Leave it to the Toronto Psychogeography Society, one of the Spacer affiliates–cum–splinter groups, to do a walkabout through my neighbourhood without publicizing it on their site or on Spacing Wire. Isn’t it odd, though, that flabby old queen John Bentley Mays knew it was happening and showed up?
Spacing’s coverage referred to the area of this walkabout as “lower Riverdale and Leslieville.” This isn’t Westmount, with its Lower Westmount annex. Leslieville is part of South Riverdale. Now, you tell me: Is this a case of Spacers’ being too clueless to know it is in fact called South Riverdale, or is it a case of west-end Spacers’ attempting to rename somebody else’s neighbourhood? (Probably the former. The Psychos described the outing as “ ‘The Walk Where Nothing Happened’ ” [sic]. Was someone expecting a thundering herd of wildebeest?)
Take a look at the photos accompanying Mays’s Globe article (viewable in miniature in the section-front thumbnail). Tor-Psy-Geo attendees may be interested to learn that, had I known this walkabout was happening but decided to stay home, I could have yelled “Hey, Spacers!” out my window at the moment two of those photos were taken and they all would have heard it.
But I wouldn’t have stayed home. My psychogeography includes knowing my neighbourhood. Imagine what I could have told you about Maple Cottage, among other things. Next time, promote your walks properly or go flân yourselves.
Update
(2006.05.25) Apparently the Spacers and Psychos have been complaining about me to a mutual friend. Waah… run to mommy. Gotta learn to handle criticism if you’re working in public space, people. Viacom and Eucan had to, didn’t they?
Anyway, I am testily advised by a Spacer as follows:
The TPS doesn’t have planned walks, they’re not events that get “advertised.” It’s a bunch of people who, on Wednesday or Thursday, E-mail each other and say “So are we walking Thursday?”
Usually someone suggests a place that they’re going to be at already to start from – in this case it was the Freespace charity art auction – and then we wander from there…. Usually we go in whatever direction someone feels like going. So no one could have known to “invite” you or boned up on area info, because we had no idea where we were going to go. […]
[Extended criticism of my alleged attitude problem deleted – Ed.]
In addition, you make the mistake I would never have thought you’d make – assuming that the article was accurate or represented “the group view” or “the facts.” The article is filled with errors. (For instance, we didn’t stumble across Maple Leaf house [sic ], it was pointed out to us by Todd Irvine, who is an arborist.)
John Bentley Mays apparently talked to Shawn (who is into the whole psychogeographic mystique) and he met us at the gallery.
In other words, while Mays was not “invited,” he was certainly “alerted.” However, I did not claim anyone was invited.
The Spacer continues:
And as I said before, we couldn’t have known to invite you anyway, because we didn’t know where we were going. But it’s clearly not worth arguing with you. You must be right. Clearly you were slighted. There’s no point trying with you, Joe. No matter what anyone says, you seem determined to take offence. So why should anyone even try? I give up.
Honey, you’ve barely even tried. And besides, I thought you people wanted to bury the hatchet.