“Speak White” by Quebec poet Michèle Lalonde was written and first performed in 1968 during the great rising wave of Quebec nationalism. It refers to an epithet many Francophones heard…
I’m back to working on the short story collection. The current story is one that has quite a bit about volcanos, and as I speak, a small bottle of ash…
This isn’t a new photo. It’s one I took when I was in Portugal about this time of year. The jacaranda trees were in bloom: absolutely spectacular! I’m waiting impatiently…
Despite the very early warm weather we had in late March and again in the middle of April, flowers and leaves are bursting out this first week in May, much…
The series of walks given all over the world in honour of urbanist Jane Jacobs are coming up this weekend. In past years I’ve given a couple: last year it…
Great story in The New York Times today about Mexican-inspired food: “How the Taco Gained in Translation.” Makes me hungry just to read it. Makes me also reflect on how…
If you’re in Montreal, be sure and check out this marvelous installation in the Quartier des spéctacles, right across the street from Place des Arts. The viceo was made last…
Well, I’ve always walked a lot. Maybe I should try this.
Nearly four times as many people have been arrested in the student protests against Quebec’s tuition hike than were arrested during the October Crisis: 1,201 between April 7 and 27,…
This morning Paul Krugman writes about what terrible things economic bad times are doing to young people around the world, and the high cost of education. His major concern in…
I must get out and take more spring pictures. The weather was hot and dry, but the last week we’ve had rain and cool temperatures, which last night dropped below…
Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate for economics, has been trying to convince policy makers everywhere that austerity is bad for economies. In his column in The New York Times today he…
This morning, underneath a banner story in Le Devoir about continuing conflict between student groups and the Quebec government over tuition fee hikes, I was encouraged to read a report…
A friend sent me this link, and I’m charmed by the idea of so many people on one side of the word singing a work written by someone from a…
Okay, the Harperites are going to close prisons because their crime-fighting measures (which are just taking effect) have made the country safer, or so they say. Nowhere do they mention…
Having spent more time than I care to say marching in demonstrations that most frequently brought together only small groups, I’ve been very impressed by the crowds that have been…
Several times over the last decade we’ve been in the middle of preparing to go to France for a while. I’d love to be doing that right now, but there…
Parking on our street is a topic of hot discussion at the moment. I won’t go into the details–too boring for those of you who don’t live here–but suffice to…
Yes, it was a hot month. I don’t remember ever wearing sandals in Montreal in March, but I did. And despite the fact that temperatures dropped after the incredible week…
