Words and music

Cathy Keays, BFA 15, documents the time-honoured history of a women’s art association in The Women’s Art Society of Montreal and Its Place in History 1894–2019 (self-published, $25).

Beginning with the society’s inception in 1894 as a vehicle to promote the literary, musical and visual arts among women, Keays traces the local, national and international events that coincided with each year of its existence. 

Louis Hugo Francescutti, BSc 80, and Robert S. Barrett co-authored Hardwired: How Our Instincts to Be Healthy Are Making Us Sick (Copernicus, $36.91), in which they examine modern health — or the lack of it.

The authors argue that deteriorating wellness is quickly becoming a national health emergency in the United States, which is rooted in the way our brains and bodies have evolved to deal with modern social change. 

Working in the Bathtub: Conversations with the Immortal Dany Laferrière (Linda Leith Publishing, $18.95) is a collection of interviews between Adam Leith Gollner, BA 04, and Haitian-Canadian writer Dany Laferrière — the first Quebecer and only Black writer to be inducted into the Académie française.

Laferrière talks to Gollner about his life as a writer, his breakout debut, How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired, and the success of his more recent novels. 

In the visually engaging Railway Nation: Tales of Canadian Pacific, the World’s Greatest Travel System (Heritage House Publishing, $34.95), author David Laurence Jones, BA 82, offers a portrait of the Canadian Pacific Railway and its role in the development of Canada’s ocean, rail and air travel.

The collection of vignettes contributes to our understanding of the company’s impact on Canadians across the country. 

Les Assises de Nunaliq (Les Éditions debout, $29.95), the first volume in a trilogy by Édouard Trépanier, BA 77, highlights the need for a new democracy for 21st-century society that corresponds with human needs.

His essay is based on the reflections of internationally recognized philosophers, economists, political scientists and sociologists who have influenced contemporary thinking over time, with the hopes of allowing readers to envisage ways to move toward a more just society. 

Eric Martel, BSc 86, delves into his personal realestate journey in his new book Stop Trading Your Time for Money (Martel Publishers, $14.99).

Recalling the purchase of his first multi-family property when he was just 18 years old, Martel dissects, analyzes and reframes his own experience into a relatable how-to guide on achieving financial freedom, saving for retirement and leading a stress-free life. 

Fifth Generation, or 5G, is a wireless mobile technology network anticipated to revolutionize people’s lives and change the telecommunications world entirely.

In his bestselling new book, Hundred Page 5G Book: In-Depth Coverage of 5G System Engineering and Architecture (self-published, $59.99), Bassem Abi-Farah, MBA 13, seeks to equip readers with the knowledge to understand 5G and its network architecture, and how to identify its potential business opportunities. 

Marlis Butcher, MBA 86, found herself canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, backpacking, hiking, snowshoeing, snorkelling and trekking in a quest to discover Canada’s national parks.

In her new book, Park Bagger: Adventures in the Canadian National Parks (Rocky Mountain Books, $32), Butcher unveils a collection of her personal adventures and nature photography while “bagging” all of Canada’s national parks. 

In Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook (Simon & Schuster, $22.99), Liv Albert, BA 12, uncovers the origins of some of the most popular characters from ancient Greek mythology.

Albert outlines each of the names, roles, related symbols and foundational myths associated with the mythological heroes, villains, gods and goddesses who have become widely recognized in film, television and pop culture. 

Greg Santos, BA 06, explores what it means, as a born-Cambodian, to be adopted at birth by a Canadian family in Ghost Face (DC Books, $19.95).

The poetry collection is both playful and self-reflective as he pays homage to his adoptive parents and ponders the life he might have led in Cambodia. Santos leads the reader through his visceral process of unlearning and relearning who he is — and who he might become. 

French-language teacher and translator Sarah Brunel, BA 08, has published her second children’s book, ÊTRE travailleur essentiel (self-published, $9).

As part of her Mon tout premier conjugueur series, Brunel walks readers through the conjugation of the verb être (to be), while introducing them to various essential workers. The characters are based on real people working through the pandemic, to whom Brunel dedicates the book as a thank-you for their patience and sacrifices. 

In his first book, Lessons from My Father (self-published, $15), Clifford Walker, BA 68, shares an autobiographical account of growing up in the 1950s in a small town on Montreal’s South Shore.

Painting a portrait of a father through the lens of a son, Walker shares a series of personal stories and anecdotes that highlight their relationship and lessons learned that have provided the foundation upon which the writer has built his life.