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The writer Sarah Louise Butler discusses her new novel, Rufous and Calliope (Douglas & McIntyre, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Rufous and Calliope

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Sarah Louise Butler joins me again. She’s just published a new novel, her second, Rufous and Calliope. I’ve been reading it, and I’m finding it fascinating on a number of fronts. As an only child, I’m just a little curious about what life is like for somebody who has a twin, let alone who has a number of siblings altogether. I’m not wishing it for myself, but I’ve always been fascinated by the connection that these family members seem to have. I’m not an outdoorsy person, but the vast expanses of the outdoors that Sarah evokes in this book, as well as how isolating it might be for a person venturing outside alone, a reader can’t help but be full of wonder altogether. We see the world through young Rufous’s eyes as a child in the late 1970s with his siblings, as they seemingly fend for themselves. Calliope is his twin sister, and while they’re close it appears as the book moves into when Rufous is older, there’s a bond there that distance and time can’t seem to diminish, even though Rufous’s own memory seems to dim as he contends with early onset dementia. I’ll ask Sarah about the book, and get her to tell us as much as she’d like about this world’s she’s created and what she’s brought into it as she’s shaped these rich characters amidst a sometimes overwhelming setting. Sarah joined me from Nelson, British Columbia nearly one month ago, and it’s a part of the world that gets cut off on a regular basis now because of smoke and fires. Sarah was first on the program in 2020 when her debut novel The Wild Heavens was released to good notices and critical acclaim. That book and this new one is published by Douglas & McIntyre. Visit www.sarahlouisebutler.com for more. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Sarah Louise Butler; Ms. Butler, good morning.  

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The author and Sportsnet Central co-anchor Ken Reid discusses his new book The Next One: Hockey Scouts, Remote Rinks and Hidden Talent (Simon & Schuster, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Next One

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Ken Reid joins me again. He’s got a new book out, The Next One: Hockey Scouts, Remote Rinks and Hidden Talent. It’s full of stories of the scouts who find the superstars like Borje Salming as well as the players of grit and drive, who might not even make it to the big leagues. The scouts that Mr. Reid talks to seek and find the teenage prodigies and the might-never-bes. It’s easy to find the next superstar, the next Connor McDavid or Connor Bedard, but scouts also have to find players that will fill all the parts of a team’s roster. It’s the clutch scorer, the goalie who can contort themselves in front of a net or stand on their head. It’s the character player, character in all senses of the word, the one who’s a thoughtful teammate or outright unforgettable. And it’s not just NHLers that the scouts in this book that are sought after and found. Ken also looks at scouting at the PWHL too. There’s something fascinating about how these scouts see. It’s like they not only see the talent in front of them, but also have the foresight to see beyond, like how a teenager might look on the ice when they actually break out, or even ten years down the line, what with how much longer players are playing nowadays. I’ll get Ken to tell us about the book, and the memorable scouts he’s encountered along the way. Ken Reid has been with Sportsnet since 2011, where he co-anchors (with Evanka Osmak) their primetime broadcast Sportsnet Central. We’ve seen a lot of Ken and Evanka not just during hockey season (I see them after a Canucks broadcast when it’s usually after midnight in Toronto), but also those recent really late nights when the Blue Jays were playing late into the morning. In over twenty years of broadcasting, Ken Reid has covered the Olympics, the Stanley Cup Finals, the Grey Cup, and the Super Bowl. He is the bestselling author of six other books, including Ken Reid’s Hometown Hockey Heroes, which he was on with last year. This new book is published by Simon & Schuster. The Pictou, Nova Scotia native joined me from Toronto ten days ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Ken Reid; Mr. Reid, good morning.  

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The playwright Robert Chafe discusses his play Between Breaths, inspired by the life and death of Dr. Jon Lien, who devoted his career to saving over five hundred whales off the coast of Newfoundland, which plays at the Firehall Arts Centre (until 23 November 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Opening tonight at the Firehall Arts Centre is the Western Canadian premiere of Robert Chafe’s Between Breaths. It’s inspired by a true story, the extraordinary life of Dr. Jon Lien, the “Whale Man” who devoted his career to saving over 500 whales who were trapped in fishing nets off the coast of Newfoundland. I spoke to Robert Chafe earlier this week about this show, which debuted in 2018 produced by Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, of which Mr. Chafe is its artistic director. I’ll ask Robert about his awareness of Lien and what he’s gleaned from writing the play, producing it and the interceding years since. It’s a story rooted in science and art, and particularly moving as it depicts Lien’s motivation and empathy, as well as his battle with dementia. I’ll ask Robert about the music in the show, which is written by The Once. Visit www.firehallartscentre.ca for tickets and information. The show runs until 23 November 2025. Robert Chafe is a writer, educator, actor, and arts administrator based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he joined me from. His plays include Oil and Water, Tempting Providence, Afterimage, Under Wraps, Between Breaths, Everybody Just C@lm the F#ck Down, and The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (adapted from the novel by Wayne Johnston.) He has been shortlisted three times for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama and he won the award for Afterimage in 2010. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Robert Chafe; Mr. Chafe, good morning.

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The broadcaster Andi Petrillo discussed her new memoir Just Call Me Andi: Sports Stories from a Trailblazer (ECW Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Just Call Me Andi

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Andi Petrillo joins me now. She’s just published a memoir, Just Call Me Andi: Sports Stories from a Trailblazer. It’s a terrific read because it’s engaging and full of stories from Ms. Petrillo’s career in broadcasting, covering hockey, soccer, and the Olympics. It’s insightful because there are lessons of character and determination, as Andi has had to contend with criticism, scrutiny, and being sexualised throughout her career. And it’s not just from bosses in her business, or the audience, it’s colleagues, even athletes she’s covered. She’s experienced the ridiculous and unacceptable as a woman, stuff she talks about that men in her business would never be asked of. Her love of sport though, her own ability to tell stories about the games she’s covered comes through the book as well. And of course, the story of a second-generation Canadian, child of immigrants will resonate with readers. A CBC Sports host, she’s also great on the Thursday night NHL Coast to Coast broadcasts on Prime. It’s her second season helming the whiparound studio show that looks in on all of Thursday’s games with analysis in studio as well as interviews. She also appears on Prime’s Monday broadcasts as well. She’ll be back anchoring coverage of the Olympic Games in February; I think it’ll be her seventh Olympic Games. She was the first full-time female in studio personality on Hockey Night in Canada, and she hosted Leafs Lunch on TSN Radio, becoming the first woman in Canada to host her own daily sports talk radio program. She’s won multiple Canadian Screen Awards for her work as a host.  This new book is published by ECW Press. We spoke two and a half weeks ago, with Andi joining me from Secaucus, New Jersey. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Andi Petrillo; Ms. Petrillo, good morning.

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The television host, podcaster and blogger Ardra Shephard discusses her new memoir Fallosophy: My Trip Through Life with MS (Douglas & McIntyre, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Fallosophy

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. There are over one million people in North America who live with Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a disease that we hear about, we might even know a person who has it, but we know little about what it’s like living with it. Ardra Shephard has just written a memoir about getting diagnosed with MS at twenty-three years old, and now, having lived with it for twenty years. She’s candid and revealing, but she’s also hilarious and engaging. The book is called Fallosophy: My Trip Through Life with MS. She talks about struggling to see, and then her diagnosis, which terrifies her. Despite how bleak it might appear; she presses through with help from loved ones and soon appreciates that life doesn’t have to be joyless. She faces the challenges, the physical limitations, not necessarily with enthusiasm but necessity, and manages to adjust with every new challenge to lead a highly productive life, including becoming an award-winning blogger and podcaster and the creator and host of AMI-TV’s Fashion Dis. I spoke to Ms. Shephard three weeks ago about the book and more. Visit www.trippingonair.com for more. This new book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Ardra Shephard; Ms. Shephard, good morning.

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The writer Bill Arnott discusses his new book A Perfect Day for a Walk By the Water: Exploring Vancouver’s Shores (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: A Perfect Day for a Walk By the Water

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. When one lives in Vancouver, it’s easy to take living on the west coast for granted, especially the proximity to the water. Bill Arnott, who joins me again, has just published a new book, A Perfect Day for a Walk by the Water: Exploring Vancouver’s Shores. The book, like some of Bill’s previous books, make for a nice, needed meditation on why the coastline around Vancouver is not just easily accessible but endlessly fascinating and worth getting out to see and walk amongst. The book looks at how history has shaped Vancouver’s shores, like the ways the waterways have been used by commerce and trade. Bill’s gift is his ability to illustrate with words how bucolic it all is, and why one should get out to walk near or even go underwater. The interesting people, cultures, as well as history and various narratives, in Bill’s hands, bring the book to life. Bill Arnott is the bestselling author of A Perfect Day for a Walk, A Season in the Okanagan Valley, and the Gone Viking travelogues. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. The website for more is at www.billarnottaps.wordpress.com. This new book is published by Arsenal Pulp Press. We spoke just over two weeks ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Bill Arnott; Mr. Arnott, good morning.

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The primatologist and author Dr. Keriann McGoogan discusses her new book Sisters of the Jungle: The Trailblazing Women Who Shaped the Study of Wild Primates (Douglas & McIntyre, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Sisters of the Jungle

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

One of the more important and timely books of the season is Sisters of the Jungle: The Trailblazing Women Who Shaped the Study of Wild Primates. Its author Keriann McGoogan joins me now to talk about the remarkable women, and one man that she writes about in the book. She illustrates why people became interested in studying primates, and not to learn more about them per se, but to understand humans more. We see how Jane Goodall, who died recently, Dian Fossey, Biruté Galadikas, and Alison Jolly got into the field of study, as well as why women were considered ideal to pursue primatology, not to mention what these women have added to the knowledge we have. The book is timely in that we remember Jane Goodall and the lessons we can derive from her life, but it’s another example as to why we as a culture need to encourage more young women to take up STEM. Women are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Keriann McGoogan holds a PhD in Biological Anthropology from the University of Toronto, and her Master’s from the University of Calgary. Her memoir, Chasing Lemurs: My Journey Into the Heart of Madagascar was published in 2020. This new book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. We spoke two and half weeks ago, with Keriann joining me from Guelph, Ontario. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Keriann McGoogan; Dr. McGoogan, good morning.

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The sports broadcaster and author Mark Hebscher discusses his new book Madness: The Rise and Ruin of Sports Media (ECW Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Madness

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Mark Hebscher joins me now. He’s got a new book out, Madness: The Rise and Ruin of Sports Media. It’s such an engaging book, there’s so much to talk to Mark about. He chronicles his work in radio and television, and the world of broadcasting around Canada and United States before and after. It’s a great primer on the personalities that brought the sports we all love and watch, as well as the big business that sports telecasts have become. These colourful, unforgettable people, Hebscher included, augmented the sports viewing experience for generations. Something Mark does in the book is chronicle how our viewing habits have changed, and how programs like Wide World of Sports, Hockey Night in Canada, and Monday Night Football have changed with it. In the book, he reflects on the cultural phenomenon that made Sportsline a hit in Central Canada, a show he co-hosted for many years. And Hebscher’s memorable encounters with Wayne Gretzky, MC Hammer, Youppi!, Doug Flutie, and Howard Cosell, make for such an enjoyable book. Mark Hebscher was co-anchor of the wildly popular Sportsline on Global TV, and helped revolutionise the way sports is presented on television. He spent forty-five years in sports media, and joined me from Toronto, Ontario last week. This new book is published by ECW Press. @hebsyman is his Instagram handle. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Hebscher; Mr. Hebscher, good morning.  

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The composer and conductor Bryan Perri discusses his career and his new album Few Words, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Earlier this year, the composer and conductor Bryan Perri celebrated his debut album Few Words with a performance at Carnegie Hall. The concert featured a 13-piece orchestra, and noted Broadway vocalists including special guest Aaron Tveit. There will be concerts including in Palm Beach as part of the Glazer Hall Performing Arts Center’s inaugural 2026 season. Mr. Perri joins me now to talk about Few Words. I’ll get him to talk about this album and the compositions on it. There are a few words, but through the variety of music, like neoclassical, rock, electronic music, ambient music, there is a reverence for the instruments. I’ll ask about the sounds on this album and the feelings that the music he’s composed has evoked in him and listeners. Bryan Perri is an award-winning music supervisor, orchestrator, arranger, music director, and conductor. He’s worked on some of the most widely recognised Broadway musicals of the twenty-first century: Jagged Little Pill, Wicked, Chaplin, Next to Normal, among many others. He was most recently music supervisor and conductor of Almost Famous. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the world premiere cast recording of Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots. He holds a Bachelor of Music from NYU in Vocal Performance, as well as a Master’s Degree in Music from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in Orchestral Conducting. He is a founding member of ACT of CT, where his husband Daniel C. Levine is its artistic director, and serves as Resident Musical Supervisor. Visit www.bperri.com for more. The album is available on Apple Music and Spotify. We taped this interview two weeks ago, with Bryan joining me from Ridgefield, Connecticut. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Bryan Perri; Mr. Perri, good morning. 

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The author, comedian, and speechwriter Charles Demers discusses his new book The Eh Team: A Celebration of Canadianisms from Elbows Up to Poutine (Greystone Books), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Eh Team

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Charlie Demers joins me again. He’s got a new book out, The Eh Team: A Celebration of Canadianisms from Elbows Up to Poutine. It’s a celebration of being Canadian through the unique phrases, words, and expressions that define a lot of the country and its people, culturally, politically, and linguistically. It highlights the quirky and the hilarious, in a time when we perhaps need it most. I’ll ask Mr. Demers about the book, why he wrote it, and what he hopes Canadians from coast to coast to coast might glean, or perhaps find useful as we wrestle with the feelings we have about Canada. Charlie Demers is a stand-up comedian, author, playwright, speechwriter, and voice actor. He has appeared on CBC Radio’s The Debaters over sixty times in over twenty years. His first stand-up album Fatherland (604 Records) was nominated for the 2018 Juno for Best Comedy Album. He is the author of three plays and six books, including Property Values, which was optioned by Pioneer Pictures. His recent comedy special, Fish From the Jar is out now. This new book has a foreword by Dakota Ray Hebert, and is published by Greystone Books. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Charlie Demers; Mr. Demers, good morning.

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