Explore every episode of the podcast Getting Lit with Linda - The Canadian Literature Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Praise of Monstrous Women: Kasia Van Schaik’s Women Among Monuments | 16 oct. 2026 | 00:29:16 | |
Kasia Van Schaik speaks about the monstrous women for whom she would like to see monuments built, even building them herself in the very book she has written, Women Among Monuments (Dundurn). Women have been characterised as monstrous when they deviate from scripted roles based on gender; when they decide to defy convention; whey they eschew serving as muses to artists. In view of Women’s History Month (1:12), this episode is so relevant, so timely: Van Schaik and Linda discuss Virgina Woolf, Gertrude Stein, Georgia O’Keefe—and Anne Carson, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature just a few days after the episode was recorded. Special guest appearance by Fifi, Van Schaik’s cat. Some other subjects/figures of discussion:
Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux; Sound Production: Jason C. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Not That Mr. Rogers - Michael Healey's Rogers v. Rogers | 01 oct. 2026 | 00:32:13 | |
If you carry around the cultural baggage Linda does, when you hear the name Mister Rogers, you’ll immediately conjure up the image of that nice, congenial television personality, who developed a children’s program that lasted for over thirty years. If you’re thinking of that Mr. Rogers as part of this episode, you’re somewhat off the mark: This episode features playwright, Michael Healey, and his play about the Telecom titan Ted Rogers, and his son, Edward who struggled to claim control over the family business (insert: shades of the hit television series, Succession). Rogers vs. Rogers (Playwrights Canada Press) is his new political comedy adapted from the bestselling exposé Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada's Telecom Empire by Alexandra Posadzki. The play is currently being staged at Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux; Sound Production: Jason C. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| It Was All a Gift - Interview with Shani Mootoo (Dedication to Pinky) | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:35:14 | |
In this episode, Linda speaks about Shani Mootoo's Starry Starry Night (Book*hug Press), an auto-fictional work that confirms her exceptional talent, in its sophisticated narration and vivid delineation of scenes from a childhood in Trinidad. Mootoo traces the early life of Anju, roughly based on Mootoo’s own childhood, the heartrending contours of that life – but, as she ruminated in their interview together, she approached those painful experiences with a sense of dispassionate observation and compassion, for herself and for others, documenting upon what is unfurling at every moment. And then she concludes, “It was all a gift.” Linda takes a moment in her introduction to reflect on the loss of her beloved cat, Pinky, and confirms - it was indeed all a gift, including this very special interview with Shani Mootoo. Other references:
Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux; Sound Production: Jason C. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The First Lie & Its Antidote - An Interview with Louise Penny | 02 sept. 2026 | 00:31:01 | |
In this discussion between Linda and the magnificent Eastern Townships of Quebec writer, Louise Penny, they are initially joined by her dogs, Muggins and Charlie (see our social media feed!). And, of course, the conversation was greatly enriched by her dogs’ vocal contributions. After a short and lively exchange with them, Louise and Linda turn to her most recent novels The Grey Wolf and The Black Wolf, which just came out in paperback in August, and The Last Mandarin (Macmillan; her second collaboration, this time with journalist Melissa Fung), which just came out in hardcover. Penny really needs almost no introduction - but she is the author of the best-selling mystery series that features Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and has published over 20 novels, which have been translated into over 23 languages, sold millions of copies worldwide, and repeatedly reached number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. In this episode, she and Linda discuss questions of democracy, rights, daily acts of kindness, decency, and love, and who really is the villain. Questions posed by Ceri Morgan and Julie Rak through social media are also included toward the end of this episode (26:09). Some other points of discussion:
Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux; Sound Production: Jason C. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quebec Book Day - Bonus Episode | 05 août 2026 | 01:00:24 | |
In this special bonus episode, Linda collaborates with the Association of English-Language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ) and the Quebec Writers' Federation (QWF) to draw attention to and celebrate Quebec Book Day (August 12th) by interviewing five authors about their four books (she says "four" authors in the episode, but Linda never claimed she could count well). The writers and books featured in this episode include:
Together, Linda and her guests discussed favourite book stores, and the best places to read or give readings in and around Montreal. Some of their responses featured the following:
And other authors highlighted:
Don't forget to go and get your book for Quebec Book Day! Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux; Sound Production: Jason C. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| What We Talk About When We Talk About Jane (Our 100th Episode!) | 01 juil. 2026 | 00:37:48 | |
This is Getting Lit with Linda’s 100th episode – a real milestone! To mark this specific achievement, three scholars join Linda to speak about an historic author rather than a contemporary one: the magnificent Jane Rule. Born in 1936, she authored several short story collections, essays, and novels, including The Desert of the Heart (Talon), a landmark novel published in 1964 and made into a movie in 1985. The movie was titled Desert Hearts (2.10) directed by Donna Deitch. The three scholars are Marilyn Schuster, “the godmother of Jane Rule Studies” (3.00; author of Passionate Communities and A Queer Love Story, 14.15 ), Amber Dean (working on a second volume of Jane Rule’s letters exchanged with Rick Bébout, 14:18 ), and Cate Sandilands (completing a collection of stories, titled Dear Jane Rule). Linda has also comipleted her biography about Rule. Why are they so enamored of her? You’ll have to listen to this episode to find out! They talk about some of Rule’s novels, short stories, and essays, including The Desert of the Heart (1.55; 6:00; 6:55), The Young in One Another’s Arms (7:45), Inland Passage, (9:38), Lesbian Images (9:00), This is Not for You (12.54), and Contract with the World (12.04). They also speak about the following: · Some of Jane Rule’s awards (Order of British Columbia and Order of Canada, 1.20) · David Anderson (11:12), a scholar who completed his doctorate in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University · James Baldwin (17:55) and the citation, “If I am not what you say I am, then you are not who you think you are.” · Jane’s letters and prolific letter writing (17.40; 22:45; 28:25) · Public lesbianism (16.32); being critical of insular heteronormativity (17.10) · Galiano Island (22:45; 28:15), their swimming pool (25:54), and the Bank of Jane (26:19) Stick around for the takeaway and their advice to aspiring writers and researchers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How We Talk about Our Power in the World: or Paying Close Attention in the Immediate Biosphere | 15 juin 2026 | 00:29:11 | |
In this interview, award-winning poet, Farah Ghafoor talks to Linda about Shadow Price (House of Anansi), shortlisted for the Trillium Prizes this year (check out our social media for pics from the event!). Since Ghafoor invites her readers to pay closer attention to our immediate biospheres, Linda does just that – opening with observations about the natural microcosm of which she is a part (yep, squirrels are mentioned). This is a very smart collection, that traverses subjects as far ranging as economics to the history of trees. Ghafoor invites her readers on that journey to remind them that they are not passive consumers but making decisions every day that highlight we have more power than we think -- and it all begins with where we focus our attention. Other highlights:
Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer; Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Four (+) Equals One - Arjun Basu's The Reeds | 01 juin 2026 | 00:39:52 | |
Anyone who knows Linda also knows that she has a very passionate love-hate relationship with the city of Montreal. While on some days, she is bursting with pride for all that is wonderful about the city, on other days, she is less keen. But she’s not alone in her ardour, as the litany of authors who have been featuring Montreal in their work highlights—from Louise Penny's Grey Wolf (Minotaur Books) to Lee Lai's award-winning Cannon (Drawn & Quarterly), Montreal is a city that people love to write about. In this episode, Linda chats with another such author – Arjun Basu – about his novel The Reeds (ECW Press) – and how Montreal is featured, somewhat unobtrusively as part of the plot but also as another character in this novel. The four main characters, each perspective advancing the plot, are what Basu refers as “Four Equals One”—but Linda adds Montreal to that list. Want to know more about this novel? Check out this review in Montreal Review of Books. Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer; Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Just Friendship: An Interview with Lee Lai about Cannon | 15 mai 2026 | 00:50:44 | |
In this episode, Linda interviews Lee Lai about Cannon, the graphic novel for which Lai was shortlisted for the Carol Shields Prize (the only author on the shortlist with a Canadian connection).The friendship between the protagonist of the same name (Cannon) and Trish puts the very definition of their relationship to the test, complicated in part because Cannon is trying to be responsible to everyone around her—and the net result is that Cannon fails to advocate for herself. Lai refers to Love in a F** Up World by the activist and educator Dean Spade, which Linda picked up after the interview. She was fascinated by Spade's question: How do we build lasting and effective resistance movements, if we are not even examining the ethics of foundational relationships like friendship? That’s the question that Lee Lai takes up. Lai isn’t dismissive or casual about friendship—it isn’t “just friendship” in that sense, but rather friendship that is fair, ethical, democratic. Other points of discussion - loving conflict (as Lee Lai says, “as the only thing that genuinely changes unsustainably bad dynamics”) - types of conflict: inner, between people, between art production and the way we see the world - Sarah Schulman, Conflict is Not Abuse (see also Ties that Bind and Let the Record Show) - chosen families and queer friendships - betrayal in friendship and unchecked expectations - Tuck Woodstock (podcaster) and the Gender Reveal podcast - Randa Abdel-Fattah's interview for the podcast, Between the Covers (David Naimon; see also Mariam Kaba's interview for this podcast) - Sheila Watson’s The Double Hook - James McEvoy, Love and Friendship in the Western Tradition : From Plato to Postmodernity (2023) Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer; Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Puzzling Jigsaw Pieces: An Interview with Brittany Penner about her memoir, Children Like Us | 01 mai 2026 | 00:39:32 | |
Welcome back to Season 7 of Getting Lit with Linda, where we learn to love literature one book at a time! In this episode, Linda interviews the Métis writer, Brittany Penner about her memoir, Children Like Us (Random House Canada). It's elegantly written and carefully crafted, and, in spite of the book's length, Linda couldn't put it down. Linda and Brittany discuss her childhood, the Sixties Scoop (14:32), Brittany's story around being adopted (19:10), and the medical system, in Saskatchewan and Quebec, and across Canada. Here are some other highlights of their discussion:
Please note the NEW!! feature of the podcast: The "Takeway" (37:52), in which all guest writers, including Brittany, will be offering one piece of advice to aspiring writers. Producer/Host/Writer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Crux. We are grateful to the Canada Council for their support for this second year of production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 2026 - Season 7 Teaser | 08 mars 2026 | 00:00:57 | |
Announcing our seventh season! We will be somewhat delayed this year, with a start date in the late spring, but we haven't forgotten about you, our dear listeners or authors - we will begin very soon! For now, some of our future guests - specialists of the life and literature of author, Jane Rule - Marilyn Schuster (the godmother of Jane Rule Studies!), Cate Sandilands, and Amber Dean - and the team at Getting Lit With Linda would like to share their best wishes for International Women's Day! We acknowledge the Canada Council for the Arts for their support. Producer & Host: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Miracles of Change & Second Chances: Madeleine Thien's "Alchemy" | 01 janv. 2026 | 00:11:18 | |
Why should we pay attention to scars or scar tissue? After the original injury heals and its pain recedes, should we ignore what’s left behind? In this episode, Linda mulls over these questions while considering Madeleine Thien's "Alchemy," from her collection, Simple Recipes. Don't know Thien's work? Check out her award-winning novel, Do Not Say We Have Nothing (which Linda discussed in Season 1, Episode 3) and her most recent novel, The Book of Records. She also offers her best wishes for the new year, in this, the last episode of Season 6 (2025). Writer/host/producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux (The Madness of Linda). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| A Story of Unfitting: Susan Swan's Memoir, Big Girls Don't Cry | 15 déc. 2025 | 00:48:23 | |
Our warmest wishes for the season – and a reminder that this is the last interview for the podcast (there may be one smaller episode at the year’s end, but not an interview), before we open up voting for this year’s GLWL awards: the author featured in your favourite episode will receive a cash prize and medal to honour their involvement. In this episode, Linda reflects on how boxes are at times about imposed limitations. "Don’t box me in," you might argue – or let’s try to think outside the box (because it’s time for a change!). And it is this -- thinking and living outside the lines (and boxes) -- that Susan Swan’s wonderful new memoir, Big Girls Don’t Cry: A Memoir About Taking Up Space (HarperCollijns), compels us to do, to locate our sense of dignity and agency, to find our sense of self-worth. Swan is the author of several novels including The Biggest Modern Woman in the World (1983), The Last of The Golden Girls (1989), What Casanova Told Me (2004), and The Wives of Bath (1993), which was made into the film Lost and Delirious (3:45). In this episode, we discuss how taking up space can be positive for women (and men too!), a means to shift beyond the conventions that have hemmed her in (and us) and to find our way out of the boxes that have contained us. Other points of discussion:
Executive Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux ("The Madness of Linda") and Kevin MacLeod ("Natural Vibes"); Sound producer: Jason C. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Ring-Side Seats in a High-Stakes Environment: Brian Stewart’s On the Ground | 01 déc. 2025 | 00:58:42 | |
On a lovely fall afternoon in October, Linda drove up to possibly one of the most charming spots in Quebec, just off-island of Montreal —Hudson, on the unceded territory of the Kanien’keha:ka. Hudson has much to commend to it, but, in this instance, it was StoryFest, the annual literary program hosted through the Greenwood Centre that invites writers to come and speak to audiences there and that extends back to 2002 (yes, it’s been evolving over twenty years). Linda drove up to Hudson to interview the journalist, Brian Stewart, about his memoir, On the Ground: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent -- a perfect book for this year's theme, Getting Lit Goes Global. Stewart was, for decades, one of Canada’s most prominent television journalists, acclaimed for his foreign coverage for both CBC’s The National and The Journal. Born in Montreal (welcome back, Brian!), and originally a newspaper reporter, he went on to become foreign correspondent for CBC in London and for NBC in Frankfurt. He worked in 10 war zones, hosted the CBC foreign affairs show Worldview, and interviewed many of the historic figures of his time.
In this interview and in his book, Stewart speaks of the urgency of having journalists on the ground to bear witness to what is happening across the globe and of having journalists as moral witnesses, reminding audiences of the costs globally of famine and war and environmental disaster, of the need for greater political accountability. With thanks to StoryFest organizers, Julie Gedeon and Sandy Racicot, to Larry Cool for recording sound, and to Jason C. for sound production. Linda Morra, Producer/Host; Maia Harris, Associate Producer; and Raphael Krux, Music. Just a reminder that voting opens soon for this year’s GLWL prize for best episode or author. Please do vote and honour your favourite writer represented in an episode of season 6, in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Taking Out the Imperial Trash - Jovanni Sy's A Taste of Empire | 19 nov. 2025 | 00:36:55 | |
Linda AND students of Bishop's University interview the award-winning Montreal-based playwright, Jovanni Sy, in this episode of Getting Lit With Linda. Linda considers how one of his plays in particular, A Taste of Empire (Talonbooks), obliges us confront the abuses of a system of globalization, wherein the processes involved in maximizing profit are brought to the fore. Even as the sous-chef, also named Jovanni Sy, tries to glamorize the industry of haute cuisine, we as spectators and readers must grapple with an imperialist system that undergirds it, that funnels wealth and resources from all corners of the earth to a centralized core. Linda also announces a new award, the 2025 Getting Lit With Linda prize, being launched on December 15 of this year. We are inviting our listeners to choose either their favourite writer featured in an episodes of 2025 (Season 6) or their favourite episode in which a writer in the 2025 season was featured. The writer who wins the most votes will be given the GLWL prize of the year, with a small monetary award attached. Details about this award can be found on website, gettinglitwithlinda.com. So please DO take a moment to vote for your favourite author or episode featured this year! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Other Problem that Has No Name - The Passenger Seat by Vijay Khurana | 01 nov. 2025 | 00:43:50 | |
Perhaps strangely, Linda applies Betty Friedan’s 1963 feminist critique of patriarchal society The Feminine Mystique, and specifically the text “The Problem That Has No Name,” to The Passenger Seat by Vijay Khurana. An Australian/British author, Khurana wrote this very fine debut novel about the real-life events of two young men from Port Alberni, Northern BC and about their toxic masculinity. This novel thus addresses another problem not yet properly identified, except perhaps in more general ways: disaffected or disconnected young men in Western society, who are situated in that space between adolescence and adulthood, and who are making key decisions about who they will become as they mature. Linda calls upon Sarah Dowling’s very fine study, Here is a Figure: Grounding Literary Form to examine how that problem has been represented in literature in terms of upright (radicalized white male) figures and prone or supine figures (victims, casualties, gendered subjects). ButThe Passenger Seat suggests a posture that is somewhere in-between. And what is that posture and who is implicated? You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out.... Host/Writer: Linda Morra Associate Producer: Maia Harris Music: Raphael Krux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Digital Trespassing: Human Rights in the Digital Age-- An Interview with Dr. Wendy Wong | 16 oct. 2025 | 00:47:07 | |
Linda met Dr. Wendy Wong at a conference in Kelowna, organized by Dr. Karis Shearer (1:25) and hosted by SpokenWeb (1:20), when Dr. Wong spoke about her book, We, the Data (a nod to the preamble of the United States Constitution, 4:10) -- and, since then, Linda has been obsessed. Being an expert on archival theory in relation to women writers' materials, Linda has digitization - and now datafication (7:45) - very much on the brain (and probably on her computer too). It led Linda to raise a question in this interview – at what point is datafication a form of digital trespassing? When is it going too far -- and when do we get to say it's gone too far? -- mining the details of our personal lives, even our bodies (as facial recognition technology reminds us), often for capitalist pursuits, without the direct (if not implied) consent of those furnishing the data? And what's the difference, she also asks Dr. Wong, between libraries and their archives and datafication, another means of preservation? And in her telling response, Dr. Wong reminds us that libraries (3:30) are more important than ever before. Other points of discussion:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Equity on a Bookshelf: An Interview with Stephanie Sinclair, Publisher of McClelland & Stewart | 04 oct. 2025 | 00:43:35 | |
Does anyone remember that series, New Canadian Literature (NCL), produced by McClelland & Stewart? In this interview, Linda discusses the very much new and improved series, Kanata Classics (15:06), with Stephanie Sinclair, the publisher of McClelland & Stewart -- with special guest feature, Holly, her cat. A co-editor in her own right (with her sister, Sara Sinclair), she produced You Were Made for this World (7:55) and A Steady Brightness of Being (8:02, conceived and developed in 2020, before Stephanie began working with McClelland & Stewart). Kanata Classics is Sinclair’s answer to NCL, although Kanata Classics has a much broader view in terms of who is included, represented, and celebrated within its purview - and it has a much broader reach, extending beyond Canadian borders. Kanata Classics, launched in July of this year, 2025, features six books a year from a range of Indigenous and Canadian writers. Beautifully crafted and produced, with covers and design by Kelly Hill, Kanata Classics in its first year features Halfbreed by Maria Campbell (the restored edition!), Ru by Kim Thúy, Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese, Bear by Marian Engel, Island by Alistair MacLeod and Nishga by Jordan Abel – and, of course, listeners will remember Linda had interviewed Jordan Abel in Episode 18 of Season 2. Other references include Cody Caetano (2:51), Joshua Whithead (3:30), Jessica Johns (3:34), Billy-Ray Belcourt (2:53) and Niigaan Sinclair (15:40). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Truth About Memoirs | 18 sept. 2025 | 00:23:08 | |
In this episode, Linda examines the resurgence of the memoir, and what readers expect - and what she expects - when we pick one up. While the first part of the episode examines the features and history of the memoir, the last part is devoted to the wonderful new memoir by Susan Swan, Big Girls Don't Cry. Highlights of this episode include:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Lost City of Atlantis (our future, rather than our past): Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves and James Cairns’ In Crisis, On Crisis: Essays in Troubled Times | 04 sept. 2025 | 00:21:15 | |
In this episode, Linda begins by speaking about the Kingston Writers Fest (KWF) - if you are in reasonable distance, you MUST go! The most incredible line-up of authors will be there, including Madeleine Thien, Margaret Atwood, Canisia Lubrin, Nita Prose, and Ian Williams. She then thinks about Atlantis - what if Atlantis were about our future and not our past? She uses Atlantis as a way of considering the dystopian novel, Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves (Penguin Random House). Using James Cairns’ In Crisis, On Crisis: Essays in Trouble Times (Wolsak & Wyne), she thinks about why we read novels that are apocalyptic in nature. Cairns, she notes, refers to Rumaan Alam’s Leave the World Behind (HarperCollins) and shows how we get some measure of satisfaction from reading them. Dimaline’s novel may offer that kind of satisfaction, but it is very much based in Indigenous community and what Daniel Heath Justice would call “embodied sovereignty.” Other highlights:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Invitation to Reparative Reading - An Interview with Canisia Lubrin About Code Noir | 01 juil. 2025 | 00:57:01 | |
In this episode, Linda interviews the phenomenal Canisia Lubrin - the acclaimed writer, critic, professor, poet, and editor. Her first book Voodoo Hypothesis (Wolsak & Wynn, 2017) was named a CBC Best Book. Her second book, The Dyzgraphxst (M & S, 2020) won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Poetry and the overall Literature prize, the Griffin Poetry Prize, and the Derek Walcott Prize. She is also a 2022 Civitella Ranieri Fellow and has held writer residences at Queen’s University and the appointed inaugural 2021 Shaftesbury Writer in Residence at Victoria College, University of Toronto, where she has taught creative writing. This episode of Getting Lit With Linda focuses on her award-winning book, Code Noir (Knopf 2023), for which Lubrin won the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, among other accolades. In consideration of this book and how the reader is invited to engage with it, Linda mulls over Eve Sedgewick's essay, "Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading, Or You're so Paranoid, You probably Think This Essay is About You." Applying Sedgewick's sense of the "reparative reader," Linda sees Lubrin's Code Noir (based on the real-life set of historical decrees that were passed centuries ago, in 1685 by King Louis XIV of France) as enjoining readers to participate in this way - not with a sense of paranoia (defensive!) but rather with an open and unassuming posture. Because Lubrin's Code Noir reminds us of the possibilities of art, form, and language, and our engagement with them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| That Kind of Meta: The Double Life of Benson Yu - An Interview with Kevin Chong | 15 juin 2025 | 00:44:50 | |
In this episode, Linda chats with Kevin Chong about his novel The Double Life of Benson Yu (Simon & Schuster) shortlisted for the 2023 Giller Prize. It's a "meta" novel, in some ways - a concept that Linda explains in this episode - but it also had Linda thinking about the social media platform, Meta (formerly, Facebook). Whatever insights you might glean from this association and from this interview, what is clear is the real and urgent need to re-examine various forms of masculinity. The timing of this episode’s release - Father’s Day - underscores this importance. In this novel, the main character, Benson Yu, is writing a graphic novel based on his own life, and he tells us as readers what he can't or won't talk about because of his traumatic past and injured masculinity. It's a compelling read that makes us consider character and genre in ways that are quite provocative. Linda Morra (writer/producer), Maia Harris (associate producer), Rafael Krux (music), Aki Barabadi (marketing) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| We, the Subplot (or Flying Monkeys) - An Interview with Michael Crummey about The Adversary | 01 juin 2025 | 00:48:42 | |
What are flying monkeys?, Linda wonders - until her friend illuminates their place in relation to narcissists. Narcissism is key to understanding the Widow and Abe Strapp, two deliciously terrible main characters in Michael Crummey's novel, The Adversary (Knopf) -- which just won the Dublin Literary Award for 2025; this psychology is also key to understanding why certain subplot characters choose to orbit around them. Since the novel may be read as a kind of running commentary on the present political moment, we must remember that we - not just readers, but rather the people who might see our reflections in the "subplot" characters - are important to the kinds of decisions made. The conditions of the subplot are affected by those of the plot - but that may also work in reverse. The interview with Crummey also connects his earlier novel, The Innocents (2019, Random House Canada), and The Adversary to William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, explaining how these two novels might be read in relation to each other. Linda Morra (executive producer); Maia Harris (associate producer); Raphael Krux (music) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Adding People to a Family Isn't a Minus - Recalculating the Math Around Stepmothers (With Rachel McCrum and Amélie Prévost) | 12 mai 2025 | 00:35:24 | |
It's Mother's Day - and, while Linda considers how the mother is represented in several books (specifically Rachel Deustch (6:30), Boum (5:50; 6:55), and Mary Thaler (5:47), in their respective works, The Mother, Jellyfish, and Ulfhildr), she turns her attention to the figure of the stepmother, inspired in part by her conversation with the authors of La Belle-Mère/The Stepmother (L'Hexagone) by Rachel McCrum and Amélie Prévost (8:10) while she was at the Imagination Literary Festival (held at the Morrin Centre in Quebec City, 5:33). C'est la fête des mères - et, tandis que Linda examine la façon dont la mère est représentée dans plusieurs livres (en particulier Rachel Deustch (6:30), Boum (5:50 ; 6:55), et Mary Thaler (5 : 47), dans leurs ouvrages respectifs,The Mother, Jellyfish, and Ulfhildr), elle s'intéresse à la figure de la belle-mère, inspirée en partie par sa conversation avec les auteurs de La Belle-Mère/The Stepmother (L'Hexagone) de Rachel McCrum et Amélie Prévost (8:10) lors de sa participation au festival littéraire Imagination (qui s'est tenu au Morrin Centre à Québec, 5:33). Host & Writer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Why Vigilance Matters - Carol Off's At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage | 06 mai 2025 | 00:41:33 | |
In this episode, Linda speaks with the award-winning CBC journalist of As it Happens, Carol Off, about her new (and fifth!) book, At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage (Listeners, keep your eye out: A new edition of Off's book will be available in the fall!). Published in 2024, Off wrote the book as a "cautionary tale," as she observes in this interview - and, since then, some important political moments have evolved across the American and Canadian border. The book examines how key words, including freedom, democracy and truth, are being hijacked and weaponized in order to diminish liberal democracy. Linda and Carol speak about Roe v. Wade, the Bathhouse Raids, the outbreak of AIDS, women's rights, Judith Butler, the 2024 American election, Christopher Ruso and the "Strong and Free" organization, Hannah Arendt (25:20), Stephen Colbert's "Truthiness," the results of the 2025 Canadian election, and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (29.09). Carol Off reminds us - we are not entitled to our own facts (34:24), and we need to question everything (31:20). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Revisioning the Three Rs - Michaela Di Cesare's Successions | 15 avr. 2025 | 00:48:30 | |
In this episode, Linda revisits and revisions the three “Rs” – reading, writing, and arithmetic – to reformulate a new triad. Why? Because, in her interview with Michaela Di Cesare about her play Successions, Linda learns more about Anthony, one of the main characters, and his disorder, known as prosopagnosia. Di Cesare explains that she thought of this disorder as a means of representing how patriarchal culture is often blind to women and to their needs. Anthony is literally unable to recognize women’s faces, unable to read their particularities and individual and very human traits. From this point, Linda develops a broader metaphor, beginning with considerations of literacy (see CBC’s recent assessment) to the need to recalibrate our critical reading apparatus – and then Maia Harris suggests Elaine Castillo’s How To Read Now. And that sets the stage for the interview.
If you’d like to see one of Di Cesare’s current plays, Mickey & Joe (Good. Bad. Ugly. Dirty) is set to open at the Mirella & Lino Saputo Theatre from May 17-25 2025. Executive Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Sound Producer: James Healey; Music by Raphael Krux ("The Madness of Linda") and Kevin MacLeod ("Natural Vibes"). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| "Now is the Time that Artists Must Get to Work" - Zilla Jones' The World So Wide | 01 avr. 2025 | 00:42:26 | |
As a result of Zilla Jones’ The World So Wide, slated for publication with Cormorant Books on April 26, 2025, Linda reflects on opera (specifically Verdi’s La Forza Del Destino) – historically an elitist art form, but one that Felicity Alexander, the protagonist of Jones’ novel, in part challenges and overcomes through the very successes of her career. The trajectory of that career takes a darker turn when she finds herself in Grenada during the 1983 American invasion of that country – not an untimely revisioning of history in view of the current American political situation (27:40; 28:50). Linda also speaks about Verdi’s La forza del destino with Renata Tibaldi as Leonore and her father's love for opera (2:15), before she turns to the interview with Zilla Jones to speak about the following:
Executive & Sound Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux ("The Madness of Linda") and Kevin MacLeod ("Natural Vibes"). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| What We Oughta Know ... About Powerful, Internationally-Recognized & Accomplished Women | 15 mars 2025 | 00:49:12 | |
In this first episode of Season 6 of Getting Lit With Linda, the host – Linda Morra – begins with a few important announcements: GLWL is now being supported by the Canada Council for the Arts! With that support, we have a "special" season that we're calling GETTING LIT GOES GLOBAL. It means we are emphasizing books or topics that take on international proportions or have international repercussions. Getting Lit With Linda will now also feature an annual prize – more of that in future episodes. And we have a new team on board, featuring Maia Harris (Associate Producer), James Healey (Sound Producer), Aki Barabadi (Marketing Consultant), and Raphael Krux (Music). Linda begins her discussion with a consideration of Martha Nussbaum’s Anger and Forgiveness, to mull over what to do with our anger (and specifically feminist anger, 21:00). Her guest, Andrea Warner points the way in her fresh and accessible book, We Oughta Know. Warner tells us what we should know, but don’t – that is, she tells us about how much the women she is examining – Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, and Sarah McLachlan -- did to work past gendered biases in the music industry to achieve international fame. Warner reminds us that we need to understand and confront not just misogyny (18:00), and the male gaze (19:00), but also internalized misogyny (16:20), and that we ought to know is how to develop solidarity and love for all of us. And, even when we mess up, we need to remember we are all works in progress (16:40). Andrea Warner has her own podcast, Pop This!, and has published other books, including The Time of My Life, and Rise Up and Sing: Power, Protest, and Activism in Music. We also speak about the following:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Season 6: Happy International Women's Day Wishes + Teaser | 08 mars 2025 | 00:01:38 | |
Happy International Women's Day - this is our Teaser for Season 6, in which a special guest joins Linda Morra to share our International Women's Day wishes with you, the listeners of Getting Lit With Linda! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Nine Days Of/Before Christmas - and the Final One of Season 5 | 16 déc. 2024 | 00:32:55 | |
n this 78th episode and the final one of season 5, Linda offers the “Nine Days of Christmas” with nine different book recommendations for the holidays. Who makes the cut? Well, we could say you need to listen to find out, but we want you to find the books easily, so here they are with their links: Alice Zorn’s Colours in her Hands (Freehand Books), Téa Mutonji’s Shut Up You’re Pretty (VS Books, Arsenal), Katherena Vermette’s Real Ones (Hamish Hamilton), Ian Williams', What I Mean to Say (Anansi), Sarah Polley's Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory (Penguin), Suzette Mayr’s The Sleeping Car Porter (Coach House Press), Derek Webster’s National Animal (Véhicule Press), Sue Goyette's A Different Species of Breathing (WLUP),and Bart Vautour’s The Truth About Facts (Invisible Publishing) Other References: The entire team at Geting Lit With Linda wishes you a wonderful, restful holiday - we will be back in the New Year with some important developments! Stay tuned!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| "But I'm Holding a Pineapple" - An Open Letter to Ivan Coyote | 01 déc. 2024 | 00:14:57 | |
Linda writes an open letter to Ivan Coyote, in response to their book, Care Of: Letters, Connections, and Cures (published by McClelland & Stewart during the pandemic). This important volume of letters is extraordinary and, while we're no longer in the throes of a pandemic, it remains as relevant as ever. With references to WB Yeat's poem "The Second Coming" and an article by Anna Russell that appeared in The New Yorker, this episode highlights the vital contribution this book makes - and it's more than just a pineapple. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| A Ghost Story Without Ghosts: Jenny Haysom's Keep | 17 nov. 2024 | 00:37:41 | |
In this episode, Linda converses with Jenny Haysom (2.48) about her novel Keep (published by Anansi). Featuring three main characters, the narrative is driven by the conflict that emerges when Harriet, an elderly poet, is diagnosed with the onset of dementia and must face selling her house -- and the two home stagers, Eleanor and Jacob, tasked with emptying it of its contents. Both Eleanor and Jacob are drawn into Harriet's world and the questions around what we keep, what we throw away, and what we value and why. It becomes clear why Haysom refers to this Victorian-esque novel as "a ghost story without ghosts." The discussion also turns toward Haysom's literary debut as a poet and her collection Dividing the Wayside (4.15, published by Palimpsest Press) and the difference between writing poetry and writing novels (4.32). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Haunted by a Colonial Past - Michel Jean's Qimmik | 02 nov. 2024 | 00:24:05 | |
A bilingual episode/un épisode bilingue. Linda opens with her delight about having won the Women in Podcasting Awards in Education - she effusively thanks her listeners! e What kinds of books haunt us and why? In this episode, Linda considers Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach and Jessica Johns' Bad Cree, but ultimately picks a book that thoroughly haunted her - Michel Jean's Qimmik (published by Libre Expression, not yet translated into English). Author of Kukum (House of Anansi) and editor of Amun:A Gathering of Indigenous Voices, Jean addresses one of the legacies of a colonial past not frequently addressed. Set in Nunavik, the novel traverses two time periods--that are connected in ways that are completely unexpected and deeply moving. Quels types de livres nous hantent et pourquoi ? Dans cet épisode, Linda choisit un livre qui l'a profondément hantée : Qimmik de Michel Jean (publié par Libre Expression, pas encore traduit en anglais). Auteur de Kukum (House of Anansi) et rédacteur en chef d'Amun:A Gathering of Indigenous Voices, Michel Jean aborde l'un des héritages d'un passé colonial qui n'est pas souvent traité. Situé au Nunavik, le roman traverse deux périodes qui sont reliées de façon tout à fait inattendue et profondément émouvante. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| What I Was Meant to Do - An Interview with Amanda Peters | 17 oct. 2024 | 00:34:19 | |
Linda opens with a word of thanks to her listeners who voted--because she is now a Finalist for the Women in Podcasting Awards. This episode features an interview, which was live at Word on the Street in Toronto, with the writer of Mi'kmaq and settler descent, who published a novel, The Berry Pickers and, most recently, her short story collection, Waiting for the Long Night Moon (both published by published by Random House). It is a joyful and animated conversation, with an audience that was warm and supportive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| An Unconventional Love Story in a Brat Summer: Corinna Chong’s Bad Land | 16 sept. 2024 | 00:32:57 | |
Linda speaks with Corinna Chong about her novel, Bad Land, published by Arsenal Pulp Press and long-listed for the Giller Prize. Chong, originally from Calgary, lives in Kelowna, B.C. where she teaches English and fine arts at Okanagan College. She published her first novel, Belinda's Rings, in 2013. In her opening remarks, Linda explains why she sees the protagonist and main narrator, Regina, as … well, kind of “brat.” She's a fascinating, messy, and lovable character who has buried her life--and the secrets around that life--in the home in which she and her brother, Ricky, were raised ... until he shows up with his daughter, Jez, with a new secret of their own. The tensions that are produced open wide the secrets by the novel's end, revealing both the beauty and violence that have haunted Regina for years. Other sources of discussion or references include:
And a final reminder! Please vote for us in the Women's Podcasting Awards! Only a few days left! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Breathing Life into the Drowning Girls | 01 sept. 2024 | 00:41:13 | |
Linda considers the persistence of present-day misogyny, then speaks with Daniela Vlaskalic about her co-written play, The Drowning Girls, which features the women who were victims of a turn-of-the-century serial killer. It was such a famous case, even Agatha Christie mentioned it in one of her novels. To set the stage - pun intended - for this play, Linda outlines the legal and historical situation for women in Canada - obtaining the right to vote was a bare minimum., but even getting bank accounts and mortgages were an ordeal up until only a few decades ago. It's not so surprising that this history informs the present moment, when, for example, women still make less in terms of pay than men and disparaging remarks are being made about single women who have cats in the United States. (Linda is not afraid to mention that she has two cats - Pinky and Moe.) She also briefly alludes to women and legal matters, including her right to get a divorce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Being Educated About Being Educated | 20 juin 2024 | 00:25:27 | |
Linda has been mulling over what an education is, what purposes it serves. She was so curious about it that she begin to reflect on the etymology of the word. The root of “educate” comes from educe, from the Latin, meaning "to lead forth" or "lead out of," which then led her to think, leading out of … what? From where and to where? And who is doing the leading? For whom? And why? Weaving in her personal conversations and experiences alongside different cultural texts – from Valley of the Bird Tail to An Education to Tom Wayman’s “Did I Miss Anything?” – she ultimately focuses on M. NourbeSe Philip’s She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks to demonstrate the potential deleterious effects of an “education.” It is not always an innocent or innocuous process. Also in this episode – our first giveaway ever! We have a book to give away in honour of Indigenous History Month. The first person to write to Linda (gettinglitwithlinda@gmail.com) with the correct response to the question Linda poses in this episode will receive a copy of Willie Poll’s (Metis) My Little Ogichidaa in addition to a gift from Getting Lit With Linda. In the Takeaway, she notes that this episode is being released during Indigenous History Month, and so she recommends her listeners to visit the website, www.jelisautochtone.ca, which was produced by Dr. Colette Yellow Robe (member of the N. Cheyenne Nation in the USA), in addition to Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves. References: An Education, Scripted by Nick Hornby (3:55) Willie Poll, My LItle Ochigidaa Valley of The Bird Tail (4.40) Emily Carr, Klee Wyck (5.15) Clarke, Irwin’s expurgation of Klee Wyck (5:30) Residential schools (6.15) Re-education Camps, Vietnam (6:50) Tom Wayman’s “Did I miss Anything?” (8:10) M, NourbeSe Philip, She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks (9.50; 13.10; 15.10 ) Zong! (13:40) “Discourse on the Logic of Language” (16.50) Music: Raphael Krux (The Madness of Linda) and Brian Teoh (Finally See the Light) Assistant Producer: Marco Timpano Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Intergenerational Power: Reclaiming Indigenous parenting | 02 juin 2024 | 00:29:14 | |
Indigenous mothers, Indigenous children, Indigenous parents – Willie Poll sees you – and she wants you to know that you’re enough. In this episode of Getting Lit With Linda, Willie Poll (Metis Nation of Ontario) discusses with Linda why she wrote this children’s book, titled My Little Ogichidaa, and the source of inspiration for its creation – in large part, the Moose Hide Campaign (2:00). The Moose Hide Campaign, which began as a BC-born Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending violence towards women and children, has since grown into a nationwide movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians from local communities, First Nations, governments, schools, colleges/universities, police forces and many other organizations – all committed to taking action to end this violence. Willie and Linda also discuss Willie's collaboration with illustrator, Hawlii Pichette, a Mushkego Cree (Treaty 9) urban mixed ancestry artist and illustrator who currently resides in London, Ontario. Linda asks her to explain the title for her book, which means "my little warrior" -- and how being a warrior is not necessarily incompatible with being loving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Wishing Happy Anniversary / Birthday Wishes to The Geography of Pluto - An Interview with Christopher DiRaddo | 16 mai 2024 | 00:37:28 | |
Linda begins this episode with a brief acknowledgement of the passing of Nobel Prize winner for the short story, Alice Munro – who died a couple of days before this episode was aired. It's a pertinent moment to take pause when the subject of this episode is, in part, about anniversaries - which often include remembering when a beloved person dies or, as was the case only a few days ago, honouring a special person - like mothers on Mothers' Day. Who we choose to so honour and how we do so says a great deal about us, not just the persons we are honouring. In this episode, Linda interview author Christopher DiRaddo about anniversaries, particularly the 10th one for his first novel, The Geography of Pluto, and his reading series (in Montreal), called The Violet Hour. Among other topics, they also discuss the following:
And there is a Takeaway in this episode - appropriately (in view of our discussion about anniversaries and commemoration) referencing the Canada Post stamps that honour graphic novelists in Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| "Learning Gently" about Reconciliation: Andrew Stobo Sniderman & Douglas Sanderson's Valley of the Birdtail | 01 mai 2024 | 01:03:21 | |
In this -- the second live episode of Getting Lit With Linda held at the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival and co-sponsored by the Quebec Writers' Federation -- Linda speaks with Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashi, Beaver Clan, of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation) about their book, Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, A White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation. The book has been receiving all manner of recognition. Here are some examples of the awards it has garnered:
And deservedly so. In this interview, Douglas and Andrew explain how and why we have arrived at the present moment and how there is hope for finding the pathway toward meaningful reconciliation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Bad Beauty: Marie Claire Blais' Mad Shadows | 15 avr. 2024 | 00:25:14 | |
What does the work of painter Renoir and his paintings of full-bodied women (2.15; 12.34), and tanning beds (2:30) have to do with the Quebecois author Marie Claire Blais (3:15) and La Belle Bette/Mad Shadows (3:20)? Have a listen to today’s episode to find out … In this episode, Linda looks at Blais’s Mad Shadows and its historical importance to Quebec. Among other subjects, she also references: Value Village, Holt Renfrew 1:3; 11:58 ) Sheila Fischman (3:45) New Yorker (4:47; 16:11) Margaret Atwood (4:58; 16:24 ) Andre Gide, Andre Breton (5:22; 17:04 ) Karen Kain, Veronica Tennant (6:08; 18:02) Elle magazine (11:43) Fluevog Shoes (11:48) Quel est le rapport entre l'œuvre du peintre Renoir et ses tableaux de femmes épanouies (2.15 ; 12.34), et les lits de bronzage (2:30), et l'auteure québécoise Marie Claire Blais (3:15) et La Belle Bette/Mad Shadows ( 3:20) ? Écoutez l'épisode d'aujourd'hui pour le découvrir... Dans cet épisode, Linda se penche sur La Belle Bette et son importance historique pour le Québec. Parmi d'autres sujets, elle fait également référence à : Value Village, Holt Renfrew (1:3 ; 11:58) Sheila Fischman (3:45) New Yorker (4:47 ; 16:11) Margaret Atwood (4:58 ; 16:24 ) André Gide, André Breton (5:22 ; 17:04 ) Karen Kain, Veronica Tennant (6:08 ; 18:02) Elle magazine (11:43) Chaussures Fluevog (11:48) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Plucking Women's Lives (and Messages) from the Shorelines of History | 01 avr. 2024 | 00:35:30 | |
In this episode, Linda and Bryn Turnbull discuss her new historical novel, The Paris Deception - and what it means to represent women's lives historically when there has been inadequate records or representation for them. Linda considers the Indigo Girls and their song about Virginia Woolf - and listening attentively to the voices of women through time. Turnbull alludes to The Monuments Men (both the movie and the book) and her novel as an equivalent for women to such a story. Among other topics, we address
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| "Radical Self-Inclusion" - An Interview with Michael V. Smith | 16 mars 2024 | 00:48:19 | |
Michael V. Smith is a deeply loving, insightful poet and performer – who uses intimacy and humour as tools to explore pain. In this interview, Linda chats with him about power dynamics and bullying, as they address his poetry collection, Queers Like Me (published by Book*hug in 2023) Here are some of the subjects we covered:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Radical Self-Love, with Eloise Marseille | 02 mars 2024 | 01:03:41 | |
Eloise Marseille is the first guest for Season 5 - yes, season 5! - and, this time, it's English AND French (starting at the 31.55 mark for the French interview). Marseille is a wonderful Quebecoise graphic novelist, whose candid and humorous book, Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman / Confessions d'une Femme Normale examines sexuality and self-love--especially as it bears on women, cis- and trans-. Linda begins with a reference to the feminist theory courses she teaches and some of the theorists, like Kimberlé Crenshaw, and how sometimes students say "do we need feminist theory any more?" Linda wants to unplug students from the Matrix (a reference to the film starring Keanu Reeves) and show them the gritty reality in which we live - yes, we STILL need feminism and Marseille is leading the way/the charge! With thanks to James Healey, the recording engineer who set up the studio; Raphael Krux for music; and Marco Timpano, Sarah Henzi, and Benoit Cantin for giving this episode an advance listen! **** Eloise Marseille est la première invitée de la saison 5 - oui, la saison 5 ! - et, cette fois, c'est en anglais ET en français (à partir de 31.55 pour l'entretien en français). Marseille est une merveilleuse écrivaine, dont le livre candide et humoristique, Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman / Confessions d'une Femme Normale, examine la sexualité et l'amour de soi, en particulier en ce qui concerne les femmes, cis et trans. Linda commence par évoquer les cours de théorie féministe qu'elle donne et certaines théoriciennes, comme Kimberlé Crenshaw, et comment les étudiants disent parfois "avons-nous encore besoin de la théorie féministe?" Linda veut débrancher les étudiants de la Matrice (référence au film avec Keanu Reeves) et leur montrer la réalité crue dans laquelle nous vivons - oui, nous avons ENCORE besoin du féminisme et Marseille montre la charge! Merci à James Healey, l'ingénieur du son qui a installé le studio, à Raphael Krux pour la musique, et à Marco Timpano, Sarah Henzi, et Benoit Cantin pour avoir écouté cet épisode en avant-première! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Season 4 - Holiday Wishes ... and Some Hints for Season 5 | 23 déc. 2023 | 00:02:20 | |
Linda wishes her listeners a very happy holiday - and offers a hint about what to expect for at least the first episode of Season 5! Have a restful, joyful period. Getting Lit With Linda returns on March 1, 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| These Short Cuts Go a Long Way - The SpokenWeb Podcast | 15 déc. 2023 | 00:25:01 | |
In this episode, Linda chats with Dr. Katherine McLeod about her role in the SpokenWeb Podcast, particularly Short Cuts. The conversation covers so much ground in such a short period! We discuss the following:
We talked about SpokenWeb’s beginnings, but here is another example. And, if you're curious, here is a sample of McLeod talking about “holding the sound” in a ShortCuts episode. And if you want to hear the recording of Dionne Brand speaking with Lee Maracle, try going here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Feminist Killjoys - An Interview with Erin Wunker | 29 nov. 2023 | 00:42:15 | |
Linda is thrilled to have been able to conduct this interview with one of the foremost feminist scholars in Canada right now—Erin Wunker. They speak about her book Notes from a Feminist Killjoy, published by book*hug, and the important work it undertakes in relation to the labour of being a “feminist killjoy.” Don’t know what a feminist killjoy is? Give this interview a listen to find out more. Here are only some of the key points of the discussion: · About Erin Wunker (2.46) · About the book itself: Notes from a Feminist Killjoy (book*hug press) (1.41) · The meaning of the title (4.39) · What is a killjoy? (1.47) · Sarah Ahmed, as a thinker and community-engaged intellectual (1.58, 5.40, 8.10, 30.08) · About the feminist killjoy (6.20, 7.09, 9.46, 19.40, 24.56) and intersectional feminism (15.57) · Betty Friedan (25.00) · The style of writing (25.30) · Collection action, allyship, friendship (18.55) · The podcast We Can Do Hard Things (Glennon Doyle, 13.08) · Catherine MacKinnon (30.14, 38.04) · Tarana Burke, #MeToo, and Jian Ghomeshi (32.58) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Milestones: A Sixtieth and Live Episode - An interview with Catherine Hernandez and Eva Crocker | 17 nov. 2023 | 01:14:59 | |
In this episode -- recorded live in Tiohtià:ke in the DeSeve Cinema at Concordia University -- Linda interviews award-winning authors, Catherine Hernandez and Eva Crocker. Linda begins by thanking celebrated Montreal-based author, Christopher DiRaddo, who is the director of the Violet Hour and who opens the event with a territorial acknowledgement and with an introduction to the authors. The Violet Hour and the Association of English-Language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ) co-sponsored the event, so Linda also recognizes the superb professionalism of the team at AELAQ, including Rebecca West, Alex Sweny, and Elise Moser. She also thanks Stephen Burgess, the audio-visual technician who helped to record the event that day. The interview begins with Hernandez and considerations of her three novels, Scarborough (Arsenal Pulp Press), Crosshairs (Simon & Schuster), and The Story of Us (HarperCollins). They also speak about her amazing Wild Strawberry Homestead. Then, Eva Crocker joins them on the stage and so they also discuss her two novels, Back in the Land of the Living (House of Anansi) and All I Ask (House of Anansi). A question period follows the two interviews, as members in the audience also interact with Hernandez and Crocker. It's a longer episode than usual (which is why there is only ONE this month!), but you will appreciate why: the interview is at turns funny, moving, and warm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| An Entry Without an Exit: Dionne Brand's A Map to the Door of No Return | 15 oct. 2023 | 00:18:24 | |
In this episode, Linda reflects on Dionne Brand's magnificent A Map to the Door of No Return: Notes to Belonging, reprinted by Vintage (a division of Random House) in 2023 - but initially published over twenty years ago. That's the staying power of this particular volume - the "Door of No Return" is a particularly harrowing metaphor and, as Linda notes, there are many expressions that use "doors" in contemporary usage. Just not like this book does! A prolific and accomplished writer and professor, Brand is referring to the Black diaspora vis-a-vis the Black Atlantic slave trade. To set up this discussion, Linda considers her personal fascination with "doors" (consider the gorgeous doors of the Atwater Library in Montreal) and then how they have been used in other works -- like that of Complaint! by Sara Ahmed or The Diamond Grill by Fred Wah or The Door by Margaret Atwood -- and then compares them to how the image is used in Brand's literary text. In the Takeaway, Linda gives a shout-out to the annual Read Quebec Book Fair, that this year is taking place from November 3 to November 4th in the McConnell Building Atrium of Concordia University. Please join her there, where she will be interviewing Catherine Hernandez and Eva Crocker live! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| And this is how we get here - Keith Barker's This is How We Got Here | 01 oct. 2023 | 00:41:52 | |
Linda speaks with Métis playwright, actor, and director, Keith Barker about his play, This is How We Got Here (Playwrights Canada Press) It is a moving interview, as Barker explains the origins and shape of this play. Their discussions touch on the following subjects (among others!):
Linda also invites Barker to read from his play, which he does, selecting the first scene related to the fox figure (25.25). With a special thanks to James Healey, the podcasting studio manager - and Barker's cats, who also made an appearance in this interview! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||