select gifts like handmade soaps and candles.
Café Saison
209 Notre Dame west 514.287.8985
Simple friendly café serving meals and snacks.
Café Momus
243 Notre Dame west 514.848.0873
A neat little spot to study or relax with mismatching couches and a friendly owner. Wireless with a large variety of teas.
1001 Grains
1308 Notre Dame west 514.934.9209
Small bakery and café.
Art Surface Jalouse
2672 Notre Dame west 514.3036220
This is a little Mecca of design decal objects, with the creations of graphic artists and designers available for companies and individuals to buy. Right now they feature a ‘Vinyl collection’ with a record deck motif, which can be applied to the surfaces of most spaces. A neat take on customizing your environment and better than the Ikea and Urban Outfitters stuff.
Galerie Point Rouge 2471 Notre Dame west
A selection of beautiful contemporary art pieces on display and for sale.
S Sense
227 Notre-Dame West 514.282.7130
Fashion Stand-out jewelry store stocking various one of a kind designs, sourced locally or from abroad. Beautiful and varied, the work of store owner Aaron Maya is a key feature and is put together from his designs by artisans in Mexico.
Somewhat hidden on the street, we stumbled across S Sense on an internet search and were overwhelmed with all the beautiful contemporary designers they featured for sale. Favourites like Graham and Spencer, Ksubi, Cheap Monday and classics like Karl Lagerfeld, Michael Kors and Valentino are stocked and sold both online and from their clean marble showroom. Pricey but a must-see for fashionistas.
Saithong
Ur Imij
Frou par Argent Tonic 268 Notre Dame west 514.313.6212
366 Notre Dame west 514.843.5819
A store dedicated to the rich beauty of Thailand, with a number of stunning dresses and accessories as well as art pieces, silk scarves and ties, artifacts and clothing from the in-house designer.
Rooney
395 Notre Dame west 514.543-6234
Something of a boutique/ art gallery, this store is flush with designer denim for men and women as well as other select pieces with an L.A. bent. Alongside the clothing and Converse sneakers, there is art on display and for sale. Right now Erro- a prominent Icelandic artist with notable fame in Europe- is featured on Rooney’s walls.
420 Notre Dame west 514.670.4122
Boutique stocking the best in hand-tailored menswear made by the store’s own atelier.
Era
800 Notre Dame west 514.443.8750
Awesome vintage boutique selling old designer labels and one of a kind pieces as well as some shoes and accessories.
La Gaillarde
4019 Notre Dame west 514.989.5134
This gem is at the heart of the eco-fashion scene in Montréal. All clothes are recuperated from used material, and spruced-up by local designers. Upstairs is high-fashion, downstairs is for the friperie crowd. alec ellsworth
Stylin’ Lailama
204 Notre Dame west 514.288.9508
Specializing in cellular therapy and skin care, based on Swiss technology. Offers other services such as manicures, waxing and hair-styling.
Snob Salon
235 Notre Dame west 514.843.1095
Hair-styling, waxing and tanning services.
Bare Root
264 Notre Dame west 514.844.6279
Esthetician and salon services.
Leopold Salon
266 Notre Dame west 514.288.3470
Beauty, hair and cutting edge laser services.
Cool Edifice Aldred 507 Place d’Armes 514.284.3321
This beautiful art deco building finished in 1931 was Montréal’s first skyscraper and resembles the Empire State building which was designed and built at the same time. The security and staff of the building welcome people to come in and admire the stained glass motifs, marble floors and decorative patterns in the foyer. Definitely worth taking a look.
Notre Dame Basilica 110 Notre Dame west
The Gothic inspired architecture and detailing of the Notre Dame Basilica, as well as it’s long history, make this one of Montréal’s most famous tourist destinations. Spectacular as it is, it still seems somewhat uninviting because of all the people constantly lined up outside of it.
Chergo Inc.
360 Notre-Dame west Montréal, QC H2Y 1T9 514.844.2569
Ergonomic furniture done with some care for aesthetics.
Centre Yoga Plus 372 Notre Dame west 514.848.9301
Yoga studio in a beautiful space which features various classes to meet individual needs. Frequent sign-up specials.
Barami
409 Notre Dame west 514.849.5000
Designer furniture store specializing in chairs at more competitive rates than some of the showrooms further north.
Arcadia
1638 Notre Dame west 514.846.3314
Antique dealer emphasizing English furniture pieces as well as whimsical items and an extensive collection of lights.
Pimiento
1962 Notre Dame west 514.788.4111
Small production company making documentaries and film shorts.
L’Atelier du Presbytere
1810 Notre Dame west 514.448.1768
The lavender scented boutique filled with dishes, old blackboards and antique home wares has gained some press lately for its recycled cloths, hand-towels and aprons.
flickr.com/photos/gibbons
flickr.com/photos/gibbons
FOUND ART
Sometimes art can pop up in unexpected places. 78/
Clockwise from top: artist unknown shot by Esther Gibbons; shopdropping by vanda daftari; shopdropping by Natalie Reis; artist unknown shot by Esther Gibbons.
4 STEPS TEPS TO A FRESH START WORdS And dESign By hAnnAh ByRnE
I left Australia at 21 with a pretty firm plan of living in Spain for a year. It’s now 4 years later and I’ve never been. Of course I told my people that I’d be back in the family bosom within 6 months. “No matter what happens, you can always come home,” were my dad’s parting words, obviously imagining his youngest child and only daughter holed up in eastern morocco, pregnant to a people smuggler, having sold her left kidney for clean water, a piece of dubious looking lamb and a pouch of hashish. “No matter what!” he re-iterated. Hadn’t I been a good kid? kept out of trouble, lied my way through my teens and kept a clean nose? australians are everywhere. With a population of just over 20,000,000, we’ve done a pretty decent job of spreading ourselves out across the world. It’s the same story with canadians, south africans, brits and kiwis (who are clearly just copying the aussies). so what makes the itchy-footed colony-kid go travel, stay, come back and want to go again? some people get bored with their lives and opt for a new haircut, buy a new pair of sneakers or start crocheting. my friend and I had an ongoing joke that once we got bored, it was time to change house, city, country or continent. life seems a little dissatisfying? pack your life up into a brightly coloured backpack and get on a train. someone asked the other day about how difficult it is to establish yourself in a new place. the answer: not very hard at all – you just need to change your concept of people and friends. I remember a seinfeld joke where Jerry was talking about children becoming best friends over the realization that they both like cherry soda (or something along those lines). and when you start to move around a bit more, the same deal goes. You bond over a mutual interest in sunsets, music, the 30s, sneakers and bad moustaches. You
befriend people at the drop of a hat and it’s fun. I’ve made a rough list of tips to get you going in your new city of choice.
TIP 1 Work in hospitality. No matter what your career aspirations, your proficiency in Microsoft Office or your film making abilities, you are now a waiter, line cook, dishwasher or bar keep. Hospitality is a melting hotspot of party kids, students, artists and deadbeats. stick it out for a few weeks and if it’s really not your bag, get yourself out of there once you’ve established a few key social contacts. If you can handle the late nights, lazy mornings and kick-around afternoons, you’ve found your calling. the parents will be proud!
TIP 2: Hang out in crowded places and
start eavesdropping. any mention of a social outing and it’s up to you to get an invite. my best tactic is to sidle myself into a conversation. most people are just too polite to say no. “Dinner tonight? I’ll bring the wine!” “Oh I make a wicked chicken sandwich, this picnic is going to rock!” Oddly enough, everyone seems to like chicken between bread.
TIP IP 3 Invest in alcohol ‘cos it is, after all, the
great social lubricant. It might set you back a few pennies but it’s fun to be generous and your new position of designated drink buyer gives you social status. One drunken night will set you up for life and before you know it, you’re the loudest laugh in a group of jokes that don’t make sense about people you’ve never met.
TIP 4 I hate to say it, but Facebook is ac ac-
tually a good social networker. make one friend in your new city and spend a lazy afternoon prowling through and adding their friends. Write some flattering wall remarks, comment on photos and events and set yourself up as an active local socialite.
“that was the funniest night ever,” on a picture of two suspender-wearing hipsters chugging guinness. “I have been waiting so long and it’s finally here!” on the wall of an event that you’ve never heard of. “last night was fun ;) Next time we’ll have to do it on John’s rooftop!” ‘cos everyone has a friend called John. so these are a few tricks which I’ve tried and tested. I’ve never been boo-ed out of a social situation. I’ve never had spaghetti thrown on my head and I’m still standing to tell the tale. If you have a few dollars kicking around the place, invest in a one-way ticket and head somewhere random. It might just turn out to be the best fun you’ve had yet. It might even change your life. PhOTOgRAPhS By ARiAnE gRégOiRE, MiChAEL CASTLE, hAnnAh ByRnE
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Not in Front of the Children A sex column by Lola Vertigo
Confession: I enjoy sex in public. It isn’t limited to sex with partners, either. I’ve been masturbating secretly out in the open since I was thirteen. Getting off in the back of class while everyone is frantically scribbling answers for a math exam is possibly the best form of stress relief ever discovered. Though, I digress. While masturbating in public has a certain thrill, actually getting it on where you can get caught is taking it to the next level. In a very informal poll of fellow young Montréalers, I learned that a distinct majority of people have at some time or another had sex in public. Why the appeal? According to British psychoanalyst, Brett Kahr -who undertook the biggest study of sexual fantasies ever- just about everyone fantasizes about sex in public. And in Montréal, we seem to not only fantasize, but to act it out. Be it for the rush, the story, or just because there is no time to get home, almost everyone I talked to had done it out in the open at some time or another. Popular spots? Washroom stalls, in bars, in parks, dark alleyways against walls. I put public fornication into three main camps. There’s the “I’m so horny I’ve got to do it right now” kind of sex, the “I want you where everyone can see” scenario, and
the “I want to have sex where we could get caught, but we’re so good that we won’t.”
1/ Public sex for impossibly horny people: If you fall into the category of being impossibly horny, you know who you are and what I’m talking about. Being an impossibly horny person myself, I have found that limiting sex to the bedroom and to certain hours of the day is not only inconvenient, but also impractical. I am usually so busy running around because of work and life, that making time to go home and have sex, although possibly more comfortable, isn’t quite feasible. There is no one place that is best for sex. Just about any location can be suitable as long as there is a) a door that locks, b) a curtain or screen to hide behind or c) a distinct absence of light or of other people. If these things cannot be located, chances are you’re out of luck, or you will have to resort to the tactics of the latter camps.
2/ Public sex for exhibitionists: I hate to put that word out there, but if you get off on the idea of other people watching, you are indeed an exhibitionist. If you do not close your blinds when getting na-
ked, if you secretly relish being in the buff in the change rooms at the gym, if you wish and hope that everyone is watching your every move, you are an exhibitionist. Exhibitionistic sex can be dynamite. You have a highly increased chance of getting arrested, but if you can pull it off, is the story not worth it? Exhibitionists tend to do it in places where they can and will get caught. Open spaces, rooms with ceilingto-floor windows, in parks, subway cars, on beaches, in elevators. Oh, and breaking into private property adds an extra thrill to an already illegal act. I’ll have my orgasm with a side of adrenaline, please.
lic sex is a beautiful compromise between the angelic and devilish sides of one’s personality. You can be bad, but maintain the façade of innocence. You can be daring, but not so daring that you could really get into trouble.
3/ Public sex for sneaky little vixens
A final word on the subject. Public sex can be very awkward. You need to manoeuvre yourself and your partner in such a way that what you’re doing isn’t too obvious (or too loud). There is dealing with the mess afterwards. There is the fear of getting caught that in some cases heightens, but can also diminish one’s pleasure. Oh – and something not enough people consider. Hygeine. Doing it on a park bench can be awesome, but really, seriously, are you actually going to go putting your bare asscheeks on that?
This is about doing it out in the open but not getting caught. This is sort of equivalent to finding your mom’s stash of candy, but only taking one at a time so she’ll never know. It’s getting your girl off on an overnight bus, your hand under a blanket, her cheeks turning tellingly pink as she grips her seat to suppress the squeals of pleasure that are bubbling up. It’s doing it in the stacks at the library on a quiet evening after the mid-term rush, and coming back to your work, cheeks flushed, your little secret facilitating further focus. Sneaky pub-
A note. In reference to the aforementioned, public sex in front of children is never okay. So keep it out of the Kid’s Books section, save the playground for late night entertainment, and attempt some semblance of dignity at the park or on the beach. The last thing you need to hear is a six yearold child saying “Mommy, mommy! Why is that man hurting that lady?”
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Thou shalt bring home the bacon... and he will cook it. words by roberto cialdella
According to Wikipedia: “‘gender role’ refers to the attitudes and behaviours that class a person’s stereotypical identity, e.g. women cook and clean, men fix cars.” It is a sign of our times that -rather than punches at 3 a.m- I am being thrown a plethora of questions about being gay. While I am all but happy to oblige, I nevertheless look forward to the day we may bury the question that never dies. For when dawn is near and no one is around, the straight men of Montréal (or more specifically the straight drunken St-Laurent mob type) cannot bear to go to bed if he cannot ask me: which one am I in the relationship? The man or the woman? The top or the bottom? The pitcher or the catcher? Keep in mind they are rarely so eloquent. It happens so often, we homosexuals almost consider it a rite of passage.
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According to the general public, every gay and lesbian couple is willing to adopt and play gender roles. The effeminate one is the woman or wife, cooking and washing the dishes and ‘receiving’ in bed. Naturally, the other one is the man, the breadwinner, the ‘giver’. If this dichotomy applies, one has to wonder how bisexuals, transexuals, transgendered, androgynous, gynephiliacs, androphiliac – the latter and former terms used to describe a transgendered man attracted to women and a trans-
gendered woman attracted to men respectively- as well as the simply confused, fit into this framework? Once again our diversity as a people is underestimated and reconciled with heterosexual views of how things should ‘normally’ work. How is it that society has linked how much one likes anal sex to how often he will do the dishes in the household? There is very little research to actually support this strange idea. Most statistics point out that we often end up with a partner with a similar degree of masculinity or femininity: In your terms folks, us gay guys are usually either two sisters or two dudes. Let’s not forget many of the lesbians I know are bitter feminists who spit on gender roles. As couples we may go through a set of problems akin to straight couples but we are generally quite dissimilar. A study from San Diego University reveals hetero women are usually sour about having to do most tasks at home and in the relationship. This suggests that the inequality between opposite-sex couples could be behind the dissolution of many marriages and couplings. On the other hand, homosexuals are often egalitarians. Statistics show that household tasks are usually fairly divided and easily interchangeable with both responsible for the financial influx.
The Cynic’s Astrology Sept-Oct 2008 Horoscope WORdS By LAdy nOX CAdAvER iLLuSTRATiOn By nizAR ShORBAgi
Aries (MARCh 21 - APRiL 19)
keep your eyes, ears, and any other orifice on the alert for attacks. they could advance from any direction. If you are not already accustomed to this, you are in for something rather disconcerting and even a little uncomfortable if it is not smoothly dealt with. this is a war on your current lifestyle and/or any wasteful characteristics you may have been susceptible to. so be generous with the lube. Incidentally when investigating gender roles for this column most articles referred to physical abuse within couples. even here the logic of the typical male/female dynamic fails. given that men are usually the batterers in most reported cases and -adhering to the notion of there being one ‘man’ per couple- the occurance of violence should logically remain the same amongst hetero and homosexual couplings. suprisingly, abusive relationships and domestic violence are found to be more common within lesbian partnerships than gay ones (amen, I grew up with four sisters, they didn’t make me gay, they made crazy). as usual I also try to look at the other side of the proverbial curtain. many of my friends have at one point or another specified how they need ‘a man’ or how a relationship won’t work because both are the ‘girls’ in the relationship. We need to realize we are seeking specific characteristics in our partners as opposed to genders. Homosexuals have grown up around mainly heterosexual role models, parents and family and often feel the need to emulate them. the way the lgbt community describes itself also reflects its basic spirit and character. It also affects the way it is perceived. believe me kids, I’d carry on another page but hubby forgot to start the dishwasher before going to bed. men, urgh.
Taurus (APRiL 20 - MAy 20) Imagine how mummies feel after being unraveled from that musty cotton wrap after centuries? they probably feel relieved although perhaps a little awkward when they find themselves surrounded by strangers wearing next to nothing. In your case, necrophiliacs are the least of your problems. You aren’t dead yet.
Gemini (MAy 21 - JunE 20) at this point in time, the only way to live in the past is to hitch a ride with Dr. emmett brown. Now if you don’t want to have to endure your mother hitting on you when she was a teen, then I think you should stick to what you have going for you in the now. contrary to popular belief, you do not have a face that only a mother would love. CAnCER (JunE 21 - JuLy 22)
You are quite the dreamer at times. However, some might mistake your romantic nature for naiveté. It’s not a terrible thing to strive for beautiful –albeit- impossible goals. It’s up to you to make the impossible
a reality. keep in mind all talk and no action will just give you the label of ‘big talker’ or more aptly, ‘nutcase’.
leo (JuLy 23 - AuguST 22) If by some freak occurrence you get the upper hand in a situation that prompts you to take on the characteristics of an honorable leader, then you should play the part. Of course, you could always listen to your wicked conscience and pull out the card of the malevolent sovereignty. but remember, not everyone is oblivious to your acts of trickery and sleight of hand.
Virgo (AuguST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22) You will soon be aware of the numerous possibilities at hand. the problem for most would be choosing the right one, especially one that you will be content with down the line. We all know how much regret eats away at our insides. but hey, you should be happy your life is this exciting. some people’s only excitement is choosing what cereal to eat in the morning.
libra (SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22) I don’t mean to be redundant but with destruction comes rebirth. What you might not be aware of is that change isn’t always concrete. It could be a transformation from one form of consciousness to another. so in a sense not all death is bad. Failure to confront change leads to denial. take a look at vampires; you can learn a lot from them.
Scorpio (OCTOBER 23 - nOvEMBER 21) this month if you’ve got it, flaunt it honey. use your sex appeal to get what you want, for a little while at least. You’ll
find in some cases, you will barely need to do anything as you attract, command, and conquer. Don’t forget to use your best judgment in the course of things, to weed out any unwanted pests.
Sagittarius (nOvEMBER 22 - dECEMBER 21) You may find yourself troubled at the thought of making any concrete choice at this point in time. Whether it is because your indecisive nature has become a chronic problem, or you just can’t shake the opinion of others, try building yourself a hut out of chairs and a sheet. Here you will find a silence void of outside disturbances. If it worked when you were a kid, it should work now.
Capricorn (dECEMBER 22 - JAnuARy 19) use your keen powers of observation to notice the minute details that end up being the meat of the matter. It’ll be unexpected but you’ll learn something priceless while it flies over the head of every other overachiever. be certain before you propagate your newly acquired information that it’s meant for the ears of others. maybe now is the time to be selfish, so keep quiet.
Aquarius (JAnuARy 20 - fEBRuARy 18) I fear an epidemic of the ‘blahs’ coming your way. Demotivation and frustration are your worst enemies now. they could be the rogues of your dissatisfaction. take a deep breath and understand that if something doesn’t occur at the moment you wish it to, it probably isn’t meant to. so don’t be a little bitch about it, and don’t let your altruistic sense overtake you.
Pisces (fEBRuARy 19 - MARCh 20) Don’t get too wishy-washy over trivial things- like your roommate finishing all your orange juice, or your dog ripping the head off of your favourite teddy bearv , or the dépanneur you frequent running out of peter Jackson’s… Instead, remember to lock your apartment and keep an eye on your wallet, because it is the violation of these things that will really give you a reason to cry.
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