René Lévesque (1922–1987)

> Par Louise Turgeon (Planète Québec) : René Lévesque : Attendez que je me rappelle (réédition)
17 nov. 2007 ... Une autobiographie à lire et à relire pour le plaisir de vivre et de revivre le récit de celui qui s’inscrit déjà dans notre histoire comme le plus grand Québécois.
« Différent, certes il l’était. Le voir comme un poète égaré en politique serait plus juste. Un anarchiste de tempérament qui se serait imposé, grâce à un esprit structuré et analytique, des règles personnelles par souci de justice et d’équité. En fait, je pense à lui comme à L’homme révolté de Camus, pour qui la morale confortable n’existait pas. »
—Corinne Côté-Lévesque… (mehr)

I loved to watch Rene Levesque get into a verbal fight with other politicians and with journalists. He was indomptable.
One of the best interviews I saw with him was with two men, Larry Zolf, and Pierre Trudeau. This was in the mid 1960s. I will try to find the link to the CBC archives and post it here. I think you will really enjoy it. The two interviewers are trying to goad Mr. Levesque into stating whether he supports the FLQ or if he does not support it. He refuses to be pushed around by the other two men, and he never loses his cool. Way to go Rene.

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/parties_leaders/clips/5014/

In the interview, he has an air of fatigue, as if he has had to explain the same thing over and over again so many times, and people just are not getting the idea. His opponents want to pick a fight, but he refuses to take their bait. He is sticking to a fine point which he will not budge on. The other speakers seem to not be able to see what he is really talking about. Rene acknowledges their point and addresses it, but they seem to not be able to acknowledge his point. If you are intrigued as I am by this, please send me a comment.

On a totally unrelated topic, when Larry Zolf interviews Germaine Greer, he is a real jerk, I think. (Please see link quoted in the next line below.)

http://archives.cbc.ca/health/reproductive_issues/clips/12448/

Back to the book, which is supposed to be the main topic of this rev8iew, I found the description of his youth very touching, how he grew up with his family and had an early love of reading and of scholarship.… (mehr)