The State of the Union Edition, stories of marriage and divorce:
Julie and Colin Angus report on their hand-powered boat adventure, Rowed Trip: From Scotland to Syria By Oar.
Writers Joseph and Amanda Boyden chat on-stage with Shelagh on the topic of rivalry.
Mary-Jo Eustace, whose husband left her for Tori Spelling, tells all in Divorce Sucks.
Singer-songwriter Jill Barber looks back in romance.
Shelagh hears from Philip Lee about his Confessions of a Twice-Married Man.
Music used in this show:
"Bees" - Caribou, The Milk of Human Kindness
"Spring" - Gilles Apap & The Colors of Invention, Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
"Leaving You" - Jill Barber, Chances.
"I'm Sorry I Made You Cry " - Connie Francis, Very Best of Connie Francis.
Polar Extremes edition: Norman Hallendy straightens out misunderstandings of inukshuks and other stone figures in Tukiliit: The Stone People Who Live in the Wind. Yann Martel has a new novel coming out this spring; in the meantime, he's published his collection of book suggestions for the prime minister, What is Stephen Harper Reading?. Soraya Peerbaye came back from Antarctica with a series of Poems for the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names. Yukon artist Ted Harrison speaks with Shelagh about being the subject of Katherine Gibson's Ted Harrison: Painting Paradise.
Music used in the broadcast episode:
"Bees" - Caribou, The Milk of Human Kindness
"Icicles" - Bell Orchestre, As Seen Through Windows
Lorna writes about her upbringing and particularly her tough-and-tender mom in a memoir called Small Beneath the Sky. Jane Christmas recalls her extraordinary trip to Italy with her mother, a journey that was supposed to lead to a renaissance in their difficult relationship. Jane's travel memoir is called Incontinent on the Continent. Andreas Schroeder describes his strict Mennonite father, and Ariel Gordon photographs the hands of Canadian authors.
Anne Murray
The singer looks back at her life and career, in All of Me. Also on the show, Shinan Govani reveals the secrets behind his new novel, Boldface Names, Mark Leiren-Young reports on small-town reporting in Never Shoot a Stampede Queen. And Tom Howell reports on two edgy books: The Incident Report and Globetrotters & Hitler's Children.
Douglas Coupland
His new novel is called Generation A. Shelagh visits Doug's house in Vancouver to speak to him about it. Also on the show: Rosanna Deerchild, author of this is a small northern town; and Pierre Nepveu, author of Mirabel.
Come, Thou Tortoise
Jessica Grant on her first novel, featuring a tortoise with sardonic inner monologues, and an odd young woman named Audrey. Also on the show: Norman Doidge talks about life since his mega-selling book The Brain That Changes Itself hit the shelves and changed how people talk about the brain.
George Elliott Clarke
George channels his teenage years of boogie nights in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the 1970s. His new book of poetry is called I & I, and it's written by his adult self and his teenage self — he's reworked and developed material that he originally concocted as a lusty teenager. "Gothic in romance, grotesque in its depictions, and gaudy in plot," so says the man himself. Also on the show: Jennifer McLagan sings the praises of fat (as an ingredient, that is). She says it's a deeply misunderstood part of our diet. Her book is called Fat. Julia Child, Hannah Sung, Andy Jones (of CodCo fame) and illustrator Darka Erdelji all make appearances too.
Lori Lansens
Lori wrote her first novel about conjoined twins. Now, in The Wife's Tale, she takes on the point of view of an obese woman whose life reshapes itself when her husband doesn't come home. The author speaks with Shelagh Rogers about fatness, thin-ness, loneliness and joy. Dave Bidini and Ray Fennelly lament the loss of Pages Books & Magazines in Toronto and Granny Bates Children's Books in St. John's. Aritha Van Herk looks for happy marriages in Canadian writing, and comes across the books The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan and C.S. Richardson's The End of the Alphabet.
Wayson Choy
Shelagh speaks to Wayson about his memoir, Not Yet, about almost dying, twice. Also on the show, Jason Brown has fun with math, Michael Turner takes the Proust Questionnaire, and Tom Howell reviews Michael's book, 8 x 10.
Peep Culture
Hal Niedzviecki on his book Peep Diaries: How We're Learning to Love Watching Ourselves and Our Neighbours. [website] Plus Carlo Rota from 24 and Little Mosque on the Prairie, Karen Solie speaks with Shelagh about her poetry collection, Pigeon. And Sara O'Leary reviews biographies of Stephen Leacock and Robertson Davies.
Margaret Atwood
Shelagh Rogers speaks with Atwood about the author’s new novel, The Year of the Flood. Also on the show: Itah Sadu recommends the writers Dwayne Morgan and Motion. Lecturer Robert Adams returns to the stage. And Jeanne Beker reviews February by Lisa Moore.
Michael Crummey
The author of Galore speaks to Shelagh at the Writers at Woody Point festival in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland. Also on the show: Robert Sawyer, Pasha Malla, Joy Fielding.
On The Next Chapter, veteran broadcast journalist Shelagh Rogers talks to Canada's best-known authors and the literary stars of tomorrow. It's the destination show for anyone who wants to know about Canadian books and writing.
