Keeping it Riel

Rarely is Canadian history delivered in a package as absorbing as Chester Brown's latest oeuvre. Originally released in 10 serialized editions, the local comic artist/historian's Louis Riel: A Comic Biography has been fused into a tight unit by also-local publisher Drawn and Quarterly.

One of Canada's most controversial historical figures, Riel led the Métis in a 19th-century rebellion against the government, vexing anti-Catholic and anti-French Ontarians while garnering enough support elsewhere to get him elected three times to the House of Commons. He never took his seat though, rather spending his time in exile with a bounty on his head and a growing conviction that he had a religious mission to save his people, causing many to question his sanity.

Brown brings Riel's figure to life in ink in a heavily researched (complete with handwritten footnotes), quick-paced graphic novel. He uses the form adeptly to balance his take on Riel's character with the history of the time, conveying Riel's isolation through image-only frames while using text to reveal elements of plot and politics.

Chester Brown talks about his book with a slide lecture at the TMR library (1967 Graham) on Oct. 25, 1 p.m., followed by a signing at Paragraphe Books (2220 McGill College) at 3 p.m. » Matthew Woodley

Mucho movimiento

It's been awhile since we've seen something by local choreographer Irène Stamou. That's because she's been in Costa Rica doing an artist's residency. 3 solos, the Latin-flavoured outcome of her away time, opens this week at Tangente (840 Cherrier) as part of the Les Majeurs series. Stamou looks to the body as a primary source of inspiration in her new trio of works - in which she also performs. Joining her are fellow soloists Elinor Fueter and Kim Girouard.

After several trips to Mexico, Tangente's artistic director Dena Davida discovered a Mexican choreographer Alicia Sanchez and her company El Teatro de Movimiento. The Mexican troupe will be sharing the evening with Stamou with a piece called D'ici, de là et de acuya. Here, four performers blend text with movement to recount their stories. The shows run Oct. 30–Nov. 2; for tix ($13–$15) or info, call 525-1500. » Marites Carino

Spoken summit

This Sunday, the Northern Griots Network Xchange Project brings two of Halifax's best African-Canadian poets, Shauntay Grant and iZrEAL, for a special appearance at Coco Café's "Politics" show. Says NGN co-organizer Anthony Bansfield, "Shauntay is an incredibly talented poet and performer. I saw her tear it up at the Toronto International Poetry Slam - y'all are in for a treat."

The show is one of six the NGN is organizing this season in five cities. According to Coco MC Mahalia Verna: "The tour definitely makes the meeting of the minds across provincial borders more concrete. I'm really happy about what it says about the spoken word scene, how it is getting more recognition, not only locally but nationally." Oct. 26, 9 p.m., at Quartier Latin Pub (318 Ontario E.), $6. » Vincent Tinguely

Spoon-fed book fix

"People don't have the time to read anymore," says writer Jacob Wren, "so we thought we'd do it for them as a kind of public service."

Over the next couple of weeks Wren, along with performance artist Shannon Cochrane, present Five Important Books at Dare-Dare (460 Ste-Catherine W., #505). The pair will sit in the gallery and tell anyone who enters everything that happens in one book from memory. The books they've chosen are The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt, The Swallower Swallowed by Réjean Ducharme, Hopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley and Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder by Lawrence Weschler. They also welcome suggestions of books they should interpret in the future.

Not only do these multitalented individuals recount the book's contents, they do it at the same time as they perform other challenging activities, such as stacking cups. The closing bash takes place on Halloween and costumes are welcome. Performances continue until Nov. 1, info: 878-1088. » Christine Redfern

Is it Art?

FEAR FACTORY: The fun folks at La Ronde have a special Halloween theme going on before they bring their arsenal of roller coasters to a grinding halt for the colder months at the end of the weekend. Adding to the fright-inducing rides and people who operate them, La Ronde Bewitched turns the theme park into an all-out scream park with zombies and gorillas walking freely about the premises, dead hip hop dancers in the Zombie Zone, a saucer of doom, mask-making workshops, an educational fire simulator (in collaboration with the Montreal Fire Department), and much more. Buckle up and secure all loose objects before the lights turn off Sunday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m.

ArtsHole

CHANGING CHINA: The Liane and Danny Taran gallery (5170 Côte-Ste-Catherine) is hosting a couple of compelling events in conjunction with Chinese artist Wang Quinsong's Present-Day Epics exhibition (until Nov. 9). McGill art history prof Francesca Dal Lago's talk and slide show, "Trademarks of China," takes place on Oct. 23, 6 p.m., followed by local filmmaker Shuibo Wang's documentary Swing in Beijing at 7:30 p.m., free. • MULTIMEDIA MADNESS: A mix of audio, video and live performance, AlgoRhythm(e)s features a slew of local multimedia artists tonight, Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., at La Sala Rosa (4873 St-Laurent), free.

ARTISTAT: Number of photographers taking part in Photomathon, an exhibition of works by artists from Guadalajara, Mexico, and Quebec that ties in with the lucky Québécois contingent who will go to the Guadalajara World Book Fair later this year, Oct. 24–26 at Studio Redlight (1881 St-André): 29

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