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The writer and educator Beth Kaplan discusses her new collection of essays MidLife Solo: Writing Through Chaos to Find My Way in the World (Mosaic Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta. MidLife Solo: Writing Through Chaos to Find My Way in the World by Beth Kaplan (Mosaic Books, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Midlife Solo Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Beth Kaplan joins me again. She’s just published a new collection of essays, MidLife Solo: Writing Through Chaos to Find My Way in the World. It follows Beth, who at forty with two young children, divorces from their father. There are essays here about therapy, about raising two kids as a single parent, how to make ends meet as a creative, writing and getting published for the first time, as well as growing older. Beth is in her seventies now, and there’s no stopping her. She teaches, and she continues to write. The book is relatable in many ways, and there’ll be something in the book that will tug at a heartstring, or prompt you to do something in your own life. Throughout the book, family members grow, as well as others flow in and out of Beth’s life. And we see Beth in these twenty-five years or so grow not just as a parent and writer, but as a person. I’ll talk to Beth about the book and more. A teacher for over thirty years now at Toronto Metropolitan University and the University of Toronto, Beth Kaplan, spent her twenties as an actress, before taking on motherhood raising two children. Her essays, some of which appear in this book, have appeared in sundry publications including the Globe and Mail. She’s also broadcast some of them on CBC Radio. Her website is at www.bethkaplan.ca. Beth was first on the program in December 2020, when her previous book, Loose Woman was published. This new book is from Mosaic Books. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Beth Kaplan; Ms. Kaplan, good morning. The post Beth Kaplan first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The director of the 39th Annual Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival Dana Camil Hewitt previews this year’s festival (10-15 February 2024), with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. The 39th Annual Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival begins Saturday, 10 February 2024 and joining me to preview the events is the festival’s director Dana Camil Hewitt. They actually had an event yesterday afternoon, with Bernard Pinsky in honour of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a prologue to this year’s program of events showcasing Jewish writers and non-Jewish writers with Jewish interest subject matter. I’ll ask Dana to preview the events she’s looking forward to, authors she’s programmed in the interest of important discussions amid our challenging times. The opening event features Michael Posner and his landmark biography of Leonard Cohen. Yosef Wosk, a great supporter of the festival, will appear with his memoir, Naked in a Pyramid, which I’m reading right now, and is a terrific read. I’ll ask Dana about Rudolf Vrba, the subject of a new book by Jonathan Freedland, as well as the events for young readers such as an appearance by Eric Kimmel. Allen Levine, who’s been on the program in the past, will be in town to talk about his novel Details are Unprintable. Another previous guest on the program, actually he’s been on twice, Sean Michaels, will also be appearing this year. And I’ll get Dana to talk about the epilogue event, later in the month, 25 February 2024 with Israeli author Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. You can visit www.jccgv.com for tickets and more information on the festival. We taped this interview one week ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Dana Camil Hewitt; Ms. Hewitt, good morning. The post Dana Camil Hewitt first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The actress and singer Eleanora Owen discusses Being Piaf, which she stars in and is coming to the PAL Studio Theatre, 08-11 February 2024, with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. If you’re a Vancouverite of a certain age, the name Famous Artists will remind you of the late Hugh Pickett’s storied promotion company that brought all manner of show business personalities to town, as Pickett put it, “from Lillian Gish to Elvis Presley.” Famous Artists is the name, with Pickett’s blessing, of the production company run by Bill Allman, that’s bringing Being Piaf to town, 08-11 February 2024 at the PAL Studio Theatre. It’s a unique solo performance starring Eleanora Owen, who takes on the persona and character of the legendary Edith Piaf in a show that examines The Little Sparrow’s artistry and life itself. Ms. Owen, who’s performed the show in Los Angeles, and New York City, and who joins me now, will take the show to London, England later this year, but not before coming to Vancouver. I’ll ask Eleanora about coming to town, about this show, and what it is about Piaf’s life and music that makes her one of the more captivating and memorable performers ever. Eleanora’s Instagram handle is @eleanoraowen3. She is an actress, singer, writer, and dancer. She is a graduate of Hollywood High School, and UCLA, where she studied drama. Visit www.famousartists.ca for tickets and information on the show. We taped this interview ten days ago, with Eleanora joining me from Los Angeles. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Eleanora Owen; Ms. Owen, good morning. The post Eleanora Owen first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

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.