Cafe Volver

"Since Feeling is First" by e.e. cummings
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Volver is a new cafe that just opened up in my area -- at 5604 ave. du Parc, just above St-Viatur. Owned and run by two Argentenian women, Nora and Sofia (that's Nora pictured below), it aims to be a Latin American-style "cafe culturel", with art exhibits, music performances and poetry readings. What won me over especially is its poetry friendliness: laminated on most tables is a poem. Most are in French and Spanish, by the likes of Paul Elouard, Emile Martel, and Octavio Paz; above is one by e.e. cummings. Light, air, and friendly cheer warm up this cavernous space. At the present time, events can be booked for free. I've booked the next League of Poets (W)Rites of Spring fundraiser there, on April 3. On Sat. Jan. 19, there's a Peña -- a celebration of music, poetry, & song -- to which I've been invited; other performances are on the books, and bulletin board outside. At the same time there's lots of cafe competition in the area -- The Depanneur, The Arts Cafe, and Cagalie (formerly the Cafe Pharmacie Esperanza) are all homey places that stage events and vernissages (otherwise known as art openings), and Cafe del Popolo, Montreal's mini-Mecca of spoken word, is not too far away -- so I can only hope this one takes off.