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The acclaimed writer Thomas Wharton discusses his new novel The Book of Rain (Random House, 2023), with Joseph Planta. The Book of Rain by Thomas Wharton (Random House, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Book of Rain Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Thomas Wharton joins me now. The award-winning writer has just published a new novel, The Book of Rain. It’s described as an affecting work of environmental literary suspense. In the book we meet Alex Hewitt, as he returns to River Meadows, a resource community somewhere in Northern Alberta. They used to mine a resource there that was quite valuable, but they’ve since stopped since an accident forced evacuation. Alex is back though to find his sister Amery, who’s disappeared rescuing animals trapped in the restricted zone. Another story in the book is that of Claire Coley, a young woman who was from River Meadows, who now traffic’s endangered wildlife. And there’s a third story where in the future, a flock of birds sets out on a dangerous journey to prevent the extinction of their ancient enemy, humanity. I’ll ask Mr. Wharton about his book, and ask him to tell us as much as he’d like about his stories and his characters. Thomas Wharton’s first novel Icefields won the 1996 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in Canada and the Caribbean. It was also a 2008 CBC Canada Reads pick. His second book, Salamander was shortlisted for the 2001 Governor General’s Award for Fiction, and a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. His 2006 book The Logogryph was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. The website for more is at www.thomaswharton.ca. He lives in Edmonton, but he joined me from Toronto last week. This new book is published by Random House. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Thomas Wharton; Mr. Wharton, good morning. The post Thomas Wharton first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer Amber McMillan discusses her recent poetry collection This is a Stickup (Wolsak & Wynn, 2022), with Joseph Planta. This is a Stickup by Amber McMillan (Wolsak & Wynn, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: This is a Stickup Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Amber McMillan joins me again. The writer, who’s appeared on this program in the past with a memoir, and then a collection of short fiction, is on now to discuss her recent poetry collection, her second, This is a Stickup. I’ll ask Amber about the themes in the book. I got a sense of grief, as well as the contending with loss. There’s obviously more, but I’ll get her to dwell on dreams and memory as well. I’ll ask her about writing, and what it’s like to move through various genres as she does. Amber McMillan’s previous books include her first poetry collection, We Can’t Ever Do This Again, the memoir The Woods: A Year on Protection Island (which she was first on the program with in 2016), and the 2021 short story collection The Running Trees. She’s won a number of prizes for her writing. This collection is published by Wolsak & Wynn. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program Amber McMillan; Ms. McMillan, good morning. The post Amber McMillan first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The playwright Sally Stubbs discusses her play Our Ghosts, which is at the Firehall Arts Centre (until 02 April 2023), with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Sally Stubbs joins me now. Her play, Our Ghosts begins in previews this weekend at the Firehall Arts Centre. The play is described as a haunting mystery inspired by the disappearance of Sally’s father, Flight Officer Gerald Stubbs. It explores the ramifications of the official and personal responses to the disappearance of the plane and its pilots. I’ll ask Sally about writing this play, and the heart of it, the love story and mystery that defines one woman’s life, and that of her children. The play starts this Sunday in previews, then opens Wednesday evening, 22 March 2023. Visit www.firehallartscentre.ca for tickets and information. Sally Stubbs is an award-winning Vancouver-based writer and educator. Her website is at www.sallystubbswriter.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Sally Stubbs; Ms. Stubbs, good morning. The post Sally Stubbs first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The celebrated cellist Jonathan Lo of the Capilano String Quartet discusses their upcoming Music on Main debut at the Fox Cabaret, Tuesday, 21 March 2023, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Music on Main, that popular series programmed by its artistic director David Pay among others, will be making its debut on the stage of the legendary Fox Cabaret, Tuesday night, 21 March 2023. The headliners are the Capilano String Quartet, and joining me now is one of its members, the cellist Jonathan Lo. I’ll ask Jonathan about spring and how it figures in the program they’ll be playing. The music is for our time, not just the time of the year, but this time as we’ve passed three years since the pandemic began. The pieces that the quartet will perform include Juri Seo’s Respiri, Raven Chacon’s The Journey of Horizontal People, and Grieg’s String Quartet No. 1, Op. 27, and I’ll Jonathan about the program, and more. I’ll ask him about his fellow musicians, violinists Timothy Steeves and Jae-Won Bang, and Marina Thibeault on the viola. I’ll ask too about the cello. Jonathan Lo has performed in venues such as Alice Tully Hall, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, among many other notable venues. He has appeared as a soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Northwest, and the Burnaby Symphony. He has given masterclasses at the University of Toronto, University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, and La Jolla SummerFest. He has degrees from the Eastman School of Music, The Julliard School, and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Visit www.musiconmain.ca for tickets and information. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jonathan Lo; Mr. Lo, good morning. The post Jonathan Lo first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and activist Miriam Edelson discusses her memoir The Swirl in My Burl (Adelaide Books, 2022), with Joseph Planta. The Swirl in My Burl by Miriam Edelson (Adelaide Books, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Swirl in My Burl Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Miriam Edelson joins me now. She’s just published a collection of essays, The Swirl in My Burl. It’s a fascinating title too, but you’ll have to buy the book to get what it means. In the book, with honesty and humour, Miriam writes about her upbringing, what her parents were like, what it’s like being a mother, raising a son and a daughter, losing her son, and being an activist throughout her life. Miriam is also rather candid in talking about living with mental illness, illustrating how it’s like an unwanted guest that visits, and she writes about how she’s had to contend with it, and its attendant difficulties, physically, and emotionally; and publicly. Miriam Edelson is a neurodivergent social activist, settler and mother. Her literary non-fiction, personal essays, and commentaries have appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, CBC Radio, and other outlets. She completed a doctorate in 2016 at the University of Toronto focused upon mental health in the workplace. This is her third book, and it’s published by Adelaide Books. The website for more is at www.miriamedelson.com. She joined me from Toronto last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Miriam Edelson; Dr. Edelson, good morning. The post Miriam Edelson first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The artist, playwright and filmmaker Michael Marrero discusses Repair, the play he co-wrote with Julio Trinidad, which is available for streaming as part of StudioWorks from The Studios of Key West, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. That series Studioworks, from the folks at The Studios of Key West continues its program of streaming offerings with a new play called Repair. It’s written by Michael Marrero and Julio Trinidad. I’ll ask Mr. Marrero, who joins me now, to tell us as much as he’d like about this play, a cinematic and theatrical hybrid, filmed in a working garage in Queens, where it’s also set. The play stars Leon Addison Brown, and Mr. Trinidad. The former, playing a character only called Mechanic, while the latter plays Driver. The Driver pulls into the shop, and while the Mechanic is closing up, he relents and the Driver goes in. There’s a nor’easter, and the downpour keeps them in the garage, and it’s at once foreboding as it is claustrophobic. And then something happens. I’ll leave it at that. It’s fantastic piece that you can stream right now online. Check out www.vimeo.com/ondemand/studioworks. It’s easy to buy Repair on its own, or subscribe to the whole season, which includes Alec Silberblatt’s The Mon Valley Medium, as well as Unstuck as F@#k, and Smithtown. Visit www.tskw.org for more information. Michael Marrero is a Cuban-American artist, playwright, and filmmaker. His short films Buzzcut, and Riley Was Here have been showcased at over 100 film festivals worldwide. He’s written several plays, including ones that have had productions at New York’s Guild Hall Center, Repetorio Español, and Havana’s Teatro de Centre. Visit www.mikemarrero.com for more information. He joined me from Key West, Florida last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Michael Marrero; Mr. Marrero, good morning. The post Michael Marrero first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The violinist and educator Kit Eakle previews the second in his series Jaz’N’theViolin: Lache Cercel and his ROMA Jazz Ensemble (Sunday, 19 March 2023, 3pm at Pyatt Hall), and talks about the part violins have played in the history of jazz, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Kit Eakle joins me now. The violinist and educator has an upcoming performance in his ongoing concert series, Jaz’N’theViolin. Pyatt Hall is the venue, and this Sunday, 19 March 2023, at 3pm, Lache Cercel and his ROMA Jazz Ensemble will be performing. I’ll get Kit to tell us about Cercel and this series which began with a date in February, and has one more to go, Sunday, May 7th with Mads Tolling. I’ll also get Kit to reflect on the history of jazz and the role the violin has played in that. It’s a largely unknown or underappreciated part of the genre’s history. This series had eight successful years in the San Francisco Bay area, and will not only be a great history lesson but notable and not-to-miss, what with these acclaimed and international virtuosos coming to town. For over thirty years now, Kit Eakle has been teaching violin as a private instructor. He received his teaching credential from the University of British Columbia, and is also a certified teacher in the state of California. Visit his website www.musickit.com for tickets to the two upcoming dates, as well as more information. We spoke nearly two weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Kit Eakle; Mr. Eakle, good morning. The post Kit Eakle first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The acclaimed and bestselling author Lindsay Wong, a professor of creative writing at the University of Winnipeg, talks to Joseph Planta, about her new collection of short stories, Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality (Penguin, 2023). Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality by Lindsay Wong (Penguin, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Lindsay Wong joins me now. The acclaimed and bestselling author has a new collection of short stories out, Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality. It’s a collection that feature thirteen stories that are often wild, funny, and strange. They’re stories of family, fantasy and fate. There are stories set in 17th century China, as well as Burnaby, BC’s Crystal Mall. There are stories set in the midst of an apocalypse, as well as one set at Wreck Beach. The characters are familiar. They’re of people in our own families, or that we see at the mall. There are ghost stories too. It’s a collection that will doubtless make readers laugh, and cringe, and sometimes at the same time. I’ll ask Lindsay about how she writes, and the inspiration for the places and people that she writes about. Lindsay Wong teaches creative writing at the University of Winnipeg. She holds a BFA from the University of British Columbia, and an MFA from Columbia University. Her memoir The Woo-Woo was critically acclaimed and a bestseller; and in 2019 was a finalist for Canada Reads. She has also written a YA novel entitled My Summer of Love and Misfortune. The website for more is at www.lindsaywongwriter.com. This new collection is published by Penguin. She joined me from Toronto last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Lindsay Wong; Professor Wong, good morning. The post Lindsay Wong first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The legendary cartoonist Adrian Raeside discusses his recent collection Wildlife for Idiots: And Other Animal Cartoons (Harbour Publishing, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Wildlife for Idiots: And Other Animal Cartoons by Adrian Raeside (Harbour Publishing, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Wildlife for Idiots Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Adrian Raeside joins me again. The legendary cartoonist recently published a new collection of his work, Wildlife for Idiots: And Other Animal Cartoons. It’s full of Raeside’s hilarity, his loving and often loyal depiction of animals, which reveal the frailties and foibles of humans. There are animals in this collection that are loving and loved, as well as funny and perhaps smarter than most of us. I’ll ask Adrian about his work, about the animals he depicts, and what it all says about human behaviour. Adrian Raeside is the long-time editorial cartoonist published in the Victoria Times Colonist since 1979, who has also drawn the Other Coast comic strip for many years, which appears in hundreds of publications around the world. His website for more is at www.raesidecartoon.com. The book is from Harbour Publishing. We spoke last week, with Adrian at his home on Vancouver Island. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Adrian Raeside; Mr. Raeside, good morning. The post Adrian Raeside first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The Mount Royal University political science professor and commentator on politics Duane Bratt discusses the new collection he co-edited (with Richard Sutherland and David Taras) Blue Storm: The Rise and Fall of Jason Kenney (University of Calgary Press, 2023), with Joseph Planta. Blue Storm: The Rise and Fall of Jason Kenney edited by Duane Bratt, Richard Sutherland and David Taras (University of Calgary Press, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Blue Storm Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Duane Bratt joins me again. The academic and oft-cited political commentator has co-edited a new collection of scholarly articles, Blue Storm: The Rise and Fall of Jason Kenney. With his colleagues Richard Sutherland, and the late David Taras, this collection features analysis and insights from other academics, as well as former journalists as to what’s happened in the four years since Rachel Notley’s NDP government was defeated and Jason Kenney and the United Conservative Party formed Alberta’s government. The pieces are highly readable despite being written by academics. One gets a sense reading this book of Kenney’s leadership skills (or lack thereof) in managing his caucus, his party’s policies on oil and gas, healthcare, and education, as well as the challenges he faced that led to his ouster. The COVID pandemic is an undercurrent throughout the book, even in essays that don’t specifically mention it, as it drives the agenda for the government from early 2020 onward to today, where Danielle Smith has succeeded Kenney, and will lead the UCP into an election later this year. Duane Bratt is a political science professor in the Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University in Calgary, where he joined me from one week ago. He is the co-editor of Orange Chinook: Politics in the New Alberta, which he was on this program with back in 2019. @duanebratt is the Twitter handle. This new book is published by University of Calgary Press. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Duane Bratt; Professor Bratt, good morning. The post Duane Bratt first appeared on thecommentary.ca.