My life in dépanneurs
I finally got my hands on a PDF of an article I wrote for Maisonneuve magazine last year. It's a a personal story that recounts the dépanneur owners I've dealt with since moving to Montreal, and it's one of my favorite pieces of work from the past year or so. You can download a PDF of the piece here, or click on the page images below to read it online. Let me know what you think. And always be kind to your local dep guy (or lady).
A (drunken) blast from the past
This article was published in Hour magazine back on May 16, 2002. Basically, I decided to test Montreal's supposedly lax liquor laws by grabbing a giant can of beer and going about some daily activities. This is one of my favorite pieces just because it was so ridiculous to do. Go to the bottom of this post to see a scan of the article, replete with a picture of me yelling at my hairdresser as she takes a swig from my beer.
Are you looking at my can?
Taking the bar to the streets to see just how liberal our liquor laws really are
by Craig Silverman
Last
week Canada Post declared it would soon be delivering alcohol. The same day, Public Security Minister Normand Jutras tabled legislation
to loosen Quebec's liquor laws by allowing folks to get alcohol when
they order take out, and expanding the types of alcohol they can bring
into unlicensed restaurants. The casual observer might take these two
events and conclude our government wants us to, in the words of Andrew
W.K., "party hard". So I grabbed a few king cans and went about some
regular activities to see just how loose our liquor laws really
are in this already riotous city.
Hair Salon
Important note: Depanneur
workers don't give you dirty looks when you buy two king cans at 10:30
in the morning. So, beer in hand, I continued on my way to see the
legendary Julee Jonez, have her work her magic on my locks, and see if
I couldn't also get a little buzz going.
"I have a surprise for you," I told her, and cracked a can.
When
drinking during a haircut the most important thing is to avoid getting
any hair in your brew. Apart from that important caveat, drinking
during a haircut is an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable experience that's completely tolerated. It's even better when your coiffeur also
partakes in a swig or two. (But be wary if they keep, ahem, reaching
for your can. Drinking while having your hair cut is entirely different
than drinking while cutting hair.)
"This might become a tradition," I said.
"That wouldn't bother me," replied Julee.
Two Toro articles: Crazy fan traditions and violent Montreal wrestling
I have two pieces in the current issue of Toro (aka the tryin'-hard-to-be-sexy Steve Nash issue). Both fall under the issue's sports theme:
- A front-of-book charticle about strange sports fan traditions. My girlfriend thinks it's funny. Grab it here (PDF).
- A words and pictures piece where I spent an evening at one of the world's bloodiest wrestling events. This piece features some great photography with an intro and extended cutlines written by me. This annual event, put on by Montreal's International Wrestling Syndicate, allows fans to bring any weapon they want and the wrestlers will use it in the ring. It's a bloody mess of glass, tacks, wood, steel, and home appliances. See for yourself here (PDF).
More Toro articles online
I have three more Toro articles available for your reading pleasure.
The Pits of Hell (May 2005)
This is a humorous, informative health feature about my personal experience with sweat. Hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating, is a condition that affects 3 percent of the population. One of the latest treatments is Botox. (Yes, that Botox.) I went to see one of Canada's leading sweat doctors to see if I am one of the lucky 3 percent.
In The Company of Men (September 2004)
One night I found myself sitting in a circle of men as we shared our feelings, problems, and a little bit of gas. In this piece I was one of three writers sent to visit male bonding groups across the country. I went to a Mankind meeting in Montreal. It was an overwhelming experience. You'll have to read it for yourself.
Sportscaster Showdown (November 2004)
This is what we in the biz call a "charticle" -- a quick, funny front of book piece with information contained in chart form. I compared TSN to its French language counterpart, RDS.
Welcome
Hey there. Thanks for stopping by. I'm a freelance journalist and author in Montreal, Canada. I serve as an associate editor for PBS MediaShift, a website that reports on trends in new media and journalism. I edit RegretTheError.com and wrote a book of the same name. I'm also the co-author, with Michael Calce, of Mafiaboy: How I Cracked The Internet and Why It's Still Broken. Both books are listed to the right.
I write weekly columns for Hour and Columbia Journalism Review online, and am a former columnist and blogger for The Globe And Mail. Read my bio by clicking on the "About Me" link above, or check out the "Writing Samples" page to read some of my work. If you're interested in speaking with me about an assignment or project, email me at the address listed below.
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