Carleton Alum Ben Ladouceur Publishes Debut Novel
By Emily Putnam
Ben Ladouceur, a Canadian Studies and English graduate, has published his first novel, I Remember Lights, a story of queer life in centennial-era Canada.
He says the seeds for the story were first planted in history class.
“Prof. Gibson showed us a documentary on Expo, which jogged my memory of that strange, fever dream of a historical event. I tried to write an essay about it, but it wasn’t working. Then I realized I did not want to write an essay about Expo. I wanted to write a novel!”
“But I didn’t have time for that, so I put the idea away. A decade later, I remembered.”
In 1967, Canadians across the country took part in celebrations that deepened their sense of national identity and community. The most significant of these events was Expo 67, the world’s fair hosted in Montreal, which played a central role in marking Canada’s centennial, and which many would argue continues to shape how Canadians understand their culture today.
Incredibly, Expo 67 welcomed 26 million individual visits over its 183-day run. More than 50 million paid admissions were recorded between April 28 and October 27, not including over 5 million entries by performers, press, official visitors, and employees.
Ladouceur’s novel, centered around the Expo 67 celebrations, tells the story of a young man new to Montreal who learns about gay life from cruising partners, one-night stands, live-in lovers, and friends. Once Expo begins, he finds romance with a charismatic visitor, but their time is limited. When the fireworks wither into smoke, so do their options.
A decade later, during the notorious 1977 police raid on a gay bar called Truxx, he comes to understand even more about the bitter choice, so often made by men like him, between happiness and safety.
In what became known as the “Olympic Cleanup,” police raided several bars in Ottawa and Montréal. Raids on the Montréal bars Truxx and Le Mystique in October 1977 resulted in the greatest number of mass arrests since the October Crisis.
“When I began the story, I was aware of the Truxx/Le Mystique gay bar raids in 1977, but not in any great depth. When it became clear that they would be part of the story and form a frame narrative around my ’67 storyline, I knew I’d need to learn more.”
These raids and the counter-protests they inspired helped prompt the growth of some of Quebec’s first 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations and Pride festivals. Montréal’s inaugural Gay and Lesbian Pride Week took place in 1979.
To tell this story, Ladouceur harked back to a documentary called Truxx that was featured in a Film Studies course during his time at Carleton.
“I tracked down a film professor who provided a video file of the documentary, and in my searching, I also wound up being connected directly with one of the men who was arrested that night and with Jeff Richstone, who provided legal defence to victims of that raid.”
“Over zooms and coffees with these men, I was able to get a thorough understanding of the events of that night, enough to walk readers through that extremely important night in Canada’s history, basically beat for beat.”
He says the experience transformed the way he interpreted and told stories.
“This changed the way I approached the story – but it also changed the way I approach story in general now. It matters to be curious and confident.”
Ladouceur’s first book, Otter, was selected as a best book of 2015 by the National Post, nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, and awarded the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award; his second book, Mad Long Emotion, was awarded the Archibald Lampman Prize.
Until now, his writing beat has centered around poetry.
He says publishing chapbooks through Carleton’s In/Words Magazine helped ease the pivot to fiction writing.
“Contributing to and eventually co-editing In/Words Magazine had a huge impact on my writing habits. Same for the writers’ circles that took place during my undergrad and grad degrees in the English lounge in Dunton Tower.”
Ladouceur says the community forged here helped ignite his passion for writing.
“I was part of a really stellar cohort of editors and writers’ circle participants, and we’re all still tight. Thanks to them, I learned that writing, this thing I did in my room alone, could actually be a big source of community, though that was a counterintuitive idea.”
“We all helped each other feel that our poems mattered. Especially when you are starting out, that’s huge.”
His advice to young writers is to connect with others.
“Try to find in-person community, which has a different and nicer texture to it than online community. Literally nicer. When you’re starting out, especially when you’re first sharing work, you need a lot of kindness, and people are kinder and more sincere when you’re in the same room as them.”
Ladouceur will co-host his launch event with David Currie on Tuesday, April 22 at Library and Archives Canada. Those interested in attending can reserve their free tickets here.