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The author and editor Jen Sookfong Lee discusses her new memoir Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart (McClelland & Stewart, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Superfan

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Jen Sookfong Lee joins me again. She’s just published a memoir, Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart. It’s a thoroughly engaging, fun and funny book, where we get to know Jen in her formative years through the popular culture she consumes and loves. And as she gets older, or better yet, grows, we see how that relationship to certain books, music, film and television might evolve or change altogether. The book is also urgent, wise, and necessary as it addresses important subjects, such as violence, cultural identity, mental health, grief, racism, and abuse. It will often be enlightening for the reader, just as it will induce rage when one thinks of the nonsense that continues around us. I’ll ask Jen about writing this book, and the topics therein that she addresses. I’ll ask her about her upbringing in East Vancouver, where she was born, and not far where she lives today. I’ll ask her about the Chinese Canadian household that she grew up in, her four sisters, and her father and mother. Jen divides her childhood between the time before her father had cancer, and his death when she was twelve years old. I’ll ask her about how his death affected her, her family, especially her mother, who is a character throughout the book, one that is complicated, who amongst us isn’t, and one who Jen seeks to understand and accept in childhood, and now adulthood, and especially in the years since she became a mother herself. Some of the cultural touchstones that Jen reflects on the book include: Anne of Green Gables, Evelyn Lau, Bob Ross, Kris Jenner, Rhianna, The Joy Luck Club, Justin Bieber, and Princess Diana, among many others. Jen Sookfong Lee acquires and edits for ECW Press, and co-hosts the literary podcast Can’t Lit. She is the author of the acclaimed books The Conjoined, The Better Mother, The End of East, The Shadow List, and Finding Home. She was on this program last year to discuss the collection Good Mom on Paper: Writers on Creativity and Motherhood. The website for more is at www.sookfong.com. This new book is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jen Sookfong Lee; Ms. Lee, good morning.

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The art historian Fanny Curtat, the art historian consultant for Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, discusses the exhibition which will open Wednesday, 01 February 2023 at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds Agriplex, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will open in Surrey at the Agriplex at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds next Wednesday, 01 February 2023, and will bring visitors completely into more than 300 of the greatest works of the artist Vincent Van Gogh. Produced by Paquin Entertainment Group, the same folks who produced Imagine Van Gogh last year here in Vancouver, this is an entirely different exhibition from the Montreal-based Normal Studio and its creative director Mathieu St-Arnaud. Joining me now is the art historian Fanny Curtat, who’ll preview what to expect in Surrey, the look and feel, as well as the sound and senses enlivened by the experience of the exhibition. I’ll ask her about Van Gogh, how he worked, and why he remains relevant today. Fanny Curtat is the art history consultant for Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. She is a PhD candidate at the Université du Québec à Montréal. Visit www.vangoghsurrey.com for tickets and information. There are timed tickets though there isn’t a limit as to how long one can stay, so it’s not a rushed experience. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Fanny Curtat; Ms. Curtat, good morning.

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The bestselling author and popular food personality Candice Hutchings discusses her recent book The Edgy Veg Easy Eats (Robert Rose, 2022), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Edgy Veg

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Candice Hutchings joins me now. The face of the popular Edgy Veg on YouTube and Instagram recently published a new book, The Edgy Veg Easy Eats. There are dozens of recipes in the book that look delicious, not complicated, and easy to pull off regardless of one’s aptitude in the kitchen, or how well-fitted one’s kitchen is. You can do most everything in the book with what most of us have in our kitchens already. And the recipes here take no more than forty-five minutes to complete. We’ll never use the excuse that vegan cooking is time consuming or complicated again. I’ll ask Ms. Hutchings about the food she regularly serves up at home, for herself or guests, what kind of substitutes there are for things like bacon or feta cheese, as well as whether this lifestyle can be cost-effective especially now when we’re watching the prices at grocery stores climb. It’s been twelve years since her previous book, the bestselling, The Edgy Veg: 138 Carnivore-Approved Vegan Recipes was published. I’ll ask about the process in testing and photographing what’s in the book, as well as what her pandemic was like. Visit www.theedgyveg.com for more, and links to the popular YouTube videos. This book is published by Robert Rose. We taped this interview two weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Candice Hutchings; Ms. Hutchings, good morning.

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The journalist and CityNews1130 news anchor John Ackermann discusses his work, radio, and with Joseph Planta shares their favourite books of the year.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

John Ackermann joins me now. He is the afternoon anchor on CityNews 1130, and as we heard a few weeks ago during the municipal elections, their election night anchor. He’s also one of the all-too few broadcasters in this town who devotes time and space to books. I look to his coverage of books for what’s new and interesting, as well as have come to enjoy his conversations with authors on their books. I’ll ask him about his work, his love of radio, and about the state of journalism today. Perhaps he can give us some insight into the business, as well as what might have inspired him to get into the field of journalism. We’ll also look at some of the books published in 2022 that we enjoyed. There’s overlap in the books we’ve read and covered, and so we’ll look at what we each found interesting in the year that was. I’ve come up with a list of my ten or so favourites, and he has too. John Ackermann is a graduate of Simon Fraser University and BCIT’s Broadcast Journalism program. He has worked at with CityNews 1130 for well over 18 years now, with a short stint away at CHEK Television. Early in his career, he worked on the Rafe Mair Show. His Twitter handle is @jackermann. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, John Ackermann; Mr. Ackermann, good morning.

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The historian and bestselling author Derek Hayes discusses his new book Incredible Crossings: The History and Art of the Bridges, Tunnels and Inland Ferries That Connect British Columbia (Harbour Publishing, 2022), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Incredible Crossings

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Derek Hayes joins me again. The historian and bestselling author has recently published Incredible Crossings: The History and Art of the Bridges, Tunnels and Inland Ferries That Connect British Columbia. It’s a hefty book, beautifully illustrated with terrific photographs, some that Mr. Hayes took. They look at the remarkable infrastructure throughout the province that have allowed us to navigate the formidable terrain, rivers and waterways critical for our economy, as well as getting us to and from work. There’s some great archival material here, as well as a vivid narrative that illustrates the history of a lot of these crossings we take for granted, as well as the political imperatives to their building, maintenance, and some of their futures. Derek Hayes is a renowned historian and the author of the bestselling Historical Atlas of the Pacific Northwest. He’s been on the program twice previously for his books Canada: An Illustrate History, and Iron Road West. Trained as a cartographer at the University of Hull in England, and the University of British Columbia, he worked for a time as a planner with the Vancouver City Planning Department. This new book is from Harbour Publishing. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Derek Hayes; Mr. Hayes, good morning.

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The poet and educator Shauna Paull discusses her poetry collection blue gait (Mother Tongue Publishing, 2021), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Mother Tongue Publishing: blue gait

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Shauna Paull joins me now. We discuss her recent poetry collection blue gait, which was published in the fall of 2021, and was a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize at the BC Book Prizes this past September. It’s the last book from Mother Tongue Publishing, and we talk about Paull’s publisher Mona Fertig and how they worked together editing this collection. It’s a collection of poetry that bears the author’s capacity and skill at observation and compassion. We see a writer constantly learning, and who is cognisant of what’s wrong with the world around us, but who also sees hope all over. It’s a book that’s rooted in recent years, but also timeless, and that’s for good or ill. I’ll ask Shauna about the poems in the book, how she views the world, birds, and poetry itself and how she writes. Shauna Paull is a poet, educator, and community advocate. She completed her MFA in Creative Writing at UBC. She spent some 23 years at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts leading creative writing workshops, and teaching, something she continues to do. She represented Canada at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2006. This is her second book of poetry. Her first roughened in undercurrent was published by Leaf Press in 2008. Her Twitter handle is @shauna_paull. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Shauna Paull; Ms. Paull, good morning.

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The award-winning writer and food journalist David Joachim discusses the third edition of his bestselling The Food Substitutions Bible: 8,000 Substitutions for Ingredients, Equipment & Techniques (Robert Rose, 2022), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Food Substitutions Bible

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

David Joachim joins me now. He’s got a new book out, it’s the third edition of his award-winning The Food Substitutions Bible: 8,000 Substitutions for Ingredients, Equipment & Techniques. The first edition was released in 2005 winning an International Association of Culinary Professionals Award in 2006. It had a second edition in 2010, and now a new, revised edition, that’s well made from the folks at Robert Rose. It’s a hardcover, handsome to look at, and easy to keep open on your kitchen counter as one will doubtless use all year long. It’s not just a great resource with quick tips on what ingredients to use when you haven’t got something on hand, but it teaches you a lot about what ingredients do. So yes, if you use something instead of an egg, you’ll learn what the egg actually does, and what might be different if you use something else. This gives all of us the room to experiment in the kitchen, adjust to our own tastes, and use up whatever we have in our pantries or fridges. The book is also beautifully illustrated with colourful depictions of all sorts of food by Emily Isabella. I’ll ask Mr. Joachim, who I talked to six days ago, about trends in food and cooking, not just because of the pandemic, but in the years since the first edition of this book. I’ll ask him about what we all need to have on hand, not just ingredients but equipment. He has written, edited or collaborated on more than 50 award-winning and bestselling cookbooks. Visit www.davejoachim.com for more information. He joined me from his home in Pennsylvania. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, David Joachim; Mr. Joachim, good morning.

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The author and creative director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation David Leopold discusses the new collection of Hirschfeld’s work that he edited, The American Theatre As Seen By Hirschfeld, 1962-2002 (2022), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from the Al Hirschfeld Foundation: The American Theatre As Seen By Hirschfeld, 1962-2002

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

If you’re in New York City anytime between now and mid-March 2023, check out the Al Hirschfeld installation, the inaugural exhibition at the new Museum of Broadway, there on 45th Street & 7th Avenue, not too far Times Square. Hirschfeld, the timeless and talented chronicler of the Great White Way, through his legendary cartoons, was a prodigious, prolific artist who appeared in the New York Times chronicling most of the Twentieth Century of Broadway and beyond. If you’re nowhere near Manhattan, then there’s the new book, The American Theatre As Seen By Hirschfeld, 1962-2002. It’s a remarkable, outstanding book featuring some of Hirschfeld’s art for the last half of his life, a remarkable fifty years until his death at 99, in 2003. He’d published a similar book in 1961, so this follow-up has been awaited for more than sixty years. And what a second half. There are recognisable depictions of Zero Mostel, Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli, Elaine Stritch, and Ben Vereen, to all the beloved characters in shows from Funny Girl, Cabaret, Annie, Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables, Fences, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Rent, Angels in America, and Hairspray. They are wrongly described as caricatures, as they’re more than simply that. They’re also editorial cartoons, they’re depictions by a real master, an equally creative force in the theatre capturing the personality of these theatrical figures as they were on or off the stage. Hirschfeld is somebody who has shaped popular culture, and I’ll talk now to David Leopold, creative director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, who edited this very fine book, about the Hirschfeld he knew. He was archivist for Hirschfeld, and a close colleague for many years. Visit www.alhirschfeldfoundationshop.org for information on the book and more. The website also has a place where you can search Hirschfeld’s work from 1914 to 2003. I’ll ask Mr. Leopold, who joined me from Bucks County, Pennsylvania one week ago, about what Hirschfeld was like, how he worked, and those famous Ninas, the name of his daughter, who he’d incorporate in his work. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, David Leopold; Mr. Leopold, good morning.

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The award-winning cabaret and jazz vocalist Celia Berk discusses her new album Now That I Have Everything (Gramercy Nightingale, 2022), with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Celia Berk joins me now. The award-winning cabaret and jazz vocalist has a new album out, Now That I Have Everything. It’s 13 songs of the Great American Songbook, songs that we know and love, and other gems that we might not have been familiar with. And in Ms. Berk’s hands, or voice really, they’re rendered inviting, charming, delightful, and often beautiful and powerful, and that’s not just in the changes of keys. The author and journalist Will Friedwald says of Celia Berk’s artistry on this album: “It’s less a performance than an intimate dialogue between two close friends.” And that it is with this conversation with Celia that we taped one week ago. I’ll ask her about the song selections, the process working with the musicians that directed and arranged the music, and the craftsmanship and artistry of the music and lyrics. There are songs on the album written by Sammy Cahn, Hoagy Carmichael, Ervin Drake, Hugh Martin, Carly Simon, Billy Strayhorn, James Van Huesen, and Stevie Wonder. From Gramercy Nightingale, this is her third album. Her first two albums were Manhattan Serenade, and You Can’t Rush Spring. She’s made memorable appearances at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland Theater, The Town Hall, and the National Arts Club. For more information visit www.CeliaBerk.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Celia Berk; Ms. Berk, good morning.

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The former politician and bureaucrat Bob Williams discusses his new book, written with Benjamin Isitt and Thomas Bevan, Using Power Well: Bob Williams and the Making of British Columbia (Harbour Publishing, 2022), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Using Power Well

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

It was fifty years ago this past September that Dave Barrett’s NDP government took office in British Columbia. Bob Williams was there, one of Barrett’s closest confidantes, and soon to be a sort of super minister. You read about those thirty-nine months in office, and more, in the new book Using Power Well: Bob Williams and the Making of British Columbia. It’s a highly readable book that charts the life of Williams, from his birth at the Salvation Army Home for Unwed Mothers in South Vancouver, to growing up near the then city dump, around Still Creek, where the Italian Cultural Centre is now. He comes from working class, East Vancouver roots. He later finds out who his father is, the son and grandson of good socialist stock, Bob’s grandfather was Bill Pritchard, who was reeve of Burnaby, BC during the depression years, and was one of the leaders of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. Bob’s great grandfather, James Pritchard, was a founder of the Socialist Party of British Columbia, and Socialist Party of Canada near the turn of the twentieth century. Bob narrates his compelling life story in the book becoming a city planner in Delta, BC, to elected as an alderman on Vancouver City Council, then the BC legislature in 1966. The Williams legacy once in office as a cabinet minister include Whistler Town Centre, Robson Square, the Agricultural Land Reserve, the Insurance Corporation of BC, and many other projects. I’ll get Bob, who joins me now to reflect on some of his notable achievements in his career, and more. His work later as a bureaucrat when the NDP was returned to office in 1991 is written about in the book, as were his times on the Vancity board, and even owning the fabled Railway Club. The book is written with Benjamin Isitt and Thomas Bevan and is from Harbour Publishing. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Bob Williams; Mr. Williams, good morning.

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