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The artist Liz Magor discusses the new collection Subject to Change: Writings and Interviews (Concordia University Press, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Subject to Change: Writings and Interviews by Liz Magor (Concordia University Press, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Subject to Change Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Liz Magor joins me now. The sculptor, considered one of the most important contemporary artists of the last fifty years, and I’ll ask her about that distinction given her by others, has just published Subject to Change: Writings and Interviews. The book brings together catalogue statements, essays, conversations, lecture notes, correspondence, and unpublished writing over her distinguished career. It’s often fascinating to see how she views her own work, and how her ideas evolve over the years. We see an artist who says she doesn’t enjoy writing, write so evocatively about art, about making art, and about how it might be received by a wider audience. We see a feminist artist in a settler-colonial society think deeply about her place where she lives, and what she is contributing to society itself. Liz Magor is the recipient of the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, the Audain Prize, and the Gershon Iskowitz Prize. Her work has been exhibited all over the world, and in 2019 she was named chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of the French Republic. The book is published by Concordia University Press. She joined me from where she works at the Parker Street Studios here in Vancouver, less than two weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Liz Magor; Ms. Magor, good morning. The post Liz Magor first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The academic and podcaster Kate Graham discusses her book No Second Chances: Women and Political Power in Canada (Second Story Press, 2022), with Joseph Planta. No Second Chances: Women and Political Power in Canada by Kate Graham (Second Story Press, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: No Second Chances Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. An important book out now is called No Second Chances: Women and Political Power in Canada. Its author Kate Graham joins me now. As the title says, of the women who have managed to reach high political office in this country, either elected or appointed premier or prime minister, none have won re-election. I’ll ask Kate as to why there aren’t second chances in politics. She has marvelous insight, as she conducted interviews with those women, only thirteen as of September of 2021, for the Canada 2020 No Second Chances podcast. The book features transcripts of those conversations with Kim Campbell, Christy Clark, Kathleen Wynne, Pauline Marois, Eva Aariak, Kathy Dunderdale, Nellie Cournoyea, Pat Duncan, Rachel Notley, Alison Redford, Caroline Cochrane, and Catherine Callbeck. These are women who have served over the last three decades, of various political stripe, and from coast to coast to coast. The conversations don’t shy away from controversial parts of one’s political career. Former premiers Redford, Clark, Wynne, and Marois are particularly candid about the reasons for their defeats, as well as the unpleasantness that each encountered as they sought and served in high office. The book also features analysis as to what’s happened in the country over the years, and where much more can be done to encourage not just gender diversity in our politics. Kate Graham teaches political science at Western, and Huron University College. She is the creator and host of the podcast No Second Chances, which can be found at www.NoSecondChances.ca. She was also the Liberal Party of Ontario candidate in the riding of London North Centre in the 2018 and 2022 provincial elections. This book is published by Second Story Press. She joined me from London, Ontario, nearly two weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Kate Graham; Dr. Graham, good morning. The post Kate Graham first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The historian, author, and inaugural Story Laureate of Yukon Michael Gates discusses his new book Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City’s Great Film Find (Lost Moose, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City’s Great Film Find by Michael Gates (Lost Moose, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Hollywood in the Klondike Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. I sat up with Michael Gates’s new book Hollywood in the Klondike riveted by the unexpected archaeological find in 1978 of a hoard of silent films buried under the permafrost in the Arctic gold rush town of Dawson City. Michael, who joins me now, recounts his first hand experience with the film, and provides marvelous context about the so-called “Paris of the North,” and the role it played during the Klondike Gold Rush some 125 years ago. He looks at Hollywood’s own connection to the North, and how it depicted the North. He provides film history recounting the exploits of many Hollywood figures who went from the Klondike to Hollywood, like Robert Service, Jack London, Sid Grauman, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Marjorie Rambeau, and more. It’s really interesting to see what Dawson City was like during the gold rush, as Mr. Gates takes us through the streets of where prospectors found entertainment, first through vaudeville, then with the advent of moving pictures, the cinema. It’s terrific Canadian history too, and amazing really when you read about Michael’s role as some of these lost films were found. Michael Gates is Story Laureate of Yukon, and the author of several historical books, including From the Klondike to Berlin, and Dublin Gulch: The History of the Eagle Gold Mine. He was formerly the curator of collections for Klondike National Historical Sites in Dawson City. He also pens the popular column History Hunter for the Yukon News. The full title of the book is Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City’s Great Film Find, and is from Harbour Publishing. He joined me from Whitehorse, nearly two weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Michael Gates; Mr. Gates, good morning. The post Michael Gates first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The reporter, author, and podcaster Eve Lazarus discusses her new book Cold Case BC: The Stories Behind the Province’s Most Intriguing Murder and Missing Person Cases (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Cold Case BC: The Stories Behind the Province’s Most Intriguing Murder and Missing Person Cases by Eve Lazarus (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Cold Case BC Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Eve Lazarus is back and with a new book, Cold Case BC: The Stories Behind the Province’s Most Intriguing Murder and Missing Person Cases. It’s a gripping read, and it’s not all doom and gloom either. Eve, with her engaging and thorough investigation, showcases some important, notable, and fascinating cases. She also features a couple of cases where a little more information has resulted in a little more closure. One case, the famous Babes in the Woods case, through Eve’s reporting earlier this year, finally revealed the names of the two tiny skeletons found in Stanley Park in 1953. I’ll get Eve to tell us more about that case, as well as the other cases in the book. She writes about the notorious judge David Ramsey, in Prince George, who preyed on, and sexually assaulted teenage girls; girls who were vulnerable, some who even appeared before him in court. I’ll also ask Eve to reflect on her work, the great library of books she’s published over the last fifteen years, as well as what motivates her to look at these often-dark cases. We’ll hear too, how she approaches her work, the care she takes talking to family members of victims, those affected by often horrific crimes. Eve Lazarus is a reporter, author, and the host and producer of the true crime podcast Cold Case Canada. Her previous books include Cold Case Vancouver, Blood, Sweat, and Fear: The Story of Inspector Vance, Murder by Milkshake, and Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History. Her website is at www.evelazarus.com, where she maintains a popular blog, Every Place Has a Story. This new book is published by Arsenal Pulp Press. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Eve Lazarus; Ms. Lazarus, good morning. The post Eve Lazarus first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The academic and podcaster Hannah McGregor discusses her new memoir A Sentimental Education (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2022), with Joseph Planta. A Sentimental Education by Hannah McGregor (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: A Sentimental Journey Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. One of the more fascinating reads of the season is the new memoir from Hannah McGregor. A Sentimental Education looks at that word sentimental and what it means to her and how it shaped her life, her academic career, and her feminism. She looks critically and carefully at the works that inform her thinking then as now. The reader is invited to think critically about their own education as it were, in all its forms, sentimental or otherwise, which is an added experience to reading Hannah’s own thinking about education, feminism, and culture itself. I’ll ask Hannah about change in her own trajectory, as well as change in others. I’ll ask her about how she works to dismantle barriers to academia, as well as the vital work she does in tearing down hierarchies not just with regards to culture, but everything else. The book is engaging and thoughtful. She shares stories about her mother, as well as her work as an academic. She thinks critically about her role as a public intellectual, and examines her work in recent years as a podcaster. She is the host of the podcasts Secret Feminist Agenda, and the SpokenWeb Podcast, and co-host of Witch, Please. Hannah McGregor is an Assistant Professor of Publishing at Simon Fraser University, and co-edited the book Refuse: CanLit in Ruins. Her website is at www.hannahmcgregor.com. This new book is from Wilfrid Laurier University Press. We spoke nearly two weeks ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Hannah McGregor; Dr. McGregor, good morning. The post Hannah McGregor first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The creative producer of Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience, Mark Lach discusses the exhibition set to open in Vancouver (as well as New York City) next week, 04 November 2022, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. The majesty and mystery of Tutankhamun has captivated the world over the past one hundred years since his tomb was opened. National Geographic has been there ever since, and with Paquin Entertainment Group and Immersive Experiences, bring to Vancouver, Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience. It opens here in Vancouver next week, Friday, 04 November 2022, which has special significance as that’s the date one hundred years ago when the first stair leading to King Tut’s intact tomb was discovered. Joining me now is Mark Lach, whose own vast experience includes touring around the world with artifacts between 2004 and 2012. Those have since been returned to Egypt, but this new spectacle allows audiences a chance to walk through what is considered one of the greatest discoveries of all time. We get a sense of the myth and imagery, the riches buried inside, the mummification process, as well as cinematic storytelling that takes us into the tomb and the context of the wider world during Tut’s time. Tickets for Beyond King Tut are timed and dated, and advance purchases are strong encouraged. They start at $31.99 for adults, $23.99 for children 5-15, plus ticketing fees. There are package rates, and VIP tickets which include flex entry, merchandise, and entry into the VR companion, Tutankhamun: Enter the Tomb, voiced by the actor Hugh Bonneville. I’ll ask Mark about all this and more. I reached him last week in New York City, as he was installing the exhibit there. There’ll be other cities and dates. Visit www.beyondkingtut.com for all the information. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Lach; Mr. Lach, good morning. The post Mark Lach first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The artistic director of the Vancouver Writers Fest Leslie Hurtig previews this year’s festival, which starts Monday, 17 October (through to 23 October) 2022, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Leslie Hurtig joins me again. The artistic director of the Vancouver Writers Fest, the 35th annual one, calls in the weekend before it all starts this Monday, 17 October 2022, running to Sunday, 23 October 2022. There are some 80 events, with over 115 authors from across the country and around the world. There’ll be events in person on and around Granville Island, as well as virtual events, ones where you pay what you can, and as we say every year, events for everybody. I’ll get Leslie to give us some insight into her job as artistic director, her collaborators this year (guest curator Omar El Akkad, and Spoken Word Curator Jillian Christmas), as well as the events she’s looking forward to. The website for more is at www.writersfest.bc.ca. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Leslie Hurtig; Ms. Hurtig, good morning. The post Leslie Hurtig first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The acclaimed broadcaster, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks, and science journalist Bob McDonald discusses his new book The Future is Now: Solving the Climate Crisis with Today’s Technologies (Viking, 2022), with Joseph Planta. The Future is Now: Solving the Climate Crisis with Today’s Technologies by Bob McDonald (Viking, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Future is Now Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Bob McDonald joins me again. He’s just published a new book, The Future is Now: Solving the Climate Crisis with Today’s Technologies. The book is a lot more optimistic than most books on the climate emergency. Mr. McDonald lays out the myriad sources of energy that could wean us off fossil fuels. A lot of these alternative energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal have been available for years now. And because they’re not enough, we need to look at other forms such as nuclear, biofuels, hydrogen and carbon capture. And such sources like wind and solar, they can take up less space, and can be cheaper. Nuclear, for example, is much safer today than it was forty or fifty years ago. The technology is there, and is developing rapidly. A lot of political will is needed too, and Bob addresses that in his engaging and highly readable book. As I tell him in our conversation from last week, you can’t help read the book without hearing his inimitable voice. Since 1992, Bob McDonald has hosted CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks. He celebrates his thirtieth anniversary as host later this month. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has received countless honors and awards for his distinguished work as a print and broadcast journalist covering science and space. This new book is published by Viking. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Bob McDonald; Mr. McDonald, good morning. The post Bob McDonald first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The former NHL goaltender, Olympic silver medalist, and now public speaker and mental health and wellness advocate Corey Hirsch discusses his new memoir The Save of My Life: My Journey Out of the Dark (Collins, 2022), with Joseph Planta. The Save of My Life: My Journey Out of the Dark by Corey Hirsch, with Sean Patrick Conboy (Collins, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Save of My Life Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. One of the more riveting reads of the season is the new memoir, out today, by Corey Hirsch. In The Save of My Life: My Journey Out of the Dark, he offers remarkable insight into contending with mental illness. As he writes in the book, he was realising his childhood dream of playing in the NHL, winning an Olympic medal, and drinking out of the Stanley Cup. He was plagued with dark thoughts, and ceaseless anxiety. He narrates so vividly what this loop in his head would be like, providing a harrowing glimpse into how he tried to drown it out. Sometimes being on the ice, playing hockey worked. But after a while the cycle would continue anew. He’s able to confide in a team trainer, and his mother, but as we read in the book, though it’s a step, in Mr. Hirsch’s case, it took a number of years for him to get properly diagnosed and treated. He is diagnosed with OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and as he’ll tell us now, it’s been rocky, but he’s on the road to recovery. I’ll also ask Corey about what it’s like to be on the ice, especially as a goalie, with pucks coming at you. Some might think having OCD might have helped him focus. The lesson in the book is that there shouldn’t be any hesitancy in seeking help, especially for guys. Corey Hirsch won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994, the same year he won a silver medal at the Winter Olympics. He played for many years with the Vancouver Canucks, and since his retirement, he’s been a coach in the NHL for elite goaltenders and prospects, and more recently was an analyst with Sportsnet, and was the colour commentator on the Canucks broadcasts on Sportsnet Radio here. He is National Youth Ambassador for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and the co-host of the Players’ Tribune’s podcast Blindsided. Visit www.coreyhirsch.com. This new book (written with Sean Patrick Conboy) is published by HarperCollins. He joined me from Vancouver last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Corey Hirsch; Mr. Hirsch, good morning. The post Corey Hirsch first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Bujalski discusses his latest film There There, which he wrote and directed, and which has its Canadian premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival this week (07 & 09 October 2022), with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. The filmmaker Andrew Bujalski joins me now. His latest, There There, screens this week at the Vancouver International Film Festival. It’s the Canadian premiere of a film described as an ingeniously conceived series of wry conversation pieces. The film’s cast includes Jason Schwartzman, Lili Taylor, Molly Gordon, Lennie James, Avi Nash, and Annie LaGanga. It’s often funny, and it reveals a lot about two people seeking a connection through conversation. The film was shot during the pandemic, where each actor is shot separately. I’ll ask Mr. Bujalski about the technicalities of that, and what it was like for him to direct, remotely as it were. And I’ll talk about the ideas that he explores in this film. This is the seventh feature length film written and directed by Andrew Bujalski, who has been described by some as the “godfather of mumblecore.” His previous films include Support the Girls, Computer Chess, Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation, Beeswax, and Results. He wrote the screenplay to the 2019 Lady and the Tramp remake as well. Among his many awards is the Alfred Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The first screening is Friday night, 07 October 2022, 6.15pm at the International Village cinema; and Sunday evening, 6.30pm at the Rio Theatre. There will be a Q&A with Mr. Bujalski at both screenings. Visit www.viff.org for tickets and information. Andrew Bujalski joined me from Austin, Texas late last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Andrew Bujalski; Mr. Bujalski, good morning. The post Andrew Bujalski first appeared on thecommentary.ca.