Marie-Claire Blais, an award-winning Canadian author and playwright, is the keynote speaker at a conference examining the Americanization of Quebec society and its culture being held at York University''s Glendon College, March 27-29.
The conference, Le Québec et l''américanité - histoire, langages, cinéma, will examine the geo-political and socio-economic realities that have inscribed an American-like character on Quebec''s cultural industries, especially its literature and film.
In her talk, "Parcours américains" ("American Meanderings"), Blais will examine the existence of a Quebec-American character, and whether Quebec is becoming more American or has always been American. 
Her talk is scheduled for Friday, March 28, at 5pm in the Albert Tucker Room (third floor, York Hall) of York''s Glendon College.
Blais has written more than 30 works including: La Belle Bete (Mad Shadows), published when she was 20; Une Saison dans la vie d’Emmanuel (A Season in the Life of Emmanuel), which is taught regularly in university and college courses; and Soifs (These Festive Nights), which won the Governor General’s Award in 1996.
The conference will also feature film screenings of La Déroute, directed by Paul 
Tana and Sonatine, directed by Micheline Lanctôt on Thursday, March 27, at 1:30pm in the auditorium at Glendon College, room 204. Each director will discuss their film and the American influences in their work.
The conference, which will be conducted in French, is sponsored by the Quebec Studies Chair at Glendon.