Getting Lit with Linda - The Canadian Literature Podcast

In this episode, the second part of her interview with  Stephen Collis , Linda goes in greater depth about Collis's poetry, speaking to him about his most recent collection of poetry,  A History of the Theories of Rain  ( Talon Books ). In the Takeaway section, Linda refers to Canada Read s and considers the results of this year's competition, with reference to: Michelle Good's Five...

In this episode, Linda interviews Stephen Collis about his most recent collection of poetry, A History of the Theories of Rain ( Talon Books ). The next episode is the second part of that interview. For now, just a couple of points of clarification: SFU, the acronym that Collis and Linda use in this interview, stands for Simon Fraser University. Also, they refer to the SLAPP suit by which Collis w...

In today's episode - for International Women's Day - Linda chats with Shani Mootoo about her forthcoming book of poetry, Cane Fire (Book *Hug ) and the collaborative nature of its production. We also discuss the following: her archival materials at Simon Fraser University (20.58) erotic poetry (22.45) working in different genres (26.26) her forthcoming memoir (34.27) Oeno Gallery (34.27) the Ukrai...

In this episode, Linda has the great pleasure of chatting with Wayde Compton , the writer, scholar, publisher, and current Chair of Creative Writing at Douglas College (in New Westminster, BC). He is the author of several books, including 49th Parallel Psalm (finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize); Performance Bond ; After Canaan: Essays on Race, Writing, and Region (finalist for the City...

Linda is delighted to be back for her third season of Getting Lit With Linda! In this first episode of the season, she considers the movie, Don't Look Up (dir. by Adam McKay, 1.13, 2.49), the nature of satire (with reference to Mordecai Richler , 2.00, and Jonathan Swift, 2.11), and the looming environmental crisis. It's a topic that poet, Rita Wong (4.32) has addressed unflinchingly in her work,...

Linda and several of this season's contributors--Chantel Lavoie, Marco Timpano, Amanda Barker, and Michael Nest--render their book recommendations for the holidays: Ivan Coyote's Care Of Margaret Atwood's The Door, David Chariandy's I've Been Meaning to Tell You Zoe Whittall's The Best Kind of People Anne-Marie MacDonald's Fall on your Knees ), Linda offers her listeners a gift for the holidays -...

In this episode, Linda considers Richard Van Camp , a Dene author who wrangles with what masculinity is, what it looks for those who identify as men, and how and why that may (or should) change. Published by Great Plains Publications , The Moon of Letting Go is the book of focus in this episode, particularly the story, "Show me Yours" (7.27) - and yes, it means exactly what you think it does, but...

As #winterstormwarnings arrive, perhaps you may want to curl up with some of the writers' books that were shortlisted for the Quebec Writers' Federation awards - Linda speaks to some of the writers shortlisted for the Janet Savage Blachford Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature , in addition to one of the poets shortlisted for the A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry. She also spoke about the QWF...

Linda opens this episode with a dedication to her nephew -- and then "shares the light" of Diwali with children's literature author, Mitali Ruths , with whom she chats about her book Archie Celebrates Diwali. Published this year by Charlesbridge Archie Celebrates Diwali is based on an epic, Ramayana , and focuses on the South-Asian festival of lights (3.45, 8.45, and 10.30). Mitali addresses Diwal...

Happy Hallowe-en ! This episode tackles a book that deals with ghosts, gruesome accidents, and murder -- Kevin Lambert's You Will Love What You Have Killed , translated by Donald Winkler (published by Biblioasis 2020) from the French (T u Aimeras Ce Que Tu As Tué , 5.40). Linda begins this episode with a personal anecdote about a dead body that was found in a dog house (on the property of her pare...

In this episode, multiple award-winning Nisga'a author Jordan Abel and host Linda Morra discuss his most recent book, Nishga (published by McClelland & Stewart in 2020), the intergenerational legacies of trauma for residential school survivors, and the importance of not only listening to, but also "witnessing" their stories. He speaks about his relationship with his father's art and the kinds...

Linda focuses on Indigenous writers in this podcast in view of Orange Shirt Day (every child matters!) and the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation . She recommends several writers (some of them featured on 49th shel f), including Cherie Dimaline and Joshua Whitehead. Postcards may offer glossy images of success or experiences that aren't real - instead, sometimes those images may o...

Remember Shirley Temple, that Hollywood cinema's icon of idealized (white) girlhood? Linda looks up a short clip, " On the Good Ship Lollipop ," and feels uncomfortable (trigger warning here) and explains why she and some of her students shared that experience. She considers the importance of contextualizing or historicizing our responses to cultural artefacts -- but, even so, there is good reason...

In this episode, addressing Jane Rule's Taking My Life (Talon Books), Linda discusses why bodies "complain" and what it means when they do. In the Takeaway section, she reviews Sara Ahmed's new book, Complaint (Duke University Press). In Complaint! , Ahmed examines institutional harassment and bullying, and how to read complaints that are lodged against such institutions. In the entirety of the ep...

In this episode, and as part of the Sealey challenge, Linda interviews poet and scholar, Chantel Lavoie, about her love for the poetry of Margaret Atwood - in particular, the collections Morning in the Burned House (Penguin Random House), The Door ( Penguin Random House), and Dearly (HarperCollins). Lavoie is herself a poet, as Linda notes at the outset of the episode: she published Where The Terr...

We develop relationships with people and communities as we share stories with them--in fact, that is a sign of our role or place within the community--but we don't get to demand to hear them, especially when we are not a part of that community. In this episode, Linda examines Thomas King's collection, O ne Good Story, That One (published by HarperCollins), and particularly the story of the same ti...

In reflecting about her father and her visit with him to his small Italian village some years ago, Linda draws comparisons with Nino Ricci 's Lives of the Saints ( Penguin/Random House ), in which the young male protagonist, Vittorio, must work out how he feels about his mother who flies in the face of the strict moral codes of the Italian town. With reference to other Italian-Canadian writers --...

In this episode, Heather O'Neill's short story, "Messages in Bottles" (from Daydreams of Angels , published by HarperCollins in 2014) becomes the focal point of a discussion about why distance does not necessarily impede intimacy--sometimes, in fact, it helps us to be or feel more closely connected--and in that process, literature may play an important part. In her takeaway, Linda chats about her...

Linda sits in the backyard of Lori Schubert, the Executive Director of the Quebec Writers' Federation, to chat with her about the organization's history, her role in it, and the programs it offers to its members across the province of Quebec, including its database of Quebec writers and its awards . And the two just enjoy a beautiful day outside, at the end of a long period of pandemic restriction...

In this episode, Linda remembers how she met actor and writer Lorena Gale in Vancouver, British Columbia - and how acts of remembering define who you are, as Gale's play, Je Me Souviens (Talon Press) , renders clear; she connects the history and significance of license plates in Quebec to Gale's journey of self-discovery to show how Gale navigates carefully the challenges of identity in the provin...

In this episode, Linda chats with her co-producer (yes, that's right - her co-producer) and long-standing friend, Marco Timpano , about his career as a podcaster, and his recent publication, 25 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Podcast . He reads from the book and, drawing upon his own experiences as a podcaster, explains some of the things he really wished he did know. Hosted on Acast. See...

In this episode, Linda begins with the sound of her father's old espresso machine, to explain how she sees -- or hears -- sound working in Magnetic Equator (published by McClelland & Stewart ) by international poet, novelist, and sound performer Kaie Kellough . You can hear a sample of his sound poetry here. This episode includes a small excerpt read by Kellough himself (with permission by Kel...

Linda chats with author, Michael Nest, about Cold Case North , a finalist for the Crime Writers of Canada for its 2021 Best True Crime Award. We chat about the challenges involved in researching the disappearance of Jim Brady (Metis) and Absolom Halkett (Cree), the fundamental nature of collaboration in this kind of endeavour, and what it might look like this in this kind of moment and context. Ho...

Bonus Episode: Linda chats with Dr. Deanna Reder about the history related to James Brady (Métis) and Abby Halkett, the community that experienced this traumatic loss, and the making of this book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Linda discusses the narrative of Cold Case North (published by the University of Regina Press) - - an investigation that was poorly conducted and re-opened by ... a Cree-Métis scholar, Dr. Deanna Reder, Eric Bell, and Michael Nest. Shortlisted by the Crime Writers of Canada for the 2021 Best True Crime Award, Cold Case North is a powerful, moving account of how and why the Métis leader James Brady...