Here's a forensic search through the guests, authors and books making an appearance in our Who Are You episode on November 29th.

Neil Bissoondath discusses his book The Soul of All Great Designs.
Artist Charlie Pachter takes on the essential Canada in M is for Moose .
Leela Gilday sings about a people's identity in One Drum from her cd Sedzé.
Lawrence Hill, one of this year's Canada Reads authors, chats with Shelagh about his novel The Book of Negroes .
And finally historical fiction writer Sandra Gulland mentions her great love of Winnie the Pooh.

Posted by The Next Chapter at 08:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Me, here. Shelagh.
I know it's been a while (a long while) since my last
which was my first entry. Too many books, too little time.
Not that I'm complaining. N-o-o-o-sir-ee.
Thanks to Tom H. for keeping the blog-fire going.

I am thinking about Lawrence Hill. And if you have been listening
to The Next Chapter since its inception--you may be wondering
who hasn't? His novel "The Book of Negroes" has surfaced not once,
(Randy Boyagoda was looking at reviews of and reactions to the book
outside of Canada) but twice (the singer and broadcaster Molly Johnson has it
on her bedside table) and it comes up again this Saturday as one of the five books
selected for Canada Reads. This time, his champion is Avi Lewis.

We are talking to all the writers who have novels up for the Canada Reads debate.
And we begin with Larry. And it will be our second conversation about The Book of
Negroes. Hope you can tune in.

Posted by The Next Chapter at 06:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The following guests, authors and books make an appearance on the November 22nd episode of The Next Chapter:

Rebecca Eckler discusses Rotten Apple.
Todd Babiak mentions Michael Winter's This All Happened, and the writing of Nick Hornby, Ernest Hemingway, Mordecai Richler, etc.
Chivaree sings from her album, All the Time
Susan Pinker wrote The Sexual Paradox.
Nalo Hopkinson wrote The New Moon's Arms and mentions Charles Saunders' Imaro series and the writer Elisabeth Vondarberg.
Tom Howell discovers Margaret Christakos and her new book, What Stirs.

Posted by Tom Howell at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Some of the writers we've talked to have shared thoughts about books and characters that reached out and grabbed them by the throat. We'll keep updating these as we get them.

Jen Sookfong Lee, author of The End of East, discovered a shock of recognition when she read The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence.

Shyam Selvadurai whose last novel “Swimming In The Monsoon Sea” was a departure from adult to young adult fiction, talks about finding an early resonance with his new Canadian home in Margaret Atwood's 'Cat's Eye'.

Nalo Hopkinson's most recent novel is The New Moon's Arms. She discusses her attraction to Canada's first black speculative fiction author Charles Saunders with his Imaro series, and to the heroine of Quebec writer Elisabeth Vondarberg's The Maerlande Chronicles.

Posted by The Next Chapter at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When we were cooking up ideas for The Next Chapter, one of us joked (or was it a joke?) that the show should include a news bulletin for and about poets. After all, business people and sports professionals get their own bulletins.

Unfortunately, the News for Poets has not yet seen the light of radio airplay. But the Canadian poetry scene is doing its best this week to be newsworthy, with Controversy and even Accusations about this year's Governor General's Award.

Most interesting accusation so far? Perhaps it's from Di Brandt, a G.G. juror, who blames the squabble on hurt feelings among poets stuck in the "current, neo-Dadaist fashion" of Toronto writers who lack "poetic clarity... and spiritual engagement". Fighting words, no? (Well, poetry correspondents can hope.)

Posted by Tom Howell at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Derek Weiler pointed out in a Quill & Quire column last month that Yann Martel is still writing regular letters to Stephen Harper, complete with paperback books (sometimes second-hand ones), and miniature essays. Presumably these missives will someday get compiled and published in their own right.

Anyway, Martel's latest choice breaks a pattern: he's recommended a version of Gilgamesh, translated (in both the linguistic and chronological sense) by Canadian poet Derrek Hines. His choice before this one? Gilgamesh again, but a more old-fashioned modernization by Stephen Mitchell, an American. Even if you haven't read any Gilgameshes, the two book recommendations (1,2) contain a great sweep of references to story-telling old and new, and some good tips on getting a poetic buzz on. Worth a read.

Posted by Tom Howell at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Karen writes to ask the following pointed question:

Subject: podcasts
When do you put the current podcast on iTunes? It says they are available on Saturdays, but it seems they only show up on iTunes later in the week. It would be great if they were put on the site the same day.

Answer: Yes, the poor podcast listener sometimes receives short shrift as we race to get The Next Chapter to air each week. We do aim to release the podcast simultaneously with the broadcast, and with Karen's letter as encouragement, will make the extra effort to do so from now on. Apologies to podcast subscribers for the delays this week and last.

Posted by Tom Howell at 03:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We noticed that historical fiction writer Sandra Gulland's visit to the Next Chapter studios prompted some thoughts (and scurrilous gossip) on her blog. She was in to answer Le Questionnaire, a special interview format that debuted on our show last Saturday.

Posted by Tom Howell at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WNYC's Radiolab just replayed their episode about the anger and chaos caused by several convincing radio adaptations of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. It's a good reminder that fiction is a form of lying. Orson Welles (who made one of the adaptations) tried to argue he was lying to entertain and tell a deeper truth etc. Typical artistic wriggling.

Anyway, the Radiolab show is well worth a listen. (The War of the Worlds episode is at the bottom of the page.)

Posted by Tom Howell at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)