Shows
Getting Lit with Linda - The Canadian Literature PodcastThe Nine Days Of/Before Christmas - and the Final One of Season 5n 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: Con...2024-12-1632 min
Solarpunk Presents6.5: Teaching Hopepunk Fiction with Dr Tanis MacDonaldOn this episode of the podcast, Ariel chats with Dr Tanis MacDonald about her upcoming course in winter 2025 on hopepunk. What exactly is so punk about this kind of hope? Can hopepunk even be said to be a genre in its own right, or is it an aesthetic or lens that we can use to think through just why the characters are deciding to have hope in bleak situations? Tune in for recommendations of hopepunk novels (and poetry!), ruminations on political hope, the centrality of relationships and radical empathy to these stories, and more. Plus some a...2024-11-0450 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldWLU Writer in Residence NASSER HUSSAIN on his work's playfully seriousnessJoin host Tanis MacDonald this week on Watershed Writers when she talks to Nasser Hussain — Wilfrid Laurier University's 2024 Edna Staebler Writer in Residence — about the PLAYFUL SERIOUSNESS which informs his recent work.2024-02-2659 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: Susan Braley2024-02-0659 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: Carrie Snyder on writing REAL-LIFE fictionTanis MacDonald spends an hour talking with author and mentor Carrie Snyder on her career writing through real-life FRICTION — and how her writing is informed by her busy life in the Grand River community.
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2024-01-1859 min
Ms. Lyric's Poetry OutlawsEpisode 2: Spotlight Homage on Jay Macpherson1931-2012. Intro on blurbs and Plath. Then Macpherson’s bio, a bit from Tanis MacDonald on finding her plaque and house, obit, scholarly stuff, the Frye School, Atwood remembers and before and after I read two of her poems then at the end (following a random ad!) you can hear Jay herself reading Whale from 1957’s The Boatman. Enjoy!2024-01-1329 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldKitchener poet CHRIS BANKS on the speed of life and humour as an author's toolTanis MacDonald is joined by the celebrated and prolific Kitchener poet Chris Banks to discuss the speed of life in the 21st Century, writing metaphors for anxiety, and using humour to cast light on the heaviest subjects.2024-01-1159 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldHamilton writer ANUJA VARGHESE on her Governor General's Award winning collection "Chrysalis"Host Tanis MacDonald brings us Anuja Varghese, winner of this year’s Governor General’s Award for Fiction to discuss her genre-bending use of gothic elements in the familiar settings of her horror-adjacent dark fiction in her collection of short stories, Chrysalis (2023).2023-12-1759 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldWaterloo writer CARRIE SNYDER on real-life fictionTanis MacDonald spends an hour talking with author and mentor Carrie Snyder on her career writing through real-life FRICTION — and how her writing is informed by her busy life in the Grand River community.2023-12-0359 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldParis, Ontario author ALISON FISHBURN on purity culture and fellowshipTanis MacDonald sits down with Alison Fishburn to talk about purity culture, writing about class and finding fellowship as an author, and her award-winning performance in her one-woman play… Church Boyfriends and Other Impure Thoughts.2023-11-2059 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldUW prof and author SARAH TOLMIE on medieval lit and writing novellasTanis MacDonald hosts Sarah Tolmie to laugh about medieval literature, learn about Sarah’s astonishing novella-writing process, and to discover the meaning of… WEIRD FICTION!2023-11-0559 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldWaterloo author CAROL DUNCAN on writing the historical fantasticCarol Duncan talks to us about writing short stories inflected with Caribbean history and culture, and about her research roots when writing the historical fantastic. Her collection of short stories, This Spot of Ground: Spiritual Baptists in Toronto is available through Wilfrid Laurier University Press and fine booksellers everywhere.2023-10-2259 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: To & FroWe kick off our fourth season with the ‘To and Fro’ episode. We’ll take a look back at writers we’ve interviewed, a sneak peek at who we’ll be talking to this fall, and discover what local authors are writing — and reading!
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2023-10-1059 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldTO & FRO: Season 4 Sneak Peek and RetrospectiveWe kick off our fourth season with the ‘To and Fro’ episode. We’ll take a look back at writers we’ve interviewed, a sneak peek at who we’ll be talking to this fall, and discover what local authors are writing — and reading!2023-10-1059 min
Geek 4Episode 231: Crossing Animals with Tanis MacDonaldTanis does share a video of a white-tail deer attacking a hunter. If you want to see it, CLICK HERE. It's hilarious. Seriously. I want to re-edit it with the song, "Yakety Sax". You can order Tanis's book, Straggle: Adventures in Walking While Female from Wolsak & Wynn or order it from your local neighbourhood book shop! It's a series of beautiful, insightful essays on nature and walking. It's truly lovely. Also, Tanis's geekiest objects are the novelizations of the The Planet of the Apes films. But, she only has Battle for The Planet of the...2023-06-0752 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldJESSICA VITALIS on writing big issues for young people and her forthcoming book "The Coyote Queen"Tanis speaks with novelist Jessica Vitalis about her work for middle-grade readers treating big issues like life, death, empathy, and social justice in The Rabbit’s Gift and her forthcoming Coyote Queen.2023-05-0559 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldDAVID WALTNER TOEWS on backyard birds and his book "A Conspriacy of Chickens"This week on Watershed Writers, we talk with writer and epidemiologist David Waltner-Toews about the fun and frustrations of raising backyard birds, and his new book, A Conspiracy of Chickens.2023-05-0559 min
The Authority FileCanadian Poetry Today: Contemporary Poets, Hyperlocal Literature, and StraggleIn the final episode of this four-part series, Tanis MacDonald, professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and General Editor of the Laurier Poetry Series, reveals how she keeps up with the latest contemporary poets by relying on her well-read friends, publishers of her own poetry, literary events, and her students. Further, she discusses how the mission of the Laurier Poetry Series has evolved from preserving the work of previous generations of writers to expanding the Canadian canon to include BIPOC and LGBTQ poets who haven’t received the accolades or recognition they deserve. Next, she dives into her Watershed Writers podc...2023-04-2519 minThe Authority FileCanadian Poetry Today: Contemporary Poets, Hyperlocal Literature, and StraggleIn the final episode of this four-part series, Tanis MacDonald, professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and General Editor of the Laurier Poetry Series, reveals how she keeps up with the latest contemporary poets by relying on her well-read friends, publishers of her own poetry, literary events, and her students. Further, she discusses how the mission of the Laurier Poetry Series has evolved from preserving the work of previous generations of writers to expanding the Canadian canon to include BIPOC and LGBTQ poets who haven’t received the accolades or recognition they deserve. Next, she dives into her Watershed Writers podc...2023-04-2519 minThe Authority FileCanadian Poetry Today: The Art and ArtistIn the third episode of this four-part series, Tanis MacDonald, professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, discusses how poetry appeals to younger generations due to its (often) short length, accessibility, and experimental, wide-ranging possibilities. She explains why she positions herself as an advocate for poetry, and how the frequently maligned “Insta poetry” can act as a legitimate jumping off point for finding prominent contemporary and classic poets and expanding one’s perception of the medium. Last, Tanis contemplates the art infrastructure available outside of large metropolitan areas, and how that connects to her bo...2023-04-1814 minThe Authority FileCanadian Poetry Today: The Art and ArtistIn the third episode of this four-part series, Tanis MacDonald, professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, discusses how poetry appeals to younger generations due to its (often) short length, accessibility, and experimental, wide-ranging possibilities. She explains why she positions herself as an advocate for poetry, and how the frequently maligned “Insta poetry” can act as a legitimate jumping off point for finding prominent contemporary and classic poets and expanding one’s perception of the medium. Last, Tanis contemplates the art infrastructure available outside of large metropolitan areas, and how that connects to her bo...2023-04-1814 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldHistorian and author PEGGY PLET on weaving black stories into local and global historyThis week, Tanis learns from Waterloo Region author and historian Peggy Plet about her work weaving the stories of Black settlers back into the fabric of both local and global history, and her new book, Jan Earnst Matzeliger: A Lasting Invention.2023-04-1759 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers: TASNEEM JAMAL on the characters in "Where the Air is Sweet" and writing refugee litIn this clip from the Watershed Writers Podcast, host Tanis Macdonald is joined by author Tasneem Jamal. They discuss the creation of characters in Tasneem's debut novel and how she views the writing of refugee literature. Listen to the full catalogue of Watershed Writers episodes on their website: watershedwriters.wordpress.com and hear new episodes Saturdays at 10am on MidtownRadio.ca.
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2023-04-1317 minThe Authority FileCanadian Poetry Today: Teaching, Expanding, and Advocating for Poetry CoursesIn the second episode of this four-part series, we continue our discussion with Tanis MacDonald, professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and General Editor of the Laurier Poetry Series. She digs into the intricacies of teaching poetry in today’s classroom, first highlighting how Canadian literature has historically been taught through the lens of regionality; while these parameters have their merits, they also limit writing style and subjects. In addition, Tanis explains the monopoly that “the novel” has over English literature curricula, and points to the value of advocating for courses in poetry...2023-04-1219 minThe Authority FileCanadian Poetry Today: Teaching, Expanding, and Advocating for Poetry CoursesIn the second episode of this four-part series, we continue our discussion with Tanis MacDonald, professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and General Editor of the Laurier Poetry Series. She digs into the intricacies of teaching poetry in today’s classroom, first highlighting how Canadian literature has historically been taught through the lens of regionality; while these parameters have their merits, they also limit writing style and subjects. In addition, Tanis explains the monopoly that “the novel” has over English literature curricula, and points to the value of advocating for courses in poetry...2023-04-1219 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers: TASNEEM JAMAL on her Kitchener connection and the differences reading fiction and non-fictionIn this clip from the Watershed Writers Podcast, host Tanis Macdonald is joined by author Tasneem Jamal. They discuss Tasneem's Kitchener connection as well as the creative liberties that turn non-fiction into fiction. Listen to the full catalogue of Watershed Writers episodes on their website: watershedwriters.wordpress.com and hear new episodes Saturdays at 10am on MidtownRadio.ca.
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2023-04-1113 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers: Indigenous identity at the core of "North Wind Man" with authors CLARENCE CACHAGEE and SETH RATZLAFFIn this clip from the Watershed Writers Podcast, host Tanis Macdonald is joined by authors Clarence Cachagee and Seth Ratzlaff to discuss their book "North Wind Man". Seth and Clarence share their own indigenous identities and how this is at the core of their book. Listen to the full catalogue of Watershed Writers episodes on their website: watershedwriters.wordpress.com and hear new episodes Saturdays at 10am on MidtownRadio.ca.
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2023-04-0512 minThe Authority FileCanadian Poetry Today: Introductions and the Laurier Poetry SeriesWith the rise of “insta poetry” and young poets taking up a (small, but present!) section of everyone’s local Barnes & Noble, you might assume that awareness and appreciation for poetry in today’s youth is alive and well. And while those factors are significant for boosting sales and public engagement in contemporary and traditional poetry, garnering interest in the classroom is a different matter.
As Tanis MacDonald, General Editor of the Laurier Poetry Series, explains, poetry collections often do not stay in print. This presents a problem, as teaching from a volume of poetry creates a much rich...2023-04-0418 minThe Authority FileCanadian Poetry Today: Introductions and the Laurier Poetry SeriesWith the rise of “insta poetry” and young poets taking up a (small, but present!) section of everyone’s local Barnes & Noble, you might assume that awareness and appreciation for poetry in today’s youth is alive and well. And while those factors are significant for boosting sales and public engagement in contemporary and traditional poetry, garnering interest in the classroom is a different matter.
As Tanis MacDonald, General Editor of the Laurier Poetry Series, explains, poetry collections often do not stay in print. This presents a problem, as teaching from a volume of poetry creates a much rich...2023-04-0418 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldCLARENCE CACHAGEE and SETH RATZLAFF talk "North Wind Man", finding their voice, and local allyshipIn this episode of Watershed Writers, Tanis talks with co-authors Clarence Cachagee and Seth Ratzlaff about finding a voice, reconnecting with one's culture, and allyship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the Waterloo Region. 2023-04-0359 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers: How CLARENCE CACHAGEE and SETH RATZLAFF met why they wrote a bookIn this clip from the Watershed Writers Podcast, host Tanis Macdonald is joined by authors Clarence Cachagee and Seth Ratzlaff to discuss their book "North Wind Man". They talk about how they met haggling over a couch at a thrift store and why it was important to write a book. Listen to the full catalogue of Watershed Writers episodes on their website: watershedwriters.wordpress.com and hear new episodes Saturdays at 10am on MidtownRadio.ca.
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2023-04-0208 min
Canada Reads American StyleBook Chat #5Rebecca and Tara share good books they've read over the past month, and they make their final prediction for the CBC's 2023 Canada Reads debates.
Rebecca's titles:
The Disappearance of Mr. Nobody by Ahmed Taibaoui; translated by Jonathan Wright
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
The Magic of Ordinary Days by Anne Howard Creel
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed
Tara's title:
Fuse by Hollay Ghadery
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Straggle: Adventures in Walking While Female by Tanis MacDonald (via Eden Mills Writers' Festival)
All the Seas of the World by G...2023-03-1841 min
Mortis Maledictum - Dark Fantasy and Cosmic Horror StoriesEP16: Unquiet DeadTreasure hunting can be a dangerous business. There are monsters out past the edge of civilized society. Most keep to themselves unless the unwary disturb them. Then, the strength they can bring to bear against interlopers can be staggering. Be careful treading among ancient stones.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MortisMaledictum
Join our Discord Community: https://discord.com/invite/cM4kxbaBHw
Get the book and read along: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C33Z336
Mortis Maledictum is cataloging the stories lost to the eons. Original cosmic horror stories meant t...2023-02-2724 minMidtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: CORAL ANDREWS on her new memoir and digging into the Kitchener music scene2023-02-2259 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldMusic journalist CORAL ANDREWS on her new memoir about legendary Kitchener club "The Back Door"In this episode, Tanis MacDonald talks with local dj and music journalist, Coral Andrews about her memoir about The Back Door — Kitchener’s legendary underground bar and dance club — and its role in developing artists.2023-02-2159 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldLAURIE D. GRAHAM discusses the poetry of place and displacementJoin Tanis and her guest Laurie D. Graham as they discuss Laurie's latest work, 'Fast Commute' and her approach to the poetry of place and displacement with respect and compassion.2023-02-1159 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: Laurie D. Graham on the poetry of PLACE AND DISPLACEMENTJoin Tanis and her guest Laurie D. Graham as they discuss Laurie's latest work, 'Fast Commute' and her approach to the poetry of place and displacement with respect and compassion.
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2023-02-1159 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: Donna Morrissey on how FICTION INFORMS MEMOIRTanis MacDonald's guest is celebrated Canadian novelist Donna Morrissey, discussing her tenure as this year's Writer In Residence at Wilfrid Laurier University. Find out how 'fiction informs memoir' at the intersection of life and stories we tell about it.
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2023-01-3059 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldDONNA MORRISSEY on how fiction informs memoirTanis MacDonald's guest is celebrated Canadian novelist Donna Morrissey, discussing her tenure as this year's Writer In Residence at Wilfrid Laurier University. Find out how 'fiction informs memoir' at the intersection of life and stories we tell about it.2023-01-2359 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldKitchener's BENJAMIN LEFEBVRE discusses coming out subversions in his novel "In the Key of Dale"This week on Watershed Writers, novelist Benjamin Lefebvre sits down with interviewer Tanis MacDonald to discuss writing Young Adult Fiction and subverting the usual coming-out narrative in his first novel, In the Key of Dale."2022-12-1959 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: Tanis and Frances Roberts Reilly reveal their HOLIDAY READING LIST2022-12-1203 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: Kimia Eslah2022-12-0925 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldKIMIA ESLAH on writing fiction to serve social justice and her novel "Sister Seen, Sister Heard"This episode features Iranian-Canadian novelist Kimia Eslah talking with interviewer Tanis MacDonald about her aims in writing fiction to serve social justice and combat gendered violence and about feminism, diversity, and friendship in her second novel Sister Seen, Sister Heard2022-12-0559 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: Kimia Eslah on her GENESIS as an author and why writing books is like LAYS CHIPSIn this clip from the Watershed Writers Podcast, host Tanis MacDonald talks to novelist Kimia Eslah about the process of writing books, how publishing books legitimizes personal stories, and more!2022-12-0527 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonald: Author Alison Fishburn on starting a new WRITERS READING SERIES in Paris, OntarioOn this clip from series 3, episode 2 of the Watershed Writers podcast, host Tanis MacDonald talks to Paris, Ontario based author Alison Fishburn about her brand new literary venture: a writers reading series. She discusses why she wanted to embark on this challenge and why reading series are important events for local communities. 2022-11-2808 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldLocal poet and novelist PAMELA MORDECAI on writing fiction and the power of vernacularThis episode features Jamaican-Canadian poet, novelist, and children's writer Pamela Mordecai talking with Tanis MacDonald about her long career in writing, and about being bold and irreverent on the page and in performance.2022-11-2159 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers: Pamela Mordecai on LIVING AND WRITING in KitchenerIn this clip of Watershed Writers, host Tanis MacDonald welcomes novelist and poet Pamela Mordecai to the program. Pamela shares some of the fond memories of her time living and writing in Kitchener-Waterloo. 2022-11-2106 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldKitchener author PAMELA MULLOY discusses her book "As Little As Nothing", why she writes about war, and her new non-fiction projectIn this clip from Watershed Writer's podcast, host Tanis MacDonald talks with Pamela Mulloy about the genesis of her book "As Little as Nothing", why war is an interesting subject for her writing, and her next non-fiction project about train travel. 2022-11-1111 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldKW writers Frances Roberts Reilly and Tanis MacDonald talk touring in support of their NEW BOOKS2022-11-0907 min
Midtown Radio - KW Music, Arts, & CultureWatershed Writers: Frances Roberts Reilly and Tanis MacDonald talk BOOK TOURSLocal authors Tanis MacDonald and Frances Roberts Reilly discuss their travels in support of their recently released books. Tanis toured Canada to promote "Straggle: Adventures of Walking while Female" while Frances hopped the pond to Wales to share "Parmisha: A Romani Poetry Collection".2022-11-0707 min
Watershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldFull Episode: Novelist PAMELA MULLOY on Historical Fiction from interesting timesThis episode features novelist Pamela Mulloy and the challenges of writing historical fiction about uncertain times, as well as Tanis MacDonald and Frances Roberts Reilly discussing the summer in book tours.2022-11-0759 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldMadhur Anand: Poet, scientist, memoirist... Governor General's Award winnerWe talk with poet, scientist, and memoirist Madhur Anand about living by rivers, about blending art and science in writing, and about her recent Governor General’s Award for "This Red Line Goes Straight To Your Heart".2022-11-0258 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldEmily Urquhart: On MEMOIR AND MYTH in "The Age of Creativity"We talk with nonfiction writer Emily Urquhart about her new book, The Age of Creativity: Art, Memory, My Father, and Me, featuring her father, abstract expressionist painter and sculptor Tony Urquhart. Emily speaks about the delicate art of writing the family memoir, myths about aging and art, and the use of folklore and science as portals to understanding.2022-11-0200 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldLuke Hathaway: From Waterloo Region roots to INTERNATIONAL REACHWe talk with writer and editor Luke Hathaway about love and radical transformation, about the Waterloo Region roots and the international reach of his latest book, Years, Months, and Days, and about the importance of influences in maker culture.2022-11-0259 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldJanet Rogers: Coming home to Six Nations and writing the PERSONAL AND POLITICALWe sit down with Tuscarora writer, performer, and publisher Janet Rogers to discuss what it has meant for her to come home to Six Nations of the Grand River after decades away, her dreams as a literary Auntie, and the personal and political power of her new book Ego of a Nation.2022-11-0259 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldYvonne Blomer: Writing poetry for our LOCAL WATERSHEDSWe meet Yvonne Blomer, the editor of the Caitlin Press volume Sweet Water: Poetry for the Watersheds and speak with poets who are writing about and for their local watersheds. With Gary Barwin and Laurie D. Graham.2022-11-0259 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldTasneem Jamal: The POWER OF FICTION to fill the cracks in historyWe speak with Tasneem Jamal about her novel, Where The Air is Sweet, about a family who move to Kitchener following Idi Amin’s expulsion of Asian-Ugandans, about the power of fiction to fill in historical gaps, and Tasneem’s new manuscript that explores female friendship in the 1970s.2022-11-0259 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldMike Chaulk & Sarah Tolmie: Two local writers, TWO GREAT BOOKSWe talk with Mike Chaulk about his book Night Lunch, in which he crews on a ferry and freight vessel up the Labrador Coast. Also on the show, Sarah Tolmie introduces us to her book, Check, about confirmation bias, and we talk about writing speculative fiction.2022-11-0259 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldTextile Magazine: DIVERSITY AND MENTORSHIP in local writing and community-focused artWe talk with writers and editors of Textile, a literary magazine that showcases the diversity of the Grand River region, and works to mentor emerging writers in the creation of community-engaged art.2022-11-0259 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldJanice Jo Lee: Discussing POETRY AS SONG & the art of writing a one-person musicalWe talk with the multi-talented Janice Jo Lee about what it takes to write and star in a one-person musical, her tips for writing poetry as song, and her advocacy work with young writers.2022-11-0248 minWatershed Writers w/ Tanis MacDonaldErin Bow: Exploring her "middle-school" novel, Russian folk tales, poetry and MORE!We talk with Kitchener writer Erin Bow about her award-winning middle-school novel, Stand on the Sky, in which a young Kazakh woman trains an eagle to hunt. We also talk about Russian folk tales and the place of science and poetry in Erin’s writing life.2022-11-0259 min
Eh Poetry Podcast - Canadian poems read 3 times, each with a slight difference.How to Get Lost in the Woods by Tanis MacDonaldTanis MacDonald is an essayist, poet, professor and free-range literary animal. She is the host of the podcast Watershed Writers, and the author of Out of Line: Daring to Be an Artist Outside the Big City. Her essay “Mondegreen Girls” won The Malahat Review's Open Seasons Award for Creative Nonfiction in 2021. She identifies as a bad birder, and lives near Ose’kowáhne in southwestern Ontario as a grateful guest on traditional Haudenosaunee territory.
"How to Get Lost in the Woods" appears in Tanis's latest book, Straggle: Adventures in Walking While Female, published by Wolsak & Wynn in spring...2022-07-1804 min
Parallel CareersEpisode 5 | Tanis MacDonald“The other thing I say in Out of Line after ‘if you don't have community, art will break your heart’ is your heart will be broken anyway, eventually, but it's better with community. You will recover faster and you won't die of heartbreak if you have community.”In this episode, Tanis MacDonald encourages us to challenge the voices in the canon that do not satisfy, and examines her changing relationship with both walking and art.She discusses:1:06 | How poetry attracts people with its strangeness and makes space for two disparate ideas to sit a...2022-05-2720 min
Midtown Poetry ProjectTanis MacDonald reads "How No Works"Waterloo Region Poet Tanis MacDonald reads her poem "How No Works".2022-03-3102 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldEpisode 10 - Madhur AnandIn this episode, we begin by asking when writing a memoir, at what point does your parents’ story become your own?” We talk with Governor General Award winner, Madhur Anand about challenging the standard memoir form, and how she decided to explore its limits in her book A Red Line Goes Right Through To Your Heart.2022-01-2458 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Emily UrquhartIn this podcast episode, we ask about age. What if artistic experimentation does not decline with age? Are many of our assumptions about aging just flat-out wrong? Listen in as we talk with author, Emily Urquhart about her new book, The Age of Creativity: Art, Memory, My Father, and Me.2022-01-1700 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Luke HathawayIn this episode, we talk with Luke Hathaway about Luke’s Waterloo Region roots and the international reach of his latest book, Years, Months, and Days, as well about the importance of influences in maker culture.-Hosted by Tanis MacDonaldProduced by Frances Roberts ReillyEdited by Brendon HighmoreMusic by Alysha BrillaArtwork by John RoscoeSponsored by The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund2021-12-2758 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Janet RogersWe talk with Tuscarora writer, performer, and publisher Janet Rogers. As the national Truth and Reconciliation conversation continues, we listen as Janet speaks of writing as a response to the work of her forebears. She reads from her new book Ego of a Nation about personal and political power.-Hosted by Tanis MacDonaldProduced by Frances Roberts ReillyEdited by Brendon HighmoreMusic by Alysha BrillaArtwork by John RoscoeSponsored by The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund2021-12-2158 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Tasneem JamalWe talk with author Tasneem Jamal about migrant writing in Canadian literature, the challenge of writing across generations in her novel Where The Air is Sweet.-Hosted by Tanis MacDonaldProduced by Frances Roberts ReillyEdited by Brendon HighmoreMusic by Alysha BrillaArtwork by John RoscoeSponsored by The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund2021-12-1359 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Mike Chaulk & Sarah TolmieIn this podcast episode, we ask Inuit author Mike Chaulk about his writerly solutions for claiming his mixed-race identity explored in his book Night Lunch. Also on this episode, we ask Sarah Tolmie about literary prize culture. She reads from her book, Check, about confirmation bias and speaks about taking up space, daring to be funny.-Hosted by Tanis MacDonaldProduced by Frances Roberts ReillyEdited by Brendon HighmoreMusic by Alysha BrillaArtwork by John RoscoeSponsored by The Region of Waterloo Arts...2021-12-0658 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Textile MagazineIn this episode, our guests are Fitsum Areguy, Yasmeen Namett Alla and Ashley Hynd who are a few of the many contributors to Textile Magazine. Lean in as we explore two questions that form the backbone of Textile magazine, “Which stories are valued the most? Where does power reside?”-Hosted by Tanis MacDonaldProduced by Frances Roberts ReillyEdited by Brendon HighmoreMusic by Alysha BrillaArtwork by John RoscoeSponsored by The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund2021-11-2957 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Sweet Water: Poems for the WatershedsIn this episode, we speak with three poets, Yvonne Blomer, Laurie D. Graham and Gary Barwin who all write about their local watersheds in Sweat Water: Poems for the Watersheds. We ask, what does a poetics of water look like/sound like in Waterloo Region?-Hosted by Tanis MacDonaldProduced by Frances Roberts ReillyEdited by Brendon HighmoreMusic by Alysha BrillaArtwork by John RoscoeSponsored by The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund2021-11-2253 minWatershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Sweat Water: Poems for the WatershedsIn this episode, we speak with three poets, Yvonne Blomer, Laurie D. Graham and Gary Barwin who all write about their local watersheds in Sweat Water: Poems for the Watersheds. We ask, what does a poetics of water look like/sound like in Waterloo Region?-Hosted by Tanis MacDonaldProduced by Frances Roberts ReillyEdited by Brendon HighmoreMusic by Alysha BrillaArtwork by John RoscoeSponsored by The Region of Waterloo Arts Fund2021-11-2253 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Janice Jo LeeIn this episode we ask, as a young artist, would you take the risk of being called notorious? That’s the risk our podcast guest, the multi-talented Janice Jo Lee took with the performances of her one-person show Will You Be My Friend? in Kitchener and in Toronto. For many years, Janice was a mover and shaker in the artistic community of the Region of Waterloo,. She was everywhere, it seemed, with her songs and spoken word pieces about identity, friendship, and solidarity.Listen in as Janice talks about her upcoming album, Ancestor Songs, and her many ot...2021-11-1548 min
Watershed Writers with Tanis MacDonaldWatershed Writers - Erin BowSit back and get transported to the steppes of Mongolia where eagle hunting, an age-old tradition is overturned by one young girl’s bravery and determination to train an eagle as author Erin Bow talks about Stand on the Sky, which won the 2019 Governor General’s Award for Young People’s Literature in English. Then hear what’s hair-raising about her book Plain Kate and how Erin explores blood magic to transform an old Russian fairytale for contemporary readers. We finish with Erin reading her poem about Madame Curie where Erin puts her science background to poetic means. - ...2021-11-0159 min
The Horror Pod ClassPart 2 of Ginger Snaps and TransfigurationWatching and Reading Tyler: I am reading loving Found Footage and Horror Films: Fear and the Appearance of Reality by Alexandra Heller Nicholas. Also watched The Wandering Earth pretty awesome. M: GoT. Finished Jean Rey. Hey also Written in Darkness Mark Samuels OR: hey, wanna read some Canadian Horror? Gemma Files http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/drawn-up-from-deep-places/ Essential Question: How does Ginger Snaps handle Puberty, the Female Monster and Transfiguration. Movie Hey, BTW there were two sequels: https://www.thoughtco.com/ginger-snaps-movie-franchise-1873037 Theory htt...2019-05-1345 min
Time to Read: a podcast book clubEpisode 015: But I Don’t Wanna Grow Up – LiveThank you for joining us for this special LIVE episode where we discuss our favourite childhood reads with the audience at the Good Will Social Club, and featuring special musical guest funlife.In This Episode We MentionThere’s No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack KentThe Secret Seven by Enid BlytonTintin by HergéPoky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring LowreyMadeline by Ludwig BemelmansCBC WhitehorseThe Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Biancofunlife Favourite Char...2019-04-051h 09
Library of the World's Best Mystery and DetectiveEpisode 3.7 Refuse: CanLit in RuinsOkay I obviously don’t normally use this podcast to promote my side hustles but I want very badly to tell you about this project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half, and which launched just yesterday! Refuse: CanLit in Ruins is a collection of essays and poems and dialogues and stories that tackle the contemporary state of Canadian literature, that interrogate the link between CanLit and systemic forms of power and violence, and that imagine our way forward into something else, something better. I’m so proud of this book, and so moved by the...2018-11-1618 min
Secret Feminist AgendaEpisode 3.7 Refuse: CanLit in Ruins
Okay I obviously don’t normally use this podcast to promote my side hustles but I want very badly to tell you about this project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half, and which launched just yesterday! Refuse: CanLit in Ruins is a collection of essays and poems and dialogues and stories that tackle the contemporary state of Canadian literature, that interrogate the link between CanLit and systemic forms of power and violence, and that imagine our way forward into something else, something better. I’m so proud of this book, and so moved by the ge...2018-11-1618 min