It’s an earlier email this month, as there are so many things happening this week in the city. In fact, I am organizing three events in the next eight days, all to celebrate Pride season in Montreal.

To start, we have the first of two VHBC meetings in August. We’ll be gathering to discuss De Profundis (written in 1897) by Oscar Wilde at Mes Pants de Queer (2025 Parthenais #241) on Saturday, August 1 at 3 PM. Latin for “from the depths,” De Profundis is a letter that Wilde wrote to his lover Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas near the end of his two-year sentence in Reading Goal, where he was incarcerated for gross indecency.

While not as famous as his other work, De Profundis might be Wilde’s most ambitious text. Known for his comedy and wit, Wilde is uncharacteristically somber and raw in these pages (yet still insightful and biting). You can tell he has been thinking a lot about the crime that put him in jail, and how, in his suffering, it has made him more human (at times, I was reminded of Anderson Cooper’s famous interview with Stephen Colbert on grief). I’m sure there will be a lot to talk about when we meet.

Note: When I first made the selection, I didn’t realize there are different versions of this text. The version in anthologies and online are mostly a long excerpt that focuses on the philosophical passages about art, suffering, and Jesus Christ. We’ll mostly focus on this excerpt, but we can talk about the complete and unexpurgated text too, if people have read it (but don’t feel like you need to read it all for the discussion).

The second event I’m organizing (with close friends) is another Dad Bod Tea Dance (Sunday, August 2). I thought there was something poetic about holding a tea dance the same weekend we discuss the text Oscar Wilde wrote while incarcerated.

Historically (or at least rumour has it), afternoon tea dances were popular in the 50s and 60s because they offered a lower-profile alternative to bars, which were often targeted by police. It’s hard to believe there was a time you could be arrested for dancing with a member of the same sex.

So come out and dance with us in the name of love! Our resident DJs Dr. Love and Laura Ingalls will be spinning classic house tracks from 5 PM to 9 PM at Robin des Bois (3933 Av. du Parc-La Fontaine). Artist GeneralAmazingness will also be selling some original t-shirts inspired by this month’s artwork.

You can get your tickets to Dad Bod here.

And then on Wednesday, August 5, I’ll be interviewing Montreal author Peter Dubé at the double launch of reissues of his first two books: Hovering World (with a new introduction by Daniel Allen Cox) and At the Bottom of the Sky (with a new introduction by Trebor Healey). Both are books are being put out by Rebel Satori’s Library of Homosexual Congress imprint, which breathes new life into classic gay lit.

Peter has long been a figure in Montreal’s literary scene, with more than 11 books to his name. Known for his experimental and unconventional fiction, he is a surrealist who works never cease to titillate (his writing has been described as “weird, sweaty and lush”). I’ve known him for more than twenty years and am grateful for both his work and our friendship. Hopefully, you’ll join us starting at Argo Bookshop (1841-A St. Catherine Street West) beginning at 7 PM for the event. Please RSVP, so we know how many people are coming.

Also: Hovering World will be our October book club selection.

Finally, I’ll be tabling at Community Day on St. Catherine Street East in the Village on Saturday, August 8 (from 11 AM to 5 PM). Not sure where my table will be, but I will share my location on Instagram the morning of. Come say hi!

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB: The Song of Achilles

The second August selection for the VHBC in Montreal is the hugely popular The Song of Achilles (2011) by Madeline Miller, a retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Achilles and Patroclus. The meeting will take place on Sunday, August 23 at 3 PM at Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien East).

ABOUT THE BOOK

Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles.

Achilles, “best of all the Greeks,” is everything Patroclus is not — strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess — and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative connection gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper — despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

UPCOMING SELECTIONS

• Saturday, September 26 at 3 PM: Shuggie Bain (2020) by Douglas Stuart, led by VHBC member Héctor Gálvez

• Sunday, October 25 at 3 PM: Hovering World (2002/2026) by Peter Dubé

Both meetings will take place at Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien East).

Reminder: All VHBC titles are available at Librairie Paragraphe Bookstore (2220, McGill College Ave) at 15% off and at Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe (3952 Wellington St.) at 10% off.

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB: Toronto

The Toronto chapter of the VHBC continues with its sixth selection: What Belongs to You (2016) by Garth Greenwell (the Montreal chapter read the book in 2020). Join moderator Larry Baer at Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave.) on Tuesday, August 25 at 7 PM for the discussion. The bookstore asks that you please RSVP in advance.

THE QUEER SHELF: John Fairbrother

Each month I ask VHBC members to share what books they’re currently reading and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by John Fairbrother who has been a book club member since July 2025. This month John recommends The Coming Storm, by Paul Russell.

“Paul Russell is an American author whose first novel appeared in 1990 and who has published eight major novels to date. Each of his novels delve into different issues, challenges, and situations experienced by gay men and the persons with whom they interact. These are not just stories of gay men, but intricately woven stories involving cross sections of a community or a group of people, of which one or several happen to be gay. I came across one of these novels several years ago and have systematically read most of them, all being available at the BANQ.

“His most recent novel, The Angels Came to Sodom in the Evening, will be published later this year, and deals with queer desire, masculinity, and religious influence. I will look out for it. I enjoyed reading and would recommend all of his novels, however, The Coming Storm particularly resonated with me because of the brilliant writing, well-constructed complex story, rich characterization, and emotional depth. It dealt most delicately with a very difficult subject — an illicit relationship between a young gay teacher and a male secondary student, and the impact on their lives and on those of the more senior headmaster and his wife. In the telling of this story, the innermost secrets, past and present, of the four main characters were progressively revealed, making a very satisfactory read.”

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New books to discover: Daughter of the Mountains by Fatimah Asghar; Perverts: Stories by Mac Crane; The Brides by Charlotte Cross; Unsayable: A Life in Writing by Michael Cunningham; Hovering World by Peter Dubé; At the Bottom of the Sky by Peter Dubé; The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Gay by Eliot Glazer; Chosen Family by Madeleine Gray; How to Date a Fanatic by Aruni Kashyap; The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS in America by David Levithan and Gabriel Duckels; The Life of a Creature by Nadja Lubiw-Hazard; Drag Thing: A Memoir of Mania and Mirrors by Gabe Montesanti; Heartstopper Volume 6 by Alice Oseman; and Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle.

Another new book out this month is Confluence. The novel-in-stories is a labour of love, completed by writer Lucian Childs after the death of his husband Alex Turner, who had been working on the stories for almost two decades. Set in the 50s and 60s in the Upper Fraser Valley and a pre-Stonewall gay Vancouver, the coming-of-age novel tells the story of a young gay man who leaves his small town looking for love and adventure.

Legendary gay activist Michael Hendricks has passed away. Queer Montrealers owe him a big debt of gratitude. Among his many accomplishments, Michael co-founded ACT UP Montreal, Dire enfin la violence and the Table de concertation des lesbiennes et des gais du Grand Montréal. He also successfully sued the provincial government for the right of same-sex couples to be legally married in Quebec. You can read his obituary in The Montreal Gazette.

Fierté littéraire have planned many literary activities during Fierté Montreal, starting this week. Among them is Des livres et des paillettes (Friday, July 31) where the inaugural Prix Fondation Lambda de l’écrivain·e francophone 2ELGBTQ+ émergent·e will be awarded to an emerging queer author writing in French in Quebec. The prize is bestowed by Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada (and created by VHBC member Darren Stehle). The ceremony will take place starting at 5 PM at Place du Village and will feature readings by the finalists.

Other events organized by Fierté littéraire this week: Les signes de la diversité (August 1), La diversité en toutes lettres (August 1), Transpoésies (August 2), Le combat aux mots (August 3), and Le grand effeuillage littéraire (August 4). The organization will also take part in both Community Days (August 7 and 8) with their Salon du livre en plein air and Vagabondage littéraire.

The Archives gaies du Quebec also have some programming planned. Check out the art exhibit The Coming Out of Montreal’s Gay Village (1974–1990), which covers the years surrounding the migration of Montreal’s gay community from downtown to where it is now. The exhibit opens on July 31 at Fierté Montréal’s headquarters (1314 St. Catherine Street East). A 60-page colour catalogue of the exhibition (a partnership with ACCM) is available in English.

Also, during Community Day, be sure to check out Mur des mémoires Queer, which features portraits and testimonials sharing the life stories of older members of the community.

Wild Pride has also planned a significant number of literary activities, too. Catch White As Snow, written and performed by Rose-Ingrid Benjamin (August 1), which blends spoken word, music, and storytelling. Se retrouver à travers l’écriture (August 2) is a workshop that offers an introduction to intuitive writing through oracle cards. VHBC member Afrooz Zaad hosts Queer Echoes from Iran (August 5), an evening of short stories and poems in the languages in which they were originally written, read by the authors, along with translated English and French versions. Bookstore Joie de Livres presents WILD PRIDE x Telling Queer Stories (August 5), a conversation on queer storytelling and belonging with Dr. Alex Ketchum, Ayla Vejdani, francesca ekwuyasi, Ayavi Lake, and Dr. Casey Burkholder. The Afro-Queer Open Mic (August 5) is a dedicated space for Black & BIPOC queer voices to speak, be heard, and express themselves. And don’t miss the launch of Blackout Magazine (August 6), the first magazine dedicated to BIPOC voices in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal.

Want to read more queer books in French? The Cercle de lecture LGBTQ+ gets together more often than we do! Right now they are reading the third section of N’essuie jamais de larmes sans gants by Jonas Gardell (meeting on August 15), Confessions d’un masque by Yukio Mishima (meeting on August 30) and Nos femmes sous la mer by Julia Armfield (meeting on September 5, reserved for women and non-binary members). Meetings take place at Arte & Farina (1550 St. Catherine Street East) in the Village. Join their Facebook group to learn more.

Montreal’s Queer Cinema Club has announced their next selections: The Times of Harvey Milk (August 27), a Marlon Riggs double feature (September 17), and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (October 29).

Writer and VHBC member Lukas Rowland is launching Somatic Storytelling, a series of online sessions that combine gentle movement, meditation, and journalling. Sessions take place on Sundays at 8 PM until September. Tickets are pay what you can. Sign up here.

QUEER VIEW MIRROR: Divers/Cité

The beginning of August has been Pride in Montreal for as long as I can remember. When I was an otter in my twenties (working at Toys R Us on the south shore), I would call the offices at Divers/Cité (how our Pride was known back then) in January to get the dates for that year’s celebration so I could make sure to book the right dates off for my summer vacation. And when that time came, I’d go to as many events as possible.

To my surprise, two years after discovering Pride, I ended up working for Divers/Cité. I was their communications guy for eight years (1997-2000; 2002-2005). My job was to help promote the celebrations, both locally and in other markets (watch a super clip of me speaking to press over the years). I’d write copy, pitch stories, book ads, help produce the program, set up interviews, speak to the media. Sometimes, I’d even get to travel to other cities to promote ours (Toronto, New York, San Francisco).

I’m nostalgic for that period in my life because so much was new. I’d bring in my bulky Mac desktop computer from home (because their offices only had two) and write press releases. Then I’d spend hours faxing them to newsrooms across Montreal. I’d also call up bars and bookstores in other cities and ask them if we could send them flyers (and then I’d mail them). It was in these offices I used e-mail for the first time. Where I died my hair blonde; then blue.

Divers/Cité’s co-founders Puelo Dier and Suzanne Girard were like queer parents to me (as was Ian Abinakle, who took over from Puelo after he left). I learned a lot from my time with them, and marvelled at the community they were able to mobilize — and not just the crowds, I’m talking about the individuals and artists who would come in to the offices to talk about the projects they would work on together.

This is where I’d see the queens from the night before show up in their daytime drag and smoke joints and talk about the musical numbers they were planning for the celebrations. Where this guy named Jeff would always whip up some crazy club-inspired decor for our promotional activities and build our float every year. I remember Miriam coming in with her bike helmet to drop off tickets for the yearly Sapphic fundraiser, Le Boudoir. And Alex coming by to show us the original shirts he had designed for us to wear. There was this DIY ethos to pretty much everything that went on. We tried to make things happen, and with so little money.

That’s not to say we didn’t want (or need) money. Suzanne would apply for funding, seek out sponsorship opportunities, but we never got much. Back then, we had to convince people we were worth supporting. I remember only having two corporate sponsors in those early days (Molson and Air Canada, because gays really do love to drink and travel). I know both companies got flack for doing it.

The economic impact of Pride on the city was new and significant. “It’s like gay Christmas,” I remember one of the bar owners telling the media who were now interested in the idea of the “pink dollar.” Not long after, some of the Village bars began to boycott Divers/Cité because they didn’t like that the celebration had to be moved out of St. Catherine Street East to nearby Berri Square for safety reasons, didn’t like they could no longer sell booze on the street. Suzanne had to deal with a lot of misogyny in those years. I remember a particular meeting at Drugstore one year where the business owners tore into her. She was always tough as nails, though.

I also fell in love while working for Divers/Cité. And then I had my heart broken, too. I met many friends I am still immensely close with today (ultimately, what I was looking for). I tried to pay homage to that time in my life in The Family Way, but I felt I only scratched the surface. Maybe one day, I’ll write a whole book about that time. Maybe the character of Alan needs his own novel.

At some point, I quit. I was tired. I felt like I could no longer grow in the role. I also had had enough of the bickering. The couple years afterwards were the hardest, feeling lost on the day of the big event with no responsibilities. I’d just walk in circles, looking for people I knew. There was an emptiness now that hadn’t been there before. And the party went on without me.

I obviously don’t feel that way now (it’s been 20 years). I regularly enjoy Pride celebrations as a member of the public and as someone who now organizes his own Pride events — whether or not they are considered “official.” But I don’t chase after it the way I once did (I no longer call the office for the next year’s dates). I will always, however, remember its importance in my life. And I know that it now holds that same importance for someone else.

Even though Pride celebrations continue to remake themselves, as each generation makes it their own, I don’t think the essential moments will be radically different, no matter who organizes it. There will always be moments of love and joy, as well as moments of grievance and frustration. People feel passionately about Pride more than they do about any other city festival. There is a sense of ownership there, and they are not wrong. Pride does belong to all of us. And we can choose to celebrate it however we want. Happy Pride!

That’s it for this month. Thanks to all my paid subscribers for their support. Stay up to date and follow the Violet Hour Book Club on Instagram.

Violet Hour Book Club continues its events in Toronto. If you’re in the city, consider joining the growing community at Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave.). This month, the group is reading Blessings (2024) by Chukwuebuka Ibeh. The meeting takes place this Saturday, July 11 at 6 PM. Participants are asked to RSVP in advance. Big thanks to Larry and Anju for keeping it going!

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB: The Freezer Door and other summer titles

The July selection for VHBC in Montreal is The Freezer Door by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore. We’ll be meeting to discuss the work of creative non-fiction on Saturday, July 18, at 3 PM at Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien East).

Did you miss my interview with Mattilda? In advance of the meeting, I spoke with her about the origins of the book, how nostalgia prevents us from seeing the present, and why the promise of queer life often falls short. Watch the interview here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A meditation on the trauma and possibility of searching for connection in a world that enforces bland norms of gender, sexual, and social conformity.

“When you turn the music off, and suddenly you feel an unbearable sadness, that means turn the music back on, right? When you still feel the sadness, even with the music, that means there’s something wrong with this music. Sometimes I feel like sex without context isn’t sex at all. And sometimes I feel like sex without context is what sex should always be.”
—The Freezer Door

The Freezer Door records the ebb and flow of desire in daily life. Crossing through loneliness in search of communal pleasure in Seattle, Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore exposes the failure and persistence of queer dreams, the hypocritical allure of gay male sexual culture, and the stranglehold of the suburban imagination over city life.

Ferocious and tender, The Freezer Door offers a complex meditation on the trauma and possibility of searching for connection in a world that relentlessly enforces bland norms of gender, sexual, and social conformity while claiming to celebrate diversity.

UPCOMING SELECTIONS

In August we have not one but two meetings, each at different locations (and days of the week) — so please take note!

On Saturday, August 1, at 3 PM, we will be discussing De Profundis (1905) by Oscar Wilde at Mes Pants de Queer (2025 Parthenais #241). Not so much a book, the work is a letter that Wilde wrote to his lover Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas while incarcerated for gross indecency. The work is in the public domain and available for free.

The second title we will be reading in August is the hugely popular The Song of Achilles (2011) by Madeline Miller, a retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Achilles and Patroclus, depicting them as lovers and tracing their relationship from childhood to the outbreak of the Trojan War. This meeting will take place on Sunday, August 23 at 3 PM at Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien East).

And on Saturday, September 26 at 3 PM, we will be discussing Shuggie Bain (2020) by Douglas Stuart. VHBC member Héctor Gálvez will be leading the discussion.

I have had a few people reach out since I closed my Facebook profile to ask for information about upcoming selections. Thanks to VHBC member Darren for suggesting I create a special page to list all upcoming selections. Over time, I hope to populate it with all the books we’ve read over the past few years. I’ve also created an events tab, too.

Reminder: All VHBC titles are available at Librairie Paragraphe Bookstore (2220, McGill College Ave) at 15% off and at Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe (3952 Wellington St.) at 10% off. Just tell them you are a member.

DAD BOD TEA DANCE: Pride edition

Dad Bod Tea Dance returns to Robin des Bois in the middle of Parc La Fontaine for a special Pride edition on Sunday, August 2 (from 5 PM to 9 PM). If the weather is nice, we will be dancing outside on the terrace. DJs Dr. Love and Laura Ingalls will be spinning old-school house music and Italo disco. Everyone is welcome. Click here for tickets.

Throwing this party has been a lot of fun for my friends and I. Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore might be opposed to nostalgia (more on that at the next VHBC meeting) but it’s something that seems to drive me as I get older. Perhaps you’ve noticed, but much of the art for the Dad Bod parties has been inspired by matchbook covers of Montreal’s former gay bars. For the latest edition, we’ve adapted an old advertising of Bud’s.

Bud’s was a legendary leather bar on Stanley Street back in the 70s and 80s when Montreal’s village was downtown. A massive raid occurred there in 1984, with 122 men charged with being found in a common bawdy house. That raid led many of the city’s gay-owned businesses to pick up and leave the neighbourhood and head east to what became today’s Village.

Using artwork from a previous era has been a way for us to pay homage to the queers who partied before us, back when it could get you arrested (something we can also discuss at the De Profundis meeting the day before the party) — back when homosexual socialization happened more in bars and clubs than it did on apps.

If you’re interested in that era, I recommend you check out Ross Higgins’s thesis A Sense of Belonging: Pre-liberation Space, Symbolics, and Leadership in Gay Montreal. The book is available as a PDF. Montreal writer Vincent Fortier also does an excellent job, too, writing about the era in his novel, Les racines secondaires.

Robin des Bois is located at 3933 Av. du Parc-La Fontaine next to the water.

VIOLET HOUR LITERARY SERIES: Peter Dubé

I’ve known Montreal writer Peter Dubé for many years. We first matched in 2009 through the QWF mentorship program. I learned a lot from my time with him (he provided me important feedback on a draft of The Geography of Pluto). And over the years that mentorship turned into an enduring friendship. You will often find Peter and I on barstools at Aigle Noir, sharing pints, life updates and literary gossip.

So, I’m thrilled and deeply honoured to finally have the chance to interview Peter about his work. The Library of Homosexual Congress, an imprint of Rebel Satori Press in the U.S., is reprinting Peter’s seminal first two works this summer: Hovering World (with a new introduction by Daniel Allen Cox) and At the Bottom of the Sky (with a new forward by Trebor Healey). Both works are queer, surreal, erotic, and deeply rooted in Montreal. Hovering World will also be our October VHBC pick.

Hopefully, you can join us on Wednesday, August 5, at 7 PM at Argo Bookshop (1841-A Sainte-Catherine St. West). Peter will read short passages from each title, and I’ll ask him questions about his legendary career. RSVP link available soon.

THE QUEER SHELF: Su J. Sokol

Each month I ask VHBC members to share what books they’re currently reading and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by Su J. Sokol who has been a book club member since before the pandemic. This month Su recommends Notes from a Regicide (2025) by Isaac Fellman.

“What stands out in the novel Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman is more than just one thing. Its strong and varied depictions of trans characters makes the book worth reading for that reason alone. It also presents one of the most authentic, granular, unsentimental yet beautiful descriptions of the many ways of being a lifelong activist and artist I’ve ever read.

On a literary level, the writing is beautiful, brutal, straight-forward, multi-toned and layered. I usually prefer narratives that are linear and tend to shy away from epistolary stories. This novel is not told in a strictly chronological way and is epistolary in two different respects, presenting events both through the memoir of the narrator, Griffin Kemming, and also through the prison letters of his adoptive father, Etoine. Yet somehow, not only do these literary choices work, but they enhance the intellectual and emotional progression of the story.

For those who know me, it will not surprise you to learn that this is a work of speculative fiction. Notes on a Regicide takes place in a far future, and some might find the worldbuilding in this post-collapse New York frankly incomprehensible or even irrelevant. Yet, for me, something about it enhanced the message: embracing our humanity in even the strangest of contexts.”

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New books to discover: Waiting on a Friend by Natalie Adler; The Two Roberts by Damian Barr; The Sleuth of Ferren City: The Brindlewatch Quintet, Book Three by S.M. Beiko; Hell in a Handbag by Jibz Cameron; Everclear by Jennifer DeLeskie; Breakaway: The PWHL and the Women Who Changed the Game by Karissa Donkin; Dear Sam by Sam Gardner; The Library Cosmic by Ben Berman Ghan; Dogs On Dates by Luke Healy; Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim (reissue, with a new afterward by the author); Spawning Season: An Experiment in Queer Parenthood by Joseph Osmundson; A House on the Ocean, A House on the Bay by Felice Picano (reissue); Rough Description: Love Letters and Ghost Stories From a Life in Music by Don Pyle; Here’s to Letting Go by Blaine Thornton; and Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden.

Read “The Lilacs Again,” a new short story by Montreal writer H Felix Chau Bradley in Toronto Review.

I published a story online, too. Read The Sun in Our Bodies on The Violet Letter’s site (for paid subscribers).

“Queer literature has become one of the growth engines of the publishing industry.” So says bookstore owner (and former editor in chief of Out magazine) Aaron Hicklin about recent trends in publishing in a recent essay in The New York Times (subscription required).

Pitchfork recently published an interview with music journalist Barry Walters about his new book Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000, a personal and cultural history that carves a new path through the canon of queer music, from Motown to Nirvana.

Congrats to Leith Marshy. She recently won the $10,000 Danuta Gleed Literary Award for My Thievery of the People (Baraka Books). The prize recognizes the best first collection of short fiction published in English by a Canadian author.

Check out GÉNÉRATION XEROX, an exhibit about the ongoing love affair between LGBTQ2IA+ communities and zines. Curated by Simone Beaudry-Pilotte, Mark Andrew Hamilton, and August Klintberg, with design by Asad Pervaiz, the exhibit features new additions since its 2023 iteration. It runs until September 30 at Concordia University’s J.W. McConnell Building (1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Room LB-2).

Speaking of zines, Dick’s Lending Library and Sheer Spite Press are holding a book and zine swap on Saturday, July 11 from 2 PM to 5 PM (rain date: Sunday, July 12, same time). You can bring zines you’ve made yourself, or books and zines that you’re done with. If you don’t have anything to trade, you’re still welcome to pick up new material. The swap takes place in Parc Lafontaine, in the southeast corner of the park (near Sherbrooke and Papineau). Click here for more information.

Also, the collaborative zine Cats and their Dykes launches on Thursday, July 23 at L’Euguélionne (1426 Beaudry Street). The launch features screenings of two short films: “The Secret Lives of Lesbian Cats” (2023) and “Flow” (2024).

Editors Adèle Barclay and David Ly are seeking submissions of speculative poetry, short fiction, and non-fiction for Queer Little Daydreams, a new anthology to be published by Arsenal Pulp Press in fall 2027 (deadline: August 1).

Joie de Livres has a “Starring Montreal” book club, where they read novels set in the city. This month (discussion: July 21) they are reading Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram.

Comedian John Cotrocois (of our queer storytelling events at Blue Metropolis these past two years) has a couple of upcoming shows. Catch him at the Montreal Casino tomorrow (Wednesday, July 8) as part of Le Dating Show (en français) and at Souvlaki Authentique (1345 Ontario East) on Saturday, July 11 for the Comedy Authentique Show (in English). Email cotrocoisj@hotmail.com for more info.

Looking for more comedy? Just for Laughs’s OFF JFL series presents the Montréal Series: The Queer Show at the Comedy Nest (2313 Sainte-Catherine St. West 3rd Floor) on Thursday, July 16 starting at 9 PM with host Tranna Wintour and guests Kě, Ray Resvick, Eve Parker Finley, Maya Kanitkar, Tony McIntyre, Jesse Daniel, Becca Redden, and Raquel Maestre.

Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada has launched a new literary prize in collaboration with Fierté littéraire. The $5,000 Prix Fondation Lambda de l’écrivain·e francophone 2ELGBTQ+ émergent·e will go to an emerging queer author writing in French in Quebec. The inaugural finalists are Rowan Mercille (Bébé braillard), Laura Doyle Péan (Cheer), Maryse Andraos (Tombée de la nuit), and Laurence Caron-Castonguay (Portraits de Laurent). The winner will be announced at Des livres et des pailllettes, an event held during Pride in Montreal on Friday, July 31 at 5 PM at Place du Village.

Fierté littéraire are also producing several other events for Pride, including Le grand effeuillage littéraire 2026, the org’s annual evening of (nearly) naked readings. The event takes place on August 4 at the Théâtre la Comédie de Montréal (1113 Boul. de Maisonneuve East).

QUEER VIEW MIRROR: A Night at the Disco

Last week, I interviewed music journalist and writer Christian John Wikane about his new book A Night at the Disco at De Stiil Bookstore. It was an intimate interview (we were competing with the heat, the Jazz Fest and a screening of Hedwig and The Angry inch with John Cameron Mitchell in attendance) but often these evenings are the best. What was supposed to be a 30-minute conversation ended up being an hour-long discussion with contributions from some of the folks in the room who shared their own memories and reflections of that time in queer history.

One of the things I really loved about his book is that it not only profiles more than 100 artists who helped make disco the movement it became, but it also explores how the music was listened to in clubs and at parties, as well as the role that gay men and DJs played in shaping which songs became hits. For the entry on Marvin Gaye, Christian wrote about how gay men would often hold on to each other while they danced to “What’s Going On” on the dance floor at The Sandpiper on Fire Island. And when it came to “Cherchez La Femme,” by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, the song only gained traction once after promoters brought the group to Fire Island and the DJs there embraced their sound. Fascinating.

Big thanks to those who made it out (and for Gregg Blachford for coming and sharing his pics)

Thats it for this month. Stay up to date and follow the Violet Hour Book Club on Instagram.

In advance of our July 18 VHBC meeting, Mattilda and I got together to talk about the origins of the book, “The Seattle Freeze,” how nostalgia prevents us from seeing the present moment, and why the promise of queer life often falls short of what we expect.

Watch the interview below.

Provincetown has long held a place in my imagination. As a young gay-ling, I often fantasized about visiting the town the way one might imagine getting to visit Oz — a seaside playground where gay folk are the majority. I first got to experience it in 2007 with my besties. I then came back in 2010 with my boyfriend Greg, and over the next decade we would find ourselves returning to its beaches and bars with friends year after year.

I wrote this short story to try and understand the spell the town has on me. I also wrote it around the same time I was writing The Family Way, which also has its fair share of Provincetown scenes. The narrator and his unnamed partner in the piece are pretty much nascent stand-ins for Paul and Michael, and there are even cameos by Danny and Alan.

Hope you enjoy!

Read more

I hope you will excuse the shorter newsletter this month, but I am writing to you from Italy (right now, from the ancient city of Lecce with swallows swarming the hot sky around me). I came here last week to take part in the Association of Italian-Canadian Writers conference, held in the ancient city of Viterbo at the Università della Tuscia.

I was part of a panel on Italian-Canadian Queer Identities with Nicole Haldoupis and Ryan Calabretta-Sajder. I read from my work-in-progress, a literary satire with the working title Sorry for Your Loss. I’m currently in the middle of another draft of the text, processing the feedback I received from beta readers and trying to pare it down (it’s too long now, at 95K words) while also reinforcing its central tenets. Wish me luck.

My partner Greg and I tacked on a much-needed vacation at the end of the conference. We’ve rented a car and are visiting several cities (Matera, Lecce, Ostuni) and their environs in the south. The great thing about being away from home and having new experiences is that it can “feed the well,” so to speak. I’m sitting with the current book, and thinking about the one after that (one of the ideas I have is to revisit the characters in The Family Way during a post-pandemic trip through Italy). I have an outline for that book already, but I really have to finish the other two I’ve started before starting something else.

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB MONTREAL: A Two-Spirit Journey

The next meeting of the Violet Hour Book Club in Montreal will be on Saturday, June 20, at 3 PM. We’ll be meeting at Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien East) to discuss A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Nee Chacaby with Mary Louisa Plummer (2016). I selected the book to coincide with National Indigenous Heritage Month (June) and Indigenous People’s Day in Canada (June 21). The book won Canada Reads in 2025.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From her early, often harrowing memories of life and abuse in a remote Ojibwa community, Ma-Nee Chacaby’s extraordinary story is one of enduring and ultimately overcoming the social and economic legacies of colonialism.

As a child, Chacaby learned spiritual and cultural traditions from her Cree grandmother and trapping, hunting, and bush survival skills from her Ojibwa stepfather. She also suffered physical and sexual violence, and in her teen years became an alcoholic herself. At twenty, Chacaby took her children and, fleeing an abusive marriage, moved to Thunder Bay. Despite the abuse, racism, and indifference she often found there, Chacaby marshalled the strength and supports to help herself and others.

Over the following decades, she achieved sobriety, trained and worked as an alcoholism counsellor, raised her children and fostered many others, learned to live with visual impairment, and came out as a lesbian. In 2013, Chacaby led the first gay pride parade in Thunder Bay.

Ma-Nee Chacaby has emerged from hardship grounded in faith, compassion, and humour. Her memoir provides unprecedented insights into the challenges still faced by many Indigenous people.

UPCOMING VHBC SELECTIONS

• The Freezer Door by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore: Saturday, July 18 (location: Espace des Possibles)

• De Profundis by Oscar Wilde: Saturday, August 1 (location: to be announced)

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: Sunday, August 23 (location: Espace des Possibles)

• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart: Saturday, September 26 (location: Espace des Possibles)

OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, June 13

By the way: Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie, where most of our book club meetings are held, will be having an Open House on Saturday, June 13 from 1 PM to 5 PM. I’ll be at a special Violet Hour Book Club table letting people know all about our wonderful group. If you are in the neighbourhood and want to pass by and say hi, please do. You can also learn about the other groups that call this place home.

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB TORONTO: Blessings

The Toronto chapter of the VHBC will be meeting on Saturday, July 11 at 6 PM to discuss Blessings (2024) by Chukwuebuka Ibeh. The meeting will take place at our Toronto home, Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave). Larry Baer will lead the discussion.

Click here to reserve your place.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A powerful portrait of sexual awakening and self-acceptance set in a Nigeria on the brink of criminalizing same-sex relationships.

Uzoamaka’s miracle baby, Obiefuna, arrives after a series of miscarriages. As a young boy, he brings luck to his family and joy to those in his orbit, from the teachers at his school to the ladies getting their hair braided at Uzoamaka’s salon. But by adolescence, Obiefuna has grown unsure of himself. After his father brings home an apprentice from a nearby village, the lightness Obiefuna feels is quickly dashed when the two are caught sharing a moment of intimacy.

Without explanation, Obiefuna is sent off to Christian boarding school, where he must navigate strict codes, hierarchies, and alliances among his new classmates. There, he internalizes the lesson that he must hide his true self, pushing away those who may have otherwise brought him comfort. Back home, Uzoamaka must contend with the absence of her beloved son, her husband’s cryptic reasons for sending him away, and realizations that were within her all along.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Obiefuna and Uzoamaka, as they reach towards a future that will hold them both, Blessings is an elegant rendering of the compromises made in a country that forbids homosexuality and the love that can flourish in spite of them—among friends and partners, but also between a parent and child.

THE QUEER SHELF: Robert Petrera

Each month I ask VHBC members to share what books they’re currently reading and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by Robert Petrera, who has been a book club member since July 2025. This month Robert recommends Len & Cub: A Queer History by Meredith J. Batt and Dusty Green (2022).

“Reading Len & Cub: A Queer History, written in 2022, felt especially meaningful to me growing up in Montreal, a city where queer life has long had visible gathering spaces, bookstores, bars, and communities that made connection seem possible. The book opened a window onto a very different reality, one that I had often wondered about: how did queer people living in rural areas manage to build rich emotional and social lives when there were so few obvious meeting places or public spaces where they could safely exist?

I had come across the book in different places over the years, including at the gift shop of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia while visiting Halifax a few years ago, before finally picking up a copy at Argo Bookshop in downtown Montreal, and I’m glad I did.

Through the deeply touching story of Len and Cub’s decades-long relationship in rural New Brunswick, the book beautifully shows that queer connection has always found a way to flourish, often through quiet networks, coded encounters, friendship circles, and immense resilience. It challenges the assumption that meaningful queer life only exists in urban centres and offers a moving reminder that love, companionship, and community can survive even in isolation and invisibility, even if these stories did not always have happy endings, as is also reflected in this book.

I would highly recommend this book not only for its important contribution to queer history, but also for the tenderness and humanity with which it tells its story. It left me reflecting on the many hidden queer lives that existed beyond the cities and the courage it took simply to find one another.”

VIOLET HOUR: A Night at the Disco

As soon as I get home, I plan to delve into Christian John Wikane’s A Night at the Disco (the beautiful book was too big for me to bring with me on my trip). I love all kinds of music, and like Christian, disco is my happy place (I often cook to it in our kitchen).

Christian is currently on a North American tour promoting his new book, and I’ll be speaking with him about it in Montreal on Tuesday, June 30, at De Stiil Bookstore (351 Duluth E.). The event begins at 7 PM.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Night at the Disco is a celebration of groundbreaking dance music from 1970–‘79. An unprecedented collection of photographs of more than 100 artists, illuminating the styles and sounds from a decade that sparked a global phenomenon in music and culture. Exclusive comments from Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Debbie Harry, Giorgio Moroder, founding members of CHIC, Labelle, The Trammps, Village People, Earth, Wind & Fire, and dozens more artists, songwriters and producers, offering fascinating insights that tell the stories behind the beats. From underground New York clubs to discothèques across the globe, A Night at the Disco illustrates how artists spanning soul, pop, disco, funk, jazz and rock defined nightlife during the 1970s and influenced popular music to the present day.

With a foreword by Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire, this is a real treat for music, dance and disco fans everywhere.

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New and recent books to discover: The Double Dutch Fuss: A Memoir by Phill Branch; Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer; Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan; The Bright Afters by Sadie McCarney; Bastien sort ce soir by Mathieu Pierre; Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000 by Barry Walters; and All Them Dogs by Djamel White.

VHBC member Darren Stehle has written a book! Queering the Way: Navigating Leadership Ethics from the Margins is about what becomes possible when queer and trans leaders stop leading despite their identity and start leading from it. It’s a very personal book written for thoughtful, curious people who have been contemplating what it means to lead with integrity in a world whose default social order was not built to include many of us. It draws on the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, queer theory, and the realities of leading ethically in a world that is, at this particular moment in history, making that increasingly difficult. It is grounded in six principles — FEEL, KNOW, THINK, VOICE, DREAM, LEAD — not as steps to follow, but as practices to embody and make your own.

You can order your copy here. And you can also follow Darren on Substack.

Author, journalist and broadcaster Alan Hustak passed away on May 21. I remember him fondly, having met him multiple times when he was still living in Montreal. An aspiring journalist, I loved to hear his stories of what newsrooms (and gay life) used to be like. You can read Richard Burnett’s tribute here or read Alan’s obituary here. Rest in peace, Alan.

Daniel Allen Cox launches the paperback edition of I Felt the End Before It Came on June 9 at 7 PM at Pulp Books, with readings from Tamara Jong and Ellen Orme Adams.

Rae Spoon launches their new album “Assigned Countrysinger At Birth” at Trans Family Re-union 2 MTL on Sunday, June 14. Trans Family Re-union is Rae’s bi-monthly Sunday matinee series that showcases Two-Spirit, trans and/or non-binary musicians and allies. With Jupiter Storm at Turbo Haus (2040 Saint-Denis). Click the link above for tickets.

Festival Jouissif is organizing a queer and kink literary evening on Friday, June 19 at La Livrerie. They are looking for people to read short work on the subjects of desire, bodies and kink. Click here for more info.

The Queer Kinship Network Siena-Oxford-Toronto is seeking proposals for the upcoming conference, Queer Kinship: Migrations, Diasporas, Communities (October 16-17 in Toronto). Keynote speakers include Joseph M. Pierce and Liana Cusmano. Deadline to apply is June 20.

Montreal poet Misha Solomon returns with IS THIS PROMPT ABOUT ME? The six-week workshop has participants receiving four entirely personalized poetry prompts and the chance to workshop one of their poems. Workshop meetings take place at Pulp Books weekly from July 21 to August 25, from 7 PM to 9 PM. For more info and pricing, please email misha.solomon@gmail.com.

Linda Morra interviewed cartoonist and writer Lee Lai for her award-winning literary podcast series, Getting Lit with Linda. They spoke about Lai’s graphic novel Cannon, which was shortlisted for the Carol Shields Prize.

It’s been a tough year, and Montreal’s Metonymy Press needs our help. The team are running an online fundraiser and a sustainers program to help it restart its publishing program, and to begin some new and exciting projects. If you can help, please do!

QUEER VIEW MIRROR: Lire Queer Reader Fest

We did it! A huge thank-you to everyone who attended an event in May as part of Lire Queer Reader Fest. I’d say it was a success with people discovering new book clubs, bookstores, and literary communities in the city. It was also wonderful to meet the Sapphic Arts and Letters group visiting from Toronto. The Hot Flash Lit Match dance party was so much fun, and the Booksmaxxing conversation at Mes Pants de Queer so interesting.

Thanks to everyone who participated and helped make the festival such a memorable celebration (in no order):

• Nairne and her crew from Sapphic Arts & Letters

• Ella and Argo Bookshop

• Antoine and Dustin at Mes pants de queer

• Jame and Gay Writes

• Alex, Enni and Saviluk at Pulp Books & Café

• Miriam and Millie from Hot Flash

• Calev and Dick’s Lending Library

• Kennedy and Drawn & Quarterly

• Miguel et Marilou du Lucioles et morilles

• Mathieu and Carrie-Ann at Joie de livres

• El equipo de Latinos de Montreal y Café Nueva Era

• Sebestian et Le Cercle de lecture LGBTQ+

• Cassandra and David at Librairie Saint Henri Books

• Oliver, Eli and the team at Metonymy Press

• Claude et Maggie à Fierte littaraire

• L’equipe du Librairie n’était-ce pas l’été

Finally, a big thanks to my friends at Violet Hour for the last few years, especially to Hector and Brooke for picking up the mantel to lead some of the meetings. It means a lot to me that you two believe so much in what we are doing.

I hope to turn Lire Queer into an annual event, if possible. If you attended an event this year and have some insights to share, please let me know.

And if you want to catch me speaking about Lire Queer Reader Fest on CBC Radio, you can listen here.

Photos below.

That’s it for this month. A big thank you to everyone who came out to events, and to my paid subscribers! Your support allows me to continue to create free literary programming in Montreal.

Alla prossima volta!!

We’re here, queers! Lire Queer Reader Fest is this month with thirteen book club meetings in nine days. And not only that, but we have two additional activities for book-lovers, too.

During the first weekend of the festival, join us for Hot Flash Lit Match on Saturday, May 16 at Brasserie Beaubien (73 Rue Beaubien E). The event starts at 7 PM sharp with an ice-breaker: a series of short, timed conversations about your favourite queer reads, hosted by Lenore (doors/sign-up: 6:30 PM). It’ll then be followed at 7:30 PM by a lively, lesbo-centric, multigenerational dance party (all are welcome). Folks are encouraged to bring titles they’d like to share or swap, plus Metonymy Press and Mes pants de queer will be selling books on site. The event is free and goes until 10 PM (karaoke follows).

Then, on Sunday, May 17, join us for Booksmaxxing, a queer-focused conversation between book club organizers, librarians, and literary influencers. I’ll be speaking with Nairne Holtz (Sapphic Arts & Letters), Jame (Gay Writes), and Miguel Gosselin Dionne (Lucioles et morilles) about reading and promoting queer books in the digital age. The event takes place at Mes pants de queer (2025 rue Parthenais, suite 241) from 1 PM to 3 PM, so people will also be able to browse the used bookstore’s extensive collection of titles.

Which book clubs will you be attending? Please remember, some meetings require folks to RSVP (and note, the VHBC meeting for The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat is already full!

Click here for the complete list of titles and dates.

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB: Upcoming titles (Toronto & Montreal)

If you live in Toronto and have been coming to our meetings at Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave), please note the next two titles:

• Dandelion Daughter (2023) by Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay (translated into English by Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch): Saturday, May 23 at 6 PM. To confirm your spot, please RSVP at the Eventbrite link.

• Blessings (2024) by Chukwuebuka Ibeh: Saturday, July 11 at 6 PM. Eventbrite link coming soon.

Larry Baer will be leading both Toronto discussions.

As for Montreal, I’m finally ready to announce our summer dates and titles (two in August for the city’s Pride month!):

• A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Nee Chacaby and Mary Louisa Plummer: Saturday, June 20, 2026

• The Freezer Door by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore: Saturday, July 18, 2026

• De Profundis by Oscar Wilde: Saturday, August 1, 2026

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: Sunday, August 23, 2026

• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart: Saturday, September 26, 2026

Some things to note about the summer titles

Montreal bookstores do have copies of A Two-Spirit Journey (Paragraphe assures me they will have ten soon), but it might be harder to come by if you wait too long to get a copy. Please note the book is also available in librariies and in audiobook format.

As for De Profundis, it is not so much a book as it is a letter that Oscar Wilde wrote to his lover, Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, while incarcerated for gross indecency. The letter is available as its own publication, but also in most collections of Wilde’s work, as well as online for free.

Shuggie Bain is probably the longest book we will have read (around 430 pages), so you will want to plan your time accordingly.

Most meetings will take place at Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie (1052 rue Beaubien East), however I am still looking for a venue for De Profundis on August 1, so stay tuned.

As always, a reminder: All VHBC titles are available at Librairie Paragraphe Bookstore (2220, McGill College Ave) at 15% off and at Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe (3952 Wellington St.) at 10% off.

THE QUEER SHELF: Jen DeTracey

Each month I ask VHBC members to share what books they’re currently reading and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by Jen DeTracey, who has been a book club member since 2023. This month Jen recommends Her Tongue on My Theory–Images, Essays and Fantasies by the Kiss & Tell Collective.

“I’ve just reread Her Tongue on My Theory–Images, Essays and Fantasies by the Kiss & Tell Collective. This book was published in 1994, but its themes of censorship for queer communities strike me as relevant to this day. Persimmon Blackbridge, Lizard Jones and Susan Stewart were the founding members of the lesbian collective that made art about sex. They brought their daring videos, readings, and photographs to public spaces to provoke discussion and commentary.

Her Tongue on My Theory is a collection of essays complemented with a fun twist of linked short fantasy stories, which line the bottom of the pages, leading the reader on a journey to different cities with the geeky intellectual protagonist and her chameleon lover. Their essays, which share their individual ideas as well as their collective commentary, address such issues as the hypocrisy of the “The Butler” ruling (1992), which allowed Customs Canada to prohibit books or magazines with queer sexual content.

The authors criticizes the idea that government employees get to decide what is considered violent, dehumanizing and degrading, especially with LGBTS2+ content. With book bannings in Alberta and the USA, Her Tongue On My Theory is still relevant today.”

VIOLET HOUR: A Night at the Disco

NYC-based music journalist Christian John Wikane is on a 30-city tour to launch his book, A Night at the Disco, and will be coming to Montreal on Tuesday, June 30. The book is a celebration of groundbreaking dance music from 1970–’79, and features the stories and photos of more than 100 artists who sparked the global phenomenon, including Donna Summer, Barry Gibb, Debbie Harry, Giorgio Moroder, founding members of CHIC, Labelle, The Trammps, Village People, Earth, Wind & Fire, and dozens more artists, songwriters and producers.

I’ll be interviewing Christian about what it was like to meet and speak with these legends, and the place that disco has played in his life and in gay culture. The event take place at De Stiil Bookstore (351 Av. Duluth E), beginning at 7 PM.

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New and recent books to discover: Plastic, Prism, Void: Part One by Violet Allen; The Summer Boy by Philippe Besson, translated by Sam Taylor; Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge by Harvey Brownstone; Little Ruins by Manni Coe; Homebound by Portia Elan; The Silent House of Sleep by Allan Gaw; The Lost Book of Lancelot by John Glynn; Pretend You’re Dead and I Carry You by Julián Delgado Lopera; The Outer Country by Davin Malasarn; Bond, Queer Bond: The Fabulous Other History of a Spy by Mark O’Connell; Inspiration P*rn by Ryan O’Connell; The Saw Mouth by Cale Plett; Murder at the Hotel Orient by Alessandra Ranelli; Bromantasy by Máire Roche; Conversion Therapy Dropout by Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez; Take Me with You by Steven Rowley; The Tuxedo Society by Paul Rudnick; My Bad: A Personal History of the Queer Nineties and Beyond by Hugh Ryan; No God but Us by Bobuq Sayed; The Open Era by Edward Schmit; The Land and Its People by David Sedaris; John of John by Douglas Stuart; You X Me by Ayla Vejdani; and Super Castle Fun Park by Daniel Zomparelli.

H Nigel Thomas launches his latest novel And Then Again Begin on Thursday, May 7 at 6:30 PM at UNIA Liberty Hall (2741 Notre-Dame West). The evening will include a reading, a conversation with 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize laureate Chanel Sutherland, and a book signing. Refreshments will be served.

Last month, Eric Chacour’s unstoppable What I Know About You was selected for the One eRead Canada book club, which meant the book was highlighted (without holds or waitlists) in over 1,000 public libraries across the country. The book is also a finalist for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award (winner announced on May 21).

Sky Gilbert’s new one-act play, Witness for the Persecution, will be presented at the Théâtre Sainte-Catherine (264 St. Catherine East) from May 21-23. The camp melodrama stars Gilbert as himself, calling a woman claiming to be Sky’s mother (Gavin Crawford, who looks, acts and speaks like Marlene Dietrich) to the witness stand to defend him. Click here for tickets.

On May 26, Ayla Vejdani will be launching her new book YOU x ME with francesca ekwuyasi (Butter Honey Pig Bread) at L’Euguélionne (1426 Beaudry). The evening will include a reading, a conversation about queer romance, a Q&A, and a book signing. Click here to reserve your spot.

Anuja Varghese (Chrysalis) launches her debut novel A Kiss of Crimson Ash – the first book in a new medieval India-inspired fantasy trilogy – in Montreal on Thursday, May 28 at Joie de Livres (5163 Saint-Laurent). Anuja will be in conversation with Heather O’Neill.

Writer/musician Rae Spoon and Evelyn Charlotte-Joe (PinkSnail) have launched a new bi-monthly showcase for 2SLGBTQ+ artists and allies at Turbo Haus (2040 Saint-Denis) called ‘Trans Family Reunion.’ They haven’t announced the next date yet, but you can follow the artists on Instagram to find out.

The QWF’s 2026 Writers in the Community Pyramid Campaign is on until May 15. The program pairs small groups of young people with a professional writer or literary performance artist who can teach them and motivate them to use language to express themselves in productive ways. Find out more and donate here.

QUEER VIEW MIRROR: Blue Metropolis

Last month was all about Shani Mootoo. Not only was her latest novel Starry Starry Night the April selection for both Montreal and Toronto chapters of the Violet Hour Book Club, but Shani was also celebrated for her thirty years of publishing queer stories at the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival where she won the Violet Prize. Big congrats to Shani, and thanks, too, to Eva Crocker who interviewed her on stage.

I also want to thank Johanne Pelletier for helping curate Chosen Ties, an evening of queer storytelling at Blue Met. Thanks also to all the performers in addition to Pelletier: Hollay Ghadery, John Cotrocois, Jamie Brickhouse, Nisha Coleman, and Leila Marshy. And big thanks to our host Misty Waterfalls.

ALSO, PLEASE NOTE: I’m planning to leave Facebook at the end of May. It was a tough decision as I was trying to grow a community there, but have had enough with the cycle of rage bait and AI slop. At this point, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. I’ll be using Substack and Instagram as my main platforms for here on out.

That’s it for this month. A big thank you to everyone who came out to events, and to my paid subscribers! Your support allows me to continue to create free literary programming in Montreal.

I’ve been with the festival a long time. I began to work with Blue Met in 2004 when I became their English-language publicist. Back then, the festival was run by Linda Leith and epic in scope. For eight years I set up interviews for the local and visiting writers, often jumping into taxis with literary stars to take them to their next appointment with maybe an errand or two on the way (I have fond memories of escorting A.S. Byatt to the SAQ for a bottle of eau de vie). At times, I also served as a spokesperson, speaking directly with the press.

As an aspiring writer, I can’t tell you how energizing it was to shadow these authors who had been invited onstage and into studio to speak about a book they had written. As much as I might have wanted to, it wasn’t my place to ask for advice from the legends I was meeting. It did happen a couple of times, though. When you spend an entire afternoon with a stranger, conversation invariably wanders over to who you are and what you do (Julian Barnes and Yann Martel were very generous with their advice).

Over the years, the festival evolved—changing leadership, adding programs, switching venues. But at its heart it’s remained the same: a multi-lingual celebration of local and international literature that annually brings together a passionate community of book-lovers under one roof. I think one of the things I have loved most about the festival is the discoveries, writers who I may have never heard of before but who I became quick fans of after hearing them speak.

I stopped working for the festival in 2012, as arts coverage declined and I needed to change my career to something more stable. But my work with Blue Met gave me a taste for producing. I loved seeing conversations about books onstage.

In 2017, a few years after I began Violet Hour, I pitched an LGBTQ+ series to the leadership (William St-Hilaire and Marie-Andrée Lamontagne). That year, I produced five events, including my first curated panel. “The Past Inside the Present” was a 90-minute conversation with Canadian writers Ann-Marie Macdonald, Kai Cheng Thom, and Nick Comilla about the role the past plays in their recent works (and lives). I don’t think I have ever worked so hard on a script, but the result pretty much cemented my desire to continue to keep doing events like this.

I’ve never shared the recording publicly (nor had I listened to it until this weekend). I was embarrassed because the tech flubbed it and first 10 minutes are missing (plus, it’s hard to hear some of the questions from the crowd at the end). But really, who cares—it’s a great conversation (and also almost 10 years old now). If you’re interested to hear it, here is the link.

The following year, Blue Met and I co-created the Violet Prize to recognize the contributions of literary trailblazers who paved the way for LGBTQ+ literature in Canada. Since 2018, the $5,000 prize has been awarded to eight writers: Nicole Brossard, Dionne Brand, André Roy, Tomson Highway, Michel Marc Bouchard, Sky Gilbert, France Daigle, and this year, Shani Mootoo (the author of our April VHBC selection).

We’re not sure how long we can sustain this prize (so much depends on funding), but I hope it continues for a very long time, as there are so many people we could recognize. I’d like to personally thank Mark Gallop, Louise Ann Maziak and William St-Hilaire for keeping the prize going. But if you do happen to know a company or foundation that might want to formally sponsor the prize, please write to me.

This year marks my 10th anniversary helping to program Blue Met. While I only produced two of the events below, book-lovers can look forward to a wide range of LGBTQ+ voices featured across a number of different onstage conversations.

Hopefully, I will see you at some of them.

QUEER PROGRAMMING AT BLUE MET 2026

Thursday, April 23 at 9:30 PM
CHOSEN TIES: QUEER STORIES OF FAMILY, FOUND AND FORGED
In this intimate evening of original storytelling, LGBTQ+ voices explore the evolving shape of family—chosen, inherited, lost, or reclaimed. These stories ask: What makes a family, and who gets to decide? With Johanne Pelletier, Hollay Ghadery, John Cotrocois, Jamie Brickhouse, Nisha Coleman, Leila Marshy. Hosted by Misty Waterfalls and Christopher DiRaddo.
Location: Hotel 10, Espace Godin
Free admission

Friday, April 24 at 11:30 AM
IS NICHE LITERATURE THE FUTURE OF LITERATURE AND PUBLISHING?
Feminist, queer, Indigenous, specific languages and cultures: publishing catalogues are becoming increasingly specialized. Should this be seen as a response to commercial publishing and its inevitably global successes? Is niche publishing the future of publishing? With professionals Patrick Leimgruber (Canada), Nuria Sublet (Switzerland), Bel Olid (Catalonia/Spain), Alberto Garlini (Italy), and Djamila Ribeiro (Brazil). Hosted by Julien Lefort-Favreau.
Location: Hotel 10, Salle Saint-Laurent
In English and French
Tickets

Friday, April 24 at 6 PM
THE NARRATIVE SPELL: MAGICAL THINKING IN A RATIONAL WORLD
VHBC member Afrooz Zaad interviews mother-and-daughter duo Heather and Arizona O’Neill about how they interpret the world through a lens of imagination, emotion, and myth, drawing on metaphor, symbolism, fantasy, and legends to find meaning amid the chaos of modern life.
Location: Hotel 10, Salle Saint-Laurent
Tickets

Friday, April 24 at 6 PM
BRANDON TAYLOR IN CONVERSATION WITH ELEANOR WACHTEL
An onstage conversation between Eleanor Wachtel and Alabama-born and multiple award-winning writer Brandon Taylor about his latest novel, Minor Black Figures—a vivid portrait of friendship, creativity and desire set in the New York art world.
Location: Hotel 10, Espace Godin
Tickets

Saturday, April 25 at 10 AM
THE POWER OF POINT OF VIEW IN DIVISIVE TIMES
Three Canadian authors discuss how they utilize story narration to approach difficult topics from new angles. With Hollay Ghadery (The Unravelling of Ou), Sky Gilbert (The Blue House), and Lindsay Wong (Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies). Hosted by Gina Leola Woolsey.
Location: Hotel 10, Salle Jardin
Tickets

Saturday, April 25 at 11:30 AM
QUEER LIFE THEN AND NOW
Bringing together Bel Olid, Shani Mootoo, and Will Straw, this conversation moves between language, intimacy, and the spaces where queer worlds take shape. From Olid’s La madre incompleta to Mootoo’s Starry Starry Night, and through Straw’s Nights in Fairyland, the discussion follows how queer lives are shaped, shared, and sustained. Hosted by Matthew Hays.
Location: Hotel 10, Salle Saint-Laurent
Tickets

Saturday, April 25 at 2:30 PM
THE VIOLET PRIZE AWARDED TO SHANI MOOTOO
Join us in celebrating the 2026 Blue Metropolis Violet Literary Prize, awarded to the renowned writer, filmmaker, and visual artist Shani Mootoo. Over the course of her impressive three-decade career, Shani has fearlessly created fiction and poetry that explore themes of queer desire, as well as the intersections of sexuality, class, and race. Known for her clarity, empathy, and lyrical mastery, Shani will share insights into her groundbreaking work, including her latest novel, Starry Starry Night. Hosted by Christopher DiRaddo. Onstage interview with Eva Crocker.
Location: Hotel 10, Espace Godin
Tickets

Saturday, April 25 at 2:30 PM
FEMME, MÈRE ET LIBRE – L’IMPOSSIBLE MODERNITÉ
Is being both a woman and a mother compatible with freedom as we understand it today? Four writers, who reject idealized images of women and mothers in favour of complexity, reflect on the question. With Ariana Harwicz, Bel Olid, Antoinette Rychner, Martine Reid. Hosted by Christian Bouchard.
Location: Hotel 10, Salle Jardin
In French
Tickets

Sunday, April 26 at 11 AM
MASTERCLASS ON GENDER AND LITERATURE WITH BEL OLID
In this 90-minute bilingual master class, Catalan writer and translator Bel Olid will explore how gender shapes literature and translation. Drawing on their work as a novelist, essayist, and translator, Olid will discuss how feminist perspectives influence language, narrative voice, and literary interpretation, while reflecting on similarities and differences between the literary cultures of Catalonia and Quebec. Moderated by Ophelie Denomee-Marchand.
Location: Webster Library (Concordia)
Free, but registration is required. Contact Ingrid.Bejerman@metropolisbleu.org

Sunday, April 26 at 2:30 PM
THE POWER OF GREAT BOOKS: AUTHOR AZAR NAFISI IN CONVERSATION WITH CBC BOOKENDS HOST MATTEA ROACH
Iranian-American author Azar Nafisi has written extensively on how the works of Vladimir Nabokov, Henry James, Jane Austen vividly demonstrate the subversive and redemptive power of fiction. Nafisi’s books, like the acclaimed Reading Lolita in Tehran, have been read around the world. She will be interviewed by host Mattea Roach in a conversation recorded live for CBC Bookends.
Location: Hotel 10, Espace Godin
Tickets

Wednesday, April 29 at 7 PM
DI RAYZE AHEYM / THE JOURNEY HOME IN CONCERT: IRENA KLEPFISZ, AVI-FOX-ROSEN AND ALICIA SVIGALS
In 1983, on the 40th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, Irena Klepfisz and her mother Rose returned to Poland for the first time since their emigration to America. On her return from this trip, Irena composed Di rayze aheym / The journey home, first published in 1985. 40 years later, in 2025, Avi Fox-Rosen composed song settings for Irena’s words. Join us for an intimate concert in which Irena recites her words, and Avi and klezmer fiddle virtuoso Alicia Svigals perform these new musical settings. Hosted by David Moss and Kelly Steinmetz.
Location: Casa del Popolo
In English and Yiddish
Tickets

Thursday, April 30 at 6:00 PM
THE JOURNEY HOME: A POETRY READING AND WORKSHOP WITH IRENA KLEPFISZ
Areading and workshop with New York-based Jewish poet, academic, feminist, and activist Irena Klepfisz alongside local author and poet Madelaine Caritas Longman.
Location: Museum of Jewish Montreal (Fischer & Fils space)
Tickets

See you at the festival!

This month’s selection for the Violet Hour Book Club is Starry Starry Night (Book*hug Press, 2025) by Shani Mootoo. Both Toronto and Montreal book clubs will be reading it this month. Please make sure you note the correct date for your city.

• TORONTO date: Saturday, April 11 at 6 PM; at Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave) (RSVP link)

• MONTREAL date: Sunday, April 19 at 3 PM at Espace des Possibles La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien East, Beaubien Metro)

I spoke briefly with Shani about her new book, her recent win of the 2026 Blue Metropolis Violet Literary Award, and her upcoming appearance in Montreal (more on that below). You can watch the short video here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From celebrated writer Shani Mootoo comes an innovative and revelatory work of autofiction about family secrets, trauma, race, class, and loss.

In Starry Starry Night, Mootoo gives us the singular voice of Anju Ghoshal, a young girl living in 1960s Trinidad. Through Anju’s innocent and clear-eyed observations, the reader becomes both a witness to and a participant in her negotiations of an unexpectedly new and complex life, spanning from the ages of four to twelve.

Set against the backdrop of a politically exciting time in Trinidad’s history, just before and after it gained independence, we meet Anju’s beloved Ma and Pa and her socially advancing family. While preoccupied with their own dramas, the adults around her often fail to recognize the needs of the children who depend on them.

Beautifully crafted and rich with sumptuous detail, this unique narrative coalesces into a portrait of a child who, despite her privileged appearance, must ultimately fend for herself because her safety depends on it.

Remember: VHBC selections are available at a 15% discount for members at Librairie Paragraphe (2220 McGill College) and 10% at Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe (3952 Wellington). Copies of the Toronto selections are available at a 10% discount at Another Story Bookshop with the promo code VHBC.

BLUE METROPOLIS MONTREAL LITERARY FESTIVAL: April 23-26

The Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival (Blue Met) takes place this month at Hotel 10 (10 Sherbrooke Street West), and as always, Violet Hour has played a role in programming several of the festival’s queer literary events.

On Thursday, April 23 at 9:30 PM, Montreal drag queen Misty Waterfalls hosts an evening of true storytelling, told on-stage without notes. Chosen Ties: Queer Stories of Family, Found and Forged brings together LGBTQ+ voices that explore the evolving shape of family (chosen, inherited, lost, or reclaimed). With stories from Jamie Brickhouse, Nisha Coleman, John Cotrocois, Hollay Ghadery, and Johanne Pelletier (a big thank you to Johanne, too, for helping curate these stories). Admission is free.

On Friday, April 24, Is Niche Literature the Future of Literature and Publishing? will look at how publishing catalogues are becoming increasingly specialized in feminist, queer, and Indigenous cultures (11:30 AM). VHBC member Afrooz Zaad interviews mother-and-daughter duo Heather and Arizona O’Neill about the roles that metaphor, symbolism and fantasy play in their most recent works (The Narrative Spell, 6 PM). Also, American novelist Brandon Taylor (we read his book Real Life as part of the VHBC in 2021) speaks with Eleanor Wachtel about his novel Minor Black Figures (Brandon Taylor in Conversation with Eleanor Wachtel, 6 PM).

Saturday morning (April 25) starts early with Gina Leola Woolsey (who wrote this wonderful thought-provoking work of non-fiction) leading a conversation on unexpected/unlikeable characters in fiction with writers Hollay Ghadery, Sky Gilbert and Lindsay Wong (The Power of Point of View in Divisive Times, 10 AM). The roundtable discussion will be followed by Queer Life Then and Now at 11:30 AM, where journalist Matt Hays will interview writers Bel Olid, Shani Mootoo, and Will Straw about how queer lives are shaped, shared, and sustained in literature.

Saturday is also the day we celebrate Shani Mootoo at the 2026 Blue Metropolis Violet Literary Prize Award Ceremony (2:30 PM). Writer Eva Crocker will be interviewing Mootoo on-stage about her latest novel (and April VHBC pick) Starry, Starry Night, as well as her legendary 30-plus year career.

On Sunday, April 26, festival-goers will also have the chance to take a bilingual master class with Catalan writer and translator Bel Olid. The Masterclass on Gender and Literature with Bel Olid (11 AM) will explore how gender shapes literature and translation and reflect on the similarities and differences between the literary cultures of Catalonia and Quebec (registration required).

LIRE QUEER READER FEST & HOT FLASH LIT MATCH: May 16-23, 2026

Lire Queer Reader Fest takes place next month. This grassroots initiative brings together Montreal’s vibrant network of book clubs, literary groups, and bookstores, inviting readers to connect, discover, and explore the rich range of literary events and activities available in the city.

A few weeks ago, I published a special feature on the festival. Since then, we’ve welcomed a few more partners (see the complete list in the graphic below). In all there are thirteen meetings to choose from (eight in English, four in French, and one in Spanish). Remember, some of the clubs have specific instructions for participation (including the need to sign-up in advance), so make sure to do your homework first.

The selected titles are:

• The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat (Saturday, May 16 at 1 PM - NEW TIME!!)

• Antes que anochezca: autobiografía by Reinaldo Arenas (Sunday, May 17 at 2 PM)

• Il faut beaucoup aimer les femmes qui pleurent by Martine Delvaux (Sunday, May 17 at 5 PM)

• Souterrain by Val Bah (Monday, May 18 at 2 PM)

• Prince Faggot by Jordan Tannahill (Monday, May 18 at 7 PM)

• Les passions du samedi by André Roy (Tuesday, May 19 at 7 PM)

• Crash Test by Amy James (Tuesday, May 19 at 7 PM)

• Love Letters: Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West by Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, with an introduction by Alison Bechdel (Wednesday, May 20 at 6:30 PM)

• Firebugs by Nino Bulling (Wednesday, May 20 at 7 PM)

• The Good Arabs by Eli Tareq El-Bechelany Lynch (Thursday, May 21 at 7 PM)

• You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian (Thursday, May 21 at 7 PM)

• Querelle de Roberval by Kev Lambert (Saturday, May 23 at 2 PM)

• Gender Trash from Hell edited by Mirha-Soleil Ross (Saturday, May 23, from 3 PM to 5 PM)

My plan is to attend at least five of these meetings, but I won’t be able to attend them all. If you are a regular VHBC member and you plan to go to one of the non-VHBC meetings, can you please let me know? I’d like to arrange to have some kind of VHBC representation at all events, if possible.

Also, in addition to the book club meetings, we are also planning two group socials.

To kick off Lire Queer Reader Fest, we’ve teamed up with Miriam Ginestier to create a special Lit Match edition of her Hot Flash queer dance party on Saturday, May 16. Beginning at 7 PM sharp (sign-up is at 6:30 PM) you can take part in a series of short, timed conversations with other LGBTQ+ book lovers about the queer books you’ve enjoyed. Hosted by Lenore, this activity is for people of all genders and sexualities (and just to be clear, not a “speed dating” activity). Folks are also invited to bring books to flash around or even trade on site.

The event will continue at 7:30 PM with a lesbo-centric, multigenerational dance party with DJ MIM, open to all, until 10 PM (for those who want to keep the night going, karaoke starts right after).

Montreal’s Metonymy Press and Mes pants de queer will also be onsite with tablse to sell books by queer and trans authors. We’ll also have some samosas for sale (cash only), but know that Pizza Bouquet is right next door. The event is free, but we will be accepting donations towards our costs.

And where is this happening? Hot Flash Lit Match takes place at Brasserie Beaubien (73 Rue Beaubien E), a grungy neighbourhood bar in Little Italy (Beaubien Metro).

We are also working on another cultural activity for Sunday, May 17 (from 1 PM to 3 PM at Mes pans de queer). I had hoped to have all my ducks in a row to announce the details today, but I’m afraid I need a bit more time. For now, though, please save the date and time in your calendar.

THE QUEER SHELF: Darren Stehle

Each month I ask VHBC members to share what books they’re currently reading and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by Darren Stehle, who has been a book club member since February 2025. This month Darren recommends The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions (1977) by Larry Mitchell.

“The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions by Larry Mitchell was recommended to me by a friend who’s a queer historian who worked to get Lavender Hill, a 1970s LGBTQ+ commune, added to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. He gifted it to me as a PDF (which was impossible to read). It wasn’t until I saw it was back in print (2025) that I finally bought a copy from Argo Bookshop a few weeks ago and swallowed it whole like a good little faggot.

I love queer history, be it factual, fictionalized, diary, or memoir. For me, it’s about who cleared the path before me, and how can their wisdom be passed on. In the case of Faggots, this is a queer fable-cum-manifesto-cum-prophecy set in the hippie 70s of communes, faeries, and early post-Stonewall activism. The text reads as anachronistic, but the subject matter is, at present, metaphorically relevant to queer freedom and opposing all forms of heteronormative and patriarchal oppression.

“Part gay liberation fable, part radical manifesto, and part allegory of gay communal life, the novel is structured as a series of short parables or aphorisms interspersed with illustrations and tells the story of a capitalist, patriarchal society named ‘Ramrod’ where queer and other marginalized people survive, care for one another, build coalitions, resist mainstream assimilation, envision utopia, and plot revolution.” (Jeff Iovannone)

The Faggots is a fun, easy, and subversive read that had me smirking, laughing, and in awe of the brilliant social commentary on sex, gender, the status quo — and how to be queer.”

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New and recent books to discover: Surrender: A Novel by Jennifer Acker; It’s Only Forever: Labyrinth by Jes Battis; Together by the Sea by Marie-Claire Blais and translated by Katia Grubisic; Afternoon Hours of a Hermit by Patrick Cottrell; Fire Island Art: 100 Years edited by John Dempsey; A Queer Inheritance: Alternative Histories in the National Trust by Michael Hall; Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han; After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal by Merlin Holland; Still With Us: Stories of HIV/AIDS and Dance in Canada edited by Christopher House; Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line by Elizabeth Lovatt; Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli; Histoires LGBTQ + au Québec et au Canada by Jean-Charles Panneton; Ruins, Child by Giada Scodellaro; Harmless by Miranda Shulman; And Then Again Begin by H. Nigel Thomas; The News from Dublin by Colm Tóibín; and A Kiss of Crimson Ash by Anuja Varghese.

Metonymy Press has announced two new additions to their editorial team: H. Felix Chau Bradley and Cason Sharpe.

Montreal writer Daniel Baylis has released lovely lyric videos for two songs from his upcoming debut album: “The Drifting Kind” and “Space.”

VHBC member Brooke Lee (pen name: River Lee) has announced the upcoming sessions for her Sapphic Writes! Literary Collective, an online creative writing workshop for those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ women (allies are welcome). The space is a place to connect with literary peers, share work, and receive constructive feedback. Next events are April 7 (tonight!), April 21, May 05, and May 19. You can also catch Brooke reading at Lectures Logos Readings on Monday, April 13 beginning at 7 PM at UNIA Liberty Hall (2741 Notre Dame West).

On Thursday April 9 at 7 PM, VHBC member (and author of January’s VHBC selection) Su J. Sokol is hosting an event at Librairie Pulp Books & Café (3952 Wellington St) with visiting authors Rich Larson and Sam J. Miller. The event, Writing Against Borders, will feature readings and a discussion on how speculative fiction can challenge the status quo during times of xenophobia and repression. Su J also has a new short story out. “Like Salt Marshes, Like Yourself” can be described as a work of soilpunk, and one of the featured stories in the latest issue of Tractor Beam.

Also on April 9, the Queer Cinema Club screens Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Cinema du Parc beginning at 9 PM. Montreal drag icon Mary Fagdalene (Gay Writes) will give a special live performance at the screening.

L’Euguélionne welcomes NYC writer L’or N.O.S. on Friday, April 10 for Intimage F[r]agments, a smutty, trans open mic night. Readers are welcome to share works of poetry or prose on the themes of love, lust, heartbreak, or their trans experience (under 7 minutes, in French or English).

It’s the last week to check out Galerie SKOL’s Réveiller L’Androgyne, Reviving the Bookstore​ exhibition. For their closing event, they are presenting an intergenerational roundtable on LGBTQ2SAI+ bookstores with folks who have been involved with L’Androgyne, Agenda Coop, L’Euguélionne, and Mes pants de queer. The event (possibly in French, if not bilingual) will take place on Saturday, April 11 at 2 PM.

On Tuesday, April 14, poets Jake Byrne, DM Bradford, and Misha Solomon will be reading as part of an event called Gentlethem’s Quarterly, beginning at 7 PM at Librairie Pulp Books & Café (3952 Wellington St). The writers will be sharing poems about the inheritances of family lineages, good and bad.

The finalists for the Publishing Triangle Awards, which honours some of the best LGBTQ+ books of the year, were announced in ten categories. Winners will be announced on Thursday, April 16, at an event in NYC and online.

Author of Queers at the Table Alex Ketchum leads Exploring Queer Food and the Montreal Restaurant Scene, a roundtable discussion with Al Dervisevic (curatorial assistant for A Taste of Queer Montreal: An Exhibition of 2SLGBTQ+ Food and Drink History) and Lauren McGowan (queer baker and artist) on April 22 at 6 PM at the McCord Stewart Museum (690 Sherbrooke St. West). After the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the current McCord exhibition, On the Menu – Montreal: A Restaurant Story.

Saturday, April 25 is Canadian Independent Bookstore Day — the day to go and support the indie booksellers in your life. Feel free to check out and support this year’s Lire Queer Reader Fest partners.

The second Queer Food Conference is being held in in Montreal at McGill University from May-3. The conference convenes scholars, activists, artists, and food professionals to explore topics ranging from LGBTQIA2S+ cookbooks and land movements to hospitality, food media, health, and community building.

H Nigel Thomas launches the fourth book in his No Safeguards quartet, And Then Again Begin, on Thursday, May 7 at 6:30 PM at UNIA Liberty Hall (2741 Notre Dame West). The event will feature a reading and a Q&A with author Chanel Sutherland.

Also on May 7, the QUESCREN Researcher-Member Symposium 2026 at Concordia University (May 6–7) will present the roundtable A Collection of Essays on Steve Galluccio’s Work, with contributions by Domenico Beneventi (“Beyond the Silence: Steve Galluccio’s Contribution to Italo-Québécois Literature”), Elio Iannacci (“Queering the Gino: Fashion, Masculinity, and Redressing Cliché in Mambo Italiano”), and Anna Mercuri Maiolo (“A Classroom’s Response to Galluccio’s Plays”). Moderated by Licia Canton, the roundtable runs from 1:15–2:15 PM. The event is free and open to the public. Click here to download the program.

JOBS & OPEN CALLS

The Bureau of General Services Queer Division has launched a GoFundMe campaign to secure its future. For 13 years, founders Donnie and Greg have built a vital community hub for queer art, literature, performance, and culture in New York. With their departure this May, the space is at risk of closing — leaving Manhattan without a queer bookstore. Hive Mind Books is aiming to raise 50K by June 1 to acquire the Bureau and keep it open.

Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada is recruiting four new volunteer board members, including a Vice-President and Secretary. For 40 years, Lambda has worked to reduce financial barriers for 2SLGBTQIA+ and QTBIPOC students, distributing over $256,000 in scholarships to 182 recipients. They’re especially seeking applicants with experience in finance, law, business, marketing, communications, or social media. Expect a commitment of 8–10 hours per month over a two-year term. Deadline to apply: April 20, 2026. (Watch the interviews I did with some of the folks who have led the organization over the past 40 years)

The Quebec Writers’ Federation is currently hiring for two roles: Executive Director and Operations Manager. With current ED Lori Schubert stepping down, there are big shoes to fill — but also an opportunity to lead a vibrant and supportive literary community. Deadline to apply: April 15.

There’s also an opportunity where I work (yes, I do have a day job keeping the lights on). Community-Based Research Centre is hiring a Senior Editor, Knowledge Mobilization. In this role, you’ll collaborate with our education team to develop resources across a range of projects (and occasionally work with me). The position is remote and open to applicants across Canada. Deadline to apply: May 3.

QUEER VIEW MIRROR: March madness

It was a busy month for Violet Hour in the city. Our group met to discuss our March VHBC selection at Galerie Skol as part of their Réveiller L’Androgyne, Reviving the Bookstore​ exhibition. The space was open to the public, so folks visiting the gallery could witness our meeting in person. Thanks to VHBC member Héctor Gálvez for the great photos.

We also took part in ARCMTL’s Queer Voices in Print: Panel & Poetry Reading event as part of Owning Our Histories, a series of public events celebrating how Montreal’s queer and BIPOC communities create, share, and preserve their own histories through zines, oral traditions, grassroots collections, and independent publishing. I had a great time speaking with writer and curator Faith Paré about our programming experiences. In addition to hearing Paré read from her work, we also got impactful readings from Liana Cusmano, Erin Mouré and Misha Solomon.

Mid-month I was invited to take part in the Montreal stop on the national Day of Pink ECHO Tour, which brings together powerful storytellers, poets, activists, and community leaders to share their experiences with high school students. I got to speak about book clubs and community building with approximately fifty students from Beurling Academy and Lasalle Community Comprehensive High School. Joining me were writers AJ Dolman and Ryan Thomas Woods.

Finally, we welcomed two authors from out of town with new books at Pulp. Ellis Scott and Matthew J. Trafford spoke with me about exploring queer identity, family, grief, and belonging through experimental storytelling and their own personal histories. It was a great night. Thanks again Héctor for being there to capture it!

That’s it for this month. A big thank you to everyone who came out to events, and to my paid subscribers! Your support allows me to continue to create free literary programming in Montreal.

Stay up to date and follow the Violet Hour Book Club on Facebook and Instagram.

Alternating between an anglophone and a francophone, the $5,000 Blue Metropolis Violet Literary Award has been given out eight times now. Previous winners include Nicole Brossard, Dionne Brand, André Roy, Tomson Highway, Michel Marc Bouchard, Sky Gilbert, France Daigle, and this year, Shani Mootoo.

I spoke with Shani about what it means to win this award ahead of her appearance in Montreal as part of the festival on April 25. She’s uniquely familiar with the prize, having served as a juror who selected Sky Gilbert as the winner in 2024. Shani also has a new book out this spring, Starry Starry Night, which we’re currently reading in our Toronto (April 11) and Montreal (April 19) book clubs. You can watch the interview below (for some reason, my side did not record, so you won’t see my pretty face, lol).

TONIGHT: Violet Hour with Ellis Scott & Matthew J. Trafford

Also, just a reminder about tonight (Tuesday, March 31), I will be interviewing visiting authors Ellis Scott (Night Terminus) and Matthew J. Trafford (Runs in the Blood) about their wonderful new books at Pulp Books & Café (3952 Wellington) beginning at 7 PM. Hope to see you there!!

A couple of weeks ago, I announced the initial programming for Lire Queer Reader Fest, a citywide celebration of queer literature in Montreal running May 16–23. Are you as excited about it as I am?

Of course it would be great to attend ALL events, but that’s going to be impossible (especially, as some nights there are two activities to choose from). Personally, I am going to try to attend at least five book club meetings. Anyone else with me?

When I first approached the city’s book clubs/bookstores last year with this idea, I was excited to see who was in and which titles they would pick. The only prerequisite I gave was not to select a book already selected by another group. Still, I suppose there was the danger of getting a homogenous selection of titles, but in the end I am thrilled with the choices. We have works of literary fiction, non-fiction, poetry, a play, a zine anthology, a graphic novel, and romances, all written from a variety of perspectives. It feels like there is something for everyone.

The Violet Hour Book Club is hosting, or co-hosting, three of these meetings. Toronto’s Sapphic Arts & Letters (SAL) will be coming to Montreal for a joint meeting between our groups on Saturday, May 16. As they are our guests, I asked SAL to select the title and they choose The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat (Penguin Random House, 2023). There are only 15 spots for VHBC members this month, as we need to keep 15 places for the visiting Toronto group. Sign up for your spot here.

VHBC members will also be leading two other meetings. Brooke Lee will be facilitating a discussion of Montreal writer Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch’s poetry collection, The Good Arabs (Metonymy Press, 2021) on Thursday, May 21 at Argo Bookshop. The book won the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal in 2022, the city’s highest literary honour, and was recently translated into French by Olivia Tapiero as Arabes comme il faut (Éditions Triptyque, 2026). Folks are welcome to read the book in either language, while the moderation will happen in English.

Longtime VHBC member Héctor Gálvez, who has been documenting our meetings with his wonderful photographs, will be leading a discussion of Antes que anochezca by Reinaldo Arenas (Tusquets Editores, 1992), our first time engaging with Spanish-language readers. For this event, we are partnering with the group Latinos en Montreal. Folks are welcome to read the title in Spanish, in English (Before Night Falls), or in French (Avant la nuit), and contribute to the discussion in whichever language they feel most comfortable in. You do not need to speak Spanish to participate, but please be aware that you also may not understand everything that’s said (and that’s okay)! The meeting takes place on Sunday, May 17, but the venue is still TBC as we are working to find a place.

Mes Pants de Queer is a used bookstore in Montreal and I’m so happy they selected a classic – Les passions du samedi by André Roy (Les Herbes Rouges, 1979). Ahead of its time, the poems in this collection are deeply rooted in Montreal’s gay nightlife and speak frankly about male desire and emotional vulnerability. Also, the book is almost out of print (which feels like an appropriate choice for a used bookshop) but Violet Hour and MPDQ have secured eight copies. Write to me, or MPDQ, to get your copies (unless you have your own rare copy at home). The event is on Tuesday, May 19 at the Mes Pants de Queer space.

The VHBC explored zine culture last November and read the first issue of Gender Trash from Hell. Those who missed it, or who want to dive deeper into the text, can join Dick’s Lending Library as they read the Gender Trash from Hell anthology edited by Mirha-Soleil Ross (Little Puss Press, 2025). The book collects remastered versions of all five issues of the ground-breaking Canadian zine. The book also includes an unfinished fifth issue and essays by Trish Salah and Leah Tigers. The discussion will take place on Saturday, May 23 at Brique X Brique. Please note that the event is fragrance free and that K/N95 masks are required (and will be provided).

Romance has always been a popular genre, but it seems to be having a huge moment right now with the immense popularity of a certain hockey series. Librairie Pulp Books & Café in Verdun recently launched their Romance Book Club, and for Lire Queer they have selected You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian (HarperCollins Canada, 2024), an “emotional, slow-burn” historical romance set in 1960s NYC. The discussion takes place on Thursday, May 21.

Joie de livres, a bilingual bookstore in the Mile-End that specializes in romance, has selected Crash Test by Amy James, in honour of the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada, which happens in Montreal the same week. The discussion will take place on Tuesday, May 19, and the bookstore will also host an event with the author, alongside Quebec novelist Christine Laramée, on Friday, May 22.

I am a big fan of Jame and their Gay Writes account and events, which brings hilarity, verve, sexiness and bite to books. I’m thrilled they chose an audacious play for their selection. Canadian novelist and playwright Jordan Tannahill’s Prince Faggot (Playwrights Canada Press, 2025) was the toast of Off-Broadway last fall. The play critiques the British monarchy and the commodification of queer identity, imaging a world where Prince George of Cambridge is a gay man. Discussion takes place at Pulp Books & Café (their homebase) on Monday, May 18.

Librairie Drawn & Quarterly is known for many things, among them their incredible selection of graphic novels. Their graphic novel book club is not normally queer, but they have chosen to read a queer book for the festival. Firebugs by Nino Bulling (Drawn & Quarterly, 2024) is set against the background of global climate change and asks what it means to transition in a transitioning world.

Librairie Saint-Henri Books has also chosen a queer book for their Deep Cuts with David book club, which explores minor works, forgotten titles, and 20th century authors rarely printed. For Lire Queer, they have selected Love Letters: Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West (Penguin Random House Canada, 2022), a collection of fascinating letters and diary entries between the two authors who had a romantic (and probably sexual) relationship with each other in the 1920s.

More French titles

In addition to the title selected by Mes Pants de Queer above, Lire Queer features several additional book club meetings in French (if we do this again next year, hopefully there will be more).

Montreal librarian Miguel Gosselin Dionne and his friend Marilou Dupuis have an “end-of-the-world book club,” named Lucioles et morilles, which chooses books that root us in times of catastrophe. For Lire Queer, they’ve selected Martine Delvaux’s Il faut beaucoup aimer les femmes qui pleurent (Éditions Héliotrope, 2025), a work of non-fiction that has the Quebec author re-writing/re-thinking the story of her destructive love affair with her ex-wife, which she first recounted in 2012’s Les cascadeurs de l’amour n’ont pas droit au doublage – a book where she portrayed her partner as a man. The event will take place on Sunday, May 17 at Librairie n’était-ce pas l’été.

The Le Cercle de Lecture is a group of avid readers who gather at the back of the Arte & Farina Italian bakery/coffee shop in the Village to discuss a French title (not always queer). I’ve stumbled upon them a few times and have been charmed by seeing them discussing books in a public setting. Led by Sébastien Riquier, the group has selected Kev Lambert’s Querelle de Roberval (Éditions Héliotrope, 2018) for the festival and will be discussing it on Saturday, May 23.

Finally, Fierté littéraire has selected Souterrain by Val Bah (Collection Martiales, Éditions du remue-ménage, 2025) as their selection. Our group read the book in English as part of the Read Quebec Book Fair in December 2024. If you missed it, or would like to read it in its original, you can join their meeting on Monday, May 18 at Maison Plein Cœur.

Please remember, each group manages their own meetings and has their own guidelines and instructions for participants. Some even require you to sign-up in advance (not all RSVPs links are live yet either), so please take the time to read the requirements and check back for updates.

EVENTS

Additional social activities are also currently being planned. I had hoped to be able to announce them today, but it’s been difficult to get all my ducks in a row. Watch this space for more news coming soon.

AND FINALLY, A REMINDER ABOUT THIS WEEKEND: New venue

Just a reminder for those planning to attend this Saturday’s meeting to discuss The Tiger and The Cosmonaut — we are meeting at Galerie SKOL (372 Ste-Catherine West St., #444). The meeting takes place in collaboration with their current exhibition, Réveiller l’Androgyne. Reviving the Bookstore. The discussion begins at 3 PM, but people are invited to come earlier, or stay later, to check out the artwork (Gallerie SKOL is open from 12 to 5:30 PM on Saturdays, and I will be there as of 2 PM).

Happy reading!!

This month’s selection for the Violet Hour Book Club is The Tiger and the Cosmonaut (Penguin Random House Canada, 2025) by Eddy Boudel Tan. We’ll be meeting to discuss the book on Saturday, March 21 from 3 PM to 4:30 PM.

NEW VENUE: Please note that this month’s meeting will take place at Galerie SKOL, located in Montreal’s Belgo Building, 372 Ste-Catherine West St., #444 (an accessible venue). We’ll be meeting in their art gallery space, alongside their current collective exhibition, Réveiller l’Androgyne. Reviving the Bookstore. People are invited to come earlier, or stay later, to check out the artwork (Gallerie SKOL is open from 12 to 5:30 PM on Saturdays).

Also, please note that the gallery will be open to the public during our meeting, so we might have a few people watching us from the sidelines.

If you missed the video interview I did with Eddy a couple weeks ago, you can watch it here. We spoke about the inspiration behind the book, why he has called it a work of “Asian rage,” and how he has grown as a writer since his first novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A noirish page-turner about a mysterious disappearance and a moving portrait of a Chinese Canadian family navigating insecurities, expectations, and simmering anger in their small BC town.

Casper Han grew up the dutiful son of immigrants who never felt entirely welcome in their remote corner of British Columbia. Now an adult, living in Vancouver with a boyfriend whose privilege he quietly resents, Casper rarely returns to his hometown, the site of a grief his family doesn’t discuss: the loss of his twin brother, Sam.

Over twenty years have passed since Sam went missing, and a crisis brings Casper and his siblings back. Their father has vanished, only to be found wandering the vast woods beyond the family home, confused and clutching a pair of scissors, seemingly trapped in the memory of that tragic night. In order to move forward, the Han family must finally confront the past and untangle the mystery of what really happened to Sam.

Combining the atmosphere and intrigue of a cracking good suspense novel with the depth of a rich character study, The Tiger and the Cosmonaut tells the story of a family whose members have long made themselves small and quiet and obedient—and what happens when the cycle is finally broken.

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Starry Starry Night (Book*hug Press, 2025) by Shani Mootoo

• TORONTO date: Saturday, April 11 at 6 PM; at Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave)

• MONTREAL date: Sunday, April 19 at 3 PM at Espace des Possibles La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien East, Beaubien Metro)

Books are available at a discount for members at Librairie Paragraphe (2220 McGill College) and Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe (3952 Wellington). Copies of the Toronto selections are available at a 10% discount at Another Story Bookshop with the promo code VHBC.

LIRE QUEER READER FEST: May 14-24, 2026

The last few months, I’ve mentioned that I have been working to create a queer book club festival in Montreal. I first got the idea when an old friend of mine, fiction writer Nairne Holtz, suggested we collaborate on a joint book club meeting with her Toronto-based group, Sapphic Arts and Letters (S.A.L.). S.A.L. wanted to come to Montreal and partake in a bunch of bookish activities for queer lit lovers. I loved the idea and thought we could expand the party.

So, I reached out to several people in Montreal’s queer literary community. We’re truly spoiled here – the literary and queer scenes are so vibrant, especially where they intersect. It was easy for me to send emails to gauge interest in collaborating. And I heard back from pretty much everyone. Big thanks to those who said yes: Argo Bookshop, Cercle de lecture, Dick’s Lending Library, Drawn & Quarterly, Gay Writes, Hot Flash, Joie de livres, Librairie Saint Henri Books, Lucioles et morilles, Metonymy Press, Mes Pants de Queer and Pulp Books & Café. It’s going to be a fun ten days.

Details are still being hammered out for some of the events, so I’ll send another email in a couple of weeks once the full program is confirmed. I’m currently in conversation with additional partners and working to organize some social gatherings alongside the book club meetings.

In the meantime, I wanted to share the preliminary Lire Queer Reader Fest programming now so you can begin planning your reading. Right now there are 11 meetings: seven in English, three in French, and one in Spanish (folks who speak only English and French are also welcome to attend). It won’t be possible for everyone to attend everything, but perhaps you’ll be able to join a few meetings.

As for Violet Hour, we will be hosting three book club meetings during the festival (see details below). Because attendance at the session we’re holding with S.A.L. will be limited (so that we can accommodate the fifteen or so visiting participants), I wanted to give everyone additional opportunities to attend other meetings.

• Saturday, May 16 at 2 PM (earlier time!): The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat (RSVP necessary for this one: 15 members of Violet Hour; 15 members of S.A.L.) at Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien East); hosted by Nairne Holtz and Christopher DiRaddo

• Thursday, May 21 at 7 PM: The Good Arabs by Eli Tareq El-Bechelany Lynch at Argo Bookstore (1841-A St. Catherine West); hosted by Brooke Lee

• Date and location TBC: Antes que anochezca: autobiografía by Reinaldo Arenas, (In English: Before Night Falls); hosted by Héctor Gálvez (Note: this is the first Spanish-language meeting of the Violet Hour Book Club. Participants are invited to read the book in Spanish, English or French, and are encouraged to express themselves in any language during the meeting, as Spanish fluency is not required.)

More information will be coming in the next few weeks. For now, I just want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my paid subscribers. Your support allows me to continue to create rich, free literary programming like this in Montreal.

OWNING OUR HISTORIES: Queer Voices in Print (panel and poetry reading)

This Saturday (March 7), I’ll be taking part in ARCMTL’s Queer Voices in Print: Panel and Poetry Reading event as part of their Owning Our Histories project, which seeks to celebrate how Montreal’s queer and BIPOC communities create, share, and preserve their own histories through zines, oral traditions, grassroots collections, and independent publishing.

I’ll be speaking with Faith Paré and Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch (Metonymy Press) about how book clubs, small presses, and poetry readings document queer lives and preserve stories that mainstream publishing often overlooks. The discussion will be followed by short readings from Montreal poets Liana Cusmano, Erin Mouré, and Misha Solomon (along with Faith and Eli).

The event will take place from 5 PM to 7 PM at L’Euguélionne bookstore (1426 Beaudry).

ARCMTL is also planning a number of other activities that run until the end of March.

VIOLET HOUR: Ellis Scott & Matthew J. Trafford

Join us on Tuesday, March 31, as we extend a warm Montreal welcome to two visiting writers celebrating the launches of their new books. Ellis Scott will be launching his debut, Night Terminus (Dundurn Press, 2026), “a haunting, lyrical novel in five parts explores questions of grief, statelessness, and memory and is a meditation on survival in the age of AIDS.” And Matthew J. Trafford will be launching Runs in the Blood (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2026), “a dark and funny short story collection that reveals poignant truths about queer chosen family.” Both writers will read from their work, followed by a conversation exploring the themes and ideas behind their new books.

The event will take place at Pulp Books & Café (3952 Wellington) starting at 7 PM.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ellis Scott was born in the U.K. and grew up in Canada. He has published nine short stories in literary journals, including The Iowa Review, Yolk, and The Fiddlehead. His first short story was nominated for a 2020 Pushcart Prize. Night Terminus is his first novel.

Matthew J. Trafford earned his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. He has twice been a finalist for the CBC Literary Prize, received an Honour of Distinction Dayne Ogilvie Award from the Writers’ Trust of Canada, and the Far Horizons Award from The Malahat Review. Douglas & McIntyre published his first collection of stories, The Divinity Gene, which Publishers Weekly described as “shot-through with moments of genuine pathos and even brilliance.” Trafford continues to publish stories as well as writing for the screen. He is an avid knitter and fibre artist in his alternate persona of Fairy Godfather Knits.

THE QUEER SHELF: Maeve

Each month I ask VHBC members to share what books they’re currently reading and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by Maeve, who has been a book club member since November 2022. This month Maeve recommends Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi.

“Freshwater by Akwaeki Emezi is my favourite contemporary novel and some of you may remember I recommended it to you three years ago at our meeting discussing Butter Honey Pig Bread. Both novels feature characters who view themselves as a Nigerian spiritual being called an ogbanje, which can be compared to a changeling child. In Freshwater the protagonist Ada also experiences plurality, which is multiple entities existing in one body, often pathologized in our culture as Dissociative Identity Disorder. The perspective shifts between Ada’s various alters. The novel takes experiences and states of being that are viewed in North American culture as traumatic and heavily stigmatized, and reframes them using mythological and spiritual ideas into something neutral or even possibly positive. Look up the content warnings if reading about intense subjects like sexual assault, self harm, and violence might be an issue for you. Some have described this book as fantasy or magical realism, but I don’t agree with these labels since I see the book as realistic fiction depicting an unusual inner experience.”

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New and recent books to discover: A Lady for All Seasons by T.J. Alexander; A Queer Scrapbook: Britain and Ireland Since 1945 edited by Justin Bengry, Matt Cook, Rebecca Jennings and E-J Scott; The Disappointment by Scott Broker; Last Seen by Christopher Castellani; Fat Swim by Emma Copley Eisenberg; Escalader la lumière by Jean-Paul Daoust; So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder; Tales of the Suburbs by John Grindrod; Hell’s Heart by Alexis Hall; A Night at the Disco by Alice Harris and Christian John Wikane (watch out for an event with me and Christian at De Stiil Bookstore on June 30); My Lover, the Rabbi by Wayne Koestenbaum; Je ne serai jamais Roy Dupuis by Samuel Larochelle; Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novack; Evil Genius by Claire Oshetsky; and Night Night Fawn by Jordy Rosenberg.

Su J. Sokol will be facilitating a writing workshop at De Stiil Books on four consecutive Thursday evenings in March, starting this week (you don’t have to attend all four sessions). The workshops will include short presentations, discussions, and feedback/reactions. Click here for more info.

Sharing Our Work: Queer Food and Publishing Workshop (From Zine to Press) will take place on Tuesday, March 10 at Galerie SKOL (372 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, 4th floor, #444). This workshop explores how to create and publish work, from zines to small press projects, with a particular focus on publications related to queer food. Click here for more info.

The Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival will announce their 2026 festival programming on March 11. More info to come in April’s newsletter. For now, save the dates: April 23-26, 2026.

Head down to the Village to check out the Galerie des Glaces/Hall of Mirrors exhibition (until March 14), presenting work by an intergenerational group of queer Montreal artists in storefront windows. Curated by Daniel Barrow and Jon Davies, the exhibition promises to animate the street with “shimmering projections as well as sculpture, photography, print projects, and more, all visible from the sidewalk.” Participating artists include Glenn Gear, Francisco González-Rosas, Nelson Henricks, Philippe Internoscia, lamathilde, Jenny Lin and Eloisa Aquino (B&D Press), Dayna McLeod, Johnny Forever Nawracaj, Pompom Palace Presents (Bernadette Houde and Amy Fung), Aaron Pollard, Jamie Ross and Esther Splett, Jo Reid Sévigny, Santiago Tamayo Soler, and Antoine Vogler.

Montreal’s Queer Cinema Club will be screening the 1988 film Torch Song Trilogy (the film that made me gay), directed by Paul Bogart, and adapted by Harvey Fierstein from his play of the same name, on Thursday, March 19 at 9 PM (poster below by Paul Dotey). Click here for tickets.

Montreal poet Misha Solomon launches his debut collection My Great-Grandfather Danced Ballet (Brick Books) on Wednesday, March 25 at the Centre culturel Georges-Vanier (2450 Workman) beginning at 7 PM, with a performance by Nate Yaffe and hosted by Sarah Burgoyne. Reserve your spot here.

Kev Lambert launches their new novel Cumul I on Thursday, March 26 at Le Livart (1289, rue Ontario Est) at 5:30 PM.

QUEER VIEW MIRROR: Toronto and Montreal

Last month was a first. Within one week, we held two Violet Hour Book Club meetings in two separate cities (Toronto and Montreal) to discuss the same book (How We Fight for Our Lives by Saaed Jones). It was fascinating to see how two different groups approached the same text. As always, thank you to everyone who contributed to the conversations, and thanks to Anju at Another Story Bookshop for hosting us.

I’ll be passing the Violet Hour Book Club Toronto baton to Larry Baer, who will lead the Toronto meetings from now on. I’m hoping to attend from time to time, as life and budget will allow.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate my 52nd birthday (and shake off the February doldrums) at last month’s Dad Bod Tea Dance. Big thanks, too, to my co-conspirators (and our DJs) Laura Ingalls and Dr. Love. The visuals provided by Tina Sprinkles were everything. I had a blast. That’s a wrap until the summer.

Stay up to date and follow the Violet Hour Book Club on Facebook and Instagram.

I first met Eddy in January 2020 when he wrote to ask if I might consider blurbing his debut novel (After Elias, published by Dundurn Press). This is something we do as writers. We look for contemporaries whose audiences we believe might be interested in our work and ask them to provide endorsements. I’m never sure whether these quotes actually help sell more copies, but they do have the potential to attract attention. I can remember reaching out for my debut, too. Some people said no or didn’t respond, while others agreed (still can’t believe Andrew Holleran provided me with one for Pluto), so I know how humbling an experience it can be.

I was happy to read Eddy’s book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And when it came time to launch his book he asked if I might host. After Elias came out in September, 2020, during the pandemic, so Eddy’s launch was on Zoom. It was such a strange time to bring out a book (The Family Way also launched online during the pandemic) but we had a great time doing it.

Since then, Eddy has published two more books (three in six years). His latest is The Tiger and the Cosmonaut, which has been described as “a noir-ish page-turner about a mysterious disappearance and a moving portrait of a Chinese Canadian family navigating insecurities, expectations, and simmering anger in their small BC town.” I’ve very excited to discuss it with you all.

In advance of our March meeting, I spoke to Eddy about the inspiration behind the book, why he has called it a work of "Asian rage” and how he has grown as a writer since the publication of the first novel. Watch the interview below.

In February 2020 — right before the pandemic shut everything down for… how long was it? A decade? — I threw myself a birthday party with friends at Bar Le Ritz PDB on Jean-Talon. We called it Dad Bod. It was a wink to Miriam Ginestier’s Hot Flash parties for older queer women, and a callback to the Montreal tea dances I used to go to in the mid 1990s. Back then, bars like Sky and La California hosted Sunday afternoon parties that I never missed. I loved the formula: early-evening dancing with gay men to classic house music, then home at a reasonable hour — no worse for wear for the impending workweek.

Back then, Sunday felt like the gayest day of the week to me. Whenever I was out in the city, I would see so many gay men out and about, shopping or having brunch, living their best lives, and I wanted to become just like them. Sunday was also the day of the Divers/Cité Pride parade. There was something so uniquely, deliciously homosexual about it that I tried to write a book called The Social Dynamics of a Sunday. It never went anywhere, but it did push me to start writing more about what I saw around me. And the Sunday tea dances felt like a rite of passage as a gay man. Staying home was not an option.

I miss those days, a sucker for nostalgia like so many others. And so, in 2025, my friends and I threw six more such parties (perhaps you braved the epic winter storm to come last February, as we danced inside our own little snow globe). We hope to throw a bunch more in 2026, too, starting with one this Sunday, February 8 (from 5 PM to 10 PM). Good friends François (Dr. Love) and Raph (Laura Ingalls) will be spinning classic house on vinyl, while Tina (Sprinkles) will set the mood with her campy visuals. And, of course, my partner Greg (General Amazingness) will be shaking his booty to get the party started. This time, Dad Bod will take place at SAT (1201 Boul. Saint-Laurent). If you don’t have plans to watch the Superbowl, maybe you’ll join us?

While these partes are not book-related, I do think of them as somewhat literary (we even had Mes Pants de Queer sell used books at one last August). The tea dance is a part of our cultural history, and as such, a part of our storytelling. I like to think of these parties as an extension to the work I’m doing with Violet Hour — a way to bring together folks of different ages, genders and sexualities, and foster community building and connection. Everyone is welcome at a Dad Bod party.

Curious? Come dance with me while I celebrate my 52nd birthday. There is a special reduced ticket price for Violet Letter subscribers ($10 plus taxes and services). If you’re interested, message me and I will send you the promo code.

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB: How We Fight for Our Lives

This month’s selection for the Violet Hour Book Club is How We Fight for Our Lives (2019) by Saeed Jones. Both Toronto and Montreal chapters of the VHBC will be reading the title this month.

In Toronto, the meeting will take place on Thursday, February 19 at 7 PM at Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave). In Montreal, the meeting will take place on Sunday, February 22 at 3 PM at Espace des Possibles La Petite-Patrie (6450 Christophe-Colomb, Beaubien Metro). I’ll be hosting both events, so if you know of anyone who might be interested in joining me in Toronto, please let them know.

ABOUT THE BOOK

“People don’t just happen,” writes Saeed Jones. “We sacrifice former versions of ourselves. We sacrifice the people who dared to raise us. The ‘I’ it seems doesn’t exist until we are able to say, ‘I am no longer yours.’”

Haunted and haunting, How We Fight for Our Lives is a stunning coming-of-age memoir about a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears. Through a series of vignettes that chart a course across the American landscape, Jones draws readers into his boyhood and adolescence — into tumultuous relationships with his family, into passing flings with lovers, friends, and strangers. Each piece builds into a larger examination of race and queerness, power and vulnerability, love and grief: a portrait of what we all do for one another — and to one another — as we fight to become ourselves.

An award-winning poet, Jones has developed a style that’s as beautiful as it is powerful — a voice that’s by turns a river, a blues, and a nightscape set ablaze. How We Fight for Our Lives is a one-of-a-kind memoir and a book that cements Saeed Jones as an essential writer for our time.

» RSVP to attend in Toronto

» Say you’re coming to the event in Montreal on Facebook

UPCOMING TITLES

• The Tiger and the Cosmonaut by Eddy Boudel Tan (Saturday, March 21 at 3 PM). IMPORTANT UPDATE: We will be at a new venue for our March meeting. We’ll be meeting at the Centre des arts actuels SKOL (372 Rue Sainte-Catherine West, espace 444). More on the change in the following news item.

• Starry Starry Night by Shani Mootoo (TORONTO date: Saturday, April 11 at 6 PM; MONTREAL date: Sunday, April 19 at 3 PM). For this selection, we will be back at Espace des Possibles La Petite-Patrie (6450 Christophe-Colomb, Beaubien Metro) in Montreal, and at Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave) in Toronto.

Books are available at a discount for members at Librairie Paragraphe (2220 McGill College) and Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe (3952 Wellington). Copies of the Toronto selections are available at a 10% discount at Another Story Bookshop with the promo code VHBC.

NEWS ABOUT MAY

As I mentioned, I am planning a queer book club festival in Montreal this May. Over the course of ten days (May 14-24) people will have the chance to take part in about a dozen queer book club meetings in the city (plus other social activities). I’m working with literary groups and indie bookstores on a calendar that I hope to announce in the March newsletter. People will then have two-and-a-half months to plan which books/meetings they want to read/attend. For VHBC, I hope to produce at least three meetings that week.

It will be a little different, as some of these meetings will have limited space and members will need to sign up in advance to attend. Right now, I am firming up the details with my partners and venues, working on the art and promotional strategy. I am also looking into building a website to centralize everything (any advice is welcome). Big thanks to my paid subscribers, as your support helps to produce events like this.

Expect more details next month.

REVIVING THE BOOKSTORE: March’s VHBC meeting at SKOL

We’ve changed the venue for March’s book club meeting (March 21: The Tiger and the Cosmonaut) to the Centre des arts actuels SKOL in Montreal’s Belgo Building (372 Ste-Catherine West St., #444). We’re doing this so members can take in the gallery’s current exhibition, Réveiller l’Androgyne. Reviving the Bookstore, before or after our meeting.

Perhaps you frequented L’Androgyne when it was open (between 1973 and 2002). Or perhaps you’ve just heard of it. It was such an important space to so many queer people over the decades. Our city’s current feminist and queer bookstore, L’Euguelionne, acknowledges it as its predecessor. I, too, have written about its importance in my life and how it led to the creation of the Violet Hour literary series.

Until April 11, SKOL is presenting a collective exhibition inspired by the legacy of the bookstore. Réveiller l’Androgyne. Reviving the Bookstore, unites the work of nine queer artists who each revisit the legendary space in their own way. None ever got to experience L’Androgyne as an active space, but they did get to meet and interview the store’s original founders. Based on this meeting, the artists created original work which is now on display in the gallery. Participating artists include fernando belote, naakita f.k., Lou Fozin, Em Laferrière, Lucas LaRochelle, kimura byol lemoine, Flora Nwakobi, Joshua Schwebel, and Lou Sheppard.

The exhibition examines the persistence of queer memory and considers how a place that no longer exists continues to generate meaning, connection, and collective forms of gathering. The gallery also features some memorabilia from the time, as we as a temporary “L’Androgyne Bookstore” in the centre of the room featuring queer books you can buy (purchased from transfeminine co-op Agenda after they closed last year).

We’ll be meeting in SKOL’s bookstore, located in the centre of the space. The gallery will be open during our meeting, so we might have a few people watching us from the sidelines as we spin our magic. In many ways I’d like to think of us as also being a part of the performance — “performing” our queer book club in a Montreal art gallery.

People are invited to come earlier or stay later to check out the artwork (SKOL is accessible and open from 12 to 5:30 PM on Saturdays).

THE QUEER SHELF: Ivan S.

Each month I ask VHBC members to share what books they’re currently reading and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by Ivan S. who has been a book club member since May 2025. This month Ivan recommends Pageboy by Elliot Page.

“I have long admired the work of Elliot Page. I first saw him in Juno (2007), before his transition, where he played a vulnerable teenager dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. The performance was honest, revealing an emotional depth beyond his years, and it earned him an Academy Award nomination.

“In 2014, Page came out as queer, and in 2020 he publicly transitioned. His 2023 memoir, Pageboy, takes readers on an engaging and vivid journey, replete with colourful anecdotes and memorable people. The story traces his path from growing up in a fractured, dysfunctional family in Nova Scotia, while struggling to articulate his sexual identity, to a formative move to Toronto that ultimately propelled him to Hollywood, where he worked with A-list directors and stars. Living in Los Angeles gave Page the freedom to explore relationships with both men and women. He is honest in describing these relationships, exposing his vulnerabilities to the reader, with many intimate and descriptive details. The adventures at after parties in New York, and California, with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and others were fascinating, as was the process of shooting a film.

“Elliot constantly struggles, even in Hollywood, to suppress his sexuality for market trends. Once, he was forced to buy a dress for the opening of a film and was hounded by the media to reveal his sexual orientation. Page is a keen observer of life, and as a result we develop wisdom and insight into his observations and experiences. He voices how our authentic selves are often invalidated for how we truly feel.

“ ‘Let me just exist with you, happier than ever’ should be an anthem for us all.”

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New and recent books to discover: Devout by David Archuleta; No Brainer by Lea Beddia; Vintage friperie des souvenirs by Denis-Martin Chabot; Arabes comme il faut (French translation of The Good Arabs) by Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch, translated by Olivia Tapiero; Floodlines by Saleem Haddad; Fancy Gap by Zak Jones; Postscript by Cory McCarthy; Stillness and Survival: A Life Between Trauma, Glitter, and the Echo of my Own Voice by Jacob Anthony Rose; Night Terminus by Ellis Scott; A Black Queer History of the United States by C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost; The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. Sui; and The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan.

There are also quite a few launches of new books in Montreal this month: Nicholas Dawson launches 𝑉𝑖𝑑𝑎. 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒 𝑙𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑢𝑟 on Thursday, February 13 at 6 PM at La Livrerie (1289 Ontario); Daniela Danna launches L’amour entre femmes dans l’histoire occidentale at Cité-des-Hospitalières en transition (251 Ave Pins) on Saturday, February 14 at 7 PM; Tom Waugh launches his memoir, In the Flesh: Essays on My Lives, My Bodies, My Families, My Places, My Movies on Thursday, February 19 at 6 PM at L’Euguelionne Bookstore (1426 Rue Beaudry); and Noah Sparrow launches his chapbook SPECTACLE/SPECTATOR at Mes Pants de Queer (2025, rue Parthenais, suite 241) on Friday, February 20 at 7 PM, with additional readings from Jessica Bakar, Foster Gareau and Alex O’Neill (hosted by Misha Solomon).

On Saturday, February 7 there will be a staged reading of the adaptation of Mary Melfi’s book Painting Moments at Espace des Possibles Dans La Petite-Patrie (1052 Beaubien) at 7 PM. The book tells the true-life story of Nick Palazzo, a brilliant and prolific Montreal painter who died of AIDS in 1986 before his 30th birthday.

The Poly Mic presents the Queer Laughs comedy show on Sunday, February 8 at 8 PM at Coop Bar Milton-Parc (3714 Ave. du Parc). Hosted by Ray Resvick, and featuring Tranna Wintour, Matt Shury and other up-and-coming local and visiting queer comedians.

WinterWorks, Centaur Theatre’s boundary-pushing festival, returns February 4–22, 2026. This year’s performances includes Frequencies by Aaron Collier and Confabulation: The Shortest Story (February 14), which features two-minute stories shared by 30 storytellers. The festival also hosts a Centaur After Dark event on February 7, which boasts a Queer Karaoke Party hosted by Anton May.

American publishers are having a difficult time placing 2S/LGBTQ+ books in stores, according to a recent article in The Hill. The American president’s policies seem to be having a chilling effect on publishers willing to take risks telling queer and trans stories.

Writer Kevin Hurren published this original and touching piece on CBC Arts about how the recent BDSM rom-com Pillon had him reflecting on his relationship with kink. “I’ll never forget getting kicked out of one orgy for having the wrong vibe,” he writes. “I have seen the peak of humiliation, and it is a room full of naked people showing you to the door.”

Looking ahead to March, mark your calendars. I’ll be taking part in ARCMTL’s “Owning Our Histories” event on Saturday, March 7. The event will feature a panel on queer literature in Montreal, which I will be a part of, and readings by several local queer poets that I am helping to curate.

On March 11, Blue Metropolis will be announcing its official programming for this year’s literary festival (April 23-26). Once more, I oversaw deliberations for the Blue Metropolis Violet Literary Prize, annually bestowed to a queer Canadian writer for their contribution to queer literature. I’m also helping to produce another evening of true queer storytelling, this one centred around the theme “chosen families” (last year’s dating-themed event was so much fun).

Finally, I will be hosting an event with two visiting writers at the end of March. Authors Ellis Scott (Night Terminus) and Matthew J. Trafford (Runs in the Blood) will be in Montreal on March 31 to launch their most recent titles. The event will take place at Pulp Books & Café (3952 Wellington). More on that next month.

QUEER VIEW MIRROR

Thanks to those who came out to brave the cold to discuss Su J. Sokol’s Five Points on An Invisible Line (and thanks to Héctor for taking the candid images below). It was a great discussion about the merits of hopepunk and what it was like to read something set in an imagined near-future Montreal.

Last month, paid subscribers to Violet Letter received a post that looked back on the writing of my first book, The Geography of Pluto. The book took me fourteen years to write and established the writing process I still use today. Take a look, if you’re curious about my creative process. I’ll be making the post free for all subscribers later in the month.

That’s it for February. Happy reading! And thanks for your continued support!

Stay up to date and follow the Violet Hour Book Club on Facebook and Instagram.

I forgot I had them. There was a black notebook and a binder. Reams of loose-leaf paper with so many notes (a mix of handwritten pages and computer print-outs). Character sketches. Timelines. Inspirational advice. It wasn’t everything, but it was the genesis of the work. I had once been so intimate with these pages. It was like stumbling upon an old friend (or former lover) I hadn’t seen in more than a decade.

It made me think I could write about the book’s origins here, in case it’s of interest to readers. With The Violet Letter, I promised behind-the-scenes insights into my writing process and The Geography of Pluto pretty much established that process. The book was my first, written over fourteen years and without a net. I had no idea what I was doing, having no formal training, feeling my way in the dark. But in the end, I made it out with a manuscript I was proud of.

Published by 25

I always wanted to be a writer; I just didn’t know how to be one. Growing up, I would say things like, “I want to publish my first book before I’m 25.” I’m not sure why I picked that age. In fact, I only started writing Pluto at 25. I suppose I didn’t have much to say before then. But that year, something happened – I got dumped by the man I was dating. And he wasn’t just any man, but my first real boyfriend. Someone I loved with all my heart and who I saw a future with. We were together only a year. Looking back, it was your typical first love affair – lots of fun but not meant to go anywhere. Still, the loss I felt at the time was intense. I am such an emotional person, and it felt like my entire world was crashing in on itself.

So, I wrote to make sense of things. To put things in order. To spend time with him, in a way, since I could not be with him (I missed his presence in my life so much). It was 1999 and I was living with my good friend Ashley. After work (or even, skipping work), I’d take my notebook and pen to a coffee shop in the neighbourhood and write down everything I was feeling, everything I wanted to remember about our year together, lest I forget. I wrote about our dates, the trips we took, what his apartment was like, how he looked in bed next to me, what we said to each other, how he made me feel when I was with him. These things would mean nothing to most people, but they meant the world to me.

And I didn’t stop there. I’ve kept a diary since I was sixteen, and in addition to that I have a great number of journals and folders filled with notes – all reflections I had amassed over the years, many about gay culture. I combed through the words, looking for nuggets of wisdom or situations I had been in that reinforced my feelings about what I was going through. It was then that I realized, maybe I did have a story to tell.

How I wrote Pluto

I was naive at the beginning. “Guy gets his heart broken and reflects on it” is not the most original idea. No one wants to read your diary, and no one finds your life as fascinating as you do. At some point, I needed to divorce myself from what really happened and let the avatars I had created for the people in my life take over and make the story their own.

I knew I wanted to write about love and loss, and I knew I wanted the book to jump back and forth through time. I saw my main character, Will Ambrose, as a kind of queer Billy Pilgrim unstuck in time (Slaughterhouse-Five was a huge influence). Because that’s what being ripped from love felt like to me – past, present and future overlapping in a non-linear storyline in which I was the main character. But as much as I found myself writing about Will and his ex, Max, I found myself inexplicably writing about Will’s relationship with his mother, too. I’ve always been close with my mom and curious about the relationships gay men have with our mothers. I found that being in a relationship with a man had an effect on how we connected and felt that maybe this was something I could explore in fiction, too.

I would stay up late at night, writing at my kitchen table, a pile of CDs keeping my company (Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Boards of Canada). I developed characters, scenes, conversations, descriptions, reflections, but I didn’t know how to string everything together. I’d summarize these scenes on Post-it notes and affix them to a bulletin board in my bedroom by my desk and just stare at them, hoping the various pieces would sort themselves into a coherent narrative.

Then one day – years into the writing process – I was gifted a book that would have the answers I was looking for. The Weekend Novelist was a writing guide by Robert Ray that promised to help me write a book in a year, writing only on the weekends. At first, I was sceptical. As if there could be a formula for creative genius. But still, I read the book cover to cover and took from it what made the most sense. This included a chapter on Aristotle’s Incline and how all/most contemporary works of fiction are set up as three-act dramatic structures with six key scenes: opening, plot point one (aka, curtain for Act I), the midpoint (tables are turned), plot point two (mini-climax), catharsis, and wrap-up. Once I realized what those six scenes were for Pluto, it all came together. Everything else was to get me from one point to the next.

How I got published

I can’t stress enough the benefits that come from joining a community. I credit the connections I made through the Quebec Writers’ Federation for getting me on top of the slush file. I met so many friends through this organization, among them Montreal writers Elise Moser and Peter Dubé, who both agreed to read early drafts and provide me with essential feedback. They also both whispered my name into their publisher’s ear (Cormorant Books). This meant, when I was ready to send my work out, I had an advantage. I will forever be grateful to Elise and Peter for opening that door.

In spring 2011, I sent my manuscript to Cormorant. It took a while for me to hear back. After six months, I decided to encourage a response. Cormorant is a Toronto-based publisher and in December 2011, I reached out to say I would be heading to Toronto in a couple weeks and suggested we meet for a coffee (of course, I had no plans to go to Toronto). Well, it turned out to be the right thing to say because before I knew it, the publisher had read the book and was writing me to set up an appointment. I promptly booked myself a train ticket and tried to find a couch to crash on.

My editor/publisher for Pluto was a man named Marc Coté. We met up one day at a coffee shop in Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighbourhood and he told me that the book was 4/5 close to something he would publish, and if we agreed to work together, it would be a spring 2014 title (more than two years away). He said that for him, editing a novel is like playing a game of Kerplunk. You try to pull out all the sticks that won’t cause the marbles to fall. When you remove all the unnecessary ones, what’s left is the story.

Among the sticks Marc had asked me to remove was a character named Patrick (someone I had written as Will’s close friend, and a bad influence). Although interesting as a character, Marc believed he was not integral to the story and was more of a literary device (I didn’t disagree). He suggested I get rid of him and give anything important that he might say or do to another character. Thankfully, Will already had a best friend named Angie, so that wasn’t too difficult.

Marc also said that the direct references I was making to Slaughterhouse-Five was not working. He found them too cerebral. Too much in the head, and not enough in the heart (so, out they went). He also said the work bore scars of different levels of maturity in the voice of the narrator and I knew what he meant, as some passages were written much closer to the events that inspired them, while others were written through the distance of time. He also suggested that I develop the parts that dealt with cancer, make sure my timeline was solid, introduce the James character earlier, and describe Montreal more.

Of course, he told me, I didn’t need to listen to him, and that he was willing to discuss things further if I felt strongly about it. The one thing he wanted to make sure was that I didn’t write the book the way I thought he wanted me to. I appreciated him saying that. I can’t tell you how amazing it was to finally speak with someone on a macro level about what the book was about and talk about my characters as if they were real people. The story was no longer just in my head but on the table in front of us. And I finally had found a path to publication.

Changes over the years

Pluto had other changes over the years, some bigger than others. At first, I didn’t set the story in Montreal, opting to select a nameless metropolis as the location. I thought it might appeal to more people if I kept the city generic, so readers could imagine it as their own. But then, after a while, I realized that I wanted to write about Montreal. Why make up a gay bar when I could write about K.O.X. and Sky? I missed the heydays of those bars as much as I missed by ex, and this way I could relive those glory days, too. I’m glad I made this change, because I believe the book’s location and era are as integral to the story as anything else.

There were smaller changes, too. Looking over my files, I had forgotten that Will was not always named Will. At first, he was Nick. Then he was Manny (Emmanuel). For a short time, he was Alec. He was also Neil. It’s funny how names come (or don’t come) to you. Sometimes you have to move forward with one, even if you’re not sure you like it. Then, at some point the right name just slides into place and disappears. The book had many different titles, too. Alternatives included: The Social Dynamics of a Sunday, Single, First Novel, Springtime Save Our Country, and In Remission. The Geography of Pluto came only a few months before publication, after my publisher told me that a book named In Remission would never sell.

The book had a different cover, too. If you know me, you know that I am not an argumentative person. But I hated the mock-up. The draft bore a monochromatic image of a pouting topless twink looking wantonly over his shoulder as if disillusioned with the world. The font some kind of blood-red type as if it belonged on a vampire novel. I adamantly did not want this as the cover to my book. In all the things we negotiated together, this was the hill I was ready to die on. I felt the image did not capture the soul of the story and over-sexualized its content. At its heart, Pluto is about the love gay men have for their mothers and I could not see a mother (like mine) picking up a book with this cover.

Thankfully, I was able to convince Marc to try something else. In the end, we landed on an image by Montreal journalist Vincent Fortier (who has since become a great friend, publishing three wonderful books himself). At the time, Vincent was posting these vibrant otherworldly images of Montreal on Instagram. I sent a few to the publisher as examples and soon we were writing to Vincent, asking if we could use one of them.

I am so grateful to Vincent for allowing us the use of his image. Not only was it the start of an enduring friendship between us, but the image perfectly encapsulated the soul of the book – the beauty and loneliness of twilight. It’s a quintessentially Montreal image, too, with the winding staircase (like the one Will climbs behind Max’s apartment). I’m glad I stood my ground when it came to this decision. I don’t think the book would have done as well, nor would I have been as proud, had it ended up with the first cover.

Publication

The book came out in May 2014 (I was 40 years old – 15 years off my goal, but who cares). I cashed in all my karma points inviting people to the launch. Instead of throwing the event at a bookstore, I opted for a gay bar – Cabaret Mado in the Village. On stage, I set up a miniature geography classroom with furniture sourced from my old high school (teacher’s desk, student desks and chairs, a black board, an overhead projector). Tracy Trash served drinks dressed as Minnie Mouse (there was a Disney-themed show later that evening). Two good friends gifted me 1K towards pomegranate martinis for the more than 100 guests that arrived. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life.

Things, however, died down after the launch. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. A few offers to read? Maybe an appearance at a literary festival or two? But in the end, I found I wasn’t getting the invitations I hoped for. And it wasn’t just me – this was happening to other queer writers I knew, too. Without a gay bookstore, it was difficult to find readers. It was then that I had the idea to create a recurring reading series in the city to amplify any new queer releases and welcome out-of-town authors. And so, Violet Hour was born.

More than 10 years later, the events are still going strong. Violet Hour is now both a literary series and a book club, with more than 20 activities presented each year. I keep thinking each year might be the last but then get excited about a new idea and run with it. I think I will do this as long as I can, and as long as there is interest.

How I feel about the book now

The first run of Pluto was 1,000 copies and it took six years to sell them all (pretty good for a debut novel by an indie press). When we were finally out of stock, in 2020, I negotiated my rights back and sold them to Véhicule Press who published my second novel, The Family Way. They ended up giving the book a new cover (I can’t decide which is my favourite) and it continues to sell dozens of copies a year. In May 2024, the book ended up in the New York Times article, “Read Your Way Through Montreal.” It was only one sentence written by Mona Awad, but it helped me earn out the rest of my advance and I am finally receiving royalties for the book. Beyond that milestone, I continue to hear from readers who write to tell me how much the book means to them (it’s what you dream about as a writer).

I have not read Pluto in years, but sometimes I leaf through it and find myself surprised at its sentences. I feel like I’m a different writer now – not necessarily a better one, just one who knows a thing or two more. Still, looking through all this ephemera I refuse to throw out, I feel proud that I stuck with it and figured out how to write a book on my own, even if it did take fourteen years. I’m also nostalgic for that lost 25-year-old who poured his heart onto the page in hopes that someone else might one day read it and empathize with what he was going through. You know, I don’t think I could write this book now, at this point in my life. The rawness that came from not really knowing what I was doing, the intimacy of those nights at the kitchen table nursing my grief, never sure anyone would ever read it.

I really do miss and love the boy who wrote that book.

Hello friends! Hope you had a great holiday and end-of-year celebrations. I ended up spending most of it on the couch, hit with a stubborn cold that kept me out of commission for the last two weeks. Thankfully, I was able to get a bunch of writing done. And this little new addition to our family (below) kept me company (say hi to Capo Maxine Pappardelle, or Max for short).

As we step into cold 2026, I want to remind you that spring is only about two months away. Also, I’ve got a ton of exciting activities planned for the next several months, so there’s a lot to look forward to. In addition to the monthly book club meetings, we will be partnering with ARCMTL on their Owning our Histories project, welcoming two more queer authors to the city to launch their recent books, programming activities for the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival, and launching a new queer book club initiative. More on these in future newsletters.

January is also the time for resolutions, or at least for reflecting on what we want the year to be like. For me, I hope to spend less time on social media and my phone (recently changed my interface to greyscale and find I am picking it up less) and more time with friends and family. I hope to write another (and hopefully, final) draft of my current work-in-progress and get back to the one I put down. I hope to travel, if I can afford it (eyeing a trip to Italy in May for a conference and would like to visit my partner’s family in Kelowna again). Read at least 30 books. And I hope to continue to grow this community, finding additional partners and members who are passionate about fostering deeper connections in queer spaces.

Hope to see you at an event soon!

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB: Five Points on an Invisible Line

This month’s selection for the Violet Hour Book Club is Five Points on an Invisible Line (2025) by Su J. Sokol (xe/xyr). The meeting will take place on Saturday, January 24 at 3 PM at Espace des Possibles La Petite-Patrie (6450 Christophe-Colomb, Beaubien Metro).

Regular members of the VHBC will know Su from past meetings. I have known xyr for over 10 years. We first met before our debut novels came out (May 2014). Since then, Su has published four books, the most recent being Five Points on an Invisible Line. Although a sequel to Cycling to Asylum (republished last year as Invisible Line), it is a stand-alone story. As one of my goals is to feature as many local authors as possible, I decided it was time to include one of Su’s books. Xyr latest is a hopeful work of hopepunk/speculative fiction and polyamory set in a near-future Montreal.

You can watch a short interview I did with Su about the book below.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Three years after finding refuge in near-future Montreal, Laek and Janie prepare to expand their unconventional family. But when their friend Philip’s arrival coincides with an explosion at the airport, their sanctuary begins to crack.

Struggling with PTSD, Laek must forge an alliance with someone he doesn’t trust as street kids start vanishing from his school. Meanwhile, Janie dreams of building a larger family through a polyamorous union, even as dangers mount around them.

Their community of queer, poly, and neurodivergent activists fights for justice in a city that’s both haven and battleground. But when protecting others means risking everything they’ve built, how much are they willing to sacrifice?

In a world of invisible lines, which ones are worth crossing?

Sunburst Award-nominated Su J Sokol crafts hopepunk science fiction where hope isn’t just resistance—it’s revolution.

Say you’re coming on Facebook

NEXT TITLES

· How We Fight for Our Lives by Saaed Jones (Sunday, February 22)
· The Tiger and the Cosmonaut by Eddy Boudel Tan (Saturday, March 21)

All meetings take place from 3 PM to 4:30 PM at Espace des Possibles La Petite-Patrie (6450 Christophe-Colomb, Beaubien Metro).

Books are available at a discount for members at Librairie Paragraphe (2220 McGill College) and Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe (3952 Wellington).

VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB: Toronto

This February, the VHBC returns to Toronto for another meeting. And this time, both Montreal and Toronto will be reading the same book – How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir by Saeed Jones. We’re still trying to build membership in the city, so if you know of anyone in Toronto who might be interested, please do let them know about the VHBC. The Toronto meeting will take place on Thursday, February 19 at 7 PM at our bookstore partner, Another Story Bookshop (315 Roncesvalles Ave.) I’ll be present at the discussion in both cities.

If you plan on going to the Toronto meeting, we ask that you please sign up in advance. Copies of the book are available at a 10% discount at Another Story Bookshop with the promo code VHBC.

LAMBDA SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: Interviews

Recently, I was asked by Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada to conduct a series of oral history interviews with folks involved in the creation and stewardship of the organization, as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations.

Created in the mid-1980s as a networking and social club for gay and lesbian entrepreneurs and professionals in Ottawa, Lambda (not to be confused with Lambda Literary Foundation) grew over the years to become a registered Canadian charity with the mission of creating scholarships, awards, and bursaries in support of 2S/LGBTQ+ studies. Lambda also created Wilde About Sappho, an annual fundraiser that was among Canada’s largest and most prestigious reading series (a new edition launched this past November at ChromaQueer in Ottawa).

If you are curious to learn more about the organization, and what gay and lesbian organizing was like in Ottawa in the 1980s, you can watch my conversations with the following community leaders: Cameron Aitken, John Barton, André Cyr, Barb Freeman, Hugh Nelson, Philip Robert, and Tuan Vu.

Thanks to Darren Stehle for the invitation.

THE QUEER SHELF: Louis Bertolini

Each month I ask VHBC members to share what books they’re currently reading and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by Louis Bertolini who has been a book club member since I Remember Lights (August, 2025). This month Louis recommends Out in Paperback: A Visual History of Gay Pulps, 1948 to 1998 by Ian Young.

“Ian Young’s Out in Paperback: A Visual History of Gay Pulps, 1948 to 1998 is an engaging look into the foundational era of gay pulps, focused mostly on gay male fiction. The book is not only a lively read but is a fabulous visual feast, showcasing each book cover as a record, initially of repression by the end, of visibility. The book covers featured in the six chapters first use merely subtext and hints – a disconsolate young man and a concerned woman beside him – this was the convention of gay books throughout the fifties and much of the sixties more audacious two men and a woman! Physical same-sex affection between men doesn’t appear until the 1970s – classic covers of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room and Gore Vidal’s The City and the Pillar reflect these visual changes. Gordon Merrick’s famous pulps with romantic-realist artist Victor Gadino’s beautiful men displaying affection are a highlight of this book.”

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New and recent books to discover: Genderqueer Menopause by Lasara Firefox Allen; Jackson Alone by Jose Ando, translated by Kalau Almony; Les nuits de l’underground by Marie-Claire Blais (re-print with prefaces by Kev Lambert and Laura Vasquez); We Call Them Witches by India-Rose Bower; Ace of Hearts: Lessons in Love from an Asexual Girl by Cooklin; Hemlock by Melissa Faliveno; She is Here by Nicola Griffith; Two Women Living Together by Kim Hana, Hwang Sunwoo, translated by Gene Png; We Inherit the Fire by Kagiso Lesego Molope; City of Others by Jared Poon; The House Is (Not) a Prison: On the Queerness of Architecture by Colin Ripley; Nights in Fairyland: Gossip, Blackmail, and the Many Lives of “Broadway Brevities” by Will Straw; Missing Sam by Thrity Umrigar; Queer Print Cultures by Javier Samper Vendrell and Vance Byrd; The Log Books: Voices of Queer Britain and the Helpline that Listened by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith; and One Aladdin Two Lamps by Jeanette Winterson.

Last month, Montreal’s Metonymy Press launched their anthologies Sharp Pink Claws Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 to raise funds for the struggling press. If you missed it, you can still support them in their mission to publish queer and trans books. They also recently announced that co-founder Ashley Fortier will be stepping down from the press, and that writer Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch will be stepping into the role of co-publisher.

If you are a CEGEP teacher in Montreal and would like to have me, or another writer, come speak to your class, QWF’s Writers in CEGEPs program sends established English-language Quebec writers into CEGEP classrooms to promote language-arts skills and an appreciation of literature. I’ve been accepted into the program, as have others. You can look at the list of eligible authors here.

Jay Poulton is one of my brother’s oldest friends. Like me, he studied journalism and ended up working in communications. Last year, he started a podcast series called The Accent On, where he speaks to professionals about their work. He interviewed me for it last month, and we spoke about writing, community building, and my professional journey. You can watch/listen to it on YouTube or Spotify.

VHBC member Christopher Wolff published their first peer reviewed article, co-created with visual artist Jesse Blanchard, “They Lack Imagination…” ─ Valérie Wilson and Trans Life in the Audiovisual Archive. It is a written and drawn fabulation on post-war transfeminine life centred around an interview with trans actress Valérie Wilson from the The 1973 French TV program Chutes on tourne.

Confabulation, Montreal’s true storytelling series, presents Over it: Abandoned resolutions, holiday hangovers and the art of giving up on Friday, January 9 at La Sala Rossa (4848 Boul. Saint-Laurent).

On Thursday, January 22, Soliloquies Anthology (co-edited by VHBC member Foster Gareau) launches its 30th anniversary issue at Bar Le Record (7622 Rue St-Hubert), starting at 7 PM.

Three authors come together to talk about the themes that run through their novels: bisexuality, conflicted family relationships, intimate writing, and running away. Tête-à-tête-à-tête with Alice Rivard, Alex Viens and Maryse Andraos take place on Friday, January 23 from 6 PM to 8 PM at La Livrerie (1289 Ontario St E). In French.

Are you obsessed by Heated Rivalry (either the book or TV adaption)? The Gay Writes book club will be reading/discussing Rachel Reid’s novel on Sunday, February 1 at 6 PM at Pulp Books & Café (3952 Wellington St.) Meanwhile, Joie de Livres Bookstore (5163 Boul. Saint-Laurent) will be hosting weekly re-watch parties of Jacob Tierney’s adaptation into February (all-access passes to the screenings, which include drinks, are going for $225!).

Finally, Dad Bod Tea Dance, the early-evening dance party I throw with my friends for older queers, returns on Sunday, February 8, this time to SAT (1201 Boul. Saint-Laurent) from 5 PM to 10 PM. Tickets are on sale now.

QUEER VIEW MIRROR

Just before the New Year, I published a post on The Violet Letter site, looking at all the work we accomplished in 2025. If you missed it, take a look.

For paid subscribers to this newsletter, there are two additional posts: one that examines a particular piece of writing advice from an Italian novel I read recently, the other that gives an update (and excerpt) on the latest draft of my current work-in-progress.

That’s it for this month. Happy reading! And thanks for your continued support!

Stay up to date and follow the Violet Hour Book Club on Facebook and Instagram.

Here’s a quick look back at some of what we did together this year.

Violet Hour Book Club

In 2025, we read a total of 13 publications together, including six novels, three memoirs, two zines, one book of short stories, and one book of essays. Our reading journey took us across genres and borders, with works in translation and international authors, alongside a selection of Montreal-based and Canadian writers. Did you have a favourite?

We also got too big for our britches and needed to change venues. I’ll always have fond memories of our meetings at the Archives gaies du Quebec (and those after-meeting drinks at Cabaret Mado) but we were testing the limits of what was possible in the space at the end of 2024. I brought in the New Year looking for a new home for our book club, only to end up causing a city-wide scandal. Do you remember the story?

It all worked out for the best because we discovered our new home base, the Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better partner. It’s spacious, free, and accessible, with a mission that perfectly aligns with ours – to foster sharing and learning within the community. We also discovered another new place to collaborate with: the queer-owned used bookstore Mes Pants de Queer. We held our April meeting there, and I’m a huge fan of what Dustin and Antoine are doing. I’m certain this won’t be our last event with them.

Big thanks goes to Héctor Gálvez who has moderated discussions for me in my absence, and also for helping capture the visual story of the book club.

Finally, we also brought the book club to Toronto this year, with our first ever meeting at Another Story Bookshop in November. Fourteen people attended, including three folks who have been to VHBC meetings in the past. Thanks Anjula Gogia for welcoming us, and thanks to Elise Moser for making the introduction. We’ll be hosting another meeting there in the New Year. The Toronto chapter will also be reading How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones, and I’ll report back on February 22 in Montreal about how it went. Please tell your friends.

On the road: Frelighsburg and Kelowna

We brought Violet Hour to other Canadian cities/towns this year. In March, Queer Cantons invited us to present an event in the Eastern Townships, in Frelighsburg. The invite came from France Désilets, a longtime friend of mine and the former owner of L’Androgyne Bookstore, back when it was on St. Laurent. Joining us were writers Johanne Cadorette and Leila Marshy. We took to the stage at Beat & Betterave to read from our work, and then engaged in a bilingual discussion with each other and the audience. I had a great time.

I also took advantage of a trip to Kelowna to visit my partner’s family in September to program an evening of readings at the local gay bar, Friends of Dorothy Lounge. Joining me on stage were local writers Jennifer Moffatt, Meg Reyda-Molnar and Mackenzie “Ken” Shaw. A huge thank you to owner Dustyn, as well as my friend, the writer Michael V. Smith, for making it happen. Michael not only helped make the connections for me but also invited me to speak at his creative writing class at UBC Okanagan, which is not something I will soon forget.

Launches, readings and interviews

We got to return the favour to Michael V. Smith when he came to Montreal in November to launch his poetic memoir, Soundtrack, at Casa del Popolo (I sang Culture Club for him at his karaoke-poetry party). He also appeared the following night at Violet Hour: Readings at the Rocket Science Room alongside another BC poet in from out of town: John Barton. Joining the bill were local writers Su J. Sokol, Emilie Nantel and Jordan Coloumbe. These events took place during a massive snowstorm and city-wide transit strike, so I really appreciate everyone who went the extra mile to be there.

I also got to interview Jordan Coloumbe at Crooked DIX in October. Jordan is an old friend, and I was honoured when he asked me if I would take his confession while celebrating 10 editions of his blasphemous Crooked Fagazine (our November selection). To mark the occasion, Jordan rented a priest’s outfit for me to wear. I stuffed my questions for him in an old issue of Zipper Magazine, and pulled it out from beneath my robes. It was truly a beautiful one-of-a-kind queer night in Montreal.

One of our members programmed and hosted their first Violet Hour event this summer. Afrooz Zaad did an amazing job preparing for, and leading, a discussion on Love and Sex as Resistance: Writing Queer Romance and Erotica in a packed Pulp Books & Café (we were sweating, but it was not just because of the temperature). Big thanks to participating writers Gabriel Cholette, Leila Marshy and Jane Walsh.

Ben Ladouceur also came to town (from Ottawa) to speak about his latest book, I Remember Lights (our August selection) at Pulp Books & Café. I loved the book, and I really enjoyed talking to him about it – especially hearing about all the research that went into it. His novel is set in Montreal during the 60s and 70s and explores crucial chapters in our city’s history, namely the opening of Expo 67 and the infamous Truxx raid. Essential reading!

We also had the pleasure of helping Sky Gilbert launch his latest book, The Blue House, at Stock Bar. I’m pretty sure it was the first time live cello was played next to a stripper pole (prove me wrong).

At the beginning of the year, Éric Chacour accepted an invitation to join me at Pulp Books & Café to discuss the success of his debut novel, What I Know About You (our January selection, plus our first Toronto title). I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Finally, I had the opportunity to interview my first international author at an event at the Italian Cultural Institute. Claudio Rossi Marcelli is an acclaimed journalist and author, known for his widely read Dear Daddy column in Internazionale and his daily podcast, Il Mondo. He’s one of Italy’s most prominent voices on LGBTQ+ parenting and civil rights and we got to speak about his writing and what it is like to be a queer parent in Italy today.

Blue Metropolis Literary Festival

Once again, we helped program queer content for Blue Metropolis, Montreal’s international literary festival. This was the seventh time the Blue Metropolis Violet Literary Prize was bestowed to an established 2S/LGBTQ+ writer to honour their body of work. This year’s prize was awarded to Acadian novelist, poet, and playwright France Daigle.

We also ventured into storytelling at the festival (recounting true tales on stage without reading or notes). Drag queen Misty Waterfalls hosted a heartfelt and hilarious cabaret which saw Jennifer June Chapman, John Cotrocois, Kadi Diop, Thomas Mundinger, Johanne Pelletier, Lukas Rowland take to the stage to share personal dating horror stories in both English and French.

Community Day

Finally, we had a table at Community Day during Fierté Montréal this year. I have a lot of mixed feelings about what went down, but I don’t feel like unpacking them here. I’ve always loved this day and the chance it gives us to connect with each other during Pride week in Montreal, but I think I might do something else next year. Stay tuned.

Dad Bod and Italo Queer Montreal

I know these aren’t literary events, but in a way, they’re an extension of the work I’m doing to connect folks in the city. Along with my friends, I helped produce six Dad Bod Tea Dances this year (early evening dance parties for older queers) and cultural activities for queer Montrealers of Italian heritage (along with friends, families, and allies), many of whom still can’t fully be themselves in traditional Italian spaces. Thanks to everyone who came for a dance or a slice of pizza.

Once more, thank you!

As we step into the New Year, I’m already planning exciting activities for 2026. As some of you know, I operate without a budget, so a big thank you to everyone who donated to help fund Violet Hour programming this year.

I also want to extend my gratitude to my collaboration partners. I truly believe in the power of working together to make this city the kind of place we want to live in. Thank you to the following organizations that joined forces with Violet Hour this year: Pulp Books & Café, Mes Pants de Queer, EREQQ, Queer Cantons, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Paragraphe Bookstore, Archives gaies du Quebec, Espace des Possibles dans La Petite Patrie, Blue Metropolis Literary Festival, Friends of Dorothy Lounge, Expozine, and Another Story Bookshop. Looking forward to next year!!

A work of speculative fiction/hopepunk, Five Points on an Invisible Line is a multiple POV novel about an unconventional family of Montreal activists who are fighting for justice in a city that’s both a sanctuary and a battleground. It’s the standalone sequel to Sokol’s 2014 novel Cycling to Asylum (republished in 2025 at Invisible Line).

In advance of our January meeting, I spoke to Sokol about the inspiration behind the book, the power of writing speculative fiction, and what readers who haven’t read the first novel might want to know. Watch the interview below.

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While I eschewed Italian cul…

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Over the weekend, I hosted the inaugural meeting of the Toronto edition of the Violet Hour Book Club. When I first approached Another Story Bookshop at the end of the summer, I was unsure we’d be able to capture to same kind of magic we’ve been generating in Montreal these past six years, but it was truly great. We had a fulsome discussion of Eric Chacour’s What I Know About You, including some perspectives from folks who had read the book in the original French. There were also some familiar faces in the crowd (Brian, Larry and Jen, who have attended Montreal meetings), as well as a few Toronto friends, which made the evening even more special. A big thank you to Anju and the staff at Another Story for hosting us.

I think we will continue to present VHBC meetings in Toronto, whether it’s me who goes back every few months to lead the discussion, or whether I hand things off to guest moderators. I’ve long had the aspiration to bring the book club to other cities in Canada. However, to make this possible I’ll need to develop a clear and comprehensive set of Community Guidelines. A part of what I think makes VHBC so special is the people, and the culture of kindness, openness, and respect we have fostered. I want to take some time to reflect on that and begin putting into words the way we operate.

If you are a regular member of the VHBC and would like to suggest what should go in our Community Guidelines, please let me know what should be added. What makes it special? What values should it hold? I’d love to hear from you.

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VIOLET HOUR BOOK CLUB: A Last Supper of Queer Apostles: Selected Essays

This month’s selection for the Violet Hour Book Club is A Last Supper of Queer Apostles: Selected Essays (2024) by Pedro Lemebel. It’s a collaboration with AIDS Community Care Montreal, so I expect a few new first-timers.

The meeting will take place on Saturday, December 20, at 3 PM at Espace des Possibles La Petite-Patrie (6450 Christophe-Colomb, Beaubien Metro).

ABOUT THE BOOK

A galvanizing look at life on the margins of society by a crowning figure of Latin America’s queer counterculture who celebrated “melodrama, kitsch, extravagance, and vulgarity of all kinds” (Garth Greenwell) in playful, performative, linguistically inventive essays, now available in English for the first time.

“I speak from my difference,” wrote Pedro Lemebel, an openly queer writer and artist living through Chile’s AIDS epidemic and the collapse of the Pinochet dictatorship. In brilliantly innovative essays — known as crónicas — that combine memoir, reportage, fiction, history, and poetry, he brought visibility and dignity to sexual minorities, the poor, and the powerless. Touching on everything from Che Guevara to Elizabeth Taylor, from the aftermath of authoritarian rule to the daily lives of Chile’s locas — a slur for trans women and effeminate gay men that he boldly reclaims — his writing infuses political urgency with playfulness, realism with absurdism, and resistance with camp, and his AIDS crónicas immortalize a generation of Chileans doubly “disappeared” by casting each loca, as she falls sick, in the starring role of her own private tragedy. This volume brings together the best of his work, introducing readers of English to the subversive genius of a literary activist and queer icon whose acrobatic explorations of the Santiago demimonde reverberate around the world.

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WINTER VHBC TITLES

Here are the next three titles we’ll be reading:

· Five Points on an Invisible Line (2025) by Su J Sokol (Saturday, January 24)
· How We Fight for Our Lives by Saaed Jones (Sunday, February 22)
· The Tiger and the Cosmonaut by Eddy Boudel Tan (Saturday, March 21)

Books are available at a discount for members at Librairie Paragraphe (2220 McGill College) and Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe (3952 Wellington).

METONYMY PRESS: Give them a hand

It’s been a tough year for small publishers and Metonymy Press has launched a fundraising campaign to help it make ends meet.

As part of this campaign, they’re launching Sharp Pink Claws Vol. 1 & 2, a set of anthologies that showcase writing by Metonymy authors published over the last decade. In addition to work by editors Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch, Oliver Fugler, and Ashley Fortier, the books include excerpts by Trish Salah, Kama La Mackerel, Hazel Jane Plante, Shanice Nicole, H Felix Chau Bradley, Kai Cheng Thom, Grace Kwan, jiaqing wilson-yang, Markus Harwood-Jones, and Valérie Bah.

Metonymy Press will be launching Sharp Pink Claws launch in Montreal on Thursday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Bar Milton-Parc Coopérative de Solidarité (3714 ave. Parc). The event will feature readings, drinks, and prizes. You can pre-order your copies now and pick them up at the party.

THE QUEER SHELF: Maria Aylward

Each month I ask VHBC members to share a book they’re recently read and why it resonates. This month’s pick is by Maria Aylward who has been a book club member since Cantoras (December 2022). This month Maria recommends Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan.

“Told through a dual romantic narrative, Disappoint Me introduces Max, a mixed-race trans poet working a corporate job in London, and her new boyfriend Vincent, whose chapters take us back to his secret-laden gap year in Thailand a decade earlier. The flashback structure — often tricky in lesser hands — works beautifully here, revealing how past prejudice quietly reverberates through the present. Disappoint Me evokes millennial ennui and lives up to its perfectly chosen title — the ending or love interest may disappoint some… or is it that humans are inherently disappointing? Yet Dinan’s writing is as deliciously lyrical as her debut Bellies, balancing tenderness and the weight of transphobia with dreamlike pacing and flashes of hope and hilarity.

“Max navigates a queer life while encountering spaces shaped by more traditional, cis-het norms. An uptight picnic scene brings this vividly to life: Max in a floral pink dress spots a trans club-goer in a ‘cunty’ outfit and suddenly feels she’s ‘cheated on queerness,’ caught between expectation and liberation. Disappoint Me gracefully explores what it means to accept, to let go, and to wonder if people can ever truly change. As Dinan reminds us, ‘Sometimes there’s nothing to do but leave, and sometimes there’s nothing to do but forgive.’ ”

BOOK NEWS & EVENTS

New and recent books to discover: Casanova 20: Or, Hot World by Davey Davis; DILF: Did I Leave Feminism? by Jude Doyle; Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much by Cynthia Erivo; The Book of Luke by Lovell Holder; Seahorses: Trans, Nonbinary and Gender-Expansive Pregnancy edited by Simon Knaphus; The Aquatics by Osvalde Lewat (translated by Maren Baudet-Lackner); Don Bachardy by Michael Schreiber; Sunset at Zero Point by Simon Stålenhag; Filly by Rosamund Taylor; Weaving Liberation by M.K. Thekkumkattil; Galapagos by Fátima Vélez (translated by Hannah Kauders); and Money Proud: The Queer Guide to Generate Wealth, Slay Debt, and Build Good Habits to Secure Your Future by Nick Wolny.

Musician and writer Mark Andrew Hamilton’s MA thesis on radical AIDS activism in Montreal in the early 1990s (Active Grieving: The Aesthetic Activism of ACT UP Montréal) is available to download and read from Concordia University’s website.

On Thursday, December 5, L’Euguélionne bookstore welcomes François Bellemare (L’émergence du Village gai : Montréal 1974-1990) and Line Chamberland (Mémoires lesbiennes : Le lesbianisme à Montréal entre 1950 et 1972) to speak about their titles. The discussion will be followed by a short film produced by the Archives gaies du Québec: “L’enfance et la jeunesse du Village gai (1980-2000).”

This weekend (December 5, 6 and 7) Mes Pants de Queer presents the first winter edition of Festival TRUXX, offering three inspiring days of queer literature, visual arts, performances, and film screenings. The event takes place at Espace Transmission (5435 av. Des Érables). You can access the complete programming on their Instagram page.

Also, this weekend (December 6-7) is the Read Quebec Book Fair, which celebrates the vibrancy of English-language writing, publishing, and translation in Quebec. The two-day event takes place at Casa D’Italia (505 Jean-Talon East,) and includes a full program of literary events, as well as tables and books by local publishers, authors, and translators. Full programming available on their website.

Montreal writer April L. Ford launches her latest chapbook “Big Small Mountain Town” as part of a Cactus Press chapbook launch at Accent Vol. 127, taking place on Sunday, December 7 at 8 PM at Bar Le Record (7622 St-Hubert).

The English-language premiere of Michel Marc Bouchard’s play Kisses Deep is at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre until December 16. At the centre of the story is Hugo, a young man consumed by his passion for high fashion and dreams of becoming a designer.

Bibliothèque Saint-Charles runs a French-language queer book club and they will be reading S’aimer dans la grande ville by Sang Young Park and discussing it on December 16.

Violet Hour Book Club member Anthony Portulese’s won a carte blanche Prize for his short story “The Stars of Saint–Léonard,” (Issue 52). You can read it here.

Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada has created a new literary prize. The Prix Lambda Foundation de l’écrivain·e francophone 2SLGBTQ+ émergent·e, is a $5,000 prize, created in partnership with Fierté littéraire to support emerging queer Francophone writers in Canada.

Last month, I told you about how Violet Hour was helping to support Montreal’s Les Drags patronnesses with their foods and funds collection for Maison Plein Coeur. There is still time to donate if you can. You can do so at one of their many events, or through this link.

QUEER VIEW MIRROR

A snowstorm and a transit strike complicated last month’s events, but heartfelt thanks to everyone who still made it out to the November Violet Hour Readings event and to the Soundtrack launch, where I sang karaoke to celebrate Michael V. Smith’s new collection. I had a great time.

Thank you as well to everyone who became a paid subscriber to the Violet Letter. Your financial support helps me to continue to create free literary events in the city for LGBTQ+ book lovers.

That’s it for this month. Happy reading!

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