What does the work of painter Renoir and <a href="https://www.wikiart.org/en/pierre-auguste-renoir/woman-in-a-hat-with-flowers-1917" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">his paintings of full-bodied women</a> (2.15; 12.34), and tanning beds (2:30) have to do with the Quebecois author&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/marie-claire-blais" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marie Claire Blais </a>(3:15) and <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/14495/mad-shadows-by-marie-claire-blais-afterword-by-daphne-marlatt-afterword-by-daphne-marlatt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Belle Bette/Mad Shadows </a>(3:20)? Have a listen to today’s episode to find out&nbsp;… In this episode, Linda looks at Blais’s Mad&nbsp;Shadows and its historical importance to Quebec. Among other subjects, she also references:<a href="https://www.valuevillage.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Value Village</a>, <a href="https://www.holtrenfrew.com/en/h/Womens" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Holt Renfrew </a>1:3; 11:58 )<a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sheila-fischman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sheila Fischman</a> (3:45)<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Yorker</a> (4:47; 16:11)<a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margaret-Atwood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Margaret Atwood </a>(4:58; 16:24&nbsp;)Andre Gide, Andre Breton (5:22; 17:04&nbsp;)Karen Kain, Veronica Tennant (6:08; 18:02)Elle magazine (11:43)<a href="https://www.fluevog.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fluevog Shoes</a>&nbsp;(11:48) Quel est le rapport entre l'œuvre du peintre Renoir et <a href="https://www.wikiart.org/en/pierre-auguste-renoir/woman-in-a-hat-with-flowers-1917" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ses tableaux de femmes épanouies</a> (2.15 ; 12.34), et les lits de bronzage (2:30), et l'auteure québécoise <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/marie-claire-blais" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marie Claire Blais </a>(3:15) et <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/14495/mad-shadows-by-marie-claire-blais-afterword-by-daphne-marlatt-afterword-by-daphne-marlatt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Belle Bette/Mad Shadows ( </a>3:20) ? Écoutez l'épisode d'aujourd'hui pour le découvrir... Dans cet épisode, Linda se penche sur La Belle Bette et son importance historique pour le Québec. Parmi d'autres sujets, elle fait également référence à :<a href="https://www.valuevillage.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Value Village</a>, <a href="https://www.holtrenfrew.com/en/h/Womens" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Holt Renfrew </a>(1:3 ; 11:58)<a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sheila-fischman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sheila Fischman</a> (3:45)<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Yorker</a> (4:47 ; 16:11)<a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margaret-Atwood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Margaret Atwood </a>(4:58 ; 16:24 )André Gide, André Breton (5:22 ; 17:04 )Karen Kain, Veronica Tennant (6:08 ; 18:02)Elle magazine (11:43)<a href="https://www.fluevog.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chaussures Fluevog</a> (11:48)

Bad Beauty: Marie Claire Blais' Mad Shadows

In this episode, Linda and Bryn Turnbull discuss her <a href="https://www.harpercollins.ca/author/cr-195727/bryn-turnbull/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new historical novel, The Paris Deception </a>- and what it means to represent women's lives historically when there has been inadequate records or representation for them. Linda considers the <a href="https://www.indigogirls.com/bio" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Indigo Girls </a>and their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEu38h6Ug58&amp;ab_channel=IndigoGirls-Topic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">song about Virginia Woolf </a>- and listening attentively to the voices of women through time. Turnbull alludes to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2177771/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Monuments Men </a>(both the movie and <a href="https://www.robertedsel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the book</a>) and her novel as an equivalent for women to such a story. Among other topics, we address<ul><li>necessary deceptions (18.56)</li><li>significant visual art work still missing since the Second World War (21.30)</li><li>women are scapegoats during Second World War (27)</li></ul>

Plucking Women's Lives (and Messages) from the Shorelines of History

<a href="http://www.michaelvsmith.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael V. Smith </a>is a deeply loving, insightful poet and performer – who uses intimacy and humour as tools to explore pain. In this interview, Linda chats with him about power dynamics and bullying, as they address his poetry collection, <a href="https://bookhugpress.ca/shop/author/michael-v-smith/queers-like-me-by-michael-v-smith/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Queers Like Me (published by Book*hug in 2023</a>) Here are some of the subjects we covered:&nbsp;&nbsp; <ul><li>on the nature of creative writing and genre (6.15)</li><li>poetic technique, poetic devices, and poetic voice (verbatim poems: 6.45,&nbsp;8.00, 42.43)</li><li>Facebook poem and writing about his father (9.35, 10.48, 27.50, 32.20)</li><li>depictions of masculinity&nbsp;&nbsp;(21.40 mistake with bike/book; 12.05, 21.25)</li><li><a href="https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2023/11/16/the-floating-man-kelowna-documentary-premiere/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Floating Man</a> (13.03, 27.10)</li><li>Agnes Varda (12.12)</li><li>Eloise Marseille (4.18)</li><li>working across genres (16.25)</li><li>Michael reads from “Grandma Cooper’s Corpse” (20.25)</li><li>humour and contrast (22.42, 24.25)</li><li>poetry and knowledge - the function of poetry (37.00)</li><li>his chapbook (23.45)</li><li>dynamics of power and bullying (32, 32.40, 33.40)</li><li>the importance of nuance (34.50)</li><li>gay marriage (36.08)</li><li>Bronwen Wallace (38.30)</li><li>Lorna Crozier (39.20)</li><li>His memoir, My Body is Yours (40.38, published by <a href="https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/M/My-Body-Is-Yours" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arsenal Pulp Press</a>)</li><li>radical inclusion (46.54)</li></ul>

"Radical Self-Inclusion" - An Interview with Michael V. Smith

<a href="https://powpowpress.com/auteurs/eloise-marseille/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eloise Marseille </a>is the first guest for Season 5 - yes, season 5! - and, this time, it's English AND French (starting at the 31.55 mark for the French interview). Marseille is a wonderful Quebecoise <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/graphic-novel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">graphic novelist,</a> whose candid and humorous book, <a href="https://powpowpress.com/shop/naked-confessions-of-a-normal-woman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman</a> / <a href="https://editionspowpow.com/auteurs/eloise-marseille/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Confessions d'une Femme Normale</a> examines sexuality and self-love--especially as it bears on women, cis- and trans-. Linda begins with a reference to the feminist theory courses she teaches and some of the theorists, like <a href="https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/kimberle-w-crenshaw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kimberlé Crenshaw</a>, and how sometimes students say "do we need feminist theory any more?" Linda wants to unplug students from the Matrix (a reference to the film starring Keanu Reeves) and show them the gritty reality in which we live - yes, we STILL need feminism and Marseille is leading the way/the charge! With thanks to James Healey, the recording engineer who set up the studio; Raphael Krux for music; and Marco Timpano, Sarah Henzi, and Benoit Cantin for giving this episode an advance listen! **** Eloise Marseille est la première invitée de la saison 5 - oui, la saison 5 ! - et, cette fois, c'est en anglais ET en français (à partir de 31.55 pour l'entretien en français). Marseille est une merveilleuse écrivaine, dont le livre candide et humoristique, Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman / Confessions d'une Femme Normale, examine la sexualité et l'amour de soi, en particulier en ce qui concerne les femmes, cis et trans. Linda commence par évoquer les cours de théorie féministe qu'elle donne et certaines théoriciennes, comme Kimberlé Crenshaw, et comment les étudiants disent parfois "avons-nous encore besoin de la théorie féministe?" Linda veut débrancher les étudiants de la Matrice (référence au film avec Keanu Reeves) et leur montrer la réalité crue dans laquelle nous vivons - oui, nous avons ENCORE besoin du féminisme et Marseille montre la charge! Merci à James Healey, l'ingénieur du son qui a installé le studio, à Raphael Krux pour la musique, et à Marco Timpano, Sarah Henzi, et Benoit Cantin pour avoir écouté cet épisode en avant-première!

Radical Self-Love, with Eloise Marseille

Linda wishes her listeners a very happy holiday - and offers a hint about what to expect for at least the first episode of Season 5! Have a restful, joyful period. Getting Lit With Linda returns on March 1, 2024.

Season 4 - Holiday Wishes ... and Some Hints for Season 5

With Katherine McLeod

In this episode, Linda chats with Dr. Katherine McLeod about her role in the <a href="https://spokenweb.ca/podcast/spokenweb-podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SpokenWeb Podcast</a>, particularly Short Cuts. The conversation covers so much ground in such a short period! We discuss the following: <ul><li>The Short Cuts podcast (6.20, 9:21, 14.05, 18:47)</li><li>Women poets, such as <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gwendolyn-macewen" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwendolyn MacEwan</a>, <a href="https://poetryinvoice.ca/read/poets/phylliswebb13280" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Phyllis Webb</a> (15:27), Muriel Rukeyser, Maxine Gadd, Margaret Atwood (8.22; 8.54; 10:03), <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/daphne-marlatt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daphne Marlatt </a>(18:55), <a href="https://www.gettinglitwithlinda.com/episodes/an-entry-without-an-exit-dionne-brands-a-map-to-the-door-of-no-return" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dionne Brand</a> (11:23), and Brand with <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lee-maracle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lee Maracle</a> (a member of the Stó:lō Nation; 12.05; 15:25)</li><li>Feminist practices of listening (9:20)</li><li>Holding the sound (11:00)&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CBC Radio</a>, the history of; women writers and (15:49) and the radio program “Anthology” (16:28)&nbsp;</li><li>The federal funding body, called<a href="https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> SSHRC</a> (4.32; 6.05)</li><li>Smaro Kamboureli and the TransCanada Institute (16:07)</li><li>The Director of SpokenWeb, Jason Camlot (2:45, 17:33; 22.03) (see Linda's <a href="https://shows.acast.com/getting-lit-with-linda-the-canadian-literature-podcast/episodes/not-fooling-around-jason-camlots-vlarf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">previous episode with Camlot, who is also a poet, here)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mqup.ca/canlit-across-media-products-9780773558663.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CanLit Across Media</a>&nbsp;(17:40)</li><li>The Women and Words Conference&nbsp;(20:54)</li></ul> We talked about SpokenWeb’s beginnings, but here is<a href="https://spokenweb.ca/about-us/spokenweb/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> another example</a>. And, if you're curious, h<a href="https://spokenweb.ca/podcast/episodes/moving-still/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ere is a sample of McLeod talking </a>about “holding the sound” in a&nbsp;ShortCuts&nbsp;episode. And if you want to <a href="about:blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hear the recording of Dionne Brand speaking with Lee Maracle, try going here</a>.

These Short Cuts Go a Long Way - The SpokenWeb Podcast

Linda is thrilled to have been able to conduct this interview with one of the foremost feminist scholars in Canada right now—Erin Wunker. They speak about her book <a href="https://bookhugpress.ca/shop/author/erin-wunker/notes-from-a-feminist-killjoy-essays-on-everyday-life-by-erin-wunker/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Notes from a Feminist Killjoy, published by book*hug</a>, and the important work it undertakes in relation to the labour of being a “feminist killjoy.”Don’t know what a feminist killjoy is? Give this interview a listen to find out more. Here are only some of the key points of the discussion:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;About Erin Wunker (2.46)&nbsp;&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;About the book itself: <a href="https://bookhugpress.ca/shop/author/erin-wunker/notes-from-a-feminist-killjoy-essays-on-everyday-life-by-erin-wunker/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Notes from a Feminist Killjoy (book*hug press) </a>(1.41)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The meaning of the title (4.39)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is a killjoy? (1.47)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saranahmed.com/bio-cv/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Ahmed</a>, as a thinker and community-engaged intellectual (1.58, 5.40, 8.10, 30.08)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;About the feminist killjoy (6.20, 7.09, 9.46, 19.40, 24.56) and intersectional feminism (15.57)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Betty Friedan (25.00)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The style of writing (25.30)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Collection action, allyship, friendship (18.55)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things/id1564530722" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">We Can Do Hard Things (Glennon Doyle, 13.08)</a>·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/catharine-a-mackinnon/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Catherine MacKinnon</a> (30.14, 38.04)&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://metoomvmt.org/get-to-know-us/tarana-burke-founder/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tarana Burke, #MeToo</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jian_Ghomeshi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jian Ghomeshi</a> (32.58)

Feminist Killjoys - An Interview with Erin Wunker

In this episode -- recorded live in Tiohtià:ke in the DeSeve Cinema at Concordia University -- Linda interviews award-winning authors, <a href="https://www.catherinehernandezcreates.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Catherine Hernandez </a>and Eva Crocker. Linda begins by thanking celebrated Montreal-based author, <a href="https://christopherdiraddo.com/about/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Christopher DiRaddo</a>, who is the director of <a href="https://christopherdiraddo.com/2017/01/the-violet-hour/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Violet Hour</a> and who opens the event with a territorial acknowledgement and with an introduction to the authors. The Violet Hour and the <a href="https://aelaq.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Association of English-Language Publishers of Quebec </a>(AELAQ) co-sponsored the event, so Linda also recognizes the superb professionalism of the team at AELAQ, including Rebecca West, Alex Sweny, and Elise Moser. She also thanks Stephen Burgess, the audio-visual technician who helped to record the event that day. The interview begins with Hernandez and considerations of her three novels, <a href="https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/S/Scarborough#:~:text=Scarborough%20%7C%20Arsenal%20Pulp%20Press" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scarborough</a> (Arsenal Pulp Press), <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Crosshairs/Catherine-Hernandez/9781982146030#:~:text=Crosshairs%20%7C%20Book%20by%20Catherine%20Hernandez,Official%20Publisher%20Page%20%7C%20Simon%20%26%20Schuster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Crosshairs </a>(Simon &amp; Schuster), and <a href="https://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443459754/the-story-of-us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Story of Us</a> (HarperCollins). They also speak about her amazing <a href="https://www.catherinehernandezcreates.com/wild-strawberry-homestead.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wild Strawberry Homestead</a>. Then, Eva Crocker joins them on the stage and so they also discuss her two novels, <a href="https://houseofanansi.com/products/back-in-the-land-of-the-living" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Back in the Land of the Living</a> (House of Anansi) and <a href="https://houseofanansi.com/products/all-i-ask#:~:text=All%20I%20Ask%20–%20House%20of%20Anansi%20Press" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">All I Ask</a> (House of Anansi). A question period follows the two interviews, as members in the audience also interact with Hernandez and Crocker. It's a longer episode than usual (which is why there is only ONE this month!), but you will appreciate why: the interview is at turns funny, moving, and warm.

Milestones:  A Sixtieth and Live Episode - An interview with Catherine Hernandez and Eva Crocker

In this episode, Linda reflects on <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/17464/a-map-to-the-door-of-no-return-by-dionne-brand/9781039005815" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dionne Brand's magnificent A Map to the Door of No Return: Notes to Belonging</a>, reprinted by Vintage (a division of Random House) in 2023 - but initially published over twenty years ago. That's the staying power of this particular volume - the "Door of No Return" is a particularly harrowing metaphor and, as Linda notes, there are many expressions that use "doors" in contemporary usage. Just not like this book does! <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/arts/sets/people/dionne-brand" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A prolific and accomplished writer and professor, Brand</a> is referring to the Black diaspora vis-a-vis the Black Atlantic slave trade. To set up this discussion, Linda considers her personal fascination with "doors" (consider t<a href="https://www.atwaterlibrary.ca/about-us/history/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">he gorgeous doors of the Atwater Library</a> in Montreal) and then how they have been used in other works -- like that of <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/complaint" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Complaint! by Sara Ahmed</a> or T<a href="https://bookshop.newestpress.com/products/diamond-grill-10th-anniversary-edition" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">he Diamond Grill by Fred Wah</a> or <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/6123/the-door-by-margaret-atwood/9780771008474#:~:text=The%20Door%20by%20Margaret%20Atwood%20%7C%20Penguin%20Random%20House%20Canada" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Door by Margaret Atwood </a>-- and then compares them to how the image is used in Brand's literary text. In the Takeaway, Linda gives a shout-out to the annual <a href="https://readquebec.ca/event/read-quebec-book-fair-2023/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read Quebec Book Fair,</a> that this year is taking place from November 3 to November 4th in the McConnell Building Atrium of Concordia University. Please join her there, where she will be interviewing Catherine Hernandez and Eva Crocker live!

An Entry Without an Exit: Dionne Brand's A Map to the Door of No Return

Learning to love literature together,  one book at a time.

Using her expertise as a seasoned literature professor, Linda M. Morra develops provocative, timely insights about books from Canada and elsewhere to show why stories are relevant for all of us. Hosted and written by Linda Morra, produced by Linda Morra and Marco Timpano.

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