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The acclaimed performer of stage and screen R.H. Thomson discusses his new book By the Ghost Light: Wars, Memory, and Families (Alfred E. Knopf, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: By the Ghost Light

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

R.H. Thomson joins me now. He has just published a new book By the Ghost Light: Wars, Memory, and Families. It’s a mesmerising book that looks critically at how we’ve romanticised notions of war, including Mr. Thomson himself. He goes beyond reflecting on how he used to play with toy soldiers at his grandmother’s house, and into how his childhood was shaped by his family’s contribution to war. Eight of Robert’s great-uncles fought in the First World War, while his godmother served as a military surgical nurse in Europe. The book shares a lot of the letters from his great-uncles, as well as other family members like great-aunts and cousins, which provide colour and verve to the recounting of experiences at the front line. Throughout the book, we see Robert’s family history, as well as the impact not just to them, their progeny and Robert himself. He looks critically at the profound costs, as well as how we as a society, not just in Canada but elsewhere remember. As we mark Remembrance Day tomorrow, this conversation is one way to look at effect of war on a family and a country. R.H. Thomson’s career on stage, screen and television has spanned over fifty years. He is a member of the Order of Canada, and was awarded the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. Visit www.theworldremembers.org for the international commemoration exhibit he built, which is also installed at the Canadian War Memorial. This new book is published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada. We spoke this past Tuesday, with Robert joining me from Toronto. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, R.H. Thomson; Mr. Thomson, good morning.

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The playwright and writer C.E. Gatchalian, one of the editors of Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing (Coromorant Books, 2023), discusses the collection with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Magdaragat

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

There’s a new collection out now, Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing. It gathers in one place a wide variety of pieces, essays, short stories, poetry, plays, speeches, and more, whose writers reflect the diversity, of not just Canada, but Filipino Canadians themselves. Herein you have writers from throughout the country, some from first, and second generation heritage, as well as some who are newly arrived to Canada, or who have been here decades. You have a wide variety of backgrounds. The collection reflects the contributions the Filipino community has made to the fabric of Canadian society, and often invisibly. A reader bears witness to the joys and struggles of people who’ve sacrificed much to seek community and family elsewhere. The collection is edited by Teodoro Alcuitas, C.E. Gatchalian, and Patria Rivera. Mr. Gatchalian joins me now, and I’ll get him to talk about what it was like working on this important, worthwhile project, and getting to read the richness in the submissions. I’ll also ask Chris to reflect on his own piece in the book, and what he says in it as somebody born in Canada, reflecting on the identities he contends with then and now. Chris Gatchalian is the author of six books, and co-editor of two anthologies. He is a three-time Lambda Award finalist and a recipient of the Dayne Ogilvie Prize in 2013. He is originally from Vancouver, but joined me from Toronto one week ago. There will be an event this Tuesday evening, November 14, 2023 at the Massy Arts Gallery, 23 East Pender Street. You can register in advance at www.massyarts.com. This collection is published by Cormorant Books. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Chris Gatchalian; Mr. Gatchalian, good morning.

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The writer Paola Ferrante discusses her debut short story collection Her Body Among Animals (Book*hug Press, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Her Body Among Animals

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Paola Ferrante’s debut collection of short stories is described as genre-bending, merging horror, fairy tales, pop culture, and sci-fi. It’s called Her Body Among Animals. Women are central characters, and the boundaries placed on their bodies is put into focus throughout the book, as she illustrates through her characters the complexity of living in a world “among animals.” I’ll ask Ms. Ferrante, who joined me last month, about the toxic masculinity she addresses and names in her stories. We’ll also talk about the setting of a couple of her stories, and the animals that mean a lot, that stand in for people at times. Paola Ferrante is a writer living with depression. Her debut poetry collection, What to Wear When Surviving a Lion Attack was shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Prize. She’s appeared in several publications including North American Review, PRISM International, and Best Canadian Poetry 2021, among many others. Visit www.paolaferrante.com for more information. This new book is published by Book*hug Press. She joined me from Toronto. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Paola Ferrante; Ms. Ferrante, good morning.

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The writer and critic Peter Counter discusses his new memoir How to Restore a Timeline: On Violence and Memory (House of Anansi Press, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: How to Restore a Timeline

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

While on vacation with his family in Costa Rica in December 2006, Peter Counter witnessed a stranger shooting his father. He hauls his blood-drenched father to safety, and soon after Peter’s sense of time and memory is shattered. In his new book How to Restore a Timeline: On Violence and Memory, Mr. Counter, who joins me now, chronicles having to contend with post-traumatic stress disorder. We see in the consumption of media, old and new, nostalgic and current, just how tinged or immersed in violence everything is through Peter’s mind. He has to relive the trauma of his father’s shooting again and again, and he illustrates in an often magnificent way, the despair and resilience Peter experiences as he pieces together his life once more. The book is often amusing and clever, as well as insightful as Peter thinks critically about staples in popular culture, or nostalgic favourites that he revisits whether they’re video games, films, music, or television. I’ll ask Peter about some of the themes explored in the book like dreaming, revenge, and violence. Peter Counter is a culture critic who writes about television, video games, film, music, mental illness, horror, and technology. He is the author of Be Scared of Everything: Horror Essays, and his non-fiction has appeared in The Walrus, All Lit Up, Motherboard, Art of the Title, Electric Literature, and the anthology Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church. For more visit www.peterbcounter.com, and www.everythingisscary.com. This new book is published by House of Anansi Press. We spoke one week ago, with Peter joining me from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Peter Counter; Mr. Counter, good morning.

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The choreographer and artistic director of Co.ERASGA Alvin Erasga Tolentino discusses the world premiere of Accumulation, which he choreographed and performs in starting Thursday, 09 November to Saturday, 11 November 2023 at Performance Works on Granville Island, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Alvin Erasga Tolentino joins me again. His Co.ERASGA is proud to present the world premiere of Accumulation, starting tomorrow Thursday, 09 November 2023 (running through to Saturday, 11 November 2023) at Performance Works on Granville Island. I’ll ask Alvin about this new work that he’s performing in, and that he’s choreographed. I’ll ask him what Accumulation means to him, and what the pieces says about art and environmental stewardship. This is the 23rd season of Co.ERASGA, and I’ll get Alvin to reflect on that as well as what he wants to say about the world around us, and the future at this time. Visit www.companyerasgadance.ca for tickets and information. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Alvin Erasga Tolentino; Mr. Tolentino, good morning.

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The broadcaster and former NHL coach, general manager and team president Doug MacLean discusses his new book Draft Day: How Hockey Teams Pick Winners or Get Left Behind (Simon & Schuster, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Draft Day

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Doug MacLean joins me now. The former NHL coach, general manager, team president, and broadcaster has just published a highly readable, insightful, and fun book Draft Day: How Hockey Teams Pick Winners or Get Left Behind. He provides marvelous insight about the draft process in hockey, and how critical it is for the foundation of a championship team. It’s a roll of the dice at times, so a lot of thought and preparation goes into the scouting, as well as interviews. There’s the metrics angle to all of this too, and I’ll ask Mr. MacLean about the relationship between the scouts and the analytics folks. The book is replete with anecdotes that will be fun for a hockey fan, and will be interesting for non-hockey fans alike, because they’re all great lessons in leadership. Doug MacLean was the president and general manager of the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets, and was head coach of the Florida Panthers. He also served in the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and Washington Capitals organisations. He then went on to a broadcasting career for Sportsnet, cohosting the popular Hockey Central at Noon on the radio, and the Hockey Central television broadcast. He divides his time between his native Prince Edward Island and Florida. The book is written with Scott Morrison, and is published by Simon and Schuster. We talked yesterday, with Doug joining me from Delray Beach, Florida. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Doug MacLean; Mr. MacLean, good morning.

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The textile artist Wendy Van Riesen discusses her retirement from design and fabrication, the last sixteen years of Dahlia Drive, and her future, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

The renowned textile artist Wendy Van Riesen joins me now. After sixteen years of design and fabrication Wendy is retiring. I’ll ask her about her art practice, and the ethical way she goes about upcycling and handmaking. We’ll also discuss her collaboration with Haida artist Reg Davidson. I interviewed Reg back in 2016 when their collection was launched as part of Eco Fashion Week. Wendy will be at the 2023 Circle Craft Holiday Market starting this Wednesday, 08 November 2023 through to Sunday, 12 November 2023. She’ll have Dahlia Drive’s last hundred garments for sale, and if you’ve got a Dahlia Drive piece from the last sixteen years, you’re invited to wear it to the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Visit www.circlecraft.ca for tickets and information. We taped this interview last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program Wendy Van Riesen; Ms. Van Riesen, good morning.

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The director and producer Tyler Funk and cinematographer Peter Planta discuss their documentary Anything For Fame, streaming for free at NFB.ca (starting 08 November 2023) and now on Paramount+, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

The documentary Anything For Fame will be released online at the National Film Board of Canada’s website shortly, and I’m joined now by the film’s director and producer Tyler Funk. In the movie, we meet young influencers who do nearly anything to get attention from the internet. In the name of creating content, we see people engage in pranks and hijinks for likes and views. There are others who promote products or themselves, and whether it’s for notoriety or profit, the risks and effects are seldom considered. In the film, we’re not just introduced to a variety of these online personalities, but we see their lives behind their cellphone’s camera, their circumstances, and the consequences of contemporary celebrity. Tyler Funk, wrote, produced and directed this film, and I’ll ask him about what he set out to document and reveal. The cinematographer is Peter Planta, who also joins us. And in the spirit of full disclosure, he is my cousin. I’ll ask them about working on this production, the challenges of making a movie like this, logistically and ethically. Visit www.nfb.ca to stream the film, and for more information. The film is a North of Now Films and National Film Board of Canada co-production, produced by Tyler Funk, Sebastian Mercado, and Shirley Vercruysse. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Tyler Funk and Peter Planta; Mr. Funk, good morning; and Mr. Planta, good morning.

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The director Mark Carter discusses the new CTORA Theatre production of The Wizard of Oz (03-12 November 2023 at the Granville Island Stage) with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Mark Carter joins me again. CTORA Theatre is back with a new production, The Wizard of Oz. It’s the Royal Shakespeare Company version, and I’ll ask Mr. Carter about what we’ll see at the Granville Island Stage starting this Friday, 03 November 2023, and running until 12 November 2023. Mark is the director of this production, and I’ll ask him about the technical elements that will be part of this show, as well ask about the cast, and the themes in the work based on the L. Frank Baum book. The music and lyrics are by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Visit www.ctora.ca for tickets and information. There’s something in this show for all ages. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Carter; Mr. Carter, good morning.

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Brandon Reid discusses his debut novel Beautiful Beautiful (Nightwood Editions, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Beautiful Beautiful

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Brandon Reid joins me now. The educator will be publishing his debut novel shortly. Entitled Beautiful Beautiful, the book is a coming-of-age story that examines the complexities of indigeneity, masculinity, and the contrasts between urban and rural life. I’ll get Brandon to tell us about the twelve-year old, Indigenous boy at the heart of the story, Derik Mormin, who we follow as he goes to Bella Bella for his grandfather’s funeral. And Brandon will tell us as much as he’d like about the transformative journey that Derik undertakes, wherein he uncovers the traumatic history of his ancestors. I’ll also ask Brandon about writing, and the sort of themes he takes on in writing, and in fiction in the case of this book. As well, we’ll reflect on the publishing process. Brandon Reid holds a B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia with a specialisation in Indigenous education, and a journalism diploma from Langara College. His work has been published in the Barely South Review, the Richmond Review, and The Province. He is a member of the Heiltsuk First Nation, with a mix of Indigenous and English ancestry. He joined me from Richmond, BC, where he lives. This new book is published by Nightwood Editions. We taped this interview three weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Brandon Reid; Mr. Reid, good morning.

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