Canada's my country...but I'm now really apart with its culture.
Look why they eliminated the Cohen's book in the Great Brawl of letters :
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2 ... 2.html[url]
So, SO sad news
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September_Cohen
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2002 8:37 pm
- Location: Quebec city, Canada
So, SO sad news
One for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Go man go
I said tell me Mr. Siegal
How do I get out of here
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Go man go
I said tell me Mr. Siegal
How do I get out of here
TORONTO - Cohen cast out of Canada Reads
Beautiful Losers lived up to its name, as the Leonard Cohen novel became the first book eliminated from the 2005 edition of Canada Reads.
Leonard Cohen's novel 'Beautiful Losers' was the first book eliminated from this year's Canada Reads.
Panelists Roch Carrier, the former national librarian, Olympian Sherraine MacKay and Toronto City Councillor Olivia Chow all voted against the 1966 novel, which had been championed by singer Molly Johnson.
While Carrier claimed his choice was made to promote lesser-known authors, MacKay called the book "not only depressing but completely void of hope."
Chow said she loves Cohen's songs and poetry. However, "there are elements in [Beautiful Losers] that I literally can't bear," she said. She began reading out a passage in the book describing rape, but cut herself off, saying, "I don't want anybody to feel those passages. It disturbs me."
Johnson revealed her vote against Carrier's choice, Volkswagen Blues by Jacques Poulin, while author Donna Morrissey revealed her vote against MacKay's book, No Crystal Stair by Mairuth Sarsfield.
Discussion moved to Morrissey's choice, Rockbound by Frank Parker Day, with Chow tossing in a jab against the novel's quirky dialect. Carrier reprised his Monday attack against Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake – championed by Chow – saying that while the novel should be read, it shouldn't be the book the panel ultimately chooses.
The literary assault then shifted to No Crystal Stair. "I think it's a wonderful book for young Canadians to read and it's a great lesson in history," Johnson said before admitting that she didn't actually like the story or the "name-dropping" in the novel.
"I don't want a history lesson. I want a novel. I want a story," Morrissey added.
Beautiful Losers lived up to its name, as the Leonard Cohen novel became the first book eliminated from the 2005 edition of Canada Reads.
Leonard Cohen's novel 'Beautiful Losers' was the first book eliminated from this year's Canada Reads.
Panelists Roch Carrier, the former national librarian, Olympian Sherraine MacKay and Toronto City Councillor Olivia Chow all voted against the 1966 novel, which had been championed by singer Molly Johnson.
While Carrier claimed his choice was made to promote lesser-known authors, MacKay called the book "not only depressing but completely void of hope."
Chow said she loves Cohen's songs and poetry. However, "there are elements in [Beautiful Losers] that I literally can't bear," she said. She began reading out a passage in the book describing rape, but cut herself off, saying, "I don't want anybody to feel those passages. It disturbs me."
Johnson revealed her vote against Carrier's choice, Volkswagen Blues by Jacques Poulin, while author Donna Morrissey revealed her vote against MacKay's book, No Crystal Stair by Mairuth Sarsfield.
Discussion moved to Morrissey's choice, Rockbound by Frank Parker Day, with Chow tossing in a jab against the novel's quirky dialect. Carrier reprised his Monday attack against Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake – championed by Chow – saying that while the novel should be read, it shouldn't be the book the panel ultimately chooses.
The literary assault then shifted to No Crystal Stair. "I think it's a wonderful book for young Canadians to read and it's a great lesson in history," Johnson said before admitting that she didn't actually like the story or the "name-dropping" in the novel.
"I don't want a history lesson. I want a novel. I want a story," Morrissey added.
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tom.d.stiller
- Posts: 1213
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 8:18 am
- Location: ... between the lines ...
- Contact:
A city councillor!
tom
Did anyone really believe "Beautiful Losers" could win the "contest"?Bob Dylan wrote:Old lady judges watch people in pairs
Limited in sex, they dare
To push fake morals, insult and stare
While money doesn't talk, it swears
Obscenity, who really cares Propaganda, all is phony.
While them that defend what they cannot see
With a killer's pride, security
It blows the minds most bitterly
For them that think death's honesty
Won't fall upon them naturally
Life sometimes
Must get lonely.
My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards
False gods, I scuff
At pettiness which plays so rough
Walk upside-down inside handcuffs
Kick my legs to crash it off
Say okay, I have had enough
What else can you show me?
And if my thought-dreams could be seen
They'd probably put my head in a guillotine
But it's alright, Ma, it's life, and life only.
tom
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Tchocolatl
- Posts: 3805
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:07 pm
no great suprise.
the judge for the Booker Prize, as we all heard, admited he, and all the rest of the judges, do not intend to read all the nominees. that's what art is today. you have to be published by a large publishing company, you must be politicaly correct, you must write stories that are 'happy'...
art contests disgust me. their sole purpose is to tell people: this is what you should read, instead of helping HQ authors to continue what they are doing.
look at the Nobel Prizes. one year it's modern to talk about South Africa: Nadine Gordimer wins. then black women are seeking their rights: Toni Morrison. fashin changes and China is opening to the west: what's the name of that Chinese novelist? i forgot...
damn if that has any more to do with art than that idiotic display of corporate power called Oscar.
the judge for the Booker Prize, as we all heard, admited he, and all the rest of the judges, do not intend to read all the nominees. that's what art is today. you have to be published by a large publishing company, you must be politicaly correct, you must write stories that are 'happy'...
art contests disgust me. their sole purpose is to tell people: this is what you should read, instead of helping HQ authors to continue what they are doing.
look at the Nobel Prizes. one year it's modern to talk about South Africa: Nadine Gordimer wins. then black women are seeking their rights: Toni Morrison. fashin changes and China is opening to the west: what's the name of that Chinese novelist? i forgot...
damn if that has any more to do with art than that idiotic display of corporate power called Oscar.
will somebody please tell this stupid cow that art used to disturb people into dealing with real issues.jarkko wrote:Chow said she loves Cohen's songs and poetry. However, "there are elements in [Beautiful Losers] that I literally can't bear," she said. She began reading out a passage in the book describing rape, but cut herself off, saying, "I don't want anybody to feel those passages. It disturbs me."
when Disney makes a cartoon with loads of violence in which nobody gets hurt, then it's OK. yeah, kids will see that violence doesn't realy hurt. see: you can shoot someone in the head, and he'll just have his whole head turn black, and in the next scene - he'll be OK again!
but when someone realy shows you what violence does to the person, then it's disturbing, and she doesn't want to hear about it. let's just all cover our eyes to sufferings of other people, perhaps send a box or two of candies to those guys who are not realy hurt in wars and natural disasters, and go on with our REAL problems like weather we should eat fish or red meat.
boy, does this shit make me angry.
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September_Cohen
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2002 8:37 pm
- Location: Quebec city, Canada
and I think the most terrible thing in that, it's when they say that the novel is hopeless!!! There is a LOT of hope in Beautiful Losers.
And I don't know why they want to promote a lesser-know author when even the greatest canadian author cannot live by his work! Cohen is known....but not read! And Quebec decide that Jacques "Phony Kerouac" Poulin is its champion!!!
I really don't understand. Think that litterature is upside down. Now, if you live by your work, it's probably because you're really lucky, or you're a poor exhausting writer. I'm almost waiting for the tyran....democraty makes me so sad.
And I don't know why they want to promote a lesser-know author when even the greatest canadian author cannot live by his work! Cohen is known....but not read! And Quebec decide that Jacques "Phony Kerouac" Poulin is its champion!!!
I really don't understand. Think that litterature is upside down. Now, if you live by your work, it's probably because you're really lucky, or you're a poor exhausting writer. I'm almost waiting for the tyran....democraty makes me so sad.
One for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Go man go
I said tell me Mr. Siegal
How do I get out of here
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Go man go
I said tell me Mr. Siegal
How do I get out of here
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Tchocolatl
- Posts: 3805
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:07 pm
I try not to take this epithet, "stupid cow" personnaly since I just got this new (and that will pass when it will stop to amuse me) cow avatar. I may be too self-centered 
There are effectively passages in BL that are unbearable like in life itself, well said, Jurica. Reading her comment, I was saying to myself "Ah! some are writing it (The Unbearable Lightness of Being as a tittle for a book- (Kundera) for example)) and some are "showing" it. From artistic point of view to "show it" is far better.
I must say that I ressent also these "arguments" of Ms. Chow as pure non senses in regard of the whole book. First , "It disturbs me" is an argument in favor. Ha!ha! To funny. Just too funny that she is using it against.
Also, if the comment" I don't want a history lesson." would have been applied to this passage (the rape) then I would have say at least that Ms. Morrison has understood something about BL.
I find that you two guys are wrong (I do not say young, I am just thinking it) regarding the freedom of speech : you want to fight the problem by providing more occasions to make it worst. Tyranny, spitting on democracy, etc. I understand your anger I even share it often, and I recognize that to act in conformity like sheeps is not always the better thing to do.
But, let say, to give a well known example, that Hitler had spotted real social problems too, although the lack of emotional intelligence and the promoton of violence to fix the world is not the solution.
Your so very beautiful agressivity may find a better use, I think. I hope.
I may be too self-centered There are effectively passages in BL that are unbearable like in life itself, well said, Jurica. Reading her comment, I was saying to myself "Ah! some are writing it (The Unbearable Lightness of Being as a tittle for a book- (Kundera) for example)) and some are "showing" it. From artistic point of view to "show it" is far better.
I must say that I ressent also these "arguments" of Ms. Chow as pure non senses in regard of the whole book. First , "It disturbs me" is an argument in favor. Ha!ha! To funny. Just too funny that she is using it against.
Also, if the comment" I don't want a history lesson." would have been applied to this passage (the rape) then I would have say at least that Ms. Morrison has understood something about BL.
I find that you two guys are wrong (I do not say young, I am just thinking it) regarding the freedom of speech : you want to fight the problem by providing more occasions to make it worst. Tyranny, spitting on democracy, etc. I understand your anger I even share it often, and I recognize that to act in conformity like sheeps is not always the better thing to do.
But, let say, to give a well known example, that Hitler had spotted real social problems too, although the lack of emotional intelligence and the promoton of violence to fix the world is not the solution.
Your so very beautiful agressivity may find a better use, I think. I hope.
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Tchocolatl
- Posts: 3805
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:07 pm
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Tchocolatl
- Posts: 3805
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:07 pm
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Sophistikitten
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 9:44 am
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
"All of the Canada Reads finalists experienced a jump in orders from bookstores, although the surge in demand for the lesser-known titles, such as Rockbound, No Crystal Stair and Volkswagen Blues, all around the 7,000-mark for orders, was more profound than for those books that were previously bestsellers or otherwise well known, such as Oryx and Crake, whose orders doubled, and Beautiful Losers, whose orders increased tenfold, according to their publishers."
-Globe and Mail
Tenfold!
-Globe and Mail
Tenfold!
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Teratogen
- Posts: 1653
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:09 pm
- Location: Santa Clarita, California
- Contact:
oh, c'mon, "beautiful losers" is fucking fantastic! what did you expect me to say, tchocolatl? hahaha. the sex, the drugs, the sex, the cursing, the sex, the violence, the sex... oh, uh, did i mention the sex? including the homosexual activity and the dancing dildo? yes, the sex... what a great novel. hahaha. 
who are the two? did i say anything against democracy here? in previous texts on other threads i stated several times that i do not belive that democracy exists. how can i spit on it, then?Tchocolatl wrote:I find that you two guys are wrong (I do not say young, I am just thinking it) regarding the freedom of speech : you want to fight the problem by providing more occasions to make it worst. Tyranny, spitting on democracy, etc. I understand your anger I even share it often, and I recognize that to act in conformity like sheeps is not always the better thing to do.
But, let say, to give a well known example, that Hitler had spotted real social problems too, although the lack of emotional intelligence and the promoton of violence to fix the world is not the solution.
i'm not sure that democracy (if it existed) would function well, but that has nothing to do with this subject.
tyrany? violence? Hitler? --- what in the world are you talking about???