Perpetual Motion Roadshow #29, October 21-28th, 2005

Critical Darling Novelist
JASON ANDERSON
from Toronto!

Effervescent Emergency Poet
MINGUS TOURETTE
from Edmonton!

Rap Asian-Caucasian
COOLHANDLUKE
from Toronto!

Coming to Montreal: Sunday, October 23. Cafe Esperanza, 5490 St. Laurent, (514) 948-3308. 8pm


"The American press recently labelled this forthcoming PMR as 'the most dangerous group of Canadians to invade the United States since 1812...I'd certainly lock up my daughters that week if I had any sense whatsoever...'"

So says the blurb on Mingus Tourette's website, nunt.com. And if you've read some of his works then I would wholeheartedly agree with the previous statement. Lock your doors people, Mingus is coming to town and I for one am giddy with anticipation for what should be an evening like no other.

My poem, "About That Night" was published alongside Tourette's The Golden Seduction of Buddha in the Spring 2005 edition of Black Heart Magazine and I've been a fan of his work ever since.

I've often said that the contemporary literary scene is lacking strong, recognizable characters. Sure, there are great writers but where are the Oscar Wilde's, the Hunter S. Thompson's, The Jack Kerouac's, and the Irving Layton's? Writers who are larger than life and who's personalities make you stand up and take notice.

Tourette doesn't just make you stand up and take notice, he cracks you over the head with a sledgehammer and doesn't stop until he's gotten 100% of your undivided attention.

Now imagine Tourette driving across Canada in a pink ambulance, stopping in a hole-in-the-wall bar to ferverously spout off poetry, punching anyone square in the face who tells him to shut up. The stuff that legends are made off.

I've read his book Nunt and I did enjoy it though sometimes it does seem like he's only interested in the shock value of his content. His writing is often self-consciously brash, bawdy, lewd and controversial. But one thing I have to give him credit for is that it is certainly never boring.