Talkingbooksandstuff's podcast

Since 2003, Mo has worked as writer, teacher and editor. In her early career Mo taught Business Communications and English as an Additional Language. Her years spent working with international students, travelling and exploring the world inspired her to write, and in 2015 she received her Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her own memoir, Unpacked: from PEI to Palawan  (Pottersfield Press) tackles a family journey under extraordinary circumstances, and was published in 2017.



In her second novel Rufous and Calliope (Douglas & McIntyre), a cartographer with a novel form of dementia attempts to cross a perilous mountain pass, seeking the treehouse hideaway where he spent one memorable childhood summer on the run with his three older siblings and his twin sister, Calliope. Released fall 2025, and recently shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Fiction prize. The French edition Ciel Noir, Coeurs Battants was released in February 2026.

When Betty Baxter was hired to coach the Canadian women's volleyball team in 1980, she was met with a media frenzy as the first woman in the position. Then her career was cut short—Baxter was fired in January 1982 and tossed from volleyball at age twenty-nine because of rumours about her sexual orientation. This personal memoir chronicles Baxter's journey from a small-town prairie girl discovering her passion for sports, through the years of international success, including harsh coaches, excruciating training regimes and the inequities in the sports system, especially for a closeted gay athlete. After her abrupt dismissal, Baxter turned to activism, seeking equality for women, initiating a new coaching school and working for a healthy, visible LGBTQ+ community through the internationally recognized Gay Games.

Shirley is only five years old when she is taken away by the Indian agent to live at a residential school. She loves learning, but she is not there by choice. From the first day walking up the long, lonely stone steps of the school building, life is hard and full of rules. Separated from her brothers and sisters, she is truly on her own.  Shirley is very brave, but there is no one she loves to hold her at night when she is afraid. No one to tuck her in and comfort her. Shirley keeps going despite the sadness. She makes friends and has adventures. And most of all, she looks ahead to summertime, when she will be able to return to her family and the happiness of home. A true story.

In this compelling novel, acclaimed author Robert Hough recreates the political violence and revolutionary idealism that flowed through New York City during the Gilded Age of the 1890s. At its centre are real-life revolutionists Emma Goldman and Alexander "Sasha" Berkman, whose passionate love affair fuels their commitment to creating a better world.

Crystal Shawanda is an Ojibwe Potawatomi blues and country music artist from Canada. CMT documented her rise to fame in the six-part series Crystal: Living the Dream, which was broadcast in February 2008.

The first novel from award-winning poet Ben Ladouceur, I Remember Lights depicts a time when the world promised everything to everyone, however irresponsibly. In summer 1967, love is all you need…but some forms of love are criminal. As the spectacular Expo 67 celebrations take shape, a young man new to Montreal learns about gay life from cruising partners, one-night stands, live-in lovers, and friends.

His book House Built of Rain (2003) was a shortlisted nominee for the 2004 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and the 2004 ReLit Award.  

Creating dark, pop‑inspired illustrations and write poetry that leans into the bittersweet and the bizarre. Also running Lobotomy Press, where she publishes poetry, art, and chapter books. 

Food, with Felicia Fox

Author of Star-Crossed Alliance and A Valley Girl Dilemma

Since the 1970s, the field of primatology has been characterized by a predominance of women. Against the backdrop of McGoogan's journey as a field scientist studying wild primates in Belize and Madagascar, Sisters of the Jungle: The Trailblazing Women Who Shaped the Study of Primates explores the stories of the many women who came before her.

Drawing on author John Cullen's years of experience as both a stand-up comic and an elite curler, Curling Rocks! offers a lighthearted, expertly detailed look at a unique sport and its history, from the most absurd curling fashions to the most sublime matches ever played.

Chester L. Richards: Aerospace Engineer (Ret.), Inventor, Adventurer, Author, Storyteller, Romantic.

Ever feel like life's full of crap? Good. You're not alone—and you're not wrong. Deinnis talks with author Angela Jamieson, about this refreshingly honest, hilarious, and surprisingly profound book. Engineer-turned-poop-philosopher Angela Jamieson invites you to take a long, hard look at what you've been holding onto—and finally let that sh*t go.

Miya loves her school and she especially loves storytime. One day, her teacher shares a story about a little girl who was taken away to a residential school. The little girl wasn't allowed to go home. Her hair was cut and she wasn't allowed to keep her favourite doll. She was taken away from her family because she was Indigenous, just like Miya! Miya worries the same thing will happen to her. Her mom tells her that Indigenous girls and boys aren't forced to leave their families anymore. Miya is relieved, but she is still sad. What can she do about these feelings?

In Gathering Stones, poet Cathy Langdon invites readers to wander with her down a forest path, pausing by the creek to reflect on memory, love, loss, and the quiet beauty of everyday life. With honesty and warmth, her poems draw from friendships, family, and personal experience, creating a collection that is both intimate and universal.

Dennis interviews Californian musician Kevin Christopher

The Andy Kim Christmas is an annual charity concert event founded by musician Andy Kim that raises money for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Gifts of Light program in Toronto. The show features Kim and a rotating lineup of other acclaimed Canadian artists for a festive celebration of music and charity. While the primary Toronto event benefits CAMH, similar shows with a charitable component have also been held in other cities, such as one benefiting Variety Children's Charity in British Columbia.  Key aspects of the show     Philanthropic focus: The primary goal is to raise funds for the CAMH Gifts of Light program, which provides essential items and support to mental health patients. In 2025, proceeds from the British Columbia event will go to Variety the Children's Charity of B.C..     Musical lineup: Kim invites fellow musicians to perform alongside him, creating a special, collaborative holiday concert experience.     Long-running tradition: The show has been a holiday staple for many years, with the 20th anniversary celebrated in 2024.     2025 Event: The 2025 Toronto event is scheduled for December 3 at Massey Hall, with tickets available via Ticketmaster.ca or at the Box Office.     Iconic host: Andy Kim is a well-known musician inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canada's Walk of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, famous for hits like "Rock Me Gently" and "Sugar, Sugar". Shows also coming to Montreal December 6 and Vancouver December 13.

Her poems arise from memories, both personal and historical. They also develop from observation and constant reading, and from the natural world. These layered elements combine to offer through-lines for further contemplation in our wounded, resilient lives.

Dennis interviews Chris Hall, President of the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association

Meg Todd grew up in the Alberta prairies. She is a two-time finalist for the CBC Short Story Prize, and her work has appeared in Ploughshares, Prairie Fire, PRISM international and elsewhere. Her debut short story collection, Exit Strategies, was a finalist for both the ReLit Award and the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Calgary. She lives on Vancouver Island.

Ginger Ngo is an author and illustrator based in Vancouver, BC

Colleen is a vocalist/pianist raised on a farm in Saskatchewan.  At the age of 20 Colleen joined a group of 5 called "Sahara", played the Wurlizter piano as well as singing. She paused music at 24, was married, had two children, and then picked up where she left off at the age of 35.  Over the past 30 years Colleen has performed for Telemiracle TV fundraisers, Prairieland Exhibition's Blue Garter Saloon, Labatt's Briers, Queen of Hearts Curling, The Mayor's Galas, and many more wonderful occasions to add to this list. 

Rob is an Ottawa based writer, editor, publisher, and critic. They discuss the book of sentences

Dennis and Charlie talk about Charlie's book "Dangerous Memory", in which Charlie does a major re-think of the political shifts of the 1980s, a decade of greed

Dennis discusses her book, "I Think We've Been Here Before" --a family is shaken when they receive news of a terminal illness, and that humanity will be rendered extinct in months. 

Men Without Hats is a Canadian new wave and synth-pop band, from Montreal, QC. Known for Safety Dance and Pop Goes the World, they are characterized by the baritone voice of Ivan Doroschuk, and their elbaorate use of synth.

Sara Winokur is a geneticist, researcher, and author. Her historical fiction and cultural thrillers embody elements of DNA and forensic science, as she has a Ph.D. in molecular genetics. They talk about her book Ivory Bones, when Icelandic forensic geneticist Brynja Pálsdóttir, haunted by her family's dark legacy, is drawn into the search for the missing Lewis Chessmen, she becomes a pawn in an assassin's deadly game.

Dennis talks about Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous, a semi-autobiographical novel based on the author's time working in the film industry in Vancouver and Los Angeles.

 Eve Lazarus

Dennis interviews Ed Willes about hockey and books and hockey books

Dennis meets with  Tom Wayman.

Tong Ge was born and raised in China and moved to Canada in 1988. She began writing the China China trilogy in 2004 with the first book: The House Filler. Although she was challenged by learning to write in English and by her long- term disability, she persevered and since 2012 has published poetry and prose in English and Chinese in publications such as Prism, Ricepaper, Flow, Canadian Stories, and The Polyglot.

Dennis speaks to Candace Macphie - author of the Back in a Year Series 

 Saskatoon's city archivist Jeff O'Brien.

Revered science reporter and radio host Bob McDonald has devoted his career to turning our attention away from everyday perspectives and outward to the vast, intricate wonders of our planet and universe. Now, in this revealing and captivating memoir, he looks within, offering an intimate view of the path that brought him from a blue-collar background to his long-standing role as Canada's foremost explainer of all things scientific.

David Roche is an inspirational humorist, keynote speaker and performer who has transformed the challenges and gifts of living with a facial difference into a compelling message that uplifts and delights audiences around the world. With the publication of his first book, The Church of 80% Sincerity, he is also an author.

Adelle Purdham is a writer, teacher, and parent disability advocate. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from the University of King's College and is a writing instructor at Trent University. 

In her new book, Cross offers practical and hopeful ideas for how each of us can engage in the vital work of eradicating intimate partner violence. This is a call to action for the all-of-society, revolutionary response to gender-based violence needed to build communities that are safe and healthy for everyone.

Ron Base has written and produced a number of screenplays. A former journalist, magazine writer, and movie critic, Base spent four years in Los Angeles researching and writing" Magic Man." He now lives in Montreal with his family. 

Dennis interviews Thomas F Pedersen about his book, "The Carbon Tax Question", described as "A timely and insightful exploration of the implementation and impact of British Columbia's carbon tax, delving into the political and economic considerations behind the tax, and addressing misconceptions."

Rebecca Hendricks is a writer and author of the new novel Hound Dogged. Rebecca has made a career doing accounting and Judicial Assistant work, but her passion has always been writing and creating colorful and exciting stories. Starting at a young age, Rebecca could be found in her room, spending countless hours writing stories in long hand or typing her work with one finger on her father's antique typewriter.

Gitz is a Canadian Indigenous Author, Actor, Activist and Youth Educator.  His debut novel, 'Secret of the Stars' is quickly heating up and has caught the attention of national and international media such as the CBC and Australia's Indigenous Radio Station. 

Chase Joynt is a Canadian filmmaker, writer, video artist, actor, and professor. He attracted acclaim as co-director with Aisling Chin-Yee of the documentary film No Ordinary Man (2020), and as director of the film Framing Agnes (2022). He won two awards at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival for his work on the latter. In 2024, Joynt received a nomination for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction for Vantage Points: On Media as Trans Memoir. 

Dennis interviews Scott Ryan about his book Last Decade of Cinema, where Scott argues that the 1990s was the last decade in which films were made for grownups, with complex, adult-based plots, nuanced characters, and meaningful themes.

Wren makes literature, performances, and exhibitions. His books include Revenge Fantasies of the Politically Dispossessed ; Polyamorous Love Song (finalist for the Fence Modern Prize in Prose and a Globe and Mail best book of 2014); Rich and Poor (finalist for the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction and a Globe and Mail best book of 2016); and Authenticity is a Feeling.

Don Butler is back, as the author of the 2024 novel, Norman's Conquest

Dave Margoshes is a Saskatoon-area writer whose work has appeared widely in Canadian literary magazines and anthologies, including six times in the Best Canadian Stories volumes. He was a finalist for the Journey Prize in 2009. He's published fifteen books of poetry and fiction, including Bix's Trumpet and Other Stories, which won two prizes at the 2007 Saskatchewan Book Awards, including Book of the Year

Farzana Doctor is a writer, activist, and psychotherapist. Her ancestry is Indian, and she was born in Zambia while her family was based there for five years, before immigrating to Canada in 1971