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The journalist Taha Siddiqui discusses his new graphic novel memoir (written with Hubert Maury) The Dissident Club: Chronicle of a Pakistani Journalist in Exile (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta. The Dissident Club: Chronicle of a Pakistani Journalist in Exile by Taha Siddiqui and Hubert Maury (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Dissident Club Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Taha Siddiqui joins me now. He’s just published a graphic novel in English that if one were to say was action-packed, would be an understatement. His life thus far has been one best told in a graphic novel as he’s survived an assassination attempt in Islamabad, he came of age in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the years between the Gulf War and 9/11. He grew up in a family that included a stern fundamentalist Islamic father. And even though Taha, who joined me one month ago, rebelled against religion, it was still very much a part of his life intersecting with personal relations and professional pursuits especially after his father joins a jihadi mosque. Taha chronicles in the book all that, as well as going to university and finding journalism. His reporting runs afoul of Pakistani military, and soon he finds himself exiled in France. He joined me from Paris last month, where he had founded the Dissident Club, a bar dedicated to helping political dissidents from around the world. Taha Siddiqui is an award-winning journalist. He’s worked for the New York Times, The Guardian, France 24, the Christian Science Monitor, Al Jazeera, and many other international and local media organisations. The full title of the book is The Dissident Club: Chronicle of a Pakistani Journalist in Exile. Written and illustrated with Hubert Maury, with the English translation by David Homel, it’s published by Arsenal Pulp Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Taha Siddiqui; Mr. Siddiqui, good morning.The post Taha Siddiqui first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

DOXA Documentary Film Festival’s Programming and Industry Manager Marianne Thodas previews this year’s festival, with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Western Canada’s largest documentary film festival returns for its twenty-fourth edition, 01-11 May 2025. This year’s lineup showcases 39 features, 30 short and mid-length films, as well as industry events. Visit www.doxafestival.ca for tickets and information. The line up is there, and not to sound trite, but there’s something for everybody. Joining me now is Marianne Thodas, the Programming and Industry Manager at DOXA. I’ll ask Marianne about the work that goes into programming and planning a festival like DOXA, and about the films to expect. DOXA has had a commitment to feature local filmmakers, and that’s no different this year. New films by Lyana Patrick and Baljit Sangra will have their world premieres, and there will be events associated with the screenings of Nechako—It Will Be a Big River Again, and Have You Heard Judi Singh? featuring each of the filmmakers in attendance. And like most years with DOXA, there’ll be screenings that’ll be sold out, but additional screenings are usually added for popular films, so it’ll do you well to check the website regularly. Once again, that’s www.doxafestival.ca. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Marianne Thodas; Marianne, good morning.The post Marianne Thodas first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and novelist Andrew Forbes discusses his new collection Field Work: On Baseball and Making A Living (Assembly Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Field Work: On Baseball and Making a Living by Andrew Forbes (Assembly Press, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Field Work Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Andrew Forbes joins me now. He’s just published a new book, Field Work: On Baseball and Making a Living. It’s a great collection of essays on baseball that reflect not just the rich history of the sport, but look at how it works on a variety of levels from the Major and Minor leagues, to the Little League field that Mr. Forbes tends to as he coaches his kids season in and season out. The value of labour, not just on the field measured in statistics is observed in the book, but the idea of what’s work and what’s play, as the game itself is played is reflected upon, making for such a worthwhile read. We talk about money and gambling too. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this collection, because there are some memorable, larger than life characters that also play a part through the stories in the book. Andrew Forbes is the author of two previous collections of baseball writing, The Utility of Boredom, and The Only Way Is the Steady Way. He’s also authored two short story collections, a novel, and a novella. Visit www.andrewgforbes.com for more. This new book is published by Assembly Press. We spoke nearly three weeks ago, with Andrew joining me from Peterborough, Ontario. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Andrew Forbes; Mr. Forbes, good morning.The post Andrew Forbes first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The playwright and artistic director of Some Assembly Theatre Valerie Methot discusses Our Last Tree, the new latest production at the Roundhouse 30 April to 05 May 2025, with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Some Assembly Theatre celebrates its 25th anniversary season with it’s new and original theatre production, Our Last Tree. It’s written and directed by Valerie Methot, who joins me now to talk about the show and the company, which has been celebrated for the collaboration between youth and professional artists. The show looks at the important subject of climate change, and how people care about existential issues. The show is at the Roundhouse Performance Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, from Wednesday, 30 April to May 3rd 2025. Some Assembly has long had a commitment to keeping the barrier low for audiences, where admission is free, though you have to make reservations. Visit www.someassembly.ca for tickets and information. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Valerie Methot; Ms. Methot, good morning.The post Valerie Methot first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The historian and journalist Mark Bourrie discusses his new book Ripper: The Making of Pierre Poilievre (Biblioasis, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Ripper: The Making of Pierre Poilievre by Mark Bourrie (Biblioasis, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Ripper Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Mark Bourrie joins me again. His latest book, Ripper: The Making of Pierre Poilievre was recently published to good reviews and it’s already on the bestseller list. As I admit to Mark in the interview that we taped on Friday morning, I’ve never found Poilievre an interesting person because he has always seemed to be a glib fighter prone to theatrics and quips rather than ideals and policy. Yet, I have found Mark’s book highly readable; an indispensable chronicle of Canadian political culture in the last twenty to twenty-five years, as well as an indictment of the qualities that Poilievre has that make him less than ideal to become prime minister of Canada, which he could very well be in week’s time. The title of the book comes from David Brooks, who said that there were two types of politicians: rippers and weavers. Rippers, whether they’re of the left or the right, see politics as war. They’ll seek power and destroy whatever is in their way for it. And the portrait of Poilievre is that, he’s got little practical experience outside of politics, seemingly angry all the time, and somebody who sees little value in consensus. Poilievre is seemingly the right and wrong person for the moment. He evokes in his supporters, victimhood in a country that they’ll claim is broken. They’re tired with the Liberal decade in power, because it frustrates them that they’re not in power. Poilievre has never changed, the country has, that’s why so many people in this country will vote for him. At the same time, as the book points out, he’s wrong for this moment because of the existential crisis that the country finds itself in what with Donald Trump and his various pronouncements. It might be said that had Trump not come to power again, Poilievre might have better poll numbers. And as Bourrie warns, he might not be the best sort of leader to deal with Trump, because the evidence through his political record suggests he’ll just knuckle under to get along. Mark Bourrie is an Ottawa-based author, lawyer, and journalist. He holds a master’s in Journalism from Carleton, and a PhD in history from the University of Ottawa. His Juris Doctor degree was awarded in 2017, and he was called to the bar in 2018. He’s won numerous awards for his journalism, including a National Magazine Award, as well as the RBC Charles Taylor Prize in 2020 for his book Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson. He’s appeared on the program with that book, as well as last year’s bestseller Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia. This new book is published by Biblioasis. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Bourrie; Dr. Bourrie, good morning.The post Mark Bourrie first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The activist, award-winning journalist, and podcaster Garth Mullins discusses his new memoir Crackdown: Surviving and Resisting the War on Drugs (Doubleday Canada, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Crackdown: Surviving and Resisting the War on Drugs by Garth Mullins (Doubleday Canada, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Crackdown Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   One of the best things I’ve read this season is the memoir by Garth Mullins. In Crackdown: Surviving and Resisting the War on Drugs, Mr. Mullins who joins me now, recounts his life story, amidst the backdrop of the frontline of a toxic drug supply in Vancouver. In the thirty years he’s lived in Vancouver, Garth has been a tireless activist known for leading protests as well as performing punk rock. He’s also become an activist for drug users, and in the book bares his experience as a heroin user, and as a user of safer alternatives. In the book, he talks candidly about dopesickness, incarceration, and overdose. He also talks about darker experiences in his own life candidly and with an honesty that is not just admirable, but I’m sure many will find inspiring. What also comes through in the book is the community that he’s witnessed formed by drug users in Vancouver. It’s often frustrating to see how the community is viewed especially by those that want to use a moral lens. And he’s helped to try and give drug users a voice, especially with his work as host and executive producer of the Crackdown podcast. Like in the podcast, in this book Garth gives voice to a number of fallen comrades, close friends he’s lost over the years. And as you’ll hear, he carries their memory with him in all of his work. Garth’s early years, born with albinism and increasing blindness over the years, which he’s been on this program to discuss in the past, is also recounted in the book. You see how an activist is shaped, and how he’s continued over the years whether it’s in politics, labour or safe supply. Garth Mullins is a harm-reduction activist, award-winning journalist, writer, broadcaster, and musician. He is an organiser with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. There’s an event this Wednesday, 16 April 2025 at the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library, with Garth in conversation with Andrea Woo. That’s at 7.00 pm. Visit www.writersfest.bc.ca for free tickets and information. This new book is published by Doubleday Canada. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Garth Mullins; Mr. Mullins, good morning.The post Garth Mullins first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer, poet and teacher Kate Braid discusses her new collection The Erotics of Cutting Grass: Reflections of a Well-Loved Life (Caitlin Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta. The Erotics of Cutting Grass: Reflections of a Well-Loved Life by Kate Braid (Caitlin Press, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Erotics of Cutting Grass Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Kate Braid joins me now. She’s just published a new collection of essays, The Erotics of Cutting Grass: Reflections on a Well-Loved Life. It’s an engaging, heartfelt, often witty collection that looks at various subjects of interest: parenting, grandparenting, aging, health, travel, wisdom, spirituality, writing, singing, among other fascinating points of entry into her thoughtful life. Ms. Braid, who joined me last week, has previously written about her work in the male-dominated world of construction in her memoirs Journeywoman: Swinging a Hammer in a Man’s World, and Nail: Notes of a Journeywoman. She touches on the years she spent in construction, but also looks at how it’s affected how she sees herself and how others might view her. She’s often candid, frank, and so inviting to the reader to ponder their own thoughts, feelings and existence. Kate Braid is an award-winning writer and poet. Among her many accolades include the Remarkable Woman of the Arts, and Pandora’s Collective BC Mentor’s awards, and the Pat Lowther and Vancity Book prizes. She was writer-in-residence at Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, New Mexico. Visit www.katebraid.com for more. She joined me from Pender Island, where she’ll be launching the book Wednesday, 30 April 2025 at 1.00 pm. That’s at the North Pender Island Library. There are events later this summer; those are listed on her website. This new book is published by Cailin Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Kate Braid; Ms. Braid, good morning.  The post Kate Braid first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The award-winning novelist Dietrich Kalteis about his latest book Dirty Little War: A Crime Novel (ECW Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Dirty Little War: A Crime Novel by Dietrich Kalteis (ECW Press, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Dirty Little War Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Dietrich Kalteis joins me now. The award-winning author has just published a new book, Dirty Little War: A Crime Novel. Set in 1920’s, the main character Huck finds himself in Prohibition-era Chicago, amidst tensions of rival gangs, while he throws his lot in with the North Side Gang. He gets involved in bare-knuckled fighting, bootlegging, even gaining the attention of Al Capone. I’ll ask Mr. Kalteis about Huck Waller and what brought him to Chicago and to this lifestyle. I’ll ask him about what makes Chicago such a rich setting for an author, and how he writes. Dietrich Kalteis won the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Award for Excellence Best Crime Novel for Under an Outlaw Moon. He is the author of thirteen novels, an blogs regularly at his website www.dietrichkalteis.com. This new book is published by ECW Press. We spoke just over three weeks ago, with Dietrich joining me from North Vancouver. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Dietrich Kalteis; Mr. Kalteis, good morning.  The post Dietrich Kalteis first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The award-winning journalist and lawyer Karin Wells discusses her new book Women Who Woke Up the Law: Inside the Cases That Changed Women’s Rights in Canada (Second Story Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Women Who Woke Up the Law: Inside the Cases That Changed Women’s Rights in Canada by Karin Wells (Second Story Press, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Women Who Woke Up the Law Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Karin Wells joins me now. She’s just published a new book, Women Who Woke Up the Law: Inside the Cases That Changed Women’s Rights in Canada. In the book, you read some gripping stories about women integral to advancing rights in the country. Irene Florence Murdoch, Chantale Daigle, Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, are just some of the women in the book who faced injustice and sought remedy through the legal system. And what did the women in the book seek? Abortion rights, the right for half of matrimonial assets, whether a woman was a person, maternity leave benefits, are among just a few of the landmark decisions kicked off by women in this book. Unfortunately, for some the cases don’t go the way of those who initialised them, however a lot of them ended up cited in landmark decisions because the jurisprudence catches up. Karin, who joined me from Port Hope, Ontario nearly one month ago, also focuses on the future. She looks at the requirement and enforcement of Non-Disclosure Agreements, and the protracted dispute between Jan Wong and her former employer, the Globe and Mail, (which Jan writes about in her bestselling memoir Out of the Blue, which she appeared on the program with in 2012), as well as the Nygard situation, where thanks to NDA’s he managed to insulate himself, for a while at least. I’ll also get Karin to reflect on how we should not get so comfortable with rights we might have in our society, which are not always guaranteed, and which could be taken away with a change of government, like we’re seeing in the United States. Karin Wells is a lawyer and well-known for her work on CBC Radio. She’s one of the finest documentarians in the history of the public broadcaster. Her previous books include The Abortion Caravan: When Women Shut Down Government in the Battle for the Right to Choose, and More Than a Footnote: Canadian Women You Should Know. This new book, published by Second Story Press, is not just an important book, it makes for a terrific read, because Karin’s writing makes these stories come alive to great effect. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Karin Wells; Karin, good morning. The post Karin Wells first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and producer Heather Christie discusses the collection she’s edited LoveNotes! Real Stories. Real People. Real Love. (71st Street Books, 2024), with Joseph Planta. LoveNotes! Real Stories. Real People. Real Love. edited by Heather Christie (71st Street Books, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: LoveNotes! Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Heather Christie joins me now. The writer, producer and educator has recently published LoveNotes! Real Stories. Real People. Real Love. It’s a terrific collection of stories she sought from those seeking love, finding love, losing love, and experiencing love at various points in one’s life. Heather has raised two daughters, divorced, and experienced dating disappointment. She sought these stories and presented them in the live storytelling event LoveNotes!, which debuted in 2024 and sold out Off-Broadway, and expanded elsewhere. I’ll ask Heather if she gleaned any wisdom from the stories presented in the show and in this book. The book is hardly an instruction manual, as not everything works for everybody. For example, you’ll read stories about love at first sight, and there are a number of examples in the book. But there are also stories where people who’ve known each other for a while, even disliked one another, and yet eventually find there’s something between them. There are prompts and puzzles between the stories that make for breaks in the collection that also get the reader involved. You can write down your own thoughts, and or draw. I’ll ask Heather about the upcoming podcast that will involve LoveNotes! Heather Christie is the award-winning author of the Young Adult novels What the Valley Knows, and The Lying Season, and the producer/director of the storytelling show Listen to Your Mother NYC. Visit www.HeatherChristieBooks.com for more. The book is published by 71st Street Books. We spoke in February, with Heather joining me from New York City. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Heather Christie; Ms. Christie, good morning.The post Heather Christie first appeared on thecommentary.ca.