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The property developer, philanthropist, and art collector Michael Audain discusses his book Pictures on the Wall: Building a Canadian Art Collection (Douglas & McIntyre, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Pictures on the Wall: Building a Canadian Art Collection by Michael Audain (Douglas & McIntyre, 2023). Click to buy this book from Douglas & McIntyre: Pictures on the Wall Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Michael Audain joins me now. The founder of Polygon Homes has recently published a new book Pictures on the Wall: Building a Canadian Art Collection. It’s an engaging often candid book that also features striking photographs of seventy-five works that have meant a great deal to Audain, how they came into his collection, and why they’re important. I’ll ask Michael about what it’s like to own works by artists like Emily Carr, Jean Paul Riopelle, Andy Warhol, Jeff Wall, and Stan Douglas, among many others. I’ll ask him what it is about the art of British Columbia that he’s found important. Michael Audain is also the chairman of Polygon Homes, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a member of the Order of British Columbia. In 2021, he published a memoir One Man in His Time… This new book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. We spoke this past Friday. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Michael Audain; Mr. Audain, good morning. The post Michael Audain first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The improv artists, and members of SPIT Manila Aih Mendoza and Karl Echaluse discuss improv and being part of The Improv Centre’s THE HEAT – An International Improv Comedy Showcase (23-27 January 2024), with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. There’s a great new improv comedy festival next week, THE HEAT – An International Improv Comedy Showcase. It starts Tuesday, 23 January 2024 running through to Saturday, 27 January 2024. It’s put on by The Improv Centre, who’ll be welcoming improv troupes from around the world, like Degrees of Error from Bristol, England, Dad’s Garage from Atlanta, Georgia, Glass Clown from Los Angeles, and RN&Cawls from Toronto. SPIT Manila, a troupe from The Philippines will also be part of the festival, and I’m now joined by two of its members Aih Mendoza and Karl Echaluse. I’ll ask them about how they came to improv, and how it’s improved or helped in other aspects of life. I’ll ask about the improv scene in The Philippines, as well as Asia, and how they’re working to see its spread there and elsewhere. Visit www.thirdworldimprov.com for more, as well as SPIT Manila on social media, like Facebook or Instagram. And visit www.theimprovcentre.ca for tickets to any or all the events part of the showcase. There’ll be nightly improv shows, and more. We recorded this interview this past weekend. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Aih Mendoza, and Karl Echaluse; good morning. The post Aih Mendoza and Karl Echaluse first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The theatre artist Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg talks to Joseph Planta about her new show Pants, at the Firehall Arts Centre, 17-20 January 2024. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Starting Wednesday night at the Firehall Arts Centre will be a solo dance/theatre/comedy piece, Pants, by the veteran dance artist Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg. She joins me now to talk about this show that looks at how people view gender, and how that affects identity. I’ll ask Tara about why so many seem unwilling to accept how one defines their own identity, and how her work in the theatre allows her to address some of these relevant and urgent themes. We’ll also talk about the collaboration involved, even in a solo show such as this. Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg is a choreographer, performer, educator and artistic director. She received the Chrystal Dance Prize in 2014. Visit www.taracheyenne.com for more information. Pants is on at the Firehall from Wednesday through to Saturday, 20 January 2024. Visit www.firehallartscentre.ca for tickets. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg; Tara, good morning. The post Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The theatre artist and writer Emelia Symington-Fedy discusses her new memoir Skid Dogs (Douglas & McIntyre, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Skid Dogs by Emelia Symington-Fedy (Douglas & McIntyre, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Skid Dogs Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Emelia Symington-Fedy joins me again. This past fall she published Skid Dogs, a memoir that has sold well and gotten good notices. In the book, she recounts what it was like growing up in a small farming town, Armstrong, British Columbia. And how she’s drawn back to it in 2011, when a girl, Taylor Van Diest, is murdered on the railroad tracks. Now, an adult, she goes home to comfort her terrified mother, and at the same time she realises her own coming of age was not what she thought it to be. Told alternating between the 2011, 2012 period and the early 1990s, the book looks at the bonds forged in those formative years of high school, and what friendship is like for girls. It also looks at the complications in mother/daughter relationships. Emelia looks critically and honestly at her high school years, amid the 1990s rape culture. As she comes to terms with friendship, assault, and violence, we see a clearer picture of her life and how that has affected her now as a wife, a parent and an artist. Emelia Symington-Fedy is an international theatre creator, and the founding co-artistic director of The Chop. She is a graduate of Studio 58 at Langara College, and The Writers Studio at Simon Fraser University. She is a frequent contributor to CBC Radio. Visit www.emeliasymingtonfedy.com, and her Instagram: @emeliasf. This book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. She lives in the Shuswap, but joined me from here in Vancouver two weeks ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Emelia Symington-Fedy; Ms. Symington-Fedy, good morning. The post Emelia Symington-Fedy first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and massage therapist Angela E. Morris discusses her collection Love Notes to Grievers: Tending to Grief After Loss (Pownal Street Press, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Love Notes to Grievers: Tending to Grief After Loss by Angela E. Morris (Pownal Street Press, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Love Notes to Grievers Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Earlier this year, Angela E. Morris published Love Notes to Grievers: Tending to Grief After Loss. It’s a unique collection that defies definition. Some of the pieces in the book are essays, while some could be described as poetry. The idea that they’re notes is a good one, because they could easily have been jotted down in haste as they’re often brimming with wisdom, comfort, and reflection. This interview with Ms. Morris, taped this past June, is a conversation about the book, as well as the grief that our culture doesn’t really let us get a chance to talk about. We’ll look at the so-called stages of grief, and how those steps might not be applicable or an appropriate way to deal with all grief. I’ll ask Angela about what we might do when somebody we know has suffered loss, and what words might be useful or comforting. As you’ll hear, Angela began thinking about this book following the quick succession of deaths in her life: her father, a friend, and her grandmother. You can visit Angela’s website at www.angelaemorris.com, or her Instagram @angelaemmamorris. This book is published by Pownal Street Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Angela Morris; Ms. Morris, good morning. The post Angela E. Morris first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The playwright Meg Braem discusses her play Flight Risk (University of Calgary Press, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Flight Risk by Meg Braem (University of Calgary Press, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Flight Risk Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Recently, the University of Calgary Press published the play Flight Risk. Its playwright Meg Braem joined me recently to talk about the popular play, the themes she touches upon in it, and what inspired her to write it. In the play, first produced in 2017, Hank, a 99-year-old former tail gunner during the Second World War, is about to turn 100. Sarah, a nursing student overseeing his care at an assisted living facility, has to deal with her worsening symptoms of multiple sclerosis, while trying to get Hank excited about his impending birthday celebration. Hank resents the restrictions of his care home’s rules, and both are each lamenting bodies that they aren’t in control of; one looking to the past, while one worries about the future. This new book also contains academic essays by William Pratt, David Hogan, and Philip St. John that look at the themes in the play and provide context, like Second World War, aging in the aftermath of war, and the planes that somebody like Hank would have flown. The book also has director’s notes from Samantha MacDonald. Meg Braem’s plays have been nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award, and have won the Alberta Literary Award for Drama, and the Alberta Playwriting Competition. We taped this interview at the end of November. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Meg Braem; Ms. Braem, good morning. The post Meg Braem first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The advocate and writer Kathy Wagner discusses her new memoir Here With You: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Addiction (Douglas & McIntyre, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Here With You: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Addiction by Kathy Wagner (Douglas & McIntyre, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Here With You Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. One of the powerful books of the season is Kathy Wagner’s Here With You: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Addiction. In the book, she chronicles her struggle to save her son from addiction. We read about Tristan, who at the age of fourteen begins experimenting with drugs. We see how she deals with his drug use and addiction, and the journey towards treatment. It’s a long six years before Tristan consents to treatment. And Ms. Wagner, who joins me now, narrates the tremendous work she does finding ways to save her son, like studying kung fu in China, or culinary school, even paying for his drugs to keep him safe. She’s honest about the patterns of addiction Tristan goes through, which invariably affect Kathy and her family. And when Tristian begins his recovery journey, we see how challenging it is for Tristan, and how costly it is. We see Kathy and her eldest daughter contend with their own recoveries. And after Tristan’s death by accidental fentanyl overdose, we see Kathy dealing with her grief and pain. We see her as she heals, and it’s such an insightful, compassionate read. It’s also brutal and honest, and she doesn’t spare even herself. Kathy Wagner is the mother of three grown children, including her son Tristan who died from fentanyl poisoning in August 2017. She has actively advocated for improved access to quality addiction recovery services. She is a peer support group facilitator, and has appeared on numerous media outlets telling her story. This new book is published by Douglas & McIntyre, and she joined me from Port Coquitlam, three weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Kathy Wagner; Ms. Wagner, good morning. The post Kathy Wagner first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer Tim Blackett discusses his new collection of fiction Grandview Drive (Nightwood Editions, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Grandview Drive by Tim Blackett (Nightwood Editions, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Grandview Drive Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Tim Blackett is the author of a debut collection of literary fiction, Grandview Drive. These are exciting short stories connected by a fictional drive that all sorts of compelling, fascinating, and isolated people intersect. In the stories there are heartbroken people, those that are lonely, disturbed, insecure, and suffering in all sorts of ways. I’ll ask Mr. Blackett who joined me from his home in Regina a week and a half ago, to tell us about the things his characters are contending with, going through, and are desperate for. It takes a particularly insightful if not empathetic writer to conjure up stories about some not so sympathetic characters, but who are interesting to read about. I’ll ask him about how he views his characters, his work, and writing. I’ll also ask him about the genre of short stories, and the work he’s done to better understand writing through his new podcast, Tim Blackett & Friends. Tim Blackett is a writer whose work has appeared in Briarpatch, [spaces], Grain Magazine, and a Saskatchewan journal called Swift, Flowing. He has degrees from the University of Regina, and a certificate in creative writing from Humber College. This new book is published by Nightwood Editions. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Tim Blackett; Mr. Blackett, good morning. The post Tim Blackett first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The author and architectural historian Harold Kalman discusses the fifth edition of Exploring Vancouver: Ten Tours of the City and Its Buildings (Harbour Publishing, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Exploring Vancouver: Ten Tours of the City and Its Buildings, Fifth Edition by Harold Kalman & Robin Ward (Harbour Publishing, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Exploring Vancouver Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Hal Kalman joins me again. The fifth edition of Exploring Vancouver has just been published, and Hal and Robin Ward have written a marvelous guidebook of walking tours that showcase the notable architecture in Vancouver and the surrounding area; for they venture to the new buildings at the University of British Columbia, as well as the buildings erected because of the 2010 Olympics in Richmond, and elsewhere. Their tours take us to Surrey too. I’ll ask Hal about this new edition, as well as the previous four, the first of which was published nearly fifty years ago. From Hal’s perch in Victoria, where he lives now and where he joined me from one week ago, I’ll ask him about how he’s viewed the city over the decades, and in recent visits. I’ll ask if he can look to the future as well with developments at Oakridge, and the proposed projects at the south end of the Burrard Bridge, and the Jericho Lands. Harold Kalman is a specialist in architectural history and heritage conservation. He is the author or co-author of many standard texts on architecture and conservation including Exploring Ottawa: An Architectural Guide to the Nation’s Capital, A History of Canadian Architecture, and Heritage Planning: Principles and Process. He is a Member of the Order of Canada. Visit www.haroldkalman.ca. Exploring Vancouver: Ten Tours of the City and Its Buildings is published by Harbour. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Hal Kalman; Mr. Kalman, good morning. The post Harold Kalman first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The historian and author Dustin Galer discusses his new biography Beryl: The Making of a Disability Activist (Between the Lines, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Beryl: The Making of a Disability Activist by Dustin Galer (Between the Lines, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Beryl Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. One of the better written books of the season is the biography from Dustin Galer, Beryl: The Making of a Disability Activist. It follows the life and times of Beryl Potter, a British born working class mother who became a noted activist for access and inclusion in Canada. The book charts Potter’s early life in England; it was bleak. We follow her through the Second World War as she gets married and starts a family. We see her move to Canada, and how her family life is upended with a slip and fall at work. It’s seen at first as harmless, but it results in six years of severe pain. She then loses her leg, and after that another leg and an arm. Her financial security is lost, not to mention her home and husband. Her life is changed dramatically as she contends with over one hundred surgeries, an opioid addiction, and suicide attempts. We see her journey as she becomes a public figure contributing to disability awareness in the 1970s and 1980s. Dustin Galer joins me now, and I’ll get him to tell us about how he came to write this book, and why the life of Beryl Potter is an important one to know about. What he’s crafted is an eminently readable, engaging book that raises awareness in its own way, as he frames Potter’s life amid changing societies in Canada and Britain, as well as demonstrates how impactful her life was, and how much there still needs to be done to achieve disability justice. Dustin Galer is a professional historian with a PhD in history from the University of Toronto. He wrote the first book-length history of the Canadian disability rights movement, Working Towards Equity. Visit www.myhistorian.ca for more information. This new book is published by Between the Lines. We taped this interview two and a half weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Dustin Galer; Dr. Galer, good morning. The post Dustin Galer first appeared on thecommentary.ca.