SURPRISE, SURPRISE - ANNE OF GREEN GABLES IN MONTREAL

As most of you know, I live in Montreal - where, basically, English books and libraries go to die. Unfortunately, while Montreal has some of the best restaurants, architecture and shopping in the world (we can rival NYC anytime on those 3 things), the reality is that, while many of us are fluent - speaking French and English easily, the city still caters to French readers alot more than English ones. As you can easily see when you walk into our main library - which has a ratio of about 80% French and 20% English books.

We do have ONE major book chain, which is ruled, with an Iron Fist by Heather Risman. In short, if she don't like it or approve of it, it ain't going to be sold in her store (can you say dictatorship much?) and you can forget about authors and book signings here. For the most part, all the exciting ones, with a few exceptions are conducted in Toronto - which, is really NOT Montreal.

Anyway, I am going through this entire spiel to explain jut how rare it truly is to actually have a literary event, in English, that excites me!

Thankfully, the Atwater Library (which, by the way is a private library and is housed in an absolutely beautiful old building dated 1828) recently hosted, as part of their Luncheon Series, the wonderful Elizabeth Waterston.




If you are a fan of Anne of Green Gables and/or LM Montgomery, then you are very familiar with this author. She has been researching the life and times of Montgomery and of Anne for many, many years and has written quite a few books on both, including the Journals of LM Montgomery, which she edited, at the request of Montgomery's son Stuart.

She was in Montreal, to speak, on June 3, 2010 about "Some Facts about Fiction: Anne of Green Gables and Afterwards" and her presentation was absolutely enchanting.




I was fascinated by some "insider information" she shared on LM Montgomery and, of course, her insights into the creation of Anne of Green Gables were simply intriguing and mesmorizing.

I am so thrilled that I was lucky enough to get to this one - and a big thank you goes out to Avis from She Reads and Reads for telling me about the lecture in the first place.