McSweeney’s List (16 October 2024)
Nine years ago, I realized that a membership to the MMFA was pretty affordable. Entrance for two adults is about $40, while an annual membership for me plus a guest is about $100. No brainer. More than a deal though, it seemed like a classy-ass thing to do. I don't come from a family of art folks, and being a member of an arts museum, a VIP who skips lines and gets exclusive access, felt bougie af. I was so excited, I took a picture of my card when it arrived.
Almost a decade later, I've renewed my membership every year. I inadvertently set a standard for myself wherein I don't wait in lines, and I get a discount at the gift shop. Going back to basics doesn't feel like an option. I'm quite flexible in a lot of ways, but certain things like this seem immoveable. Like coffee, for instance; it's one of the few grocery items I will casually pay too much for, smiling as I pour a cup from my coffee press. The press is another standard I can't come back from. I'm generally easily pleased, but will complain about mediocre coffee, so I simply don't allow it in my house. Easy peasy.
Other standards took longer for me to set. After chopping my own hair and bangs for uh, ever, this year I've set the standard of having only professionals touch my mane. (Specifically Alexis, highly recommend.) As soon as I got my hair did in the spring, I had a hunch in my heart that my days of DIY cuts were over. Still, it's an easy thing to dodge when you're not in the habit. A couple of weeks ago, my bangs were shaggy, and the scissors were calling. Instead of going back to my old ways of a chop and a shrug, I booked a hair appointment. While it may seem small or basic, it felt great to maintain a new, elevated standard.
My Kiddo loves standards. She's good at setting them, maintaining them, and adjusting her sights on the next level she intends to attain. When she was a baby, a family member told me that she had sensitive skin and simply could not wear fake jewellery. I rolled my eyes, but accepted it as her first standard. Trust that she hasn't worn costume shit in her life, and has no desire to give it a try. While I never knew if it was true (her skin is a persistent problem, tbh), it was super simple to establish and keep standards for her. The Kid genuinely preferred one brand of apple juice -- a family joke to this day -- and it was a small cost, so, why not? She has some suggestions about standards I should set for myself. No dating men who have inflatable mattresses or mattresses on the floor, for instance. While my inner scarcity cried classism!, it's a perfectly reasonable line to draw. I've done my time living at baseline. (By the by, I countered that my own mattress is on the floor but on a box spring, and I assure you she does not support this.)
“Standards are simply boundaries,” Andrew Jamieson said when I talked to him about this essay, and it blew my mind. I'd never seen it that way. It explained why he and my daughter are good at both, and why I -- well, it's complicated, but I'm learning.
There was a time when I used to pick up cigarette butts if they were big enough (as if that strengthens my position). I used to roll my joints with tobacco, so a little was a lot, and even when it wasn't necessary, I kept up that habit. It was like thrifting, in a way, and I hated to leave a find behind. But at some point, I stopped. There was an earlier time when I stopped doing it in front of people, but that wasn't a boundary or a standard, just a façade. Sometime after that I stopped doing it entirely, because I deserve better and can do better.
This is your sign to check around your life for the standards that need raising and the boundaries you've let slide. Buy the good bread. Cut loose the people you picked up like damaged cigs because you hate seeing a person go to waste, and didn't know you deserved a whole human. And if you set your mind to it, you’ll never check the gutters for goodies again.
MAGICAL
The first ever Montreal Mushroom Fest has arrived. Celebrate the love of fungi through enlightening talks, panels, insightful workshops, exotic music, and vibrant art. Dance all night, sip non-alcoholic drinks and tea, make some lovely connections. There's a bazaar of crafts and artisanal goods too, so get your myco-inspired shopping on! Mush love.
WHAT: Montreal Mushroom Festival
WHERE: 2023 St. Laurent Blvd., Montreal, H2X 2T3
WHEN: Friday, October 18, 5 PM - October 20, 4 AM
METRO: St. Laurent (Green)
TICKETS: Eventbrite
HE HAS LESS OF AN ACCENT, AND MORE OF AN OVER-ENUNCIATION…
Accent Open Mic Poetry night is back!
The featured readers will be Jay Miller and our very own Creative Director, Editor-in-Chief, and man about town Andrew Jamieson. He does a lot of stuff on stage, but it's rare to catch him reading his own work in any serious fashion, so don't miss the chance. Plus, it's his birthday that night, so pat the dude on the back, wish him well, all that good stuff.
Check out our feature on the Accent Open Mic, written by Willow Loveday Little.
Of course, the mic is open, so bring your notebook, or come by simply to enjoy some poetry. The theme of this edition is MAZES.
WHAT: Accent Open Mic
WHERE: Bar La Marche à côté, 5043 Saint Denis St, Montreal, Quebec H2J 2L8
WHEN: Sunday, October 20 @ 8PM
METRO: Laurier (Orange)
DETAILS:Facebook
CELEBRATE ten years
Join Metatron Press and friends for an abundantly ambitious reading to mark and celebrate our 10 year anniversary! This 3-part reading brings together a staggeringly brilliant group of voices that we have published over the past 10 years, including local legends, poets, and writers traveling to us from Ontario, Saskatchewan, California, New York, and Massachusetts.
For 10 years, we've been passionately championing, preserving, and celebrating poetry and experimental writing. Along the way, we've hosted 70 events, published 50 groundbreaking books, and built a rich archive of digital poetry. We've created a platform for thousands of voices to resonate with those who know how to listen.
Drop in anytime between 5 PM and 10 PM for an evening of electrifying readings, delicious drinks (cocktails, mocktails), snacks, and engaging conversation. As you immerse yourself in the words, let Field Note set the sonic atmosphere between and after the readings.
Tickets are available now. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of poetry, the written word, and the ancient art of listening.
Featuring readings by:
Sara Sutherlin, author of Baby and I Wanted to Be the Knife
Ali Pinkney, author of Tampion
Lee Suksi, author of The Nerves
Lora Mathis, author of The Snakes Came Back
Faith Paré , GLYPHÖRIA Contributor, and Winner of the Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers
Jay Ritchie, author of How to Appear Perfectly Indifferent While Crying on the Inside
Liz Bowen, author of Sugarblood
Viola Chen, author of No Problematics
Olivia Wood, author of A Work No One Told You About
Marcela Huerta, author of Tropico
Trynne Delaney, author of the half-drowned
Sennah Yee, author of How Do I Look?
Sofia Banzhaf, author of Pony Castle
Brad Casey, author of The Idiot On Fire, and Host of Metatron Podcast Metacösm
Greg Zorko, author of Ghost In The Club
Frankie Barnet, author of An Indoor Kind of Girl + Kim: A Novel Idea
Cason Sharpe, author of Our Lady of Perpetual Realness and Other Stories
Aladair Rees, GLYPHÖRIA Editor + Saskatchewan’s first Youth Poet Laureate
Alex Manley, author of We Are All Just Animals + Plants
Hannah Karpinski, Metatron's Assistant Editor + Metatron Author To-Be!
WHAT: The Decade Reading: Metatron Press 10 Year Anniversary
WHERE: Le Système, 7066 Rue St-Hubert, Montréal, QC H2S 2M9, Canada
WHEN: Sunday, October 20, 5 PM - 10 PM
METRO: Jean-Talon (Orange & Blue)
DETAILS:Facebook
GET IN LOSERS, WE’RE GOING SHOPPING
The almighty Loser Jamboree – A Montreal Punk Rock Flea Market is back. Get yer shopping on with stickers, art, soap, coffee, and a million artisanal things I can't even think of. They promise DRINKS! LAUGHS! STUFF! DUMB JOKES! COFFEE! AWESOME MUSIC! OUR FAVORITE PEOPLE!
Event Poster Artwork by Olivier Picard
WHAT: Loser Jamboree - A Montreal Punk Rock Flea Market
WHERE: Foufounes Electriques, 87 St. Catherine St. E., Montreal, H2X 1K5
WHEN: Sunday, October 20, 11 AM - 6 PM
METRO: St. Laurent (Green)
DETAILS: Facebook
Join the family!
Forget The Box is growing, and we’re looking for new contributors to join our family! (Re)launched in Spring 2023, Forget The Box is Montreal’s leading arts magazine, focused on ground level, underground, and marginalized local art.
We’re looking for writers who want to build their portfolios while covering some of Montreal’s best (and most hidden) art scenes! And we’re also looking for other creative talents like designers and photographers who want to share their skills and unique perspectives to the cause!
Visit Forget The Box to check out Montreal’s most in-depth arts magazine, and reach NOW to start spotlighting our local arts community, and to join our family! DM us directly, or email forgetthebox@forgetthebox.ca
McSweeney’s List drops every Wednesday with the best events, workshops, and more, each week in Montreal!
