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The writer Madeline Sonik discusses her new memoir Queasy (Anvil Press, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Queasy by Madeline Sonik (Anvil Press, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Queasy Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Madeline Sonik joins me now. She’s just published a new memoir Queasy. It’s a terrific book of her years coming-of-age in the England of the 1970s. Madeline grew up in Windsor, Ontario, but when her father dies, her mother, her and her brother move to the England of her mother’s birth. Naturally, it’s a very different Britain, but for Madeline, there’s so much that she experiences, that she reflects upon, that one could easily spend hours talking to her about the various things in this book. For example, as an outsider, Ms. Sonik is able to look at the cultural, political, and historical of Britain, and give it the perspective of a North American. And she does so often in the book, with a clarity and perspective afforded her with the passage of time. So, its also timely as well. We see with such vivid recall and clarity, the lot of the working class in the 1970s, a time where there’s widespread trade union unrest, mass unemployment, IRA violence, inflation and high taxes. We see this through Madeline’s work as a chambermaid, and meet the friends and workmates along the way, a few who remain in her mind, some who have a formative influence on her life and work. I talk to Madeline about reading and writing, and more. Madeline Sonik is the award-winning writer of fiction, short fiction, and children’s writing. Her previous volume of personal essays Afflictions & Departures received the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize in 2012, and was a finalist for the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, and the Charles Taylor Prize. This new book is from Anvil Press. She joined me from Zurich, Switzerland. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Madeline Sonik; Ms. Sonik, good morning. The post Madeline Sonik first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer, designer, and maker Leanne Prain discusses her new book The Creative Instigator’s Handbook: A DIY Guide to Making Social Change Through Art (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022), with Joseph Planta. The Creative Instigator’s Handbook: A DIY Guide to Making Social Change Through Art by Leanne Prain (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Creative Instigator’s Handbook Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Leanne Prain joins me again. She has just published a new book, The Creative Instigator’s Handbook: A DIY Guide to Making Social Change Through Art. It’s a terrific book, marvelously designed and engaging too. Leanne looks at how even in a pandemic, when people are self-isolating, so much creativity can be manifested. She also points out in the book, the connection between art and activism. That’s something important to consider, not just of contemporary movements but protests in history. The book is a showcase of the artwork of so many of the people that Leanne has interviewed not just close to home like the poet Kevin Spenst, who launched his recent book of poetry doing distanced readings across the city. As well, Leanne looks at artists in the United States who found inspiration in the Black Lives Matter movement, or around the world, like in Copenhagen, where she talks to Thomas Dambo who upcycles materials and makes remarkable sculptures. The book is also helpful in terms of providing encouragement and ideas as to what activist endeavour one might wish to tackle, with checklists, or many other examples of people who’ve taken on an artistic pursuit for themselves and/or the wider world. Leanne Prain is a writer, speaker, and certified design professional. Her previous books include Yarn Bombing (co-written with Mandy Moore), and Strange Material: Storytelling with Textiles, which she was first on the program with back in 2014. Like that book, this new one is from Arsenal Pulp Press. Visit www.leanneprain.com for more. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Leanne Prain; Ms. Prain, good morning. The post Leanne Prain first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and poet Carolyn Gammon discusses her recent collection On Her Own Terms: Poems About Memory Loss and Living Life to the Fullest (Harbour Publishing, 2021), with Joseph Planta. On Her Own Terms: Poems on Memory Loss and Living Life to the Fullest by Carolyn Gammon (Harbour Publishing, 2021). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: On Her Own Terms Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. A remarkable poetry collection recently published, another in a series of collections we’re featuring as part of National Poetry Month is the one from writer Carolyn Gammon: On Her Own Terms: Poems About Memory Loss and Living Life to the Fullest. In this collection are poems that confront the memory loss of Carolyn’s mother, Frances Firth Gammon. But it’s more than that. As we read in the book, Carolyn’s mother led a full and fascinating life; she co-founded The Fiddlehead. We see glimpses of the later, as we see daughter reflect on her mother’s role in the family, and what she did before she had a family. The poems reveal the intimacy of mother-daughter relations, as well each poem ends with dialogue from Carolyn’s mother, giving her voice. The book is often funny. It also shows us that though Carolyn’s family experienced her mother’s memory loss, it gained something. We’ll talk about that and more. Carolyn Gammon is the author of Lesbians Ignited, Johanna Krause Twice Persecuted, and The Unwritten Diary of Israel Unger. She was born and raised in Fredericton, and lives in Berlin, Germany, where she joined me in early April. This book is from Harbour Publishing. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Carolyn Gammon; Ms. Gammon, good morning. The post Carolyn Gammon first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and director Valerie Methot discusses Some Assembly Theatre’s latest production, The Wait List Experiment, with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. The folks over at Some Assembly Theatre Company are presenting the world premiere of a new play, The Wait List Experiment. Its writer and director Valerie Methot joins me again to talk about the production, what it’s about, and what audiences can expect at the Roundhouse Performance Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews) April 29th to May 3rd 2022. The two evening performances on the 29th and 30th are free. Visit www.someassembly.ca for reservations. And the other two performances on the 2nd and 3, day shows, are for school groups. I’ll get Valerie to tell us more about the show; the content that was born from conversations had between Metro Vancouver youth and industry professionals about the pressures they feel going through life on a regular basis if you will, not to mention during a pandemic. There’s a focus on mental health and addiction, and the show is both dramatic as well as comedic, with original music, movement, mask work, and visual design. Some Assembly Theatre Company is in its 22nd year. I’ll get Valerie to reflect on the mandate of the company, and the tireless work she has done in the theatrical community, as well as the city as a whole. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Valerie Methot; Ms. Methot, good morning. The post Valerie Methot first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The distinguished poet Lorna Crozier discusses the posthumous collection of Patrick Lane’s poetry, The Quiet in Me (Harbour Publishing, 2022), which she complied and edited, with Joseph Planta. The Quiet in Me by Patrick Lane (Harbour Publishing, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Quiet in Me Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Lorna Crozier joins me again. A posthumous collection of Patrick Lane’s poetry has just been published, and Lorna has complied, edited, and introduced the collection: The Quiet In Me. The poems in it are often moving, they’re meditations on existing, and they’re laments for the world around us, the outdoors that Patrick revered and loved. These are poems that Patrick composed in recent years, before his death in March 2019. Patrick appeared three times on this program, and once after an illness, he made mention of having to compose some poetry typing one finger at a time. I’ll ask Lorna about Patrick’s love of poetry, about receiving a folder of poems, ones that ended up in this collection, and the process to which she undertook to edit them without her beloved Patrick around. Lorna Crozier is author of eighteen previous books of poetry, receiving the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry for Inventing the Hawk. Three additional collections were finalists for the same prize. She received the Hubert Evans Award for Creative Nonfiction for her memoir Small Beneath the Sky, which she was on this program with in 2009. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in this province has received the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence, and the George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award. She is Professor Emerita at the University of Victoria. Visit www.lornacrozier.ca for more. Whilst Patrick appeared on the program three times, this is Lorna’s fifth appearance. She was last on in 2020, when her remarkable memoir on her life with Patrick was published. Through the Garden: A Love Story (With Cats) is one of the more remarkable books of the decade. Patrick’s collection The Quiet in Me is from Harbour Publishing. We spoke ten days ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Lorna Crozier; Professor Crozier, good morning. The post Lorna Crozier first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer Alexander MacLeod discusses his new collection of short fiction Animal Person (McClelland & Stewart, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Animal Person by Alexander MacLeod (McClelland & Stewart, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Animal Person Text of introduction of Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Alexander MacLeod joins me now. He’s just published a new collection of short fiction, Animal Person. This book comes out on the heels of one of the stories therein being excerpted by the New Yorker magazine to great acclaim, which I asked him about. The book itself has been released to great notices, and I’ll get Alexander to reflect on how the stories came about, like what inspires some of the stories. The collection is described as startling, suspenseful, and deeply humane. The stories themselves are often gripping, and I found them concerned with people and their desire for connection, whether its others, sometimes those closest to them physically or emotionally, or sometimes people who just want to connect with themselves and their identity. Alexander MacLeod’s previous book, his debut collection Light Lifting was a national bestseller, the recipient of the Atlantic Book Award, and a finalist for the Giller Prize, and the Commonwealth Book Prize, among many other accolades. In 2019, he received the O. Henry Award for his story “Lagomorph,” which opens this collection, and was originally published in Granta. He holds degrees from the University of Windsor, Notre Dame, and McGill. He teaches at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, and joined me from his home in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, this past weekend. This new book is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Alexander MacLeod; Professor MacLeod, good morning. The post Alexander MacLeod first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The acclaimed pop, jazz vocalist and songwriter Liam Forde discusses his debut album Great to Be Here (Ballyhoo Music, 2022), with Joseph Planta. Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Liam Forde joins me now. The acclaimed pop, jazz vocalist and songwriter, as well as actor, has just released his debut album Great to Be Here. It’s a swinging, sometimes nostalgic, always entertaining collection of original songs that blend cosmopolitan pop and vintage sound, with contemporary influences from Jon Batiste, Lake Street Drive, and Rufus Wainwright. What Mr. Forde has created is a collection of songs that include ones that evoke café society as if Cole Porter or Noel Coward had written it, while also presenting ones with rhythms that would remind one of Stevie Wonder. Liam Forde is a New York-based singer and songwriter who the Wall Street Journal described as “the boy wonder [that] never fails to find precisely the right note.” The Washington Post said of his acting that his performance in Hand to God was a “breakout performance.” He’s the recipient of many awards including the Bistro Award for Performer on the Rise, the Nightlife Award, the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Julie Wilson Award, a Helen Hayes Award, among many others. He’s headlined in London and Paris, and is a fixture in the cabaret scene in New York City. This new album is from Ballyhoo Music and is available everywhere you get your music, streaming or download. Visit www.liam-forde.com, and his Instagram account @Liam.Forde.Music. We spoke last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Liam Forde; Mr. Forde, good morning. The post Liam Forde first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The poet Ellie Sawatzky discusses her debut collection None of This Belongs to Me (Nightwood Editions, 2021), with Joseph Planta. None of This Belongs to Me by Ellie Sawatzky (Nightwood Editions, 2021). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: None of This Belongs to Me Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Another poetry collection to examine this National Poetry Month is the debut collection of Ellie Sawatzky: None of This Belongs to Me. She joins me now to talk about the poems therein. Some deal with love, with loss, with regret, and the personal. I’ll ask her about her upbringing, and how her memory was mined for some of the poems in this collection. Written by a millennial, the book is a terrific capsule of memories not just of the author, but the times we live in; replete with technological and cultural references of Ellie’s lifetime. We’ll talk about writing too, and place. There are a number of poems that look at places she’s been, she’s lived in that she evokes clearly and vividly for the reader. Ellie Sawatzky is a writer from Kenora, Ontario. She was a finalist for the 2019 Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers, and the recipient of CV2’s 2017 Young Buck Poetry Prize. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, and joined me from here in Vancouver. This collection is published by Nightwood Editions. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Ellie Sawatzky; Ms. Sawatzky, good morning. The post Ellie Sawatzky first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The poet and educator Chris Banks discusses his recent collection Deepfake Serenade (Nightwood Editions, 2021), with Joseph Planta. Deepfake Serenade by Chris Banks (Nightwood Editions, 2021). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Deepfake Serenade Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. We continue marking National Poetry Month on the program with a conversation with the poet Chris Banks. He recently published a collection called Deepfake Serenade. It is his sixth poetry collection that is lauded for its precise language, and imagery that is fresh and revelatory. I ask Mr. Banks about writing, and the themes in this collection. Among them, the inevitable, loss, masculinity, and books. There’s more that we talk about in this conversation we taped a couple of weeks ago. Chris Banks is the author of five other poetry collections including Midlife Action Figure, and Bonfires, which was awarded the Jack Chalmers Award for Poetry by the Canadian Authors Association in 2004. It was also a finalist for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award for best first book of poetry in Canada. This book is published by Nightwood Editions. He joined me from Kitchener, Ontario. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Chris Banks; Mr. Banks, good morning. The post Chris Banks first appeared on thecommentary.ca.