If you ask me, there has been a serious lack of violent competition in Montreal’s cultural landscape of late. Thank goodness for Maisonneuve magazine, who have stepped forth to fill the void, teaming up with Literary Death Match for the launch of their upcoming issue.
Maisonneuve is a Montreal-based quarterly magazine, which publishes a diverse range of news and arts coverage. The launch for their latest issue, which will be held at La Sala Rossa on October 11, promises to be an exciting event. It will break the typical mould of what we’ve all come to expect from a magazine launch. Subdued recitations will be traded in for seven-minute power readings, and polite applause will be replaced by the pointed critiques of a three-member judging panel.
This is all a part of the LDM (Literary Death Match) model. LDM began in New York City and has since expanded throughout North America and Europe. The first round of the competition sees the participants judged based on the quality of their performances. But then comes the finale, which, according to a press release from Maisonneuve, is “a culmination of all things funny and ridiculous.”
But you’ll have to show up to find out just what these audacious antics will entail. If all this intrigue isn’t temptation enough, perhaps the promise of a free issue of the magazine with your ticket will help to pack the house with the literarily-inclined.