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The distinguished historian and biographer Charlotte Gray discusses her newest book Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt (Simon & Schuster, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Charlotte Gray joins me again. The distinguished historian and biographer has just published a dual biography of two remarkable women, Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt. They’re two women born in close proximity to one another in the late 19th century, in the Gilded Age of the United States upper class in and around New York. As Jennie Jerome makes her way to the glittering world of Imperial London, and Sara remains prosperous in the Hudson Valley, their respective lots in life are of the era, and yet they become formidable women in worlds that aren’t necessarily welcoming of women in important roles. It is later their sons, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill take up a lot of space for historians and biographers, but it’s their relationship to their mothers, and their mothers devotion to their sons, that makes this book important as we see how they shape their sons characters and personalities. This is a hell of a good read, and Gray’s skill in research, and her talent at crafting a marvelous story as a result are a wonder. The British-born Charlotte Gray is one of Canada’s best-known writers, the author of ten acclaimed books of literary non-fiction. These are books that are bestsellers, as well as award-winners. She first appeared on the program in 2013 for her book The Massey Murder, a critical hit and a bestseller. She is a Member of the Order of Canada, and a recipient of the Pierre Berton Prize, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Visit www.charlottegray.ca for more. This new book is published by Simon & Schuster. We spoke two weeks ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Charlotte Gray; Ms. Gray, good morning.

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The bestselling and acclaimed author Jon Klassen discusses his new book for young readers The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale (Candlewick, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Skull

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

One of the more captivating books of the year is latest from the acclaimed and bestselling author Jon Klassen, The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale. A #1 New York Times bestseller when the book was released this past summer, it got great notices and further cemented Mr. Klassen’s reputation as an exceptional author and illustrator. Hailed as a masterpiece, The Skull is described as a haunting, charming narrative. It may be for younger readers, but older ones, myself included found a lot to think about amidst the sharp text, and haunting illustrations. I’ll ask Jon who joins me now, about the first time he came across the folktale that inspired The Skull, and where. I’ll ask him about memory, how he works, what he uses when he works, and how the characters in the book interact; Otilla, a child who’s run away from home, and this skull that she encounters. I’ll also ask Jon about his career and how his work has been regarded, here in Canada, where he was born and raised, and in the United States, where he lives and works now. It was in the New York Times recently, that he was described as a national treasure. I’ll ask him about that, and more. Jon Klassen is the bestselling author and illustrator of the Hat Trilogy, which has sold over a million copies, and which spent 100 weeks on the bestseller list. He is a recipient of the Governor General’s Award, and Caldecott Medal, as well he is a Member of the Order of Canada. The Skull is published by Candlewick. Visit https://linktr.ee/jonklassen for all the links to Jon’s socials and books. He joined me from Los Angeles, nearly one month ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jon Klassen; Mr. Klassen, good morning.

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The acclaimed and bestselling author Tom Rachman discusses his newest novel The Imposters (Bond Street Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Imposters

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

This past summer Tom Rachman published a new novel, The Imposters. It’s the story of a writer, Dora Frenhofer, once successful, now aging and embittered. Her mind is going, and we see its descent and her desperation to finish her last book. Set in the weeks around March 2020, just as the pandemic was seizing the world, we get a sense of what it was like in Dora’s London, England. She is alone, but as we see her life changing, we see some of the people who drift in and out or alongside her life. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a character with a connection to Dora, whether it’s her missing brother, her estranged daughter, a former lover, or that one last remaining friend. The book draws out these characters in their isolation, literally and figuratively, and it’s a dazzling story that Rachman weaves; one that’s riveting to the end. The struggles of a writer are throughout the book. We see a writer at the end of their career, as well as a character who appears to be at the beginning of theirs. I’ll also ask Tom to reflect on writing, and publishing, as well as how he measures success today. He joined me from Toronto back in late June, just as the book was released. He lives in London, where he was born, but was raised here in Vancouver. He first appeared on the program in 2011, after the publication of his first novel The Imperfectionists, which was an international bestseller, and was translated into twenty-five languages. He was last on in 2018 with another novel, The Italian Teacher. He attended the University of Toronto, and the Columbia Journalism School. He was also a journalist with the Associated Press. His website is at www.tomrachman.com. The Imposters is a Bond Street Book from Penguin Random House Canada. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Tom Rachman; Mr. Rachman, good morning.

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The legendary broadcaster and author Bill Boggs discusses his new novel Spike Unleashed: The Wonder Dog Returns (Post Hill Press, 2023), and his storied television career, with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Spike Unleashed

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Bill Boggs joins me now. The legendary broadcaster has just published a new book, Spike Unleashed: The Wonder Dog Returns. It’s a follow-up to his 2020 book The Adventures of Spike the Wonder Dog. These are hilarious, timely, and biting novels as told to Bill Boggs, by Spike, an English Bull Terrier who finds himself a television and social media sensation. We continue following Spike and his adventures in American popular culture and politics. Along the way, alongside his human Bud, and through Mr. Boggs, we get the often humourous, absurdist social commentary about the world of entertainment, that Spike has seemingly found himself in the midst of. I’ll ask Bill about the real dog that he had that inspired Spike, that appeared with him on local television back in North Carolina. The Philadelphia native was then lured to New York City, where in 1975 he became the host of WNEW’s Midday Live. He became a star in New York City with his daily program, that featured guest appearances by everybody, including Frank Sinatra, among so many others. A classic, which you can find of Bill’s YouTube channel, BillBoggsTV, which really says it all about the 1970s, and New York in the ‘70s, features Lawrence Welk and the Studio 54 fixture Disco Sally. I’ll ask Bill about the fame that catapults Spike to superstardom, as well as the celebrity that Bill also experienced in those days that he was on New York television daily. He went on to produce the syndicated series Comedy Tonight, and The Morton Downey Jr. Show, and he had a regular program on the Food Network, as well as other outlets. Visit his website at www.BillBoggs.com. This new book is published by Post Hill Press. He joined me from New York City a week and a half ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Bill Boggs; Mr. Boggs, good morning.

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The journalist and writer Jeannie Marshall discusses her book All Things Move: Learning to Look in the Sistine Chapel (Biblioasis, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: All Things Move

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

One of my favourite books of the season is All Things Move: Learning to Look in the Sistine Chapel. At once, it’s about its author Jeannie Marshall’s relationship with the work of Michelangelo; artwork she’d avoided despite having moved to Rome. At another, after finally seeing the frescoes, she’s able to work through how to view this art, what her relationship to it is, and how much of faith and spirituality is part of the work. We also get a sense of what it’s like living in the Italian capital, a city much older than the Toronto she grew up in; how is daily life affected by the aging infrastructure and history all around. And at its heart, the book is about art and its place in one’s life, how we really do need art. Jeannie Marshall joins me now, and I’ll ask her about her ongoing relationship with art, and her own family. We’ll talk about how well-timed the book is considering we’ve moved into a new stage in the pandemic, just as in Michelangelo’s time, when he returned to paint more of the Sistine Chapel after a plague, and having witnessed death and fleeing. Jeannie Marshall has lived in Italy with her family for over twenty years now. Her previous book was Outside the Box: Why Our Children Need Real Food, Not Food Products. She is a journalist and contributes to Maclean’s and The Walrus, and has appeared in The Common, Brick, Literary Review of Canada, and Literary Mama. She was a staff features writer at the National Post. This new book is published by Biblioasis. She joined me from Rome, Italy, this past weekend. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jeannie Marshall; Ms. Marshall, good morning.

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The political economist and senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Ricardo Tranjan discusses his book The Tenant Class (Between the Lines, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Tenant Class

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

One of the more provocative and innovative books of the season is The Tenant Class. In the book, its author Ricardo Tranjan, who joins me now, reframes the discussion about the housing crisis, actually saying it’s wrong to consider it a crisis for it’s working the way it was intended. That the system is rigged for elites, property owners, who funnel wealth away from the working class. That there are more predatory landlords than the so-called mom-and-pop ones, and that’s why rents are as high as they are. That governments just as much reap profit from the status quo, which is why nothing changes. It’s an engaging book that offers solutions, as well as some history. There are examples of when protest against the landlord class has worked, as well as areas where regulation is needed to help the lot of renters. The section of the book that talks about the disinformation in the press about the housing crisis is particularly interesting and makes for necessary reading. Ricardo Tranjan is a political economist and senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Previously, he managed Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, and taught at universities in Ontario and Quebec. He holds a PhD from the University of Waterloo, where he was a Vanier Scholar. He is also a frequent commentator in the media. This new book is published by Between the Lines. He joined me from Ottawa, Ontario earlier this week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Ricardo Tranjan; Dr. Tranjan, good morning.

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The writer and journalist Katherine Palmer Gordon discusses her new book This Place is Who We Are: Stories of Indigenous Leadership, Resilience, and Connection to Homelands (Harbour Publishing, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: This Place is Who We Are

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

There’s a new book out, a terrific collection of stories and insights. Katherine Palmer Gordon, the book’s author, gives us a look at inspiring people in the vast region of central and northern coastal British Columbia, which is the homelands of more than two dozen First Nations. It also has one of the largest remaining coastal temperate rainforests in the world. The challenges of climate change, and the ongoing reckoning with colonisation, are discussed by the people that Katherine talks to in the stories that she has gathered in the book. It’s got a great title too This Place Is Who We Are: Stories of Indigenous Leadership, Resilience, and Connection to Homelands. She joins me now to talk about the genesis of the book, the inspiring work going on with resource management, language, environmental law, as well as healing both physically and spiritually. We meet some fascinating people, names to watch for, as well as their plans for a better world. Katherine Palmer Gordon is the author of six books of non-fiction including We Are Born with the Songs Inside Us: Lives and Stories of First Nations People in British Columbia. She is an award-winning freelance journalist who divides her time between Gabriola Island, and Auckland, New Zealand, where she joins me from today. There will be an event for the book, Saturday evening, 17 June 2023 at the Bill Reid Gallery here in Vancouver. Visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/this-place-is-who-we-are-book-launch-in-vancouver-tickets-636803184467?aff=erelexpmlt to register. This book is from Harbour Publishing. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Katherine Palmer Gordon; Ms. Gordon, good morning.

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The poet and writer Cornelia Hoogland discusses her writing and career, and receiving a prize from the League of Canadian Poets, the 2023 Colleen Thibaudeau Award, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Cornelia Hoogland joins me now. The poet and writer is one of two recipients of the 2023 Colleen Thibaudeau Award for Outstanding Contribution, given by the League of Canadian Poets. The prize recognises thirty years of volunteering in the national literary community across Canada. She founded and was the first director of both Antler River Poetry in London, Ontario, and Poetry Hornby Island, which she continues to lead. I’ll ask Cornelia why she has devoted much of her time to volunteering in service of writers in Canada. We’ll reflect on the various and varied literary communities in this country as well. Cornelia Hoogland is the author of eight books, including Cosmic Bowling (with Ted Goodden), Trailer Park Elegy, and Dressed in Only a Cardigan She Picks Up Her Tracks in the Snow. She is professor emeritus in the faculty of education at London, Ontario’s Western University. Visit www.corenliahoogland.com for more information. She joined me from Cortes Island, British Columbia earlier this week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Cornelia Hoogland; Ms. Hoogland, good morning.

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The author and writer Wayne Grady discusses his new book Pandexicon: How the Language of the Pandemic Defined Our New Cultural Reality (Greystone Books, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Pandexicon

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Wayne Grady joins me again. He’s just published a new book Pandexicon: How the Language of the Pandemic Defined Our New Cultural Reality. He has a collected all the new words and expressions that began to appear in the media, scientific journals and everyday speech. He reflects on them, and looks at their origin, some going back to previous pandemics, or even earlier, like say the Bible. It’s a fascinating book because it takes us back over the last three years, and all that we’ve seen around us, and around the world. We’ve been through a lot, a lot of uncertainty, and a lot of time in limbo. There was a lot of worrying, and some of it was just surreal. The book is a good way to look at how we were as a society, through the language we share. Wayne Grady is the author of more than a dozen books of nonfiction, and three novels, including Emancipation Day, which he was first on the program with in 2013. He lives in Kingston, Ontario, where he joined me from earlier this week, as well as San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This new book is published by Greystone Books. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Wayne Grady; Mr. Grady, good morning.

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The artist and author Rosalie Wise Sharp discusses her memoir Me & Issy: A Four Seasons Romance (ECW Press, 2022), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Me & Issy

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

One of the more fascinating and memorable memoirs from this past fall is the book by Rosalie Wise Sharp, Me & Issy: A Four Seasons Romance. In the book, with honesty and frankness, she recounts her troubled and deprived childhood, a marriage of over seventy years now to Isadore Sharp, the founder of the Four Seasons Hotels, and raising a family of four boys. It’s a life that has had great successes in business, family, as well art and design, but one not without tragedy; the loss of their son Chris, as well as family members killed during the Holocaust. The book also features a number of Rosalie’s paintings. There are stories about family, the kids, grandkids, and now great-grandkids; and the glittering, bold-faced names she found seated with at dinners. As well as her own success as an interior designer and painter. At the book’s heart though is this partnership with her husband Issy, and how their mutual love and respect has yielded a fantasy life of opulence and luxury, as well as generosity and devotion. Rosalie Wise Sharp is the editor of Growing Up Jewish, and the author of Rifke, Ceramics, Ethics and Scandal, and China to Light Up a House. Her website www.RosalieWiseSharp.com showcases over two hundred of her paintings. The book is published by ECW Press. We spoke this past weekend. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Rosalie Wise Sharp; Mrs. Sharp, good morning.

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