Hey all! Today we chat with two people on the show. First up is Jaime from Epic Books, talking about how they’ve been keeping business alive and getting people books during the pandemic shutdown. After that, we chat with poet Canisia Lubrin about her newest work, The Dyzgraphxst. I’m always intimidated by poets – I’m still unsure about my understanding of the form – but I’m getting better at it. I feel that I understand this work more than I did before our conversation, which is wonderful. Thanks to Canisia and thanks to you for listening!
fiction
E179 with JANE CHRISTMAS
Hi folks! As I type this, we’re still on self-imposed lockdown. Hope you’re all ok out there and getting lot of reading done!
Today’s guest is Jane Christmas. Open House: A Life in Thirty-Two Moves is a wonderful memoir. Doesn’t matter if you frequently move house or renovate or any of that, the book can speak to anyone. Enjoy the show.
E178 with EVA HOLLAND
Hey all! This week’s show features Whitehorse-based writer Eva Holland. Nerve: A Personal Journey Through the Science of Fear isn’t directly about the fear we’ve all been feeling – this creeping-dread-end-of-times type fear – but it certainly seemed timely when it landed in my mailbox.
We talk about fears, the process of facing them, and the process of putting it all into a cohesive piece of written work (note: it’s more than just cohesive of course – it’s a very enjoyable and interesting read!). Dig it.
E174 with AMANDA LEDUC
Hey everyone. Where to begin? What madness surrounds us! I’m both terrified and not worried at all, depending on a/ what we’re talking about and b/ the moment you ask me. All I know is that most of the people I love are washing hands/staying home/covering coughs, all the things we need to do. The economic prospects are scary but, really, not the immediate concern, so I just sort of push it out of my mind.
Anyway, books are a sweet way to pass the time while you’re at home, and a good method of distraction. As I work at 93.3 CFMU FM, deemed an “essential service” at McMaster University, I will continue to provide new programs for as long as I am able. Listen in! Read books! Order from local bookstores. Do it all if you can. Do what you can, as it’s all you can do.
Today’s guest is the fabulous Amanda Leduc, talking about her thoughtful and fascinating book, Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability and Making Space. I hope you enjoy – both the show and the book. Be well, be safe!
E173 with KRISTI CHARISH
Hey folks! Kristi Charish returns to GET LIT to discuss her latest, Voodoo Shanghai, the third (and…final?) book in the Kincaid Strange series of urban fantasy novels. These books are pretty damn fun and she’s created a really unique world just below (beside?) the one we live in. Check it out.
E172 with KARMA BROWN
Hey folks! This week we talk with Karma Brown about her novel Recipe For A Perfect Wife. Hope you enjoy!
Also: if this is your kind of thing…
The station of origin for GET LIT is 93.3 CFMU FM out of Hamilton, Ontario. We’ve been a community voice since January 1978. Recent decisions by the provincial government really hit us hard. We lost about a third of our budget. Every year, we do a fundraiser, and this year it’s more important than ever. If you’re inclined to support community radio, please consider doing so at cfmu.ca/fundraising (or cfmu.ca and click the “donate” button as long as the pop-up is still popping).
E171 with DAVID BAILLIE
This week we have our second in-studio conversation with David Baillie. The former Hamiltonian drove up from the Boston area, where he is a teacher, to talk about his latest, Little Bones. We also discussed traditional skinheads, punk rock, Hammer City Records, and whatever else came to mind. I even convinced him to do a short reading at the end. Tune in!
E170 with JENNIFER GILLIES from GRIT LIT
It’s an annual tradition for GET LIT to talk to Jennifer Gillies. While we try and make the show national (and occasionally international), sometimes we have to go local, and the Grit Lit Readers & Writers Festival is one example. If you’re within driving distance of Hamilton, Ontario, this festival’s worth the trip. Tune in and hear more about it!
E168 with RICHARD KELLY KEMICK
Happy February! We’re kicking the month off with Richard Kelly Kemick, talking about his book I Am Herod. Lots of interesting stuff about the book, the experience he lived through, the nature of faith itself. Dig it!
E167 with AMI MCKAY
Hey all! Hope everything is super. I’m back into the swing of doing new interviews (as well as starting to shop my new novel, but that’s another story). This week is the last of the interviews I had to do on different gear.
Our guest is Ami McKay, author of several works of fiction and, now, memoir. Daughter of Family G is a “genetic memoir.” Trust me, that makes sense if you’re read it. If you haven’t read it, you should! Enjoy our chat.