Book launch: Bob Silverman, The Impossible Hero

Join us to celebrate the launch of the books and , by John Symon and Stéphane Desjardins.

Date and time: Tuesday, October 21, at 5 p.m.

Location: Maison des cyclistes

Address:

1251 Rue Rachel E

Montreal QUEBEC

H2J 2J9

This event will be held in both French and English.

About the book

Explore the extraordinary life of Robert “Bicycle Bob” Silverman, a legend in the world of urban cycling, and a true non-conformist. Using sometimes wacky methods, he accomplished the impossible.

Silverman’s larger-than-life story reads like a film script; in fact, Hollywood nearly made a movie of it. A poet and independent bookseller in the 1960s, he attracted a vibrant circle of artists, intellectuals, and musicians, including Leonard Cohen and Armand Vaillancourt. After bankrupting his bookstore, Silverman fled to Fidel Castro’s Cuba and cut sugarcane with Ernesto “Che” Guevara. He worked on an Israeli kibbutz, and later was one of the rare Jewish activists to shake hands with Yasser Arafat.

Silverman was a poet, restaurateur, gallery owner, or educator, known for his authenticity, ingenuity, and boundless creativity. His most important contribution, however, was a vélorution. With his dedicated group, Le Monde à Bicyclette (MàB), and a few allies, Silverman developed colourful cyclodramas and street theatre protests to bring awareness and effect change.

Under Silverman’s leadership and tireless advocacy work, Montreal was transformed from one of the least bicycle-friendly North American cities into a world-class cycling capital.

About the authors

John Symon is the author of several guidebooks covering Montreal and Ottawa. He was a long-time reporter for the Montreal Times, as well as Montreal correspondent for Pedal Magazine for many years.

Journalist and author Stéphane Desjardins has managed several newspapers and newsrooms. He currently works as a personal finance and consumer affairs columnist for the Journal de Montréal and the Journal de Québec.

Host or Publisher University of Ottawa Press (PUO-UOP)