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The journalist and educator Petti Fong discusses her recent book Alone Together: A Curious Exploration of Loneliness (Orca Books, 2024), with Joseph Planta. Alone Together: A Curious Exploration of Loneliness by Petti Fong (Orca Books, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Alone Together Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Petti Fong joins me now. Last year, she published a book for young readers, Alone Together: A Curious Exploration of Loneliness. It’s a great book for any reader, of any age, because it provides an overview of how pervasive loneliness is in our society, as well as solutions to combat it. And naming it for younger readers is important, because it’s something we’ve all felt thanks to the pandemic, or even living in big cities, yet it’s not something that’s talked about. A lot of literature for younger readers likes to scare them into thinking being alone isn’t normal or dangerous even. Getting away from that, framing it in the modern context, is considerably useful. I’ll ask Peg about the book, and about the podcast that inspired it. The show of the same name looked at superheroes, as well as real-life heroes in the Civil Rights Movement that are all instructive as to how to deal with loneliness. And the goal is that yes, we can be alone, yet we can be alone together. Petti Fong is a journalist, educator, and author. She is the Vancouver correspondent for The Economist. She was a staff reporter at the Vancouver Sun, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and the CBC. She teaches journalism, ethics and business communications at Kwantlen University, Langara College, and the University of British Columbia. This book is published by Orca Books. We spoke last Friday. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Petti Fong; Ms. Fong, good morning.  The post Petti Fong first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer, editor and bookseller Nick Thran discusses his new collection of poetry Existing Music (Nightwood Editions, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Existing Music by Nick Thran (Nightwood Editions, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Existing Music Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Nick Thran joins me now. The poet has just published a new collection of poetry, his fourth, Existing Music. I’ll ask him about poems in the book that look at memory, music, and how music affects the memories that we hold, good or bad; painful or happy. He’s a talented writer who evokes melancholy and longing, just as well as he deploys a love of language and whimsy as he uses words as he intends, painting images or summoning in the reader certain sounds as one reads. He takes us to the world of a bookstore, something he knows well as he makes his living as a bookseller, as well as a writer and editor. Nick Thran’s previous books include the mixed-genre collection If It Gets Quiet Later On, I Will Make a Display, and three previous poetry collections. Earworm won the 2012 Trillium Book Award for Poetry. This new book is published by Nightwood Editions. Nick will be part of an event this Thursday, 08 May 2025 at Iron Dog Books. It’s a double launch of this book, as well as Tom Wayman’s Out of the Ordinary. The event is free, and doors open at 6.30pm. You can register at www.irondogbooks.com. We taped this interview two and a half weeks ago, with Nick joining me from Fredericton, New Brunswick. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Nick Thran; Mr. Thran, good morning. The post Nick Thran first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The director Chris Adams discusses the CTORA Theatre production of West Side Story at the Granville Island Stage (08-24 May 2025), with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   At the Granville Island Stage, beginning Thursday, 08 May 2025 through to 24 May 2025 is the newest production from CTORA Theatre, West Side Story. The epic and beloved musical, inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet features the music of Leonard Bernstein, the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. This production also recreates the show’s original 1957 choreography by Jerome Robbins. The tale of two young lovers, Tony and Maria, who are at the heart of a conflict between two rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, amidst the backdrop of a gentrifying New York City in the 1950s, has been produced on the stage countless times since its debut in the 1950s, and has been made into two major motion pictures, 1961’s Best Picture Oscar winner, and the recent Steven Spielberg remake that was also well received. Joining me now is Chris Adams, this production’s director. I’ll ask him about the large cast, the large set, and the 14-piece live orchestra. We’ll also touch on the themes of this timeless classic, as it remains relevant now just as it did with it first premiered. Visit www.ctora.ca for tickets and information. Chris Adams is also the interim artistic director of the Royal City Musical Theatre. We spoke two and a half weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Chris Adams; Mr. Adams, good morning.   The post Chris Adams first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The singer-songwriter and former judge Philip Seagram discusses his new memoir No Judgment: And Other Busking Stories (Caitlin Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta. No Judgment: And Other Busking Stories by Philip Seagram (Caitlin Press, 2025). Click to buy this book from Caitlin Press: No Judgment Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   I really enjoyed reading the new book by Philip Seagram, No Judgment: And Other Busking Stories. In the book, he chronicles leaving his job as a judge, to hit the road, going across Canada busking. This is in 2022, just as we’re coming out of the pandemic. He’s able to see the country in his travels in a unique way, seeing divisions over politics and vaccines. As he plays, he’s got the guitar case open and people are allowed to leave money or take money. Anything extra is donated to Ukrainian humanitarian relief. I’ll ask Philip about the experience of meeting a variety of people on the street, about why people donated or why they took money. Philip Seagram is a former criminal lawyer and provincial court judge who has lived and worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the Okanagan/Similkameen, and the West Kootenay. He is a late-blooming singer-songwriter, writer, and cross-country ski instructor. He lives with his wife, two horses, a dog and a cat on a small acreage near Nelson, BC, though he joined me from Victoria just over three weeks ago. The website for more is at www.philipseagram.com. This new book is published by Caitlin Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Philip Seagram; Mr. Seagram, good morning. The post Philip Seagram first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The author and playwright Mark Leiren-Young discusses his new book Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep (Orca Books, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep by Mark Leiren-Young (Orca Books, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Octopus Ocean Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Mark Leiren-Young joins me again. He’s just published a new book Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep. Mark has taken a deep dive into the world of octopuses. And what a book has come as a result. In it, the reader learns about how magnificent these animals are, known for their brilliant minds and unique personalities. You’ll learn about how they prefer to be alone, how they can manipulate others including other species. They’re able to distract as well as collapse their bodies to fit in small spaces or better yet, escape. They’re intelligent beings and just fascinating to behold. They’re also creatures who seem to always make news, as research reveals something new all the time. I’ll ask Mark about what it’s like to see them up close. We’ll talk about writing for younger readers, as well as hockey. It’s such an enjoyable book. You’ll learn lots and there’s enough here to make you an expert at octopuses. Mark Leiren-Young is an award-winning author, screenwriter, playwright, and filmmaker. He has written television shows for young viewers, and wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning documentary The Hundred-Year-Old Whale. He is the host of the Skaana podcast. Visit www.leiren-young.com for more. This new book is published by Orca Books. We spoke a week and a half ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Leiren-Young; Mr. Leiren-Young, good morning. The post Mark Leiren-Young first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The journalist and historian Eve Lazarus discusses her new book Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck by Eve Lazarus (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Beneath Dark Waters Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Eve Lazarus joins me again. She’s got a new book out, Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck; and it’s a terrific read. What Eve has done is taken a forgotten maritime disaster, one that took more lives than the Titanic, and looked at the narratives in the press of the day that contributed to the sinking’s misinterpretation then. She draws on historical documents, as well as personal letters and weaves a fascinating tale that brings to life those lives lost, as well as survivors. Largely thanks to fog, in the early hours of 29 May 1914, the RMS Empress of Ireland, en route to Liverpool, England from Quebec City, was rammed by a Norwegian coal ship, Storstad, in the St. Lawrence River. It takes fourteen minutes for the Empress of Ireland to sink, and by then only four of the forty lifeboats had been launched. I spoke to Eve earlier this month, about the book, how she came to learn of the Empress of Ireland, and the process she undertook to write it. As a fan of Eve’s terrific history books largely on true crime, this new book might be a departure, but it’s dazzling one at that. We’re transported to a time of liner travel, a time when myths are created out of various press accounts, as well as how just how different life was then as now, thanks to technology. Eve Lazarus is a reporter, author, and the host and producer of the Cold Case Canada true crime podcast. She first appeared on the program eighteen years ago, and has been on six previous times for six previous books of hers. All her books seem to be acclaimed and bestsellers. This new one is from Arsenal Pulp Press. She joined me from her home in North Vancouver. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Eve Lazarus; Ms. Lazarus, good morning. The post Eve Lazarus first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer Tom Wayman discusses his new collection of poetry Out of the Ordinary (Harbour Publishing, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Out of the Ordinary by Tom Wayman (Harbour Publishing, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Out of the Ordinary Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Tom Wayman joins me again. He’s recently published a new collection of poetry, Out of the Ordinary. He’s a marvelous writer, and this new collection showcases Wayman’s skill at putting words together in poetry that’s playful and challenging, as well as illustrative and opaque. There are poems that are amusing as well as deeply profound as Tom dismantles misuse of language, especially when wilfully mendacious. Tom has the ability to observe life and the things around us so carefully, sometimes admiringly and lovingly that it’s a perspective that’s not only welcome, but inspiring. There are poems in this collection that describe what it might be like to get into a seed or a raindrop that make the reader want to see the world as Tom does. There are poems in this collection that also examine grief and friendship, and the poems that contend with the loss of a friend are instructive as to how to work through grief, but also present his late friend honestly. Tom Wayman is the author of more than twenty previous collections of poetry, three collections of critical and cultural essays, three books of short fiction, and a novel. He was the 2022 recipient of the George Woodcock Award for Lifetime Achievement in the literary arts. In 2015, he was named a Vancouver Literary Landmark, with a plaque on Commercial Drive commemorating his championing of people writing for themselves about their daily employment. He first appeared on the program last year when his memoir The Road to Appledore (or How I Went Back to the Land Without Ever Having Lived There in the First Place) was published. There is an event Thursday evening, 08 May 2025, at Iron Dog Books. Tom and Nick Thran will be reading from their books. Visit www.tomwayman.com for more. This new collection is from Harbour Publishing. We spoke two weeks ago, with Tom joining me from his home in Winlaw, British Columbia. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Tom Wayman; Mr. Wayman, good morning. The post Tom Wayman first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The award-winning journalist and politician Jo-Ann Roberts discusses her new book Storm the Ballot Box: An Insider’s Guide to a Voting Revolution (Nimbus Publishing, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Storm the Ballot Box: An Insider’s Guide to a Voting Revolution by Jo-Ann Roberts (Nimbus Publishing, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Storm the Ballot Box Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Jo-Ann Roberts joins me now. She’s written a new book that’s especially timely Storm the Ballot Box: An Insider’s Guide to a Voting Revolution. It’s an engaging book that offers solutions to combat the apathy, ignorance and frustration a lot of citizens feel about democracy itself. And it’s written with the experience of a forty-year reporter who left journalism to run for political office. She was a candidate in the 2015 federal election in Victoria, BC, running for the Green Party, and then in the elections of 2019 and 2021 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She shares her experiences as a candidate in those elections, showing the reader what it’s like financially personally, but more importantly for the campaign. She takes aim in the book at strategic voting. It seems to be what most of the parties are urging voters to do in this election. Jo-Ann’s view is that voters should vote for who they think would best represent them, rather than against a candidate or a party or a particular leader. We’ll talk about fixed election dates, as well as polling and misinformation emanating from political parties. There’s a lot in the book that’s worthwhile to consider, and doable. Jo-Ann Roberts is an award-winning journalist, who spent twenty years as a CBC Radio host. She is the former interim leader of the Green Party of Canada, and in sum was a candidate in four elections. She has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of King’s College. This new book is from Nimbus Publishing. We spoke yesterday afternoon, with Jo-Ann joining me from Halifax. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jo-Ann Roberts; Jo-Ann, good afternoon. The post Jo-Ann Roberts first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The journalist Taha Siddiqui discusses his new graphic memoir (written with Hubert Maury) The Dissident Club: Chronicle of a Pakistani Journalist in Exile (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025), with Joseph Planta. The Dissident Club: Chronicle of a Pakistani Journalist in Exile by Taha Siddiqui and Hubert Maury (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Dissident Club Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. Taha Siddiqui joins me now. He’s just published a graphic novel in English that if one were to say was action-packed, would be an understatement. His life thus far has been one best told in a graphic novel as he’s survived an assassination attempt in Islamabad, he came of age in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the years between the Gulf War and 9/11. He grew up in a family that included a stern fundamentalist Islamic father. And even though Taha, who joined me one month ago, rebelled against religion, it was still very much a part of his life intersecting with personal relations and professional pursuits especially after his father joins a jihadi mosque. Taha chronicles in the book all that, as well as going to university and finding journalism. His reporting runs afoul of Pakistani military, and soon he finds himself exiled in France. He joined me from Paris last month, where he had founded the Dissident Club, a bar dedicated to helping political dissidents from around the world. Taha Siddiqui is an award-winning journalist. He’s worked for the New York Times, The Guardian, France 24, the Christian Science Monitor, Al Jazeera, and many other international and local media organisations. The full title of the book is The Dissident Club: Chronicle of a Pakistani Journalist in Exile. Written and illustrated with Hubert Maury, with the English translation by David Homel, it’s published by Arsenal Pulp Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Taha Siddiqui; Mr. Siddiqui, good morning. The post Taha Siddiqui first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

DOXA Documentary Film Festival’s Programming and Industry Manager Marianne Thodas previews this year’s festival, with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca. DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Western Canada’s largest documentary film festival returns for its twenty-fourth edition, 01-11 May 2025. This year’s lineup showcases 39 features, 30 short and mid-length films, as well as industry events. Visit www.doxafestival.ca for tickets and information. The line up is there, and not to sound trite, but there’s something for everybody. Joining me now is Marianne Thodas, the Programming and Industry Manager at DOXA. I’ll ask Marianne about the work that goes into programming and planning a festival like DOXA, and about the films to expect. DOXA has had a commitment to feature local filmmakers, and that’s no different this year. New films by Lyana Patrick and Baljit Sangra will have their world premieres, and there will be events associated with the screenings of Nechako—It Will Be a Big River Again, and Have You Heard Judi Singh? featuring each of the filmmakers in attendance. And like most years with DOXA, there’ll be screenings that’ll be sold out, but additional screenings are usually added for popular films, so it’ll do you well to check the website regularly. Once again, that’s www.doxafestival.ca. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Marianne Thodas; Marianne, good morning. The post Marianne Thodas first appeared on thecommentary.ca.