Synopsis
A.W. French interviews established and emerging authors about breaking through as writers and finding their literary style.
Episodes
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49. Poetic Activism w/ Stephen Collis
17/02/2021 Duration: 51minStephen Collis chats about his new poetry collection, A History of the Theories of Rain. Andrew interrogates Stephen's love for slashes and dislike of the word "Anthropocene." It's a lovely time! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. Follow the podcast on Twitter here. Follow the podcast on Instagram here. ----- Stephen Collis is the author of a dozen books of poetry and prose, including The Commons (Talonbooks 2008), the BC Book Prize winning On the Material (Talonbooks 2010), Once in Blockadia (Talonbooks 2016) and Almost Islands: Phyllis Webb and the Pursuit of the Unwritten (Talonbooks 2018). In 2019 he was awarded the Latner Writers’ Trust of Canada Poetry Prize in recognition of his body of work. In 2021 Talonbooks will publish A History of the Theories of Rain. He lives near Vancouver, on unceded Coast Salish Territory, and teaches poetry and poetics at Simon Fraser University. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of one chapbook, D
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48. Community and Editing w/ Cole Nowicki
03/02/2021 Duration: 50minCole Nowicki jumps on the podcast to chat about a fine. collection, vol. I. Andrew talks about interdisciplinary art. It's a great day to listen! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. Follow the podcast on twitter here. ----- Cole Nowicki is a writer, producer, and publisher based in Vancouver, BC. His work has appeared in The Walrus, Maisonneuve, McSweeney’s, VICE, and more. He also produces, hosts, and publishes the interdisciplinary event fine. and its print extension fine. press. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of one chapbook, Do Not Discard Ashes (845 Press, 2020). Andrew holds a BA in English from Huron University College at Western University and an MA in English from UBC. He writes poems, book reviews, and hosts this very podcast.
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47. Collaborative & Community Poems w/ Manahil Bandukwala
20/01/2021 Duration: 57minManahil Bandukwala discusses her and Conyer Clayton's new collaborative chapbook, "Sprawl." Andrew talks about different forms of sharing writing. It's a really nice time! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. Follow the podcast on twitter here. ----- Manahil Bandukwala is a Pakistani writer and artist based in Mississauga. She has two solo chapbooks, Paper Doll (Anstruther Press, 2019) and Pipe Rose (battleaxe press, 2018), and two collaborative chapbooks, Sprawl (Collusion Books, 2020) with Conyer Clayton, and Towers (Collusion Books, 2020) with VII. In 2019, she won Room magazine’s Emerging Writer Award and was longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize. She is completing her MA in English at UWaterloo. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of one chapbook, Do Not Discard Ashes (845 Press, 2020). Andrew holds a BA in English from Huron University College at Western University and an MA in English from UBC. He writes poems, book reviews, and hosts th
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46. Best Canadian Poetry 2020! w/ Marilyn Dumont
06/01/2021 Duration: 44minMarilyn Dumont discusses editing Best Canadian Poetry 2020. Andrew talks about mentorship and pandemic reading. It's good stuff! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. Follow the podcast on twitter here. ----- Marilyn Dumont is of Cree/Métis ancestry, her Dumont family having lived in the Edmonton area which has a rich Métis historical and contemporary presence. Poet, writer, and professor, Marilyn Dumont teaches with the Faculty of Native Studies and the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta. Her four collections of poetry have all won either provincial or national poetry awards. She was awarded the 2018 Lifetime Membership from the League of Canadian Poets for her contributions to poetry in Canada, and in 2019, she was awarded the Alberta Lieutenant Governor's Distinguished Artist Award. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of the chapbook Do Not Discard Ashes (845 Press, 2020). Andrew holds a BA in English
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45. "Bittersweet" w/ Natasha Ramoutar
25/11/2020 Duration: 49minNatasha Ramoutar discusses her poetry collection, Bittersweet. Andrew talks about light poems and mentorship. It's a joyous occasion! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. Follow the podcast on twitter here. ----- Natasha Ramoutar is an Indo-Guyanese writer by way of Scarborough (Ganatsekwyagon) at the east side of Toronto. She is the fiction editor of Feel Ways, an anthology of Scarborough writing, and the Social Media Assistant at the Festival of Literary Diversity. She lives in Scarborough, Ontario. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of one chapbook, Do Not Discard Ashes (845 Press, 2020). Andrew holds a BA in English from Huron University College at Western University and an MA in English from UBC. He writes poems, book reviews, and hosts this very podcast.
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44. Chapbooks! w/ Aaron Schneider & Amy Mitchell of The /tƐmz/ Review
11/11/2020 Duration: 57minAmy Mitchell and Aaron Schneider from The /tƐmz/ Review & 845 Press talk about their forthcoming chapbook titles. Andrew reads from his chapbook and is blown away by the quality of the other 845 Press titles. It's a fun time! ----- Click here to access the launch event page on Facebook! Click here to view 845 Press' chapbook catalogue! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. Follow the podcast on twitter here. ----- Aaron Schneider teaches in the Department of English and Writing Studies at Western University, where he also runs the Creative Writers Speakers Series. His stories have appeared in The Danforth Review, filling station, The Puritan, Hamilton Arts and Letters, untethered, and The Chattahoochee Review. His first book, Grass-Fed, is available from Quattro Books. Visit his website here. Amy Mitchell is The /tƐmz/ Review's social media editor (as well as a writing editor) and a college professor. She holds a PhD in English Literature from Western University. Her rea
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43. "Like a Boy but Not a Boy" w/ andrea bennett
28/10/2020 Duration: 55minandrea bennett chats about her new essay collection, Like a Boy but Not a Boy. Andrew asks where essays come from. It's just an all around great time! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. Follow the podcast on twitter here. ----- andrea bennett is a National Magazine Award–winning writer and editor. Their writing has been published by The Atlantic, the Globe and Mail, The Walrus, Maisonneuve, Hazlitt, Vice, Reader’s Digest, Vogue Italia, Quill & Quire, Chatelaine, and many other outlets. andrea’s first book of essays, Like a Boy but Not a Boy, is out now with Arsenal Pulp Press. andrea’s first book of poetry, Canoodlers, came out with Nightwood Editions in 2014. Their Moon Travel travel guide to Montréal is now available, as is their guide to Québec City. andrea is an editor and designer at Talonbooks, the former Editor-in-Chief of Maisonneuve, and the designer for PRISM international. Originally from Hamilton, she is now back on the west coast
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42. "The Certainties" w/ Aislinn Hunter
14/10/2020 Duration: 51minAislinn Hunter discusses her novel, The Certainties. Andrew talks about Aislinn's novel being the first he's read in about a year. It's a blast! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. Follow the podcast on twitter here. ----- Aislinn Hunter is an award-winning novelist and poet and the author of seven highly acclaimed books including the novel ‘The World Before Us’ – a NYT Editor’s Choice book, a Guardian and NPR Book the Year, and winner of the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Her work has been adapted into music, dance, art, and film forms – including a feature film based on her novel ‘Stay’ which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Hunter holds degrees in Creative Writing, Art History, Writing and Cultural Politics and English Literature. In 2018 she served as a Canadian War Artist working with Canadian and NATO forces at CFB Suffield. She teaches creative writing part-time and lives in Vancouver, BC. ----- Andrew French is an author from North
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41. "The Outer Wards" w/ Sadiqa de Meijer
30/09/2020 Duration: 54minSadiqa de Meijer talks about her poetry collection, The Outer Wards. Andrew fumbles through questions and talks about Sadiqa's poem that he wrote about in his thesis. It's fun for everyone! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Sadiqa de Meijer’s debut collection, Leaving Howe Island, was a nominee for the 2014 Governor General's Award for English-language poetry and for the 2014 Pat Lowther Award. Her book of essays, alfabet / alphabet, is out now with Palimpsest Press. She lives with her family in Kingston, Ontario. Click here to attend Sadiqa's reading with Annick MacAskill and Klara du Plessis on 2 October, 2020. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Andrew holds a BA in English from Huron University College at Western University and an MA in English from UBC. He writes poems, book reviews, and hosts this very podcast.
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40. "Render" w/ Sachiko Murakami
12/09/2020 Duration: 43minSachiko Murakami talks about their latest poetry collection, Render. Andrew discusses form and trying to figure out how to write with it. It's a wonderful time! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Sachiko Murakami is the author of Render (2020), The Invisibility Exhibit (2008), Rebuild (2011), and Get Me Out of Here (2015). As a literary worker, she has edited poetry for various presses, worked for trade organizations, hosted reading series, organized conferences, sat on juries, and judged prizes. She lives in Toronto. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Andrew holds a BA in English from Huron University College at Western University and an MA in English from UBC. He writes poems, book reviews, and hosts this very podcast.
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39. Dildo Poems w/ Andy Verboom
05/08/2020 Duration: 55minAndy Verboom discusses his new poetry collection, DBL. Andrew talks about Andy's early influence on him as an aspiring writer. It's a joyous occasion! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Andy Verboom is from subrural Nova Scotia and lives in K'jipuktuk (Halifax). He is the publisher of Insomniac Press and Collusion Books and the co-founder of long con magazine. His poetry has won Frog Hollow’s Chapbook Contest and Descant’s Winston Collins Prize, been shortlisted for CV2's Young Buck Prize and Arc's Poem of the Year, and appeared in Prism, The Puritan, Vallum, and elsewhere. DBL is his sixth chapbook. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Andrew holds a BA in English from Huron University College at Western University, and is pursuing an MA in English at UBC. He writes poems, book reviews, and hosts this very podcast.
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38. "Murmurations" w/ Annick MacAskill
22/07/2020 Duration: 54minAnnick MacAskill discusses her new poetry collection, Murmurations. Andrew talks about how e.e. cummings made him leave business school. It's a great time all around! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Annick MacAskill is a poet and the author of Murmurations (Gaspereau Press, 2020). Her debut collection, No Meeting Without Body (Gaspereau Press, 2018), was nominated for the League of Canadian Poets’ Gerald Lampert Memorial Award and shortlisted for the J. M. Abraham Poetry Award (Atlantic Book Awards). MacAskill has been a finalist for the CBC’s Canada Writes Poetry Prize, The Fiddlehead‘s Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize, Grain Magazine‘s Short Grain Contest, The New Quarterly‘s Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest, and other literary honours. Her writing has appeared in journals and anthologies across Canada and abroad, including The Humber Literary Review, Best Canadian Poetry 2019, Canadian Notes & Queries, Plenitude, Grain Magazine, Prism, Versal, Room Magazine, The Stinging
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37. Collaborative Writing w/ Conyer Clayton
08/07/2020 Duration: 39minConyer Clayton discusses her new poetry collection, We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite. Andrew asks Conyer about her awesome titles. It's a blast! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Conyer Clayton was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and now happily calls Ottawa home. She has six chapbooks: Trust Only the Beasts in the Water (above/ground press), /(post ghost press), Undergrowth (bird, buried press), Mitosis (In/Words Magazine and Press), For the Birds. For the Humans. (battleaxe press), and The Marshes (&Co Collective, 2017). She released a collaborative album with Nathanael Larochette, If the river stood still, in August 2018. Her work appears in ARC, Prairie Fire, The Fiddlehead, The Maynard, Puddles of Sky Press, and other publications. She won ARC's 2017 iana Brebner Prize, placed third in Prairie Fire's 2017 Poetry Contest, and received honourable mention in The Fiddlehead's 2018 poetry prize. She is a member of the sound poetry ensemble Quatuor Gualuor, and writes reviews
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36. "Hearts Amok" w/ Kevin Spenst
25/06/2020 Duration: 44minKevin Spenst returns to talk Hearts Amok: A Memoir in Verse. Andrew celebrates a year of Page Fright. It's a fun episode for all! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Kevin Spenst, a Pushcart Poetry nominee, is the author of Hearts Amok, Ignite, Jabbering with Bing Bong (both with Anvil Press), and over a dozen chapbooks including Pray Goodbye (the Alfred Gustav Press), Ward Notes (the serif of nottingham), Flip Flop Faces and Unexpurgated Lives (JackPine Press), and most recently Upend (Frog Hollow Press). His work has won the Lush Triumphant Award for Poetry, been nominated for both the Alfred G. Bailey Prize and the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry, and has appeared in dozens of publications including Event, the Malahat Review, subTerrain magazine, Prairie Fire, CV2, the Rusty Toque, BafterC, Lemon Hound, Poetry is Dead, and the anthology Best Canadian Poetry 2019. He co-organizes the Dead Poets Reading Series, and teaches Creative Writing at Vancouver Community College. He l
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35. Lost Lagoon Poems w/ Betsy Warland
10/06/2020 Duration: 47minBetsy Warland discusses her new book of prose poems, Lost Lagoon / lost in thought. Andrew asks Betsy about how to find inspiration for a poem. It's a great time all around! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Betsy Warland has published 12 books of poetry, creative nonfiction and lyric prose including her best-selling 2010 book of personal essays, Breathing the Page— Reading the Act of Writing. In April of 2016, Oscar of Between—A Memoir of Identity and Ideas was launched by Caitlin Press’ new imprint, Dagger Editions. Reviews have called it “an achievement,” “truly luminous,” and a “tour de force.” In 2013, Warland created a new publishing template called Oscar’s Salon. An interactive salon that features excerpts from her manuscript Oscar of Between, Guest Writers and Artist’s work, the salon also includes a Featured Reader each month as well as readers’ comments. Warland co-founded with Myrna Kostash the Creative Writers Nonfiction Collective in 2004 that holds an annual conference for
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34. "Sweet Water" w/ Yvonne Blomer
27/05/2020 Duration: 33minYvonne Blomer comes on the show to discuss Sweet Water: Poems for the Watersheds. Andrew is intrigued by the task of editing a poetry anthology. It's a wonderful time for all! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Yvonne Blomer is the author of a travel memoir Sugar Ride: Cycling from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur, and three books of poetry, as well as an editor, teacher and mentor in poetry and memoir. She served as the city of Victoria poet laureate from 2015-2018. In 2018 Yvonne was the Artist-in-Residence at the Robert Bateman Centre and created Ravine, Mouse, a Bird’s Beak, a chapbook of ekphrastic ecological poetry in response to Bateman’s art. In 2017 Yvonne edited the anthology Refugium: Poems for the Pacific (Caitlin Press) with poets responding to their connection to the Pacific from the west coast of North America, and as far away as Japan and New Zealand. Sweet Water: Poems for the Watersheds is the second in a trilogy of water-based poetry anthologies coming out with Caitlin Press. She
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33. Potato Poems w/ Matthew Walsh
13/05/2020 Duration: 35minMatthew Walsh discusses their book, These are not the potatoes of my youth. Andrew is blown away by Matthew's editing technique. It's delightful! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Matthew Walsh hails from the eastern shore of Nova Scotia and has twice travelled by bus across Canada. Their poems may be found in the Malahat Review, Arc, Existere, Matrix, Carousel, and Geist. Walsh now lives in Toronto. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Andrew holds a BA in English from Huron University College at Western University, and is pursuing an MA in English at UBC. He writes poems, book reviews, and hosts this very podcast.
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32. "Junebat" and "Vanishing Monuments" w/ John Elizabeth Stintzi
29/04/2020 Duration: 34minFriend of the show John Elizabeth Stintzi returns to discuss their new books, Vanishing Monuments and Junebat! Andrew talks about getting back into poetry during quarantine. It's a delight! ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- John Elizabeth Stintzi is a novelist, poet, & teacher who was born and raised on a cattle farm in northwestern Ontario. Their work has received support from the Canada Council for the Arts, The Watermill Center, and has been awarded the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers from the Writers’ Trust of Canada and The Malahat Review’s Long Poem Prize. Spring of 2020 saw the publication of both their debut novel Vanishing Monuments (Arsenal Pulp Press) and their full-length poetry debut Junebat (House of Anansi). Stintzi’s work has been published throughout the United States and Canada, in places like Ploughshares, Kenyon Review, Black Warrior Review, The Malahat Review, The Fiddlehead (see: Magazine Publications), and Best Canadian Poetry. They are also the
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31. Writing in Quarantine w/ Lauren Turner
22/04/2020 Duration: 33minLauren Turner talks poetry, quarantine, and The Only Card in a Deck of Knives. Andrew asks about editing practices. It's a joy. ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Lauren Turner is a disabled poet and essayist. She wrote The Onl Card in a Deck of Knives (Wolsak & Wynn 2020) and the chapbook, We're Not Going to Do Better Next Time (knife | fork | book, 2018). Her work has appeared in Grain, Arc Magazine, Poetry is Dead, Cosmonauts Avenue, The Puritan, canthius and elsewhere. She won the 2018 Short Grain Contest and was a finalist for the 2017 3Macs carte blanche Prize. She lives in Tiohtiá:ke/Montréal on the unceded land of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Andrew holds a BA in English from Huron University College at Western University, and is pursuing an MA in English at UBC. He writes poems, book reviews, and hosts this very podcast.
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30. Curtis LeBlanc: "Birding in the Glass Age of Isolation"
15/04/2020 Duration: 35minCurtis LeBlanc talks poetry, working on a novel, and his new poetry book: Birding in the Glass Age of Isolation. Andrew picks a poem about Free Willy from Curtis' book to kick off the episode. Everything goes swimmingly. ----- Listen to more episodes of Page Fright here. ----- Curtis LeBlanc is a poet and writer residing in Vancouver, BC. He is the author of Little Wild (Nightwood, 2018) and Birding in the Glass Age of Isolation (Nightwood, 2020). His work has appeared in Joyland, Geist, The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, EVENT, PRISM International, Prairie Fire, Grain, and elsewhere. Curtis holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. He is the recipient of the Readers’ Choice Award in the Arc Poem of the Year competition and has been shortlisted for The Walrus Poetry Prize. He’s also the co-founder and Managing Editor of Rahila’s Ghost Press. He is currently at work on his first novel. ----- Andrew French is an author from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Andrew holds a BA in