Get Lit

Retro show addition! Great show with  Claire Cameron , the best-selling author who took the time to join me and discuss her latest novel, The Last Neanderthal. Enjoy!

Retro show addition! Excellent edition of the show featuring television personality, athlete and (now) author, Simon Donato.   I hope you dig it!

This week's episode of GET LIT features  Rebecca Rosenblum , author of  So Much Love . The book is fantastic, and critics seem to agree. Rosenblum even had some flattering things to say about me on her  webpage , which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy-like. Turns out she was a fan of my Hamilton Spectator column from the 1990s. In fact, it's one of those ridiculously small-world stories: I met poe...

The experiment continues. I have begun making time in the AM to do some writing, and for a whopping two days straight, I've actually begun tapping away at some new work. I'll keep you in the loop. In the meantime, this week's show features  Leslie Shimotakahara . Her first novel, After the Bloom, is the story of "a daughter's search for her mother [that] reveals her family's past in a  Japanese in...

From April 2017. " Emily Schultz ! I truly enjoyed her novel  Men Walking On Water , and the conversation we had about it. You might know Emily from her previous book  The Blondes , or from  Joyland Magazine …or perhaps from her novel of the  same name , which was also the name of a novel by  Stephen King . This led to some people purchasing Emily's novel when, in fact, they meant to purchase Step...

From April 2017. A great interview with  Janie Chang . She's great, very enjoyable chat. Check out her book Dragon Springs Road.

Folks, I have not uploaded E20 - it was event-based (GritLit 2017) and while a good conversation probalby not relavant. E21, however! An interview with  Trevor Cole , one-time Hamilton resident,  HarperCollins  author and the man behind The Whisky King: The remarkable true story of Canada's most infamous bootlegger and the undercover Mountie on his trail. Now that's a serious title. Rocco Perri wa...

Today's episode features an interview with Mark Osbaldeston, author of the book Unbuilt Hamilton. It's part of a series – the first parts being Unbuilt Toronto 1 and Unbuilt Toronto 2. Yes, they seem fairly specific to geography, but I believe anyone, in any city, can appreciate the follies and foibles of generations before; anyone can ponder the  what ifs  of their own hometowns.

See E18 for details!

My dear friend and fellow author  Sherri Vanderveen  (look her up, read her books!) has many friends in the Canadian publishing business. Through her contacts, Get Lit was able to set up a round-table discussion between myself and three fantastic individuals – Alana Wilcox from  Coach House , Jennifer Lambert from  HarperCollins , and Barbara Berson from the  Helen Heller Agency . photo by Sherri...

OLD SHOW ALERT: first posting of my 2017 interview with Emma Richler!

OLD SHOW ALERT! This episode features some Hamilton lit news and an interview with poet Julie Cameron Gray, whose latest collection is the fabulous Lady Crawford, out with Palimpsest Press. Hope you dig it.

Old episode alert!  This week's episode of Get Lit features an interview with Scott Dagostino, (former) manager at Glad Day Bookstore in Toronto. Glad Day is the world's oldest LGBT bookstore. Scott's a thoughtful and well-spoken fellow, and I really enjoyed this interview. 

And here we are. There's not much I can write here that I don't say somewhere on this sprawling live episode of GET LIT. A few things I might have left out include: the fabulous  Jessica Rose ,  GritLit  Artistic Director, is the introductory voice and kind soul who agreed to let me do a final episode live the excellent George Elchuk,  CFMU  staffer and member of  Rexford Drive , did a great job m...

Here it is, our final "regular" show. This week we talk to GG award-winner  Anuja Varghese .  A Kiss of Crimson Ash  might seem like a hard pivot after Chrysalis, and it is, but it isnt'? We talk about these things. Listen in if you can. Next week, E500 will air. I'll probably have some sappy stuff to say at that time.

Hey folks! Over the years I've had the pleasure of doing a lot work with author  Brent Van Staalduinen , visiting his creative writing class and assisting in book launches. Happy to have him as my second-to-last regular guest! We talk about his latest, and imho best,  The Peace Thieves .

We're getting so close to the end! I have spent plenty of time discussing ideas for whatever new show will appear in 2027. So far, nothing! There will be something…but in the meantime… Today's guest is  Selin Kahramanoglu , here to talk about her debut,  Lokum . Enjoy!

Thrilled to welcome graphic novelist  Joe Ollmann  back to the show. We talk about his latest collection,  The Woodchipper . Enjoy!

Hey folks! Back to talk with  Leslie Shimotakahara  once again! This will be her fourth appearance on the show (her first was way back on  E24 ), and I'm thrilled to have her as one of my final guests. We talk about her latest,  The Breakwater .

Hey folks! Today's guest is  David Ly , who I got to know a little in autumn '22 when he joined  John Wall Barger ,  Kim Conklin  and I at my launch party for  River, Diverted . He read from his collection  Dream of Me As Water . Today he's here to talk about his new novel,  Not All Dragons . Dig it!

Hey folks! This week  Margaret Sweatman  is  back  on the program, this time to talk about her new novel,  Night Birds . Hope you enjoy!

This week's show features a chat with author  Angélique Lalonde ! Make sure you listen in as we talk about her latest,  Variations on a Dream . Last week we recorded E50 of GET LIT, live at the GritLit festival, and what a delight. I'm humbled and touched by the whole thing. It'll air as the  final episode  on June 18, so don't miss it! It's kind of hosted by Gary Barwin, though it's kind of hoste...

Hi folks! Today we talk with my friend  K.R. Wilson  about his second Stan novel,  Stan On Guard ! Make sure you listen in. And remember I'm recording my FINAL GET LIT show tomorrow (April 17) at 7 pm at GritLit. More info  here .

Hey folks! A preview of exciting  GritLit  events with  Jessica Rose , and  Loch Baillie  joins to talk about (and read from)  River Running . Tune in! Also a reminder: the live recording of GET LIT E500 – aka The Final Episode – happens on April 17. Get tickets  here .

Hey folks! This week we're talking to author  Ailsa Ross  about her debut novel,  Hovel . A reminder to check out gritlit.ca for details about the LIVE RECORDING of the final GET LIT episode! April 17th at 7 pm.