Apparently it was unexpected that Alexei Popyrin won the tennis tournament, as he defeated many opponents that had been rated higher than him.
Updates from August, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
Monday is “Le 12 août, j’achète un livre québécois” day. Some suggestions from Le Devoir, La Presse, Radio‑Canada. Doesn’t seem to be a thing on the anglo side, although there are certainly still books being written and published here in English.
Ian
Don’t say it too loud, they’ll make it illegal.
PatrickC
It’s a great initiative, and I believe it really helps book sales in the hollow period before new books come out in the fall. The network of independent bookstores, Le Libraires, goes all out on its website to promote titles readers might have overlooked. The anglo book world should definitely do something similar, whether on the same day or another. But would local anglo media step up?
Ian
OK, to make up for my snark (and enjoy the sun while it’s out, to be fair) I went out to my local, D&Q.
There were signs up for the “event”, and they had some nice displays of QC authors in French & English set up. I picked up a copy of “Our Lady of Mile End” by Sarah Gilbert. The place was pretty packed for a Monday!
EmilyG
If I weren’t sick with Covid, I’d like to go to a bookstore today. Maybe I can order something online.
Poutine Pundit
The Francophone press is operating from a very narrow definition of “livre québécois,” as there’s also nothing in any of their suggestions representing the sizable minority of Quebecois who write in English (even in translation).
I suppose it’s no different from any of those “Greatest Canadian ____” lists coming out of the rest of Canada that always leave out anything French, but it’s disappointing.
Joey
I have a friend who used to joke that the Sheilagh Rogers CBC radio show that ran in the early 2000s was mis-named and should’ve been called “Sounds Like *English* Canada” – all this to say, it’s no surprise that QC’s homegrown publishers would focus on promoting French-language books only on a marketing ‘holiday’ to promote the QC book business…
Kate
Joey, your friend was correct. Likewise you’ll see people making lists of great Canadian pop tunes, completely ignoring songs in French, and so on. There’s still a lot of truth in the old “two solitudes” cliché.
I think the publishers are right to push French-language books, I just wondered why the anglo media didn’t hop onto the bandwagon and do a few suggestions of works published here in English (originals, or works in translation).
Joey
@Kate my friend’s point was that the CBC (generally, but also the program’s host, producers, etc.) had a lot of nerve to call a show Sounds Like Canada when it never really engaged with Quebec culture and, more importantly, should know better. IMO the lack of really bilingual culture – where the assumption is that the audience is capable of following along in both languages – is just too bad.
Kate
Joey, I was agreeing with you. Discussing “Canadian” books or music with no mention of works from Quebec is a chronic problem.
jeather
There are often (usually) works from Quebec, but they are English ones. Anglophone arts from Quebec are still from Quebec, though this is just further proof of the two solitudes.
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Kate
A record number of people participated in the Pride parade Sunday.
sgt
It’s OK to organize and participate in the event like this unless it becomes naughty and perverse (and kids can get traumatised).
MarcG
I’ll take ‘Comments That Sound Like They Were Generated By AI’ for $500, Kate.
Kate
Would AI use the British spelling of “traumatised” though?
CE
If you had it set to UK English it would.
Ian
Kids can get traumatised by their parents being dopes about what they should be allowed to see, too.
Rick
To quote the great Douglas Murray referring to people on the floats “remember, you’re not a celebrity, your just gay.”
Joey
The great Douglas Murray can F right off.
GC
If he was that great, his grammar should have been better.
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Kate
Flooding from the Friday storm is keeping Highway 13 in Dorval closed for the moment.
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