Friday on My Mind: Blue Metropolis, a Strokes cover band, Mean Girls top cool agenda
Friday on My Mind is a highly subjective, curated rundown of five of the cooler things happening in Montreal on the weekend.
Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival
Friday to Sunday at Hotel 10.
There are many intriguing authors to check out at this year's Blue Metropolis, but arguably the hottest ticket is Salman Rushdie. The Indian-born author — best-known for his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses — will be given the Blue Met's 2025 Grand Prix on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Hotel 10 and at the event he will interviewed by longtime CBC Radio host Eleanor Wachtel.
'He's a great author and the goal of the festival has always to bring together writers with different points of view,' said Blue Met director of programming Marie-Andrée Lamontagne. 'Salman Rushdie has become an icon of freedom of expression because of some tragic circumstances. He's also just published a remarkable book, which is why we want to give him the Grand Prix. He receives it for his work but also as someone who represents freedom of expression and freedom of the imagination. These things are particularly important in the era we're living in right now.'
Rushdie was the object of several assassination attempts and many death threats after the publication of The Satantic Verses and he survived a stabbing in New York in 2022 that resulted in the loss of his left eye. Last year he published an autobiographical book inspired by that vicious attack, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.
Other authors set to take part in the literary festival include British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, German author Peter Wohlleben, and American novelist Stephen Graham Jones. Wachtel will also interview Montreal author Madeleine Thien, whose latest novel The Book of Records comes out May 6.
Lamontagne underlines that the fest continues the mission of founder Linda Leith to try to bring the city's anglo and franco literary communities together.
'This is important for me personally and for Blue Metropolis,' said Lamontagne. 'There is programming in English and programming in French. I also like to program bilingual events whenever possible with bilingual hosts. Language should never be an obstacle. Blue Metropolis is all about the circulation of languages.'
Tickets and info: bluemetropolis.org
Gala Dynastie
This is the ninth edition of the annual gala that rewards artists, creators and personalities from Black communities in the province. This year's ceremony is hosted by comedian Garihanna Jean-Louis.
The evening will also include a tribute to Quebec comic Anthony Kavannagh.
Tickets: www.galadynastie.com
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The Brokes
Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at Fairmount Theatre.
All you need to know to sell you on this one is the band's Instagram tag line: 'Too broke to Stroke? Try ... The Brokes.'
The Brokes are a Strokes cover band from Toronto (of all places, just seems like the least Strokes-like city!) who pay tribute to the legendary too-cool Manhattan garage band from the early aughts.
In a New York Times piece on them last year, one fan said: 'Being here feels like being at a Strokes nerd fest. The Brokes play deep cuts, songs the Strokes would never play live at some big stadium today.'
'Nuff said. Strokes nerds are thus alerted!
Tickets: www.theatrefairmount.com
South Asian Film Festival
Friday to Sunday at the DeSève Cinema in Concordia's Webster Library Building.
Don't tell Donald Trump. This week's film fest — yes there is apparently one every single week of the year — proclaims in its press materials that 'Diversity, equity, inclusion and cinematographic merit' power its programming choices! Shocking, I know.
Kidding aside, it's another popular film festival that provides a welcome alternative to the Hollywood shlock at the nearby multiplex. Shambhala, for example, the opening-night film, is set in a Himalayan village in Nepal and tells the story of a pregnant woman who heads out on a quest to find her husband who has gone missing.
Mean Girls
Friday to Sunday at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts.
This is the first time in Montreal you get to see a touring version of the hit critically acclaimed Broadway musical based on the Hollywood flick of the same name penned by Saturday Night Live's Tina Fey. There's undoubtedly an audience for this but me I'm not a musicals kind of guy and I didn't become any more enthused when I read the last line of The Guardian's review of the original Broadway production: 'Here's the best/worst thing you can say about Mean Girls: it's nice.'
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Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
Canadian ultramarathoner stopped to breastfeed daughter and still won
'I wanted to show her — both of us — how amazing mom runners can be' Stephanie Case, an ultramarathon runner and new mom who won the 100-kim Ultra-Trail Snowdonia in Wales on May 17, 2025. Photo by @theultrarunnergirl / Instagram Mothers know how to juggle tasks, but one mom showed how she can juggle the needs of her newborn — and win a race. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Stephanie Case, 42, a Canadian who lives in Chamonix, France, entered the 100-km Ultra-Trail Snowdonia in Eryri National Park in Wales on May 17 with 'no expectations,' so when she won, it was 'a surprise,' she wrote on Instagram. The runner had her daughter just six months ago and is still breastfeeding. She also hadn't entered a race in three years due to 'recurrent miscarriages and IVF failures,' Case shared, but wanted it to serve as a 'warmup' to another event — next month's 165-km Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run in Colorado. 'My goals were to enjoy myself and make sure Pepper was fed at aid stations,' she continued. Case noted that she started in the 'last wave,' giving the leaders a 30-minute head start. 'Sure, I had hundreds of runners in front of me, but I could go at my own pace in blissful ignorance of my placing,' the mom explained. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Case described it like riding a bike, and said it was a reminder that she 'hadn't lost a thing' over the past three years of not racing. The new mom got special permission to pause to breastfeed, on the one condition that she couldn't accept aid during the stops, Case told NPR . She said that her partner carried their baby to the 20-, 50- and 80-kilometre checkpoints and handed the little one over for a few minutes to feed before going back to running. Case told the outlet that she was more concerned with her fuel intake and feeding schedule than her race time. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'During the race, I was taking in about 80 to 100 grams of carbohydrates an hour,' she said. 'And I kept that up until about 65K, and then I had to pull back a bit because I was getting quite nauseous. And then I ramped it back up again and was kind of done at 95K.' She admitted: 'That's when I started getting really nauseous.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO That's also when she 'lost all bladder control,' she revealed on Instagram. Case finished the race and was quickly told the incredible news. 'I WON?!?,' she recalled in disbelief. Read More 'I didn't even know I had won until after I crossed the line.' Case credits motherhood for the win, writing that she found she 'gained way more joy and strength from this sport as a mom than I ever did before.' She added: 'I wanted to show her — both of us — how amazing mom runners can be.' Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Olympics Toronto & GTA Ontario NHL Ontario
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
UFC title contender Sean O'Malley quit weed, social media and hair dye. Can it make him a champion?
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So without him, none of this is possible, to be honest.' ___ AP sports:
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
What's next for influencer Livvy Dunne after college gymnastics career? ‘Everything,' she says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — With her college gymnastics days behind her, influencer and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Livvy Dunne is moving on with life — but that doesn't mean she'll be far from the public eye. Dunne, who has more than 13 million followers on social media, created a multimillion-dollar personal brand while competing as a gymnast at LSU. Now she's trying to help other female athletes do the same, helping to educate them about name, image and likeness deals and personal branding. 'I'm going to miss gymnastics so much because it has been a part of me for almost 20 years,' Dunne told The Associated Press at AthleteCon, where she had a speaking engagement. 'What's next? Everything. I want to do all of the things that I couldn't do while I was a gymnast' because of the time constraints of being a student-athlete. 'So there are some really cool opportunities — stay tuned,' she added. Dunne didn't disclose any details, but it's clear she plans to maintain her personal brand, which she developed along with the help of older sister and manager Julz Dunne. AthleteCon CEO Sam Green, who has helped land more than 1,000 NIL deals, invited the Dunne sisters to speak to college athletes as part of a two-day seminar. Athletes met with representatives from social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and Meta, created live content and competed for NIL deals. They learned how to turn a creative idea into a brand. More than 100 athletes attended, with another 150 turned away because of space constraints. Green's company slogan is 'all athletes are creators.' 'I'm really big on giving athletes the tools to monetize their brand,' Green said. Few, if any, have done that better than Livvy Dunne. She helped the Tigers to the 2024 national championship as a junior before missing this past season because of an injury. But she was better known on social media, where she amassed more than 8 million followers on TikTok and 5.3 million on Instagram before leaving LSU. Advertisers took notice. She was the highest-paid female college athlete across all sports during her time with the Tigers, earning more than $4.1 million, according to On3. She worked with brands like Nautica, Crocs and Sports Illustrated, where she recently did a split on the catwalk on a 'triple dare.' Her boyfriend is Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes, who played baseball at LSU. 'She's it,' Green said. 'She's the road map. She's the blueprint and she was the first to do it. The Dunnes are so innovative and they have done it with genuine intent. Livvy is the definition of NIL, in my opinion, at least true NIL and what it was meant to be from the start.' Dunne said navigating the ever-changing world of NIL was like living in the wild West. 'I learned that you don't have to do one thing and be great at that one thing,' Dunne said. 'You can do multiple different things and find success in tons of different areas.' But there were trying times as she balanced classes, competition and the constant demand for multiple daily social media posts. She remembers walking into LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark's office in tears because of stress about her schedule. She fought through it and is glad she did. 'I hope people here take away that you are more than your sport and everybody deserves to capitalize on their name, image and likeness,' Dunne said. 'Curiosity is key. Ask questions, network, and just create because, who knows, the sky is the limit. It got me to where I am today. Don't just consume, but create. 'Keep posting,' she added. 'The audience is there. People are interested. They want to see what you have to offer. Everyone's story is different and has to be told.' ___ AP sports:
