Tales of Our Time

Today is the second of a four-episode collaboration with recent graduates (and almost graduates) of the Canadian Independent Micro School, where students share with us the books that impacted them the most in their education (so far). This follows a similar format to our regular episodes, but features two books chosen and presented by students.  Today we're hearing about The Wednesday Wars, b...

Today is the first of a four-episode collaboration with recent graduates (and two almost graduates) of the Canadian Independent Micro School, where students share with us the books that impacted them the most in their education (so far). This follows a similar format to our regular episodes, but features two books chosen and presented by students.  Today we're hearing about Holes, by Louis Sa...

This is the FOURTH (and sadly last!) week of our June PRIDE-month special where we're talking with members of our local and global LGBTQ+ community about the stories that made them feel "seen." This week, I'm back with wonderful returning guest Emily to talk about the cultural BOMBSHELL that has been Rachel Reid's "Heated Rivalry." Although it's better known for its TV adaption, it is also the sec...

This is the THIRD week of our monthly PRIDE-month special where we're talking with members of our local and global LGBTQ+ community about the stories that made them feel "seen." This week I'm talking to Janet, about the book The Honeys, by Ryan La Sala. We talk about how the book, through its gender-fluid lead Mars, invites the reader to examine their relationship with gender, and even ask the dee...

This is the SECOND week of our monthly PRIDE-month special where we're talking with members of our local and global LGBTQ+ community about the stories that made them feel "seen." This week, I'm talking to returning guest Milo about the BBC series "Merlin." While the show ran from 2008 - 2012, it still maintains an active fanbase, and frequent discussion and revisiting! Milo and I discuss the ways...

It's PRIDE MONTH ALL~~~ This is the FIRST week of our monthly PRIDE-month special where we're talking with members of our local and global LGBTQ+ community about the stories that made them feel "seen." This week, we're interviewing Hayley about Rita Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle, from 1973. We talk about how the book is a standout both today and especially in its time for how it portrays lesbianism...

Today's guest Wendy joins us to talk about the memoir-turned-movie "Seven Years in Tibet!" Originally a memoir about the life of Austrian mountain climber Heinrich Harrer, it was adapted into a film in 1997 by director Jean-Jacques Annaud. Wendy walks us through how the events of the film show the long journey to self-discovery, what it means to be a work in progress, and how there's no shame in t...

This week, I'm sitting with guest Ariel to discuss the first episode of the TV show (and dark musical comedy) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend! We talk about the show's musical fun and skill, and how by embracing the cringe of the moment, the show actually touches on something much more genuine. Oh, and DON'T rely on the Netflix summary!

This week we're talking to Caroline Free about the book "Assassin's Apprentice." Originally published in 1995 by Robin Hobb, it's the first of her Farseer Trilogy, and has just about everything you'd want out of a fantasy novel: an illegitimate heir to the throne, political marriages, raiders from overseas, bloodline magic, and more... but it also has the compelling story of a young boy learning t...

This week, we're sitting down with Saree to discuss Mel Brookes' screenplay about the trouble with making a "hit", The Producers! Originally debuted in 1967, and then re-made in 2005, the film explores how hard it is to make a hit, whether quality or outrage is more profitable, all through the lens of two producers doing what they can to work the system.

  This week's guest Heather talks with us about one of the MOST iconic movies from the 1980s, John Hughes' The Breakfast Club! We talk about how this movie set a standard as one of the first movies to focus on dismantling the stereotypes of school, and how that message is relevant way past high school!!

Tales of Our Time is three years old! How nuts is that? However you feel, it's time for the traditional mailbag episode to celebrate! This year's questions span a wide range of topics, from how to be at audio recording, to genres host Amanda avoids, and trends in how people consume media, and more!

This week we're talking to Alex Cailleaux about Dungeon Crawler Carl, and what has made it so, so, so popular recently. Is it the way it almost substitutes video games? How it comments on reality TV? Or perhaps the dark humor and sentient cat Princess Donut? Listen to find out more.

Today we talk with Amanda Sung, the author of How to Break a Girl! We talk about how she turned what was originally a memoir and masters thesis into a fiction novel following the lives of three Asian immigrants navigating life, marriage, friendships, imposter syndrome, and the weight of living in two worlds at once. While never originally intended as a novel, Sung hopes the stories will resonate w...

Today I'm talking with my guest Milène to talk about the scifi novel: Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. We talk about Weir's other work, his dedication to scientific accuracy, the many, many, many challenges of space travel, and how refreshing it is to read a disaster novel focused on hope!

This week, we're talking about the FRESH new book "Is This a Cry for Help," by Emily Austin. This week's guest Hayley Ware dives into the book and what it shows us about library culture, and the need for safe spaces in society. We also discuss the way in which Austin artfully deals with heavy themes in a way that helps readers feel seen, not burdened.

This week, we're joined by Rti's own Wanson (host of Cinematic Motif and Tâi-gí Made Easy) to discuss the 2024 animated film, Flow! We talk about how the movie defied all odds in it's making and success, what it may mean for small-budget animations or studios that follow, and the surprising depth found in this stylistically stunning film.

This week we're joined by Kathyrn Houg all the way from the Netherlands to discuss the enfuring legacy of the 1990s RTS strategy game: Age of Empires 2! Kathryn takes us through how the fictional retelling real-world heroine Joan of Arc shaped her life, appreciation of history, and even helped her meet her current husband! 

This is the fifth and final episode of a five part series our month-long look at the Disney TV show "Andor".  To guide us through the month, we'll be joined by our two experts: creative writer and art history touchstone Jared Friesen, and writer and literature teacher Cat Trites. In this finale episode, Amanda finally brings in THE NEWS, and Cat and Jared compare how the growing rebellion in...

This is the fourth episode of a five part series our month-long look at the Disney TV show "Andor".  To guide us through the month, we'll be joined by our two experts: creative writer and art history touchstone Jared Friesen, and writer and literature teacher Cat Trites. In this episode, we discuss role models of the rebellion in the show Andor, but not any of the main characters. We're looki...

This is the third episode of a five part series our month-long look at the Disney TV show "Andor".  To guide us through the month, we'll be joined by our two experts: creative writer and art history touchstone Jared Friesen, and writer and literature teacher Cat Trites. In this episode, we discuss The Empire. The series Andor breaks from previous film depictions of a single despot on a dark t...

This is the second episode in a five-part series.  Cat and Jared detail the different ways people are drawn into the nascent rebellion movement in the show Andor, with special focus on Cassian Andor, "Axis", and Mon Mothma -- as well as why this show feels like a scary reflection of the world around us today, and the hope we find looking back at us.

This is the first episode of our month-long look at the Disney TV show "Andor". A spin-off of a spin-off, the show has been described by many as surprisingly breaking from a typical Star Wars franchise show, even feeling like something that they shouldn't be watching or should watch in secret because of the ways it mirrors our world, and how rebellions begin alongside the empires they seek to crus...

Today we're back with Rich Mattias discussing the 1997 animated movie Perfect Blue, directed by Satoshi Kon. Rich and I discuss how the movie expanded his ideas of what what animated films could do, and the topics they could address. At the same time, we talk about how another theme, the dynamic of closeness and ownership between fans and an idol, have evolved over the years, and what it means in...

Eloise Phillips and I discuss Richard Powers' the Overstory! This book is an EPIC (though not literally?) that tells the stories of nine different people intertwined with trees, and how their lives intersect and build to a pivotal moment -- ultimately tying our future to that of the giants that loom around us every day-- the trees.