Letter to the Editor

A Letter to the Editor, Hour magazine, December 14:

"After discovering that Montreal author Daniel Allen Cox read from his debut novel "Tattoo This Madness" In at Queer McGill's literary event at the United Theological College Building I felt the need to respond. I am a counter cult educator that educates the public about the damage of cults and fundamental religions. Many Jehovah's Witness cult members have sexual problems as a direct result of the organizations teachings. It is a little known fact that time spent in fundamentalist organizations frequently causes sexual dysfunction. I am pleased that the teen in the story seems to have overcome, to some extent, the organizations programming but this is frequently not the case. In the real world those who grew up in fundamentalist cults face a lifetime struggle with sexual dysfunction that often results in the over reliance on medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. As a counter cult educator I feel obligated to include a frank and open discussion of human sexuality in my own educational out-reach. There is help out there for cult members."


Christian Peper

The first ever MySpace Book Tour!

Thanks for being part of the first ever MySpace Book Tour! It was great to be in touch with so many fascintaing people, each of whom had a different way of tickling my brain!


www.myspace.com/danielallencox

Speaking at McGill / Internet Hysteria

I was the guest speaker at Queer McGill (McGill University in Montreal) on Friday, November 24th. What a ripping night. Hour magazine listed this event in their Hit List, which presumably made it the hottest event in Montreal that night! On November 23rd, this entry was also listed as the number one Google news headline for the keywords 'Jehovah's Witness'!

We talked for hours about growing up queer and being raised in a religion, we did the Devil's Checklist and temporary tattoos, and Stephen and Karan were kind enough to read from my book. Something really magical happened as well--there were parents there who were in the process of working out how they feel about their daughter's orientation, and they let us into that process, sharing intimate family details. I applaud the group for making the atmosphere comfortable enough for them to open up.

Check out the venue below. How perfectly ironic...

Thank-you once again, everyone who made this happen.

Friday, November 24, 7-9 p.m.
United Theological College Building
3521 University (above Milton)
(514) 398.2106


www.queermcgill.ca

Small Press Revolution

We got our TTMI on atExpozine, Expozine, Montreal's annual small press, comic and zine fair, on Saturday, November 25th.

My tireless editor and cheerleader (as he likes to be called) Steven Zytveld made the trip from Ottawa and we burned the place down. It was fascinating watching people choose what temporary tattoo they wanted me to give them, and where!

Thanks, Louis Rastelli and crew, for making Expozine what it is today, and for keeping the indie press alive and furious in Montreal.

Dusty Owl Press has also taken TTMI to these small press festivals in 2006:

Ottawa Writer's Festival
Hamilton Small Press Fair
Canzine

Long live the indie press!