Can't Lit

And we're back to chat about shhhhhhh... gossip. What is it? Is it good? Is it bad? Are Dina and Jen prone to doing it? We answer all these questions and ask some that aren't easy to answer so we trail off. Is there singing? Listen to find out. You can gossip about our singing on your time. xoxo Gossip Girls

Guess what? We've got Lynn Coady! We talk about her new novel, Watching You Without Me, writing bad men characters, writing relationships between mothers and daughters, novel-writing vs. short-story writing, how it feels to go to a literary gala, and we play a little game of Would You Rather? Fall has settled over the land and there are literary festivals everywhere and we are coming to you 100% not live from a conference room on Granville Island during the Vancouver Writers' Fest.

Boo! It's October. And what's spookier than feeling like you're constantly working? In this episode Dina and Jen talk about taking breaks. What are they? Why do we need them? What can they look like? You're not totally broken, you just need a break.

Hi, hi, hi! What a delightful episode we have with the supremely talented funny person, podcaster (stars, they're just like us), writer and wonderful person, Alicia Tobin! We discuss her new book, So You're a Little Sad, So What (out with Friend of the Pod Arsenal Pulp Press), comedy, writing the hard essays, DOGS, animals, and we make a lot of jokes along the way. Rosie kisses Alicia and it makes everyone feel happy. Gosh, thanks for listening.

We took a brief break, but now we're back! Summer's not quite over (thank goodness) and to celebrate we have the amazing writer, mentor and literary dynamo Chelene Knight as our guest. We talk about mentorship, her upcoming novel, Junie, the right form for your writing, her new endeavours, Learn Writing Essentials and Breathing Space Creative, and how we are all sweaty. And of course Rosie brings the love and we talk about Chelene's dog, Chester, and how he makes his #ChestersPicks.

Why hello there. Dina and Jen are back to talk about being in public, from readings, to being online. This shortie of an episode covers a little of what writers sometimes have to do a lot. Also, Rosie is adorable.

It's not official, but it's basically summer. So we talk to novelist, poet, creative writing instructor, festival director, and summer aficionado, Andrea MacPherson. In this episode we discuss productivity, writing poetry and fiction sort of simultaneously, feminism in the 70s, writing with character in mind, bikinis, and Andrea's most recent novel, What We Once Believed. We also are treated to a preview of the Fraser Valley Lit Festival, happening fall 2019, including shout outs to many former guests and friends of the podcast. We have a lot of literary love to give!

Writers! We feel bad about ourselves. About our work, about the way we think others think about us, about the way we present ourselves out in the world. In this episode Dina and Jen get into self-loathing, and how it affects writing and life. Rosie drags a bone around. It is quiet and riveting.

Poetry Month is over, but at Can't Lit we love to talk to poets all year long. In this episode we talk to the tremendous Laura Matwichuk about her debut poetry collection, Near Miss (Nightwood Editions), natural disasters, dreams, Armageddon (yes, the movie) and screen time. Dina rages about the most popular jeans right now, Jen is emotional about Mother's Day, and Rosie's friend Lola the Cat is introduced. What an episode!

No guest, but lots of chatting. Dina & Jen talk about revision, editing, working with an editor, feedback, writing groups and workshops. And more! And find out what Dina and Jen think of books about writing. You probably already know in your heart.