By Christine Donnelly

Cunt is from 1230.

“Not this afternoon,” Matt Hannam offers, a little flustered but smiling as he looks up from his notes at a crowd that has just burst into a roar of laughter.

He meant 1230 the year.

At this month’s Trampoline Hall I learned about the origins of foul language, that Big Foot trackers get very little funding and that someone in the audience once killed a beaver (no explanation provided).

It’s hard to imagine a better way to spend a cold Monday night in Toronto than attending the often-hilarious speakers series held once each month at the Garrison on Dundas near Ossington.

“Some of the best lectures are not funny,” contests this month’s curator Erica Kopyto. One of the most memorable talks she recalls was about female suicide bombers.

But me – I don’t remember the bombers. I have been going to see Trampoline Hall, brainchild of Sheila Heti, since its days at Sneaky Dees. It is always funny, thanks in no small part to the charming stammer and quick wit of its brilliant host Misha Glouberman. And, and, and, so, so, so, he’s got a great new haircut too.

Some people have a secret dream of sauntering up to microphone and belting out a tune, but my secret dream is to be able to take to the stage and hold my own faced with a raucous crowd and a host that misses nothing. So how easy is it to get in?

“I tend to be a pretty heavy-handed curator,” laughs Kopyto, “I usually give myself 3 months to curate the show. I spend about a month searching (for lecturers) and a month working with them. Usually their first topic is not the one they use.”

We are interrupted by the third lecture of the night from Todd Falkowsky who is talking about Canada’s national symbols and speculating that since our roots are so deeply linked to beavers and their pelts, “…you would think we would be more fashionable… like maybe we should be Italian?” and again the crowd erupts.

Get tickets to Trampoline Hall (just $6!) the Thursday before each show at Soundscapes.