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"Talking to strangers in a safe and welcoming environment."
"Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative" - Oscar Wilde
Wilde Chats is named after Oscar Wilde, the popular
19th Century playwright. Wilde lived much of his life in England, although
he was Irish. He was a man with eccentric tastes that were ahead of
his time; he favoured velvet breeches and peacock feathers. Wilde enjoyed
poking fun at the Victorian society in his two most famous plays: An
Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest, both written in 1893.
Wilde died in 1900 from what he called "the love that dare not
speak its name."
Wilde Chats is run as socrates styled conversation café Wilde Chats' It's not a sermon, not a lecture, not a diatribe, and not a debate. It's a meeting providing an opportunity for reflective conversation about challenging general questions. Participants talk and think together, exploring issues and theories.Comfortable surroundings for vibrant street level discussions on burning issues of the day. No formal philosophy training required; real life experience desired. Come early, stay late.
The mandate of Wilde Chats Socrates Cafe: To build a community that encourages Gay Men, to think about their lives and provides a forum for doing so together. We start off each meeting gathering questions that have been on our minds. These questions range from "what is beauty?" to "does mental illness really exist?" to "what are the ramifications of the automobile on society?" to "is it ever okay to lie?" There are no guidelines for good questions beyond the interests of the group. We then spend about an hour delving into the question(s) -- not really trying to answer it, but rather trying to see it from as many different sides as we can, investigating its assumptions, getting beyond pat answers and appreciating the depth and complexity of all the issues we encounter. And that's pretty much it.
Thursday June 19 - Art Discussion - Toronto Wilde Chats Socrates Café @ Tinto Coffee House, 89 Roncesvalles. 7.30 pm to 9 pm Topic: Is Censorship of Canadian Public Art's community unjust or perfectly legal?. (Topic help - harmsen.net/censor ) Moderator Michel Paré FREE No Cover (N.B. Wilde Chats, will then meet every Thursday evening June, July and August at Tinto's) www.tinto.ca
Event
Location: Tinto Coffee House- 89
Roncesvalles 3 and 3/4 blocks north of Queen St W. on Roncesvalles
Avenue. South of Bloor St. West. Just east of High Park and west of Lansdowne
Avenue. Please RSVP
Michael Paré torontodigitalq@yahoo.ca
or Call Wilde Chats: at 416-551-1709 So that we have an idea on the number
of participants that will be attending.
Wilde Chats for gay men, will then meet every Thursday evening 7:30 to 9 pm, June, July and August.
About the Moderator: Michael is Vice President and founder of Gay West Community Network Inc., grew up in Parkdale High Park, Bloor West Village in the late 60's. Michael has been instrumental in establishing the Queer West Village and has been a gay community activist in Toronto, for close to 25 years. He works part-time as an web content editor for Canadian Environmental Policy Institute. Ran his own Toronto consulting and Professional Organizing business.
