A. M. Matte – Page 2 – Je pense, donc j'écris. / I think, therefore I write.

Pigeons and Alzheimer’s Out Loud

ammatte Uncategorized 12 April 201513 octobre 2015authors, Countdown, independent, pub, reading, Toronto, Where Pigeons Roost, wordjammin 0 commentaire

I participated in the Wordjammin’ 2015 event a few weeks ago, during which independent authors share their wares, so to speak, during an afternoon of public readings.

As always, I had great fun reading an excerpt from my short story Where Pigeons Roost and, in homage to my grandmother, my short nonfiction piece Countdown, which chronicles my family’s encounter with Alzheimer’s Disease.

My husband and four-year-old son were also in attendance, which made the event even more special to me.

For more information about Wordjammin’: http://www.wordjamm.com/authors-bios.html.

A.M. Matte reading at an ornate gold-plated lectern in a west Toronto pub. — A.M. Matte reading *Countdown* at Wordjammin’ 2015.
Photo credit: Angela, artwalkabout -at- gmail.com

Conte-moi ça at the Toronto Public Library

ammatte Uncategorized 21 March 201523 mars 2015Conte-moi ça, improv, library, productions nemesis, reading, théâtre, Toronto 0 commentaire

Theatre company Productions Nemesis has presented, on two occasions now, my interactive theatre for kids concept, Conte-moi ça, at the Toronto Public Library. Geared toward 5-10 year olds, the 50-minute show in French reinvents fairy tales according to audience suggestions. Thanks to talented improv collaborators, the kids see Hansel and Gretel eat lots of spaghetti – in addition to a candy house – and see Cinderella meet Elsa at the ball instead of the prince.

Following the latest Conte-moi ça, which was played at the Richview branch of TPL, the librarian shared this comment:

« Thank you for arranging this wonderful program. Productions Nemesis gave fast paced, funny and gripping performance today, great stories, props and costumes. I created a display of Fairy Tale books from our Children’s French collection to complement, and made sure no one walked out of the room without a book (s) to take home. »

Glad we could contribute to the next generation’s joy of reading!

Improv actor C. Berthiaume in wolf hat and white, clawed gloves plays a wolf in Conte-moi ça interactive theatre for kids. — Hansel and Gretel also met a confused wolf as they traipsed around the Toronto Public Library’s Richview branch.

A Reading Begets Another

ammatte Uncategorized 13 March 201514 mars 2015Alzheimer, audience, literary cabaret, pigeons, public, reading, wordjamm, wordjammin 0 commentaire

I participated in the Toronto Writers’ Co-operative’s 7th Exchanging Notes Literary Cabaret a few weeks ago, where I read my creative non-fiction piece Countdown. It’s about my grandmother’s last years with us, during which we rediscovered our relationship through the lens of Alzheimer Disease. My reading was accompanied by John Priest on the violin.

A photo and tweet about my reading from writing partner and good friend Sophie Tolias.

Following the Cabaret reading, I got an email from fellow writer Amy S. Mark, inviting me to read Countdown and another excerpt (I’ve opted to read from my short story collection Where Pigeons Roost) at the Indie authors’ Wordjammin’ 2015 event this weekend:

A Celebration of Independent Authors

Join some of Canada’s best indie authors
as they read excerpts from their works.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

2:00 — 6:00 pm

Yellow Griffin Pub

2202 Bloor Street West

(just steps from the Runnymede subway station)

Find out more about the authors reading at the Wordjamm here: http://www.wordjamm.com/authors-bios.html.

I’ll be reading at 4:55 p.m. I don’t know what the audience will think of the contrast between a staccato yet touching retelling of a loved one’s demise and the dark humour of killing pigeons for sport – I suppose death is an inadvertent theme, here – but I am looking forward to finding out. Each author’s Wordjamm reading is followed by a question-and-answer session from the audience. I’ll share how it goes in an upcoming post.

Cousin dee – Wildness Rushing In

ammatte Uncategorized 2 December 201413 mars 2015dee, Hobsbawn-Smith, poems, poetry, reading, Wildness Rushing In 0 commentaire

Last month, I met cousin dee – we are related through her attachment to my mother’s third (?) cousin, Dave; their grandmothers were sisters. Something like that.

Both dee and Dave are writers, and I met them as they each came to Toronto to read their work. dee has recently published Wildness Rushing In, a collection of poems, which she shared as part of a recent reading tour.

dee Hobsbawn-Smith reading her poetry at the Rower’s Pub reading series.

My favourite poem of the collection is At 15, which narrates her fifteen-year-old self and the surly angst and rage accompanying her.

But what I enjoyed most about dee was her generosity of spirit. She warmly welcomed me – and my four-year-old son – to the event, helped us get settled, and ensured we were comfortable. In fact, so comfortable were we that my little one fell asleep at the pub bar, allowing me to listen without interruption, babe in arms, to the poets in attendance.

Do pick up a copy of dee’s delicious collection; linguistic delight for the senses.

New Voices Publication

ammatte Uncategorized 1 October 201417 novembre 20142014, Co-operative, Dolls, paper, reading, Toronto, TOWC, voices, writers 1 commentaire

At the end of September 2014, the Toronto Writers’ Co-operative launched its sixth Voices anthology, in which is published my short story Paper Dolls.

I originally wrote Paper Dolls in French, following a talk with my grand-mother Jacqueline. When she told us about one of her favourite toys, growing up in Montreal in the 1930s, it painted such a picture in my mind that I couldn’t help but take her love of her paper dolls and insert it into my next short story.

I read an excerpt of Paper Dolls at the Voices book launch, voicing my main character both as a child and as an elderly woman.

I love this second life a reading gives characters, where an author can literally lend her voice to a story.

Looking for your own copy of Voices 2014? Find one at the Toronto Writers’ Co-operative website.

« The Art of Standing Still for Four Hours »

ammatte Uncategorized 24 September 201424 octobre 2014 0 commentaire

« For four hours, 28 “enthusiastic, clean cut and reliable” – part of the job description – young people stood at attention outside the eOne event in order to set a scene of a highly-guarded, exclusive, and perhaps a little dangerous, party. Let’s just say the enthusiasm waned pretty quickly and we wished we hadn’t been so reliable after all. »

– Excerpt from my personal essay « The Art of Standing Still for Four Hours », available at the Watts at the Movies blog

Thursday Throwback – Titania’s Table

ammatte Uncategorized 5 June 20144 juin 2014A Child's View of Shakespeare, CBC Writes, challenge, Dr. Seuss, iambic pentametre, monologue, selfie, Shakespeare, Titania 0 commentaire

When I was twelve years old, I wrote a one-act play based on Shakespeare’s, called A Child View of Shakespeare. In it, Juliet does not love Romeo and a Pharaoh – Cleopatra – is disinterested by her suitors. Viola is writing a tell-all book about her boss, and there is the obligatory identical twin quiproquo.

To my young ears, Shakespeare’s iambic pentametre sounded just as rhythmic and as rhyme-y as Dr. Seuss, so that’s what the play sounds like. Basically, A Child View of Shakespeare is iconic characters stirred up in Macbeth’s witches’ pot to deliciously silly results.

Fast forward two decades (ahem) later, when CBC Writes launched its Shakespeare Selfie Challenge to celebrate the playwright’s 450th birthday, asking Canadians to take a Shakespearean character, situate him or her in a present-day scenario, and write a new soliloquy or monologue (an old-timey selfie) for that character.

So, I dug through A Child’s View of Shakespeare and pulled out a passage to submit to the challenge. I recycled my twelve-year-old self’s banquet-themed monologue and breathed new life into it through Queen of the Fairies Titania’s voice. What if she were the host of a modern-day cooking show?

Click here to read Titania’s Shakespeare Selfie – do you see the Shakespearian and Seussian influence?

A Literary Cabaret, live literature and music

ammatte Uncategorized 19 February 201417 mars 2014alleycatz, cabaret, Co-operative, James Faulkner, literary, music, Paper Dolls, performance, reading, Toronto, writers, Writing 0 commentaire

Literary Cabaret poster, highlighting the evening line-up of readers, including A.M. Matte — Literary Cabaret poster

As part of the Toronto Writers’ Co-operative’s annual outreach efforts, I participated in the 2014 Literary Cabaret at Alleycatz Lounge last February. Eighteen members of the Co-op took the stage to perform their writing, accompanied by a varying array of musicians.

Though I’d never met him before we shook hands on stage, my reading of my short story Paper Dolls was accompanied by James Faulkner on acoustic guitar. James’ spry yet mournful strumming was a touching backdrop to a story of a late-blooming friendship in the life of an older woman.

I will make a video of my reading available in April.

Under a spotlight and by a few microphones, A.M. Matte reads excerpts of her short story, Paper Dolls — A.M. Matte on stage, reading excerpts of her short story, Paper Dolls (photo courtesy of Omar Samara)

A Literary Cabaret

ammatte Uncategorized 8 January 20148 janvier 2014alleycatz, cabaret, instruments, literary, live, music, musicians, poetry, prose, reading, Toronto, writers 0 commentaire

Very happy to participate in the Toronto Writers’ Cooperative’s Literary Cabaret next month. I even changed vacation plans in order to participate. How’s that for dedication to one’s craft? Details on the cabaret follow:

T.O. Writers’ Co-operative

Presents the 6^th

Exchanging Notes: A Literary Cabaret

Tuesday, February 18, 2014, at 7:30 PM

Alleycatz Lounge

(2409 Yonge Street, 2 blocks north of Eglinton Avenue)

‘Exchanging Notes: a literary cabaret’ offers a unique combination of spoken word and live musical accompaniment. A variety of instruments support authors in a variety of genres. Rock! Blues! Jazz! Poetry! Prose!

Our venue, Alleycatz Lounge, offers 2 menus, an exceptional kitchen and bar, great service!

There is no cover charge.

Further info: exchangingnotes@live.ca

For further info on Alleycatz: http://alleycatz.ca/

French Book Launch – Ce que l’on divulgue

ammatte Uncategorized 3 December 20135 décembre 2013Book, Ce que l'on divulgue, change, collection, Fair, French, launch, reveal, short stories, Toronto 0 commentaire

I have the privilege of launching my new collection of short stories in French, Ce que l’on divulgue (What we reveal), at the Toronto French Book Fair this weekend.

This short collection of stories is a study of upheaval and change – sometimes good, sometimes bad – in which characters must face a stranger, a revelation, or even a new lifesyle.

Join me:

WHAT: Ce que l’on divulgue book launch
WHEN: Saturday, December 7, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Toronto French Book Fair, Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, 2nd floor, Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, Radio-Canada Stage

The book is on sale for $10 for the month of December, and returns to the original price of $11.49 in January. You can get a copy at the book fair on Saturday, you can order it online through Amazon, or you can drop me a line and I’ll arrange for a signed copy to get to you.