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The former mayor of the City of Vancouver Kennedy Stewart discusses his new book Decrim: How We Decriminalized Drugs in British Columbia (Harbour Publishing, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Decrim: How We Decriminalized Drugs in British Columbia by Kennedy Stewart (Harbour Publishing, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Decrim Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Kennedy Stewart joins me again. The former Vancouver mayor has just published a new book, Decrim: How We Decriminalized Drugs in British Columbia. In the midst of the opioid crisis, which the Province of British Columbia declared a public health emergency in 2016, a three-year trial period for decriminalising the possession of small amounts of hard drugs began in January 2023. In the book, we see what it’s like to bring on policy change like this, with insights as how to work with the federal and provincial governments. I’ll ask Kennedy about the various myths around when it comes to what’s happening on the streets of Vancouver, like the misinformation that it’s free drugs, or that it would reduce deaths; and as we read in the book, though not directly, decriminalisation would make the lives of those who possess small amounts a little easier, and not have to endure a criminal record. And it was largely the police that asked for this, as we read in the book and when I ask Mr. Stewart about his relationship with the Police Chief Adam Palmer. We’ll also discuss relations with former BC premier John Horgan and others. I’ll also ask Kennedy about the Vancouver he sees, nearly a year since losing re-election to Ken Sim, a guy he beat in 2018. Kennedy Stewart was first on the program in 2017 when the book he co-edited Turning Parliament Inside Out was published. He was then a Member of Parliament. He has since returned to teaching at Simon Fraser University. This new book is from Harbour Publishing. We recorded this interview this past Friday. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, the fortieth mayor of the City of Vancouver, Kennedy Stewart; Professor Stewart, good morning. The post Kennedy Stewart first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The broadcaster and author Gregor Craigie discusses his novel Radio Jetlag (Cormorant Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Radio Jetlag by Gregor Craigie (Cormorant Books, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Radio Jetlag Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Gregor Craigie joins me again. The acclaimed broadcaster and author recently published a new novel, Radio Jetlag. The book’s central character, Stephen Millburn has moved from Ottawa to take up the early-morning duties at a Victoria, BC talk radio station. The early, early morning hours are tough, and Stephen also has parental duties. The book provides marvelous insight into the life of a morning radio personality, who’s got to balance journalism with attracting an audience. There are clashes with Mr. Caulfeild, the station’s owner, and the attendant challenges of living in an increasingly unaffordable city in Canada. I’ll ask Mr. Craigie about his own work and what he might have gleaned from his job as a morning radio host on the public broadcaster, as well as the unique sort of people that work all sorts of jobs in the morning, whether it’s at a radio station, or the guy at the Tim Horton’s working overnight. The story of homelessness is something that Gregor has covered in Victoria, and an encampment on the lawn of Victoria’s courthouse is something that’s pivotal to the story in Radio Jetlag. It’s a fun book, and also well-plotted. Mr. Craigie’s ability to communicate was already evident in his great broadcasting work, and that he’s managed to deploy those skills in a novel, is evidence of his prodigious talent. Gregor Craigie is the host of CBC Radio One’s On the Island in Victoria. He first appeared on the podcast in 2021 when On Borrowed Time, an important book on earthquakes, was published. It went on to be nominated for the Writers’ Trust Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. This new book is published by Cormorant Books. We taped this interview in mid-August. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Gregor Craigie; Mr. Craigie, good morning. The post Gregor Craigie first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The poet and educator Renée Sarojini Saklikar discusses Bramah’s Quest (Nightwood Editions, 2023), the second installment in her epic fantasy The Heart of This Journey Bears All Patterns (THOT J BAP), with Joseph Planta. Bramah’s Quest by Renée Sarojini Saklikar (Nightwood Editions, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Bramah’s Quest Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Renée Sarojini Saklikar joins me again. She’s just published Bramah’s Quest, the second installment in her epic fantasy saga in verse The Heart of This Journey Bears All Patterns (THOT J BAP). It’s a book length poem that features the time-travelling demigoddess Bramah, a locksmith and the saga’s hero. We’re in 2087 now, and Brahmah is back on a planet Earth ravaged by climate change and global inequality. I’ll ask Renée about where the book finds our hero, as well as get her to tell us about new characters that are in this book, like Sherronda, a famed general and war strategist; a warrior/scholar named Batholomew, a kind of Robespierre; and Rajancrantz and Gabbarbhai, two assassins modelled after Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. And we’ll talk about this series, and the past ten years she’s spent writing about the existential crises we face. Renée Sarojini Saklikar is the author of five books including the award-winning Children of Air India, and Listening to the Bees. Her poetry has been published in sundry literary magazines and anthologies. She was poet laureate of the City of Surrey from 2015-2018, and teaches creative writing and editing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Visit https://thecanadaproject.wordpress.com/ for more. We taped this interview in mid-August. This new book is published by Nightwood Editions. And as a bit of a programming note, Renée will be back on the program in a couple of weeks to continue the conversation. I am always happy to talk to Renée about her work, about words, and life itself frankly. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program Renée Saklikar; Ms. Saklikar, good morning. The post Renée Sarojini Saklikar first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The journalist and author Bregje Hofstede discusses her book In Search of Sleep: An Insomniac’s Quest to Understand the Science, Psychology, and Culture of Sleeplessness (Greystone Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta. In Search of Sleep: An Insomniac’s Quest to Understand the Science, Psychology, and Culture of Sleeplessness by Bregje Hodstede (Greystone Books, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: In Search of Sleep Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Unlike most books about sleep, a recent book looks at insomnia as a physical and psychological condition. It’s called In Search of Sleep: An Insomniac’s Quest to Understand the Science, Psychology, and Culture of Sleeplessness. It’s author Bregje Hofstede joins me now, and I’ll ask her about her own personal experience with insomnia. It got pretty bad, but she found a way out of it, including moving to a small village in France. In the book she also discusses the myriad things that are keeping a lot of us awake at night. And it’s no surprise that money is one of those things that worry us, and as Bregje’s research reveals inequality has a lot to do with this; that those with the least suffer the most when it comes to sleeplessness. It’s a fascinating book, and there’s a lot here that will attract those interested in history, neuroscience, as well as cultural anthropology. Bregje Hofstede is a journalist and author whose books have been nominated for international prizes and translated into multiple languages. This book was translated by Alice Tetley-Paul, and is published by Greystone Books. We taped this interview in early June, with Ms. Hofstede joining me from The Netherlands. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Bregje Hofstede; Ms. Hofstede, good morning. The post Bregje Hofstede first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The novelist and journalist Hilde Østby discusses her recent book The Key to Creativity: The Science Behind Ideas and How Daydreaming Can Change the World (Greystone Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta. The Key to Creativity: The Science Behind Ideas and How Daydreaming Can Change the World by Hilde Østby (Greystone Books, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Key to Creativity Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Hilde Østby joins me again. She recently published The Key to Creativity: The Science Behind Ideas and How Daydreaming Can Change the World. It’s a fascinating look at how we get ideas, and how human creativity works. The book begins with Hilde involved in a serious cycling crash. She finds herself though bursting with creative energy. It gets her wondering why, and she examines how physical trauma can affect levels of dopamine in our brains. She looks at memory, as well as daydreaming. Boredom also comes into focus, as she investigates its usefulness just as we’re less and less bored thanks to technology. I’ll ask her about grief, and whether the myths that mental illness or intoxication contribute to creativity. Hilde Østby is a novelist and journalist. She first appeared on the program in 2018, when the book she coauthored with her sister Ylva Østby, Adventures in Memory: The Science and Secrets of Remembering and Forgetting was published. That book, like this new one is from Greystone Books. She joined me from Oslo, Norway, where she lives, in this conversation that was taped in early June 2023. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Hilde Østby; Ms. Østby, good morning. The post Hilde Østby first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The poet and playwright Dan O’Brien discusses his new collection of poetry Survivor’s Notebook (Acre Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Survivor’s Notebook by Dan O’Brien (Acre Books, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Survivor’s Notebook Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. In the life of this podcast, one of my favourite people to talk to is Dan O’Brien. The poet and playwright has been on six times previously over ten years now. We’ve talked about his writing, and whether it’s for the stage or memoir, or poetry, I find I understand life a little bit better. He’s got a new collection of poetry out now, Survivor’s Notebook. Just as his wife, the actor, writer and producer Jessica St. Clair, was going through her own cancer diagnosis and treatment, Dan is diagnosed with cancer himself. The 2021 collection Our Cancers, chronicles that tremendous upheaval in their life, while this new collection takes us through some of that trauma and charts a path forward. There are poems in this book that look at how identity is shaped by illness, the threat of death, and the procedures undertaken as one heals. There are pieces that look at superstition, chance, and self-criticism, as well as distill the beauty that’s around us if we just take the time to appreciate it. I found the pieces in the book that ponder survival and why we survive not just moving but necessary. Dan O’Brien is a playwright, poet, essayist, memoirist, and librettist. His play The House in Scarsdale: A Memoir for the Stage, winner of the 2018 PEN America Award in Drama. His website is at www.danobrien.org. This new collection is published by Acre Books. It’s always good to talk to Dan, and I’m pleased to note that I’ll be speaking with him again in a few weeks as he’s also got two other books coming out shortly, a memoir, and a collection of his plays. We taped this conversation nineteen days ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Dan O’Brien; Mr. O’Brien, good morning. The post Dan O’Brien first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The distinguished historian and biographer Charlotte Gray discusses her newest book Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt (Simon & Schuster, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt by Charlotte Gray (Simon & Schuster, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Charlotte Gray joins me again. The distinguished historian and biographer has just published a dual biography of two remarkable women, Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt. They’re two women born in close proximity to one another in the late 19th century, in the Gilded Age of the United States upper class in and around New York. As Jennie Jerome makes her way to the glittering world of Imperial London, and Sara remains prosperous in the Hudson Valley, their respective lots in life are of the era, and yet they become formidable women in worlds that aren’t necessarily welcoming of women in important roles. It is later their sons, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill take up a lot of space for historians and biographers, but it’s their relationship to their mothers, and their mothers devotion to their sons, that makes this book important as we see how they shape their sons characters and personalities. This is a hell of a good read, and Gray’s skill in research, and her talent at crafting a marvelous story as a result are a wonder. The British-born Charlotte Gray is one of Canada’s best-known writers, the author of ten acclaimed books of literary non-fiction. These are books that are bestsellers, as well as award-winners. She first appeared on the program in 2013 for her book The Massey Murder, a critical hit and a bestseller. She is a Member of the Order of Canada, and a recipient of the Pierre Berton Prize, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Visit www.charlottegray.ca for more. This new book is published by Simon & Schuster. We spoke two weeks ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Charlotte Gray; Ms. Gray, good morning. The post Charlotte Gray first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The bestselling and acclaimed author Jon Klassen discusses his new book for young readers The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale (Candlewick, 2023), with Joseph Planta. The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen (Candlewick, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Skull Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. One of the more captivating books of the year is latest from the acclaimed and bestselling author Jon Klassen, The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale. A #1 New York Times bestseller when the book was released this past summer, it got great notices and further cemented Mr. Klassen’s reputation as an exceptional author and illustrator. Hailed as a masterpiece, The Skull is described as a haunting, charming narrative. It may be for younger readers, but older ones, myself included found a lot to think about amidst the sharp text, and haunting illustrations. I’ll ask Jon who joins me now, about the first time he came across the folktale that inspired The Skull, and where. I’ll ask him about memory, how he works, what he uses when he works, and how the characters in the book interact; Otilla, a child who’s run away from home, and this skull that she encounters. I’ll also ask Jon about his career and how his work has been regarded, here in Canada, where he was born and raised, and in the United States, where he lives and works now. It was in the New York Times recently, that he was described as a national treasure. I’ll ask him about that, and more. Jon Klassen is the bestselling author and illustrator of the Hat Trilogy, which has sold over a million copies, and which spent 100 weeks on the bestseller list. He is a recipient of the Governor General’s Award, and Caldecott Medal, as well he is a Member of the Order of Canada. The Skull is published by Candlewick. Visit https://linktr.ee/jonklassen for all the links to Jon’s socials and books. He joined me from Los Angeles, nearly one month ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jon Klassen; Mr. Klassen, good morning. The post Jon Klassen first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The acclaimed and bestselling author Tom Rachman discusses his newest novel The Imposters (Bond Street Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta. The Imposters by Tom Rachman (Bond Street Books, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Imposters Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. This past summer Tom Rachman published a new novel, The Imposters. It’s the story of a writer, Dora Frenhofer, once successful, now aging and embittered. Her mind is going, and we see its descent and her desperation to finish her last book. Set in the weeks around March 2020, just as the pandemic was seizing the world, we get a sense of what it was like in Dora’s London, England. She is alone, but as we see her life changing, we see some of the people who drift in and out or alongside her life. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a character with a connection to Dora, whether it’s her missing brother, her estranged daughter, a former lover, or that one last remaining friend. The book draws out these characters in their isolation, literally and figuratively, and it’s a dazzling story that Rachman weaves; one that’s riveting to the end. The struggles of a writer are throughout the book. We see a writer at the end of their career, as well as a character who appears to be at the beginning of theirs. I’ll also ask Tom to reflect on writing, and publishing, as well as how he measures success today. He joined me from Toronto back in late June, just as the book was released. He lives in London, where he was born, but was raised here in Vancouver. He first appeared on the program in 2011, after the publication of his first novel The Imperfectionists, which was an international bestseller, and was translated into twenty-five languages. He was last on in 2018 with another novel, The Italian Teacher. He attended the University of Toronto, and the Columbia Journalism School. He was also a journalist with the Associated Press. His website is at www.tomrachman.com. The Imposters is a Bond Street Book from Penguin Random House Canada. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Tom Rachman; Mr. Rachman, good morning. The post Tom Rachman first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The legendary broadcaster and author Bill Boggs discusses his new novel Spike Unleashed: The Wonder Dog Returns (Post Hill Press, 2023), and his storied television career, with Joseph Planta. Spike Unleashed: The Wonder Dog Returns by Bill Boggs (Post Hill Press, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Spike Unleashed Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Bill Boggs joins me now. The legendary broadcaster has just published a new book, Spike Unleashed: The Wonder Dog Returns. It’s a follow-up to his 2020 book The Adventures of Spike the Wonder Dog. These are hilarious, timely, and biting novels as told to Bill Boggs, by Spike, an English Bull Terrier who finds himself a television and social media sensation. We continue following Spike and his adventures in American popular culture and politics. Along the way, alongside his human Bud, and through Mr. Boggs, we get the often humourous, absurdist social commentary about the world of entertainment, that Spike has seemingly found himself in the midst of. I’ll ask Bill about the real dog that he had that inspired Spike, that appeared with him on local television back in North Carolina. The Philadelphia native was then lured to New York City, where in 1975 he became the host of WNEW’s Midday Live. He became a star in New York City with his daily program, that featured guest appearances by everybody, including Frank Sinatra, among so many others. A classic, which you can find of Bill’s YouTube channel, BillBoggsTV, which really says it all about the 1970s, and New York in the ‘70s, features Lawrence Welk and the Studio 54 fixture Disco Sally. I’ll ask Bill about the fame that catapults Spike to superstardom, as well as the celebrity that Bill also experienced in those days that he was on New York television daily. He went on to produce the syndicated series Comedy Tonight, and The Morton Downey Jr. Show, and he had a regular program on the Food Network, as well as other outlets. Visit his website at www.BillBoggs.com. This new book is published by Post Hill Press. He joined me from New York City a week and a half ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Bill Boggs; Mr. Boggs, good morning. The post Bill Boggs first appeared on thecommentary.ca.