Montreal Author Andreas Kessaris Celebrates Park Ex in New Book Collection
In his latest literary work, Montreal writer Andreas Kessaris offers readers an intimate journey through the streets and stories of Park Extension, the neighborhood that shaped his childhood and continues to influence his perspective. The Grand Tour of Park Ex & Assorted Half-Told Yarns stands as both a personal memoir and a cultural document of a community undergoing significant transformation.
A Neighborhood Transformed Through Time
Kessaris, now 56, grew up during a period when Park Ex was predominantly Greek. He recalls that in his elementary school class at Barclay School, 21 of 25 students shared Greek heritage, reflecting the demographic makeup of the area during his youth. Today, the densely populated 1.6-square-kilometre neighborhood has evolved into a multicultural mosaic, home to significant South Asian, African, and Latin American communities. Approximately 70 percent of the area's 34,000 residents come from immigrant backgrounds, with nearly 80 percent living as tenants.
The book's title story captures a Sunday afternoon in April 2020 when Kessaris gives his girlfriend, Montreal poet Kelly Norah Drukker, a tour of his childhood neighborhood. As they walk familiar streets, Kessaris points out landmarks that hold personal significance, including the former Corner Restaurant at Wiseman Avenue and Jarry Street, where his father, a Greek immigrant taxi driver, would socialize with colleagues.
Personal Stories with Universal Themes
Kessaris describes his collection as a layered creation: "I look at the book as a cake. The frosting on it is Park Ex, the story of the neighborhood," he explains, noting that beneath this surface layer lie deeper narratives about the immigrant experience, family dynamics, and personal growth. The sixteen tales in the collection draw from Kessaris's own life while incorporating composite characters with memorable names like the Weasel, Stretch, and Johnny A.
Several stories address themes of authority and its abuse, as experienced through teachers, employers, and landlords. One particularly poignant narrative describes Kessaris's encounter with a former abusive boss, now appearing worn and disoriented, which prompts reflection on career sacrifices and human vulnerability. "Did he have a family? Was he loved? Did he sacrifice all that for his career—one that is no longer there and forgotten by most?" Kessaris writes, adding that the encounter left him with an uneasy feeling about universal human fragility.
Humor and Self-Discovery
Despite tackling serious subjects, Kessaris infuses his writing with self-deprecating humor and keen observational skills. One story recounts his childhood attempt to falsify a fitness test to earn an achievement patch, an act he later recognized as representing "an ill-gotten gain, a symbol of my failure to make a real, serious effort." The experience taught him that "it's alright to be just a participant, as long as you try."
The book also explores Kessaris's personal journey with autism, a diagnosis he received at age 44. He describes this revelation as liberating, providing him with better understanding of his occasional difficulties interpreting social cues and ultimately helping him embrace his identity more fully.
Family Memories and Neighborhood Changes
Family stories weave throughout the collection, including touching anecdotes about his parents. His mother's cherished Cadillac Coupe DeVille, which she drove for years before selling it when repairs became too expensive, occupies a special place in family lore. She kept photographs of the vehicle in what Kessaris describes as "a kind of makeshift altar," explaining when asked that it reminded her that "nah-ting last forever."
Kessaris's observations extend to Park Ex's ongoing evolution. During his tour with Drukker, they witness a young man riding a unicycle—a sight that prompts reflection on changing neighborhood attitudes. "When I was a kid," he writes, "if an unfortunate soul were to try to express any form of individuality by riding around on a unicycle, the local roughs would chase them down, beat them up, and break the unicycle to pieces." Today, such individual expression goes largely unnoticed, signaling broader social shifts.
A Return to Roots
After nearly fourteen years living in Town of Mount Royal, Kessaris recently returned to Park Ex with Drukker, who initially wondered how she would adjust to an unfamiliar neighborhood. Their search for a home ultimately led them back to Kessaris's old streets, and he happily reports that "Kelly has totally fallen in love with Park Ex." This homecoming mirrors the book's central theme of connection to place, even as that place continues to change through gentrification and demographic shifts.
The Grand Tour of Park Ex & Assorted Half-Told Yarns follows Kessaris's earlier collection, The Butcher of Park Ex and Other Semi-Truthful Tales, continuing his exploration of personal history through the lens of community. As events coordinator at Paragraphe Books and an established humorist, Kessaris brings both literary skill and authentic affection to his portrayal of a neighborhood that remains, in many ways, the frosting on his life's cake.
