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The award-winning and bestselling author Shyam Selvadurai discusses his new novel Mansions of the Moon (Knopf, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Mansions of the Moon by Shyam Selvadurai (Knopf, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Mansions of the Moon Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Shyam Selvadurai joins me again. The bestselling and award-winning author has just published a new novel, Mansions of the Moon. It’s getting great notices for its immersive, sweeping, yet intimate story of Yasodhara, the woman who married the Buddha. The book traces the couple’s early love and life together, and then we see Siddhartha, who would later become the Buddha, as he becomes enlightened and how he abandons Yasodhara. The ramifications of that, a woman whose husband has abandoned her, are stark, and looked at as Mr. Selvadurai weaves his tale with insight and empathy. Shyam Selvadurai is the author of the 1994 Giller Prize shortlisted Funny Boy, which was a national bestseller, and winner of the W. H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the Lambda Literary Award. It was made into a 2020 film directed by Deepa Mehta. His second book Cinnamon Gardens was shortlisted for the Trillium Award, and his third, The Hungry Ghosts, which he was first on this program with in 2013, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award. His acclaimed novel for young adults, Swimming in the Monsoon Sea was also shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award. Visit www.shyamselvadurai.com for more information. This new book is published by Knopf Canada. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Shyam Selvadurai; Mr. Selvadurai, good morning. The post Shyam Selvadurai first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer, musician and theatre artist Brendan McLeod discusses his debut poetry collection Friends Without Bodies (Write Bloody North, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Friends Without Bodies by Brendan McLeod (Write Bloody North, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Friends Without Bodies Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. A new poetry collection, Friends Without Bodies is a sharp, sometimes amusing, always perceptive record of one writer’s Covid-19 pandemic experience. Brendan McLeod is a performing artist, and when gigs got cancelled in March 2020, he started writing. The pieces in the book are poetry that look at the experience a lot of us had with isolation, fear, loneliness, hysteria, and emotional upheaval. They’re a great capsule of what happened to its author, and the world around him, us essentially, riding through the waves of the virus. Mr. McLeod, who joins me now, navigates the angst he and so many of us felt, as well as chronicles the trauma of not just the pandemic, but the former president of the United States, the mass shooting in the spring of 2020 in Nova Scotia, the George Floyd killing, and so many other shared experiences that ran parallel to the pandemic. I’ll ask Brendan about his experience dating, as well as whether we’re better as a society, culture talking about mental health. Brendan McLeod is a writer, theatre artist, and musician. He is the founder of The Fugitives, the acclaimed folk group signed by Borealis Records. Visit his website at www.brendanmcleod.ca where you can read about his work and career. This new book, his debut poetry collection, is published by Write Bloody North. He joined me from Toronto last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Brendan McLeod; Mr. McLeod, good morning. The post Brendan McLeod first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer Tsering Yangzom Lama discusses her debut novel We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies (McClelland & Stewart, 2022), with Joseph Planta. We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama (McClelland & Stewart, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. A new book, the debut of writer Tsering Yangzom Lama will be published this week. It’s called We Measure the Earth With Our Bodies. It’s a sweeping novel that brings us the lives of Lhamo and her sister Tenkyi. They traverse the Himalayas as China invades Tibet in 1959. Lhamo is haunted by the loss of her homeland, and her mother, the village oracle. They try to rebuild their life in Nepal, and as the book moves on, we’re taken to Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood years later, as Tenkyi lives with Lhamo’s daughter Dolma. Throughout the book, Tsering, who joins me now examines the connection with home, and how the trauma of its loss can affect future generations. She looks at survival, not who as much as why. I’ll ask her about what it was like to write the book, and how. Tsering Lama was born and raised in Nepal, where her family settled after fleeing Tibet in the early 1960s. She has since lived in Vancouver, Toronto, and New York City. She has a BA in Creative Writing and International Relations from the University of British Columbia, and an MFA from Columbia University. She is a lifelong activist, and serves as a storytelling advisor for Greenpeace International. She will be appearing as part of Incite, put on by our friends at the Vancouver Writers Fest, this Wednesday, 18 May 2022 at 7.00 pm at the Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch. The event is in person and online. Visit www.writersfest.bc.ca for more information. This new book is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Tsering Yangzom Lama; Ms. Lama, good morning. The post Tsering Yangzom Lama first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and broadcaster Britt Wray discusses her new book Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis (Knopf, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis by Britt Wray (Knopf, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Generation Dread Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. A lot of people are suffering from climate and environment-related fears and anxieties. A new book from Britt Wray confronts eco-anxiety, providing scientific knowledge and emotional insight, showing that it can be a healthy response to the state of the world. Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis is an engaging book that looks at ways to mourn, as well as addressing critical issues like inequality in the world. That’s key because the ill-effects of the climate crisis aren’t felt equally. It’s usually the poorest and more marginalised that suffer the most. And the book gets personal. When Britt talks about discussions she had in her family with her partner about whether to have children, we see how the world’s future can impact what’s happening at home. Britt Wray is a writer and broadcaster. She is a post doctoral fellow at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She holds a PhD in science communication from the University of Copenhagen. Her work has been featured in sundry publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, and Globe and Mail. Her newsletter, Gen Dread can be found at http://gendread.substack.com. This new book is published by Knopf. She joined me from Toronto last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Britt Wray; Dr. Wray, good morning. The post Britt Wray first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The filmmaker Teresa Alfeld discusses her new documentary Doug and the Slugs and Me, debuting this weekend at DOXA: Documentary Film Festival, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Teresa Alfeld joins me again. The acclaimed filmmaker has new documentary, Doug and the Slugs and Me. It’s such a terrific movie that showcases the late Doug Bennett, his music and his collaborators. The movie features interviews with a lot of the important players in Bennett’s life personally and professionally. It’s the closing night film at DOXA: Documentary Film Festival this Sunday evening, though there’s a screening Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, and if you can’t make it downtown, you can stream it beginning Saturday night after 8.00 pm. I’ll ask Teresa about her connection to the Bennett family, as well as what if anything did the Doug and the Slugs music mean to her. I’ll ask her about how she pieced together the life and times of Bennett, what drove him and what he was thinking about as he worked to get his career off the ground, and as he and the Slugs made it as a success. Teresa was able to use diaries that Bennett kept, and they provide such a marvelous insight into his creativity, and his commitment to family. Visit www.slugumentary.com for more information; and visit www.doxafestival.ca for tickets. Teresa Alfeld was first on the program in 2018 when her documentary The Rankin File, on Harry Rankin debuted. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Teresa Alfeld; Ms. Alfeld, good morning. The post Teresa Alfeld first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The acclaimed singer, actress and author Melissa Errico discusses her new album Out of the Dark: The Film Noir Project (Ghostlight Records, 2022), movies, music and more, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Melissa Errico joins me now. The renowned singer, actress and author has just released a new album, Out of the Dark: The Film Noir Project. It’s a marvelous collection of songs, like “Laura,” and “The Bad and the Beautiful,” memorable songs from classic noir pictures. These are songs of love, of hope, despair, and hope renewed. The album also features classic French chansons from the 1950s and 1960s, as well as some modern noir takes like Cy Coleman and David Zippel’s “With Every Breath I Take,” from their musical City of Angels. Other classics include Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin’s “The Man That Got Away,” Lionel Newman’s “Again,” and Harry Warren and Leo Robin’s “Checkin’ My Heart.” There are four brand new songs on the album composed by Michel Legrand, David Shire, the late Peter Foley (to whom this album is dedicated), with lyrics by Melissa’s friend and frequent collaborator Adam Gopnik. The music on this album is arranged by musical director and pianist Tedd Firth. Melissa Errico is a graduate of Yale, and has appeared on Broadway in productions of My Fair Lady, High Society, Call Me Madam, and Amour, for which she received a 2003 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. I’ll ask Melissa about the films and music she likes, as well as working with greats like Michel Legrand, and Stephen Sondheim. The late critic Terry Teachout said of her 2018 album, Sondheim Sublime, that it was “the best all-Sondheim album ever recorded.” The album is from Ghostlight Records and is available as a disc online and elsewhere, and through digital download by way of all the various platforms. Visit www.TheFilmNoirProject.com for more. She joined me from New York City one week ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Melissa Errico; Ms. Errico, good morning. The post Melissa Errico first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The literary agent and poet Brian Wood discusses his new collection of poetry, Zen in Beverly Hills (Equation Books, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Zen in Beverly Hills by Brian Wood (Equation Books, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Zen in Beverly Hills Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Brian Wood joins me again. The literary agent and poet has just published a new collection of poetry, Zen in Beverly Hills. It’s a collection that reflects what’s in the author’s mind and heart. You have ruminations on grief, the losing of a pet, how we react to loss, how we mourn, even those we’ve never met. I’ll ask Brian about faith, the part that religion has played in his life, and how it’s influenced his writing and his use of language. We’ll talk about writing poetry, and how he finds the time amidst his successful career as a literary agent. I’ll ask him how the book business is doing as well. The website for more is at www.brianjwood.com. This new book is published by Equation Books. He joined me from Guelph, Ontario, ten days ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Brian Wood; Mr. Wood, good morning. The post Brian Wood first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The filmmaker Jeremiah Hayes discusses his new documentary Dear Audrey, a film that looks at the life and work of filmmaker Martin Duckworth and how he cares for his wife, the photographer Audrey Schirmer after her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Jeremiah Hayes joins me now. His new film, which he directed, wrote, co-produced, shot, and edited, Dear Audrey is currently available for streaming as part of the DOXA: Documentary Film Festival. You have until this Sunday, 15 May 2022 to get tickets and stream it online. The film follows the filmmaker Martin Duckworth as he narrates his own life story to Jeremiah’s camera, as it also chronicles his caring of his wife, the photographer and artist, Audrey Schirmer after her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Duckworth is also caring for an adult daughter who has autism. His commitment, and love of both comes through as we see him navigate daily life in and around his Montreal home. I’ll ask Jeremiah about Duckworth’s work as a filmmaker, which he reveals over the course of the film. I’ll ask him about the various techniques he as a filmmaker employs like animation, in telling the story. The film is very moving. I enjoyed it a lot, and bawled a couple of times. While we all wish for ourselves to be loved and cared for, you see in the movie, hopefully learn from Duckworth as to how to love and care for another person. Jeremiah Hayes is an award-winning film director, writer and editor. He received the Gemini Award in 2010 for co-directing the documentary Reel Injun, which won other awards including a Peabody. He received a Canadian Screen Award for editing the 2017 award-winning documentary Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World. The website www.dearaudrey.ca will have information on how to see the movie, as well as has resources on Alzheimer’s, video clips, as well as Audrey Schirmer’s photos. I spoke to Jeremiah last week, just before a theatrical screening of the film as part of DOXA. It is a Cineflex Media and National Film Board of Canada co-production. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jeremiah Hayes; Mr. Hayes, good morning. The post Jeremiah Hayes first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and critic Martha Schabas discusses her new novel My Face in the Light (Knopf, 2022), with Joseph Planta. My Face in the Light by Martha Schabas (Knopf, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: My Face in the Light Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Martha Schabas joins me now. She’s just published a new novel, My Face in the Light. In the book, our main character Justine has just passed her thirtieth birthday and she’s uneasy about her life, her marriage to Elias, and her career as an actress. I’ve only read a part of the book, so I’ll get Martha to tell us as much as she’d like about what happens in the story. It’s rather engaging. Justine also has a scar on her face, from a childhood accident that shapes how she sees herself as much as how others see her. Martha Schabas is a writer and critic. Her first novel Various Positions was shortlisted for the Evergreen Fiction Award, and named a book of the year by the Globe and Mail, Quill & Quire, and NOW Magazine. She was the Globe and Mail’s dance critic from 2015 to 2020, where she also wrote about theatre and books. Her writing has appeared in various publications including The Walrus, Hazlitt, and the New Quarterly. Her Twitter handle is @marthaschabas. My Face in the Light is published by Knopf. We taped this interview ten days ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Martha Schabas; Ms. Schabas, good morning. The post Martha Schabas first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer R. Bruce Macdonald discusses his new book Never Say P*G: The Book of Sailors’ Superstitions (Harbour Publishing, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Never Say P*G: The Book of Sailors’ Superstitions by R. Bruce Macdonald (Harbour Publishing, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Never Say P*G Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. There’s that episode of The Office, the American version, where Michael Scott looks into the camera and says he’s “stitious” but not superstitious. There’s a terrific new book out that you didn’t know you needed, Never Say P*G: The Book of Sailors’ Superstitions. It’s a compendium of everything superstitious having its derivation from things maritime and marine. There’s a lot in here that goes back to references in The Bible, some that seem far fetched, some that seem outrageous. Naturally with most myths, there’s a lot that doesn’t make sense, some things herein that are contradictory, and some that are outright outmoded thanks to time and today’s cultural mores. It still makes for great fun, fascinating reading. Our captain of this voyage of superstitions is R. Bruce Macdonald, the book’s author who joins me now. He complied this collection of marine insurance as it were. As he says near the beginning of the book, a lot of it might not make sense, but why tempt fate. And when venturing near or in the water, you need everything to be on your side. R. Bruce Macdonald is a writer, sailor, and artist with a passion for Canadian history. He has logged over 100,000 nautical miles, and for many years now, has lived along the BC coast aboard North Star, where I reached him late in March, docked near English Bay here in Vancouver. He is the author of previous books North Star of Herschel Island, and Sisters of the Ice. @arcticship is his Twitter handle. This new book is published by Harbour Publishing. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Bruce Macdonald; Mr. Macdonald, good morning. The post R. Bruce Macdonald first appeared on thecommentary.ca.