Submit your letter!
State of the Plateau
Mr. Jason MacLean, in search of the quiet life of reflective contemplation befitting an aspiring "pointy head," quite obviously failed to do research before moving to the Plateau ["Plateau intellectual," [e] Mail, July 19]. Moreover, he contradicts his own argument. If Mr. McLean dislikes binaries, why is his argument premised on the high versus low culture binary, not to mention aesthetic ideology's incredible fault line--judgements of taste? Perhaps too much Hilton Kramer et al?
The Plateau--notably between St-Laurent and St-Denis--has long been a site of hullabaloo. Scenesters, hipsters etc. have for decades found the area to their liking. From the '20s to the '50s, Montreal was considered by American police to be a haven of vice and decadence. Noise, booze and nightlife are integral to its history. Additionally, as highlighted in David Fennario's play Balconville, the boundary between private and public has always been slippery in Montreal's history. From Verdun and St-Henri to Parc-Ex, Montreal is not Toronto or Calgary.
If new or longtime residents wish for a life of saccharine-like homogeneity, perhaps an American gated community or the enlightened thinking of Mayor Giuliani would be more to their liking. What is occurring in the Plateau is obviously for some an extreme form of democracy--all manner of races, classes and types living beside one another.
Arrogance from the hipsterati criticizing the "yuppie" or the aspiring intellectual illuminati's derision of the lowbrow masses does not provide a solution. Yes, drug addicts, noisy neighbours and drivers on cell phones in 6,000-pound behemoths are worrisome, especially to those with kids.
However, the task of creating dynamic, livable communities demands dialogue with those who both please and irk you.
The complexities of society (changing demographics, homeless, rich and poor etc.) require compromise, compassion and community involvement instead of armchair complaining. As a Montrealer who has lived in Ottawa and Vancouver, I appreciate Montreal's unique and eclectic neighbourhood energy. If I want staid and sober I'll move back to one of those cities.
P.S. Pointy heads from Benjamin and Sartre to Foucault produced great work while living in adverse and noisy conditions. Mr. MacLean, there is still hope for you here!
--Darcey Nichols
Divers/Cité clarification
congratulate the Mirror and Mathew Hays for putting the spotlight on members of the gay and lesbian community who have disabilities, and on highlighting the fact that in order to be truly inclusive, the community must be accessible to all.
I note, however, that when the Mirror interviewed me, I was not yet aware that some films at this year's Image&Nation Festival will be screened at the wheelchair-accessible Eaton Centre cinema.
I would like to clarify that the human rights complaints I have filed against Famous Players and Image&Nation relate to the decision by festival organizers to hold the festival in a location inaccessible to wheelchair users in '98 and '99, and to the lack of an elevator at Le Parisien cinema, which is owned by Famous Players.
I made no comment in the interview with respect to screenings at the Eaton Centre.
Thank you again for a great Divers/Cité issue and especially for the enlightened focus on disability.
--Nora Bednarski
Disabled queer coverage
I wanted to write you to commend Matthew Hays on his thoughtful pieces about gay and lesbian people with disabilities ["Visibly queer," "Nora Rae," Aug. 2]. We in the queer community have much to learn about valuing all the diversity among us. Mr. Hays's articles made these issues just a little more visible.
--Farzana Doctor
Is it or isn't it?
Isn't it ironic? On the cover of the Mirror'sissue on July 26 there's a headline announcing articles about Montreal gay pride Divers/Cité celebrations.
These articles can indeed be found inside the newspaper while on the back cover, what you see is a full page Extreme Sports Series ad exclaiming, "Gravity Is for Sissies."
--Mackenzie Admettre
|
