/
Josée Yvon at Ultimatum Festival 1985-05-04
The following is a transcription of Josée Yvon’s performance at the Ultimatum Festival I, Saturday, May 4th at the Foufounes Électriques in Montréal, Quebec. She performs excerpts from her prose-poetry publication Maîtresse-Cherokees, originally edited by VLB and published in 1986. A revised edition by editors Les Herbes Rouges was reprinted in 2021. In Alan Lord’s memoir High Friends in Low Places (2022), he describes Josée Yvon and partner Denis Vanier as "the prince and princess of Quebec’s counterculture," and recounts that, in this performance, "Josée came on as a surprisingly lightly stoned poet queen, in a lovely pink strap top and jeans, and read a disjointed text too difficult to translate" (262, 130). Her work is often concerned with society's most marginalized groups, such as drug users, sex workers, and transgender individuals.
Annotations
00:00 - 00:02
Audio Description
T'as oublie tes lunettes, Pauline.
Josee Yvon
00:00 - 00:00
Alan Lord Commentary
With her books such as “Travesties-kamikaze”, “Maîtresses-Cherokees”, and “Danseuses-mamelouk”, poet Josée Yvon (March 31, 1950 – June 12, 1994) was the reigning queen of Montreal’s counter-culture, and cherishes a great ongoing popularity and literary appreciation.
Biographical Context
00:02 - 00:09
Audio Description
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
00:09 - 00:13
Audio Description
Oh ben, ca va qu’un extrait, oh ben je [unintelligible].
Josee Yvon
00:13 - 00:17
Audio Description
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
00:17 - 00:21
Audio Description
Sounds of paper flipping.
Foufounes Electriques
00:21 - 00:27
Audio Description
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
00:27 - 00:34
Audio Description
Ca va etre un extrait de Maitresse-Cherokees qui est mon livre qui sort chez VLB.
Josee Yvon
00:34 - 00:36
Audio Description
Sounds of paper flipping.
Foufounes Electriques
00:36 - 00:39
Audio Description
J’ai melange mes feuilles mais ce n’est pas tellement l’importance.
Josee Yvon
00:39 - 00:43
Audio Description
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
00:43 - 00:47
Audio Description
Sounds of paper flipping.
Foufounes Electriques
00:47 - 00:48
Audio Description
Mic stand sound [low gurgle].
Tech
00:48 - 00:50
Audio Description
Mois j’suis un peu plus grande que Pauline.
Josee Yvon
00:50 - 00:51
Audio Description
Mic stand sound [low gurgle].
Tech
00:51 - 00:59
Audio Description
Laughter, chatter.
Audience
00:59 - 01:01
Audio Description
Sounds of paper flipping.
Foufounes Electriques
01:01 - 01:04
Audio Description
[inaudible extrapoetic speech].
Josee Yvon
01:04 - 01:08
Audio Description
Sounds of paper flipping.
Foufounes Electriques
01:05 - 01:05
Alan Lord Commentary
Josée was fond of self-medication, and was visibly and audibly stoned for this performance, teetering and slurring her words.
Personal Anecdote
01:08 - 01:10
Audio Description
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
01:10 - 01:12
Audio Description
Aye Marie il n’y a pas des feuilles dans mon [unintelligible]?
Josee Yvon
01:12 - 01:14
Audio Description
[Laughter] non.
Unknown Speaker
01:14 - 01:22
Audio Description
Room noise [rustling].
Foufounes Electriques
01:22 - 01:23
Audio Description
C’est bien gentille [laughter].
Josee Yvon
01:23 - 01:25
Audio Description
Laughs.
Unknown Speaker
01:25 - 01:28
Audio Description
Room noise [rustling].
Foufounes Electriques
01:28 - 01:41
Audio Description
Ben voici ca c’est un texte qui s’appelle Maitresse-Cherokees, VLB editeurs. Pis la ben il faut que j’attaque la. Tu ma mis ca un peu haut peut etre.
Josee Yvon
01:41 - 01:42
Audio Description
[Unintelligible].
Unknown Speaker
01:42 - 01:43
Audio Description
Microphone sound.
Tech
01:43 - 01:47
Audio Description
Room noise [rustling].
Foufounes Electriques
01:47 - 02:02
Audio Description
Reads excerpt from Maitresse-Cherokees [French].
Josee Yvon
01:54 - 01:54
Alan Lord Commentary
When I met Josée, she was stoned on Mandrax, and caressing a pet tarantula on her lap.
Personal Anecdote
02:02 - 02:04
Audio Description
Soft laughter.
Audience
02:04 - 02:06
Audio Description
Microphone sound.
Tech
02:06 - 03:00
Audio Description
Resumes reading.
Josee Yvon
03:00 - 03:04
Audio Description
Sounds of paper flipping.
Foufounes Electriques
03:04 - 06:22
Audio Description
Resumes reading.
Josee Yvon
03:05 - 03:05
Alan Lord Commentary
Josée Yvon died of AIDS at the age of 44, becoming blind at the end.
Biographical Context
06:22 - 06:23
Audio Description
Coughing
Audience
06:23 - 06:24
Audio Description
Room noise [sounds of paper flipping].
Foufounes Electriques
06:24 - 06:26
Audio Description
Et c’est la feuille que j’ai perdu la, mais en tout cas.
Josee Yvon
06:26 - 06:27
Audio Description
Laughter.
Audience
06:27 - 06:29
Audio Description
Laughs.
Josee Yvon
06:29 - 06:32
Audio Description
Laughter.
Audience
06:32 - 07:06
Audio Description
Resumes reading.
Josee Yvon
07:06 - 07:09
Audio Description
Wooping, laughter.
Audience
07:09 - 07:11
Audio Description
Laughs.
Josee Yvon
07:11 - 07:14
Audio Description
Laughter continues.
Audience
07:14 - 07:16
Audio Description
Laughs.
Josee Yvon
07:16 - 07:19
Audio Description
Murmuring.
Audience
07:19 - 07:21
Audio Description
Bon ben, [unintelligible].
Josee Yvon
07:21 - 07:24
Audio Description
Murmuring [laughter].
Audience
07:24 - 07:25
Audio Description
Sounds of paper flipping.
Foufounes Electriques
07:25 - 07:27
Audio Description
Ma [unintelligible].
Josee Yvon
07:27 - 07:29
Audio Description
Laughter.
Audience
07:29 - 07:32
Audio Description
Je vais prendre du [unintelligible] ca.
Josee Yvon
07:32 - 07:46
Audio Description
Applause, wooping, shouting [unintelligible].
Audience
07:46 - 08:02
Audio Description
[Giggles] Je vais prendre du [unintelligible] ca. Euh, dans ce meme look que VLB editeurs, la. Euh, ca fait deux ans. Mais ma viser par [unintelligible] la.
Josee Yvon
08:02 - 08:09
Audio Description
Chatting [unintelligible].
Audience
08:09 - 08:12
Audio Description
Silence [possible tape change].
Recording
08:12 - 08:34
Audio Description
Reads piece [French].
Josee Yvon
08:34 - 08:35
Audio Description
Oh voyons fait–
Josee Yvon
08:35 - 08:48
Audio Description
Laughter [applause].
Audience
08:48 - 09:30
Audio Description
Resumes piece.
Josee Yvon
09:30 - 09:32
Audio Description
Room noise [sounds of paper flipping].
Foufounes Electriques
09:32 - 09:35
Audio Description
[unintelligible].
Josee Yvon
09:35 - 11:25
Audio Description
Resumes piece.
Josee Yvon
11:25 - 11:26
Audio Description
Room noise [sounds of paper flipping].
Foufounes Electriques
11:26 - 11:28
Audio Description
Ca va etre tout pour le background.
Josee Yvon
11:28 - 11:34
Audio Description
Merci merci!
Audience Member
11:30 - 11:34
Audio Description
Applause [laughter].
Audience
11:34 - 11:37
Audio Description
En fait, moins de vingt minutes, moi la.
Josee Yvon
11:37 - 11:41
Audio Description
Wooping, applause.
Audience
11:41 - 11:44
Audio Description
Bravo, bravo.
Audience Member
11:44 - 11:55
Audio Description
Raucous applause.
Audience
11:55 - 11:55
Audio Description
Silence.
Recording
11:55 - 12:00
Audio Description
Room noise.
Foufounes Electriques
12:00 - 12:03
Audio Description
Begins piece [French].
Josee Yvon
12:03 - 12:07
Audio Description
Laughter, chatter [unintelligible].
Audience
12:07 - 12:08
Audio Description
Laughs.
Josee Yvon
12:08 - 12:09
Audio Description
Coughing.
Audience
12:09 - 12:35
Audio Description
Reads piece [French].
Josee Yvon
12:35 - 12:46
Audio Description
Laughter, coughing, chatter.
Audience
12:46 - 12:53
Audio Description
Resumes piece.
Josee Yvon
12:53 - 12:55
Audio Description
Laughter, [unintelligible].
Audience Member
12:55 - 12:59
Audio Description
Giggles.
Josee Yvon
12:59 - 13:52
Audio Description
Resumes piece.
Josee Yvon
13:52 - 13:57
Audio Description
Room noise [sounds of paper flipping].
Foufounes Electriques
13:57 - 14:07
Audio Description
Bon ben je vas lire la derniere page, mais je ne trouve pas page quatre, mais la dernier page est pas pire.
Josee Yvon
14:07 - 14:26
Audio Description
Room noise [sounds of paper flipping, distant chatter].
Foufounes Electriques
14:26 - 14:29
Audio Description
Performs piece [French].
Josee Yvon
14:29 - 14:31
Audio Description
Je recommence.
Josee Yvon
14:31 - 14:38
Audio Description
Restarts, performs piece.
Josee Yvon
14:38 - 14:41
Audio Description
Laughter.
Audience
14:41 - 14:49
Audio Description
Continues piece.
Josee Yvon
14:49 - 14:51
Audio Description
Laughter.
Audience
14:51 - 15:39
Audio Description
Continues piece.
Josee Yvon
15:39 - 15:40
Audio Description
Laughter.
Audience
15:40 - 15:44
Audio Description
Continues piece [English].
Josee Yvon
15:44 - 16:05
Audio Description
Laughter, applause, whooping.
Audience
16:05 - 16:06
Audio Description
Silence.
Recording
16:06 - 16:06
Audio Description
[End of recording].
END