In this, our time of trouble, the wholesome childhood of Marian Beaman comes as a reminder of the sweet simplicity of living. Along with this we learn how even with such a stellar beginning Beaman had to struggle her way into adulthood, toward making adult decisions that brought her life to a sharply different, but satisfying point. Listen in as Marian Beaman discusses her life and her memoir. 

In this our second interview Lara Beth Lillibridge speaks with candor and humour about her writing, her role as a single mom, and how this life change changed her writing. 

In this our time of crisis nothing remains more important, nor more demanding than the role of mother— unless it is the role of single mother! Listen in as Lara Beth Lillibridge describes her challenges and changes in learning to mother by herself. Oh, and take in her recipes, which grow in complexity and nuance as she herself does. 

Full circle 45 years after her first meal away from home took place in the prison where her father worked, Deborah finds herself teaching creative writing, including poetry, in a men's prison. She finds this her calling and discovers the rich and unique talents of each man inside, eventually culminating in plays and theatre productions acted in, staged and in some cases written by those we call inmates. Listen in as Deborah describes how audiences across California receive her productions. 

Deborah Tobola has been teaching creative writing in men's prisons since the 1980's. In this interview Deborah talks about her theatre company, Poetic Justice Project, how she hires previously incarcerated people to act, create props and more and how audiences typically respond with warm wonder at understanding prisoners are just people too.

What is astounding is Tobola's fearlessness in facing her own stereotyped views of these people and how her courage continues to lead her toward helping them. Truly inspirational! 

When do the challenges of life exceed the bar of 'normal'? When you have been a Maths Professor for Carnegie Mellon, married with two children and your brain develops cavernous angioma or Bleeding Brain. Listen in to how this remarkable woman Deb Brandon has gone on to teach writing, to win awards for her own writing and to declare she is glad for the challenges and change brought on by what she calls "my bloody brain." Traumatic Brain Injury like you've never heard before— Listen in now!

The award-winning book Threads from Around the World comes from the love author Deborah Brandon has for all things textile. This exquisite books displays not only the materials and textiles from various parts of our planet, but includes stories and myths from the cultures hosting those textiles. Join us as Deborah Brandon, author of But My Brain Had Other Ideas, speaks about her second book Threads from Around the World. 

Listen in as we continue the exhilarating and sometimes desperate change of life the courageous Jennifer Monahan created. She left her corporate straight and secure life to travel the globe where she discovered her past, and how to stay present. 

There are many ways to encourage rebirth of vitality, joy in life and satisfaction. One is to challenge yourself. But it takes courage. And if you have the monster courage of Jennifer Monahan you leave everything behind: career, family, friends, all you have known. You put on your smallest travel equipment and step onto the globe. There you just may, as she did, discover the depths of pain and exquisite living vitality that now support and uphold her. Listen in as Jennifer describes writing her second memoir, the award winning Where To: How I Shed My Baggage and Learned to Live Free. 

Helen Allison pioneer of end of life care and devoted nurse to the dying paved the way for many others to create what we have now: hospice and palliative care programs. Irene Allison, Helen's daughter, joined her mother on this journey to create a book that is at once a history of end of life care in Canada and moving stories of those who felt the support and dignity as they chose their path to end. Listen in and consider the power of dignity in end of life care.