The noted motivational speaker and performer David Roche discusses his new book Standing at the Back Door of Happiness: And How I Unlocked It (Harbour Publishing, 2024), with Joseph Planta. Standing at the Back Door of Happiness: And How I Unlocked It by David Roche (Harbour Publishing, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Standing at the Back Door of Happiness Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. David Roche joins me now. He’s just published a new essay collection Standing at the Back Door of Happiness: And How I Unlocked It. The book discusses his upbringing, the vascular malformation that he was born with, his “seriously Catholic” childhood, and his devotion to the Democratic Workers Party. Readers will find out about the journey he took to better understanding how his facial difference is viewed by others, and how he’s coped with everything that life has thrown at him. The book is often funny, and it’s instructive in how Mr. Roche has treated others: with compassion, love, and acceptance. One of the better lessons in the book is how one’s mere presence can do so much. David Roche is a popular motivational speaker and performer. He’s taken his one-man show The Church of 80% Sincerity on tour around the world. He’s had several roles in film and documentaries, and in 2021, he was named to the Order of Canada. He is a volunteer for the Sunshine Coast Hospice, and with his partner Marlena, leads storytelling and writing workshops. The website for more is at www.davidroche.com. He joined me from his home in Roberts Creek, British Columbia last week. This new book is from Harbour Publishing. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, David Roche; Mr. Roche, good morning.The post David Roche first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer Lindy Mechefske talks about her new book Walk, Eat, Repeat: Culinary Adventures on the Camino de Santiago (Goose Lane Editions, 2024), with Joseph Planta. Walk, Eat, Repeat: Culinary Adventurers on the Camino de Santiago by Lindy Mechefske (Goose Lane Editions, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Walk, Eat, Repeat Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Lindy Mechefske joins me again. She’s just published a new book, Walk, Eat, Repeat: Culinary Adventures on the Camino de Santiago. From the Pyrenees to the ancient city of Santiago de Compostela, we’re taken alongside Lindy’s arduous and adventurous hike through Northern Spain. For a lot of people it’s a pilgrimage, sometimes rooted in faith, but for Lindy it was a chance to get away from life, clear her thoughts, and adjust to change in her life, while undertaking this walk, seeing the sights and savouring the cuisine along the way. But the book is more than just Lindy walking and eating, and repeating. As you go through this path, there’s the walking element, which then and now can be viewed by some pilgrims as penance. By night fall, you can stay at various lodgings along the way, from five-star hotels to hostels, to everything in between. We see as illustrated in the book, what the experience is like with friends or alone, surrounded by travellers from all over the world, all with various goals in mind. I’ll ask Lindy about what it was like encountering various people, and of course, ask her about all manner of food she had along the way. It’s a tasty journey, and there’s a recipe after each chapter that sort of sums up the sort of specialities that Ms. Mechefske had. I’ll also get her to reflect on the walk itself, as she’s somebody who’s hiked and climbed the Alps, Appalachians, and England’s Lake District and Peak District. Lindy Mechefske is the author of four previous books on food and culture, two of which have won Taste Canada Gold Awards. She was previously on the program in 2015 when her book Sir John’s Table: The Culinary Life and Times of Canada’s First Prime Minister was published. That book, along with this new one is from Goose Lane Editions. We spoke two weeks ago, with Lindy joining me from Kingston, Ontario. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Lindy Mechefske; Ms. Mechefske, good morning.The post Lindy Mechefske first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The author and journalist Mark Bourrie discusses his new book Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia (Biblioasis, 2024), with Joseph Planta. Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark Bourrie (Biblioasis, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Crosses in the Sky Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Mark Bourrie joins me again. The author and historian has just published a new book, out this week, Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia. It’s described as the first secular biography of Brébeuf and engagingly recounts the missionary’s life and tragic story, while adding perhaps a fuller understanding of Canada’s history. In the early 1600s with the arrival of the Jesuits, the Catholic Church’s most zealous warriors for Christ, it’s a collision of two worlds, what with their desire to create their own nation on the Great Lakes. And as the Huron Confederacy is already established, it’s fascinating to read about what sort of society it is, especially that it’s a matriarchal society, and how the conflict with Jesuits begins. At the centre is Brébeuf, the mystic who sought a martyr’s death, whose values and often bizarre spirituality are throughout the book. I’ll ask Mark, who I spoke with two weeks ago from his home in Ottawa, about the letters and documents he drew upon in the course of his research, as well as the history taken down and spread by the Jesuits themselves. And I’ll get Mark to reflect on why the life of Brébeuf is important to know about especially as we seek a fuller perspective of the history of this place, Canada. Mark Bourrie is an author, lawyer and journalist. He holds postgraduate degrees in journalism, and history, as well as a Juris Doctor degree. He was called to the bar in 2018. He’s won numerous awards for his journalism and writing, like the 2020 RBC Charles Taylor Prize for his book Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson, which he was on the program with after it came out. Visit www.markbourrie.com for more information. This new book is from Biblioasis. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Bourrie; Dr. Bourrie, good morning.The post Mark Bourrie first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The acclaimed writer Denise Chong discusses her new book Out of Darkness: Rumana Monzur’s Journey through Betrayal, Tyranny and Abuse (Random House Canada, 2024), with Joseph Planta. Out of Darkness: Rumana Monzur’s Journey through Betrayal, Tyranny and Abuse by Denise Chong (Random House Canada, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Out of Darkness Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. The story of Rumana Monzur gripped the world in 2011, when she was attacked and blinded by her husband in front of their daughter. She was a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, and wanted to continue her higher education, when she returned to Bangladesh, where her husband was. This horrific beating was justified in the media there with his alleging that Rumana had been unfaithful. A new book by Denise Chong, Out of Darkness: Rumana Monzur’s Journey through Betrayal, Tyranny and Abuse sheds some light on a story we think we all know, and this journey that Rumana has endured. Rumana, as Denise narrates in the book, is an unlikely victim of domestic abuse. She married a man of her own choosing, progressed in her career as a professor at Dhaka University, and was a Fulbright Scholar. Yet, we see the systemic challenges Rumana faces. It’s an often brutal book, as we see the abuse that Rumana endures in her marriage, as well we see how difficult it is for her to leave a marriage what with obligations, familial or professional. Rumana’s powerlessness is often harrowing to read about, but it’s a necessary story as it’s easy to overlook the signs of abuse, and often difficult for those abused to say anything to anybody, even those closest to them. In the end, the book also looks at the incredible path Rumana and her daughter have gone through, in leaving Bangladesh to come back to Vancouver for surgeries to try and repair her eyesight, to her finishing her education at UBC with the help of aides, to Rumana’s own daughter soon to enter UBC in the fall. Denise Chong is the award-winning author whose books include The Concubine’s Children, The Girl in the Picture, Egg on Mao, and Lives of the Family, the latter two books she’s previously appeared on the program with. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada. This new book is published by Random House Canada. We spoke two weeks ago, with Denise joining me from Calgary. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Denise Chong; Ms. Chong, good morning.The post Denise Chong first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The broadcaster and writer Jim Lang discusses his new book My Day with the Cup: NHL Players Tell Their Stories about Hometown Celebrations with Hockey’s Greatest Trophy (Simon & Schuster, 2024), with Joseph Planta. My Day with the Cup: NHL Players Tell Their Stories about Hometown Celebrations with Hockey’s Greatest Trophy by Jim Lang (Simon & Schuster, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: My Day with the Cup Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. As we’re in the midst of the second round of the hockey playoffs, there are eight teams left on the road to the Stanley Cup. Jim Lang joins me now. And he’s got a timely book out, My Day with the Cup: NHL Players Tell Their Stories about Hometown Celebrations with Hockey’s Greatest Trophy. There’s no other trophy in professional sport as recognisable or legendary as the Stanley Cup. The name of every champion on the teams that win the cup find their names engraved on it, and in recent years, every player, every coach, and team member gets to spend at least a day with it. Mr. Lang speaks to a number of players, legends and recent winners, who recount with wonderment, awe, and reverence their time with the Cup. And part of the mystique of the cup itself are the people who accompany it, the Keepers of the Cup. Phil Pritchard, who’s been on this program before, is probably the most prominent, always seen carrying the cup into events like in that recent car commercial. He, with Mike Bolt, and Walt Neubrand work long hours preparing for cup visits, not to mention the actual time itself a team member has with the cup, as it doesn’t leave their sight. Jim gets marvelous stories from these guys about adventures around the world with the Stanley Cup, as well as these heartfelt stories from players and coaches alike who tell Jim about what it means to them. It’s considered the most difficult sports championship to win, which makes the time spent with the cup after the Stanley Cup final all the more important and special. Jim Lang is a sportscaster, journalist, and co-author of memoirs by Tie Domi, Max Domi, Wendel Clark, and Bryan Berard. He’s written Everyday Hockey Heroes, volumes one through three with Bob Mackenzie, and is the host of The Jim Lang Show on radio station 105.9 The Region. His Twitter handle is @JimLangSports. This new book is published by Simon & Schuster. We spoke two and a half weeks ago, with Jim joining me from Newmarket, Ontario. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jim Lang; Mr. Lang, good morning.The post Jim Lang first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The distinguished writer and poet Tom Wayman discusses his new memoir The Road to Appledore: Or How I Went to the Land Without Ever Having Lived There in the First Place (Harbour Publishing, 2024), with Joseph Planta. The Road to Appledore: Or How I Went to the Land Without Ever Having Lived There in the First Place by Tom Wayman (Harbour Publishing, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Road to Appledore Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. A lot of people dream of wanting to ditch city life and move to the middle of nowhere. In a new memoir, Tom Wayman recounts his own move from Vancouver to southeastern BC deep in the Slocan Valley. With his candid introspection, and philosophical insight, Mr. Wayman, who joins me now, provides a moving, sometimes funny, always interesting narration of what rural life was and is like for him in The Road to Appledore: Or How I Went to the Land Without Ever Having Lived There in the First Place. We get glimpses, in his perceptive writing as to what it’s like to live with others in a remote place, even if they’re not physically close. There’s a certain community that emerges amongst those who live close to nature, not to mention bears or other non-human species. We also see the satisfaction that Tom has in growing his own food, as well as flowers that make life itself a little more beautiful. Tom Wayman is the author of twenty poetry collections, three collections of critical and cultural essays, three books of short fiction, and a novel. He has edited six poetry collections as well. In 2022, he received the George Woodcock Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2015, he was named a Vancouver Literary Landmark, with a plaque on Commercial Drive commemorating his championing of people writing for themselves about their daily employment. He also spent many years teaching in both alternative and mainstream post-secondary institutions. Visit his website at www.tomwayman.com for more. This new book is from Harbour Publishing. We spoke three weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Tom Wayman; Mr. Wayman, good morning.The post Tom Wayman first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and broadcaster Steve Burgess discusses his new memoir Reservations: The Pleasures and Perils of Travel (Douglas & McIntyre, 2024), with Joseph Planta. Reservations: The Pleasures and Perils of Travel by Steve Burgess (Douglas & McIntyre, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Reservations Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. I figured a new Steve Burgess book would be funny, full of the wry observations we’ve come to know him for throughout his many years as a feature writer and columnist. The book, Reservations: The Pleasures and Perils of Travel, is not just a funny book, but it’s also informative. He takes a serious look at the real cost of our holidaying, especially when a lot of us go someplace because it’s cheap, but it can be exploitative to those who live in the places where we go. Not to mention justifying using all that fuel whether by land, air, and sea, when we’re in the midst of a climate crisis. The book is also personal and introspective. We see through Mr. Burgess’s travels how much he learns about himself, especially when he finds himself elsewhere with somebody else. Steve takes us to all the places that have meant a lot to him over the years, whether it’s the month he spent in Japan, or his visits to Rome. Steve Burgess is a writer and broadcaster, who among other honours has received two Canadian National Magazine Awards. We’ll take some time to reflect on his broadcasting career. It was on CBC Newsworld that I remember him first from, when he hosted a talk show there. He is a contributing editor at The Tyee, and is an award-winning director of documentaries. His previous book, Who Killed Mom? was published in 2011, the first time he appeared on this program. His work has been featured in sundry publications including Reader’s Digest, Maclean’s, and The Globe and Mail. This new book is from Douglas & McIntyre. We spoke twelve days ago, with Steve joining me from here in Vancouver. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Steve Burgess; Mr. Burgess, good morning.The post Steve Burgess first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The acclaimed writer Sam Wiebe discusses his new novel Ocean Drive (Harbour Publishing, 2024), with Joseph Planta. Ocean Drive by Sam Wiebe (Harbour Publishing, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Ocean Drive Text of introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Sam Wiebe joins me again. He’s got a new novel out, and it’s terrific. Ocean Drive is set in White Rock, British Columbia, a seaside town close to the Canada-US border. The airport is not too far, and the City of Surrey is closer. And it’s a place ideal for criminal or nefarious elements. When the book begins, we meet Cameron Shaw, a paroled killer, who is offered a job infiltrating the League of Nations crime syndicate. He turns down the offer intending to go straight, but soon enough is drawn into this web after realising he has no job, no family or any prospects for either. While this is happening, we meet Meghan Quick, an RCMP officer who’s investigating a house fire where the body of Alexa Reed is found. As she delves into what happened, so begins Sam’s book, a taut novel that’s got criminals, the drug trade, brutal violence, all with this beautiful setting of White Rock. Sam Wiebe is the author of the Wakeland novels, one of the most acclaimed detective series in Canada. His books have won all sorts of awards, and gained loyal audiences here and abroad. As Nolan Chase, he has just published another novel A Lonesome Place for Dying. I’ll ask him about that book, and the taking on of a new persona.  The website for more is at www.samwiebe.com. Ocean Drive is from Harbour Publishing. We spoke two and a half weeks ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Sam Wiebe; Mr. Wiebe, good morning.The post Sam Wiebe first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The artist and filmmaker Cindy Mochizuki discusses her new documentary Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama, with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. I, like a lot of people in this town, have seen the photographs of Tamio Wakayama without realising who took the often stunning photos. He was the longtime photographer of the Powell Street Festival, helping found it, and doing many other works of service here in Vancouver, in and around the Japanese Canadian community, and other arts communities. A new documentary sheds some light on the life and times of Wakayama, who died in 2018. Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama is the title of the important film by the artist Cindy Mochizuki. In the film, she illuminates the work of Wakayama, whether it’s the midst of the Civil Rights movement in the United States in the 1960s, or in trips to Japan later on, or back in Vancouver when he returns to find his roots on the west coast. He was born in New Westminster in 1941, when he and his family are declared enemy aliens, and forced into an internment camp. This experience made him not just sympathetic but moved to action during the 1960s, when he goes to the United States to join SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which was an important organisation in the Civil Rights movement. Wakayama arrives and does what he can like drive people or sweep up. He’s soon given a camera and told to document various events like protests and marches, and through SNCC’s publication The Student Voice, photography of what was going on was able to be circulated through the south and throughout the United States. As the film beautifully illustrates through interviews, animation, as well as the beautiful photographs Wakayama took, we see how Wakayama reconciles his early experiences with the internment, and his own cultural and political identity back in Canada. He’s such a unique and remarkable artist, that this journey to finding peace with his heritage and his family’s history, makes the film fascinating and visually stunning. Cindy Mochizuki is a multimedia Japanese Canadian artist, who works in various media like drawings, installations, performance, video works, and film. Visit www.cindymochizuki.com for more information. The first screening of this film is already sold out, but you know what it’s like in this town, if you show up Sunday afternoon at 5.00pm at The Cinematheque, there might be standby tickets. The next showing is next Thursday, 09 May 2024 at 12.30pm at SFU Downtown. Visit www.doxafestival.ca for tickets and information. We taped this interview one week ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Cindy Mochizuki; Ms. Mochizuki, good morning.The post Cindy Mochizuki first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The award-winning filmmaker Matt Finlin discusses his new documentary The Movie Man, a loving look at films as he captures cinema owner Keith Stata and his sprawling movie palace Highland Cinemas in Kinmount, Ontario, with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. There’s a terrific documentary that will screen at DOXA next week. The Movie Man is a fascinating film about films. And it’s told about a man in Kinmount, Ontario, Keith Stata, who many years ago sought to builds a movie theatre in the backwoods of cottage country Ontario. The town has only a few hundred residents, no longer has a gas station or a school, yet Stata’s Highland Cinemas is a movie palace with five screens. And it’s been a long running attraction especially in the summers when up to 50,000 people visit the area. Matt Finlin is the director of this new film, and I’ll ask him about the summers there, and the evenings he spent as a kid watching movies, surrounded by a fine collection of movie and pop culture memorabilia, not to mention Canada’s largest projector collection. As independent cinemas would close or switch to digital, Stata’s movie mecca would be the last stop for all sorts of projectors going back to the early days of cinema. Mr. Finlin, who joined me a couple of weeks ago, talks about the struggles of independent cinemas like Mr. Stata’s, what with the stranglehold the huge chains have on the moviegoing public, not to mention the surfeit of streaming offerings. And in the midst of filming this love letter to film, Matt captures Stata at his lowest, as the COVID-19 pandemic closes his cinema for at least a couple of seasons. Matt shows us how Keith copes, and how he continues to feed the many animals in and around the property, cats and racoons. The community steps up as you’ll see and brings over food donations for the menagerie he’s become responsible for. Visit www.themoviemanfilm.com for more information on the documentary. Matt Finlin has had a successful career in making award-winning documentaries, music videos, and commercials. His Twitter handle is @mattfinlin, and the website for more is at www.dkm.com; that’s for Door Knocker Media, the company at which he is partner and director. The Movie Man screens Tuesday, 07 May 2024 at The Cinematheque. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Matt Finlin; Mr. Finlin, good morning.The post Matt Finlin first appeared on thecommentary.ca.