Books that make us cry
by Alana Moore and Linda Duvall, in partnership with Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre
BAM (Bridges Art Movement) October Residency, 2019
Books that make us cry was a participatory project that invited the public to submit the title of a book that made them cry. The project was part of an artist residency at Bridges Art Movement where they spent three days a week drawing book covers that brought people to tears. The closing event included a “crying chorus” and readings in partnership with Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre. The crying chorus raised questions about what it means to cry in public, society’s view of public displays of vulnerability, and the relationship between crying and trauma.
This project would have not been possible without the partnership with Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre. Thank you to Jennifer Dawn Bishop for all your time and work coordinating the Reader and Criers. Thank you to both Jennifer Bishop and Ed Mendez for welcoming this partnership with GTNT and contributing your expertise, insights, and personal experience.
Special thanks to the reader Kaylynn Bear and the Criers Andrea Folster, Ed Mendez, and Marcel Petit. It was such a unique and moving performance that had us thinking and unpacking over days. We appreciated all of the actors’ insights during the Q & A about vulnerability, accessing memories, and societal perceptions of crying.
“The Break by Katherina Vermette.
The story was tragically beautiful and too close to home for many Métis and
indigenous families, including my own.
I read it in one night and sobbed for a good hour after it ended.”
Image stills by Kendon Doupe
Short film by Kenton Doupe, 2019