Q with Tom Power

Harlan Coben is one of the most successful writers out there today with more than 80 million books in print, published in 46 languages. In recent years, several of his books have been turned into series for streaming giants, including "Shelter," "The Stranger," “The Innocent,” “Gone for Good,” and the number one global Netflix hit “Fool Me Once.” And yet, despite his success, Harlan still suffers from imposter syndrome. He talks to Tom about his process, the tragic loss of his parents at a young age, and some of the secrets to his success.

The Canadian jazz musician Christine Jensen is back with her third jazz orchestra album, “Harbour.” She tells Tom about a track called “Fantasy On Blue,” which was inspired by Miles Davis’s famous jazz album “Kind of Blue.”

Joyner Lucas is a rapper who has millions of streams and two Grammy nominations. He tackles big subjects in his music, from self-harm and addiction to police brutality. Joyner joins Tom in studio to talk about his new album, “Not Now I'm Busy,” and the sacrifices he's made to find success.

After a near-death scuba diving accident that left her with PTSD, the Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Alana Yorke released the biggest album of her career, “Dream Magic.” But that’s not the end of the story. One morning in 2022, Alana woke up to find that she couldn’t move the left side of her body due to a stroke. Following a long recovery, she started recording her latest album, “Destroyer,” which is out now. Alana sits down with Tom to talk about the record and share her experience.

The artist, musician and filmmaker Laurie Anderson has been prolific for decades. With a career that’s been called uncategorizable, she’s worked in performance art, music, film, sculpture and painting. You might recognize her voice best in its computerized form from the 1981 song “O Superman.” Now, Laurie is being awarded an honourary degree by the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. She joins Tom Power for a conversation about her long career, what she sees in the next generation of artists, and her surprising thoughts on AI.

The Canadian folk singer Kaia Kater is back with a new album, “Strange Medicine.” She sits down with Tom to talk about the record, why she fell out of love with the banjo for a while, and her journey back to it.

Tom Selleck has been on Hollywood’s A-list since bursting onto screens in the TV show “Magnum, P.I.” in the early ‘80s. By the end of that decade, he had reached a whole new level of fame with massive box office hits like “Three Men and a Baby.” More recently, he’s become known for his role as NYPD commissioner Frank Reagan on the hugely successful crime drama series “Blue Bloods.” Now, the actor has released a new memoir called “You Never Know.” He joins Tom Power to talk about his journey in acting, the hurdles he faced, and the lessons he learned on his way to stardom. 

Matthew Macfadyen (Succession, Pride & Prejudice) stars in the miniseries “Stonehouse,” which tells the story of the disgraced British MP John Stonehouse who faked his own death after allegedly being recruited as a spy. Last year, Matthew joined Tom to talk about the show and the parallels he sees between his roles on “Stonehouse” and “Succession.”

Kathleen Hanna is a punk icon, a pioneer of the riot grrrl movement, and one of the most influential feminists of the ‘90s. As the frontwoman of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin, she’s empowered women to feel liberated over their bodies and minds. Now, she’s released a gripping new memoir, “Rebel Girl,” in which she details the abuse she endured by men throughout her life, the terror she often felt on stage, and her path to becoming a champion of women. Kathleen joins Tom to look back on her life and career.

The Newfoundland-based writer Don McKay has been publishing poems about the natural world since the ‘80s. This year, he was honoured with the Lifetime Recognition Award from the Griffin Poetry Prize. In celebration of the honour, Don reads two poems that are particularly meaningful to him and chats with Tom about the themes that run through his work.