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Getting Lit with Linda - The Canadian Literature Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Linda Morra
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.
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- 4 weeks ago37 min
What We Talk about when We Talk about Jane (Our 100th Episode!)
This is Getting Lit with Linda’s 100th episode – a real milestone! To mark this specific achievement, three scholars join Linda to speak about an historic author rather than a contemporary one: the magnificent Jane Rule. Born in 1936, she authored several short story collections, essays, and novels, including The Desert of the Heart (Talon), a landmark novel published in 1964 and made into a movie in 1985. The movie was titled Desert Hearts (2.10) directed by Donna Deitch. The three scholars are Marilyn Schuster, “the godmother of Jane Rule Studies” (3.00; author of Passionate Communities and A Queer Love Story, 14.15 ), Amber Dean (working on a second volume of Jane Rule’s letters exchanged with Rick Bébout, 14:18 ), and Cate Sandilands (completing a collection of stories, titled Dear Jane Rule). Linda has also comipleted her biography about Rule. Why are they so enamored of her? You’ll have to listen to this episode to find out!They talk about some of Rule’s novels, short stories, and essays, including The Desert of the Heart (1.55; 6:00; 6:55), The Young in One Another’s Arms , Inland Passage, , Lesbian Images , This is Not for You (12.54), and Contract with the World (12.04). They also speak about the following:· Some of Jane Rule’s awards (Order of British Columbia and Order of Canada, 1.20)· David Anderson , a scholar who completed his doctorate in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University· James Baldwin and the citation, “If I am not what you say I am, then you are not who you think you are.”· Jane’s letters and prolific letter writing (17.40; 22:45; 28:25)· Public lesbianism (16.32); being critical of insular heteronormativity (17.10)· Galiano Island (22:45; 28:15), their swimming pool , and the Bank of Jane Stick around for the takeaway and their advice to aspiring writers and researchers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Jun 15, 202629 min
How We Talk about Our Power in the World: or Paying Close Attention in the Immediate Biosphere
In this interview, award-winning poet, Farah Ghafoor talks to Linda about Shadow Price (House of Anansi), shortlisted for the Trillium Prizes this year (check out our social media for pics from the event!). Since Ghafoor invites her readers to pay closer attention to our immediate biospheres, Linda does just that – opening with observations about the natural microcosm of which she is a part (yep, squirrels are mentioned).This is a very smart collection, that traverses subjects as far ranging as economics to the history of trees. Ghafoor invites her readers on that journey to remind them that they are not passive consumers but making decisions every day that highlight we have more power than we think -- and it all begins with where we focus our attention. Other highlights:Trillium Prize Book Awards Jenny Odell's How to do Nothing Passivity, passive voice, perspectives that imply passivity The importance of the past to our future(s) Guy Debord’s The Society of Spectacle The Labubus (22.35)Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer; Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Jun 1, 202639 min
Four (+) Equals One - Arjun Basu's The Reeds
Anyone who knows Linda also knows that she has a very passionate love-hate relationship with the city of Montreal. While one some days, she is bursting with pride for all that is wonderful about the city, on other days, she is less enthusiastic. But she’s not alone in her ardour, as the litany of authors who have been featuring Montreal in their work highlights—from Louise Penny's Grey Wolf (Minotaur Books) to Lee Lai's award-winning Cannon (Drawn & Quarterly), Montreal is a city that people love to write about. In this episode, Linda chats with another such author – Arjun Basu – about his novel The Reeds (ECW Press) – and how Montreal is featured, somewhat unobtrusively as part of the plot but also as another character in this novel. The four main characters, each perspective advancing the plot, are what Basu refers as “Four Equals One”—but Linda adds Montreal to that list.Want to know more about this novel? Check out this review in Montreal Review of Books. Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer; Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- May 15, 202650 min
Just Friendship: An Interview with Lee Lai about Cannon
In this episode, Linda interviews Lee Lai about Cannon, the graphic novel for which Lai was shortlisted for the Carol Shields Prize (the only author on the shortlist with a Canadian connection).The friendship between the protagonist of the same name (Cannon) and Trish puts the very definition of their relationship to the test, complicated in part because Cannon is trying to be responsible to everyone around her—too much so, and the net result is that Cannon fails to advocate for herself. In this interview, Lai refers to Love in a F** Up World by the activist and educator Dean Spade, which Linda picked up after the interview. She was fascinated by Spade's question: How do we build lasting and effective resistance movements, if we are not even examining the ethics of foundational relationships like friendship? That’s the question that Lee Lai takes up. Lai isn’t dismissive or casual about friendship—it isn’t “just friendship” in that sense, but rather friendship that is fair, ethical, democratic.Other points of discussion- loving conflict (as Lee Lai says, “as the only thing that genuinely changes unsustainably bad dynamics”)- types of conflict: inner, between people, between art production and the way we see the world- Sarah Schulman, Conflict is Not Abuse (see also Ties that Bind and Let the Record Show)- chosen families and queer friendships- betrayal in friendship and unchecked expectations- Tuck Woodstock (podcaster) and the Gender Reveal podcast- Randa Abdel-Fattah's interview for the podcast, Between the Covers (David Naimon; see also Mariam Kaba's interview for this podcast)- Sheila Watson’s The Double Hook- R.F. Kuang, Yellowface- James McEvoy, Love and Friendship in the Western Tradition : From Plato to Postmodernity (2023)Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer; Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- May 1, 202639 min
Puzzling Jigsaw Pieces: An Interview with Brittany Penner about her memoir, Children Like Us
Welcome back to Season 7 of Getting Lit with Linda, where we learn to love literature one book at a time!In this episode, Linda interviews the Métis writer, Brittany Penner about her memoir, Children Like Us (Random House Canada). It's elegantly written and carefully crafted, and, in spite of the book's length, Linda couldn't put it down. Linda and Brittany discuss her childhood, the Sixties Scoop , Brittany's story around being adopted , and the medical system, in Saskatchewan and Quebec, and across Canada.Here are some other highlights of their discussion:Stanford Marshellow Experiment Joyce Echaquan and the Joyce Principle Healing and empowerment Women’s reproductive health Photos in the memoir (33)The memoir’s sequel Please note the NEW!! feature of the podcast: The "Takeway" , in which all guest writers, including Brittany, will be offering one piece of advice to aspiring writers.Producer/Host/Writer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Crux. We are grateful to the Canada Council for their support for this second year of production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Mar 8, 20260 min
2026 - Season 7 Teaser
Announcing our seventh season! We will be somewhat delayed this year, with a start date in the late spring, but we haven't forgotten about you, our dear listeners or authors - we will begin very soon! For now, some of our future guests - specialists of the life and literature of author, Jane Rule - Marilyn Schuster (the godmother of Jane Rule Studies!), Cate Sandilands, and Amber Dean - and the team at Getting Lit With Linda would like to share their best wishes for International Women's Day!We acknowledge the Canada Council for the Arts for their support. Producer & Host: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Jan 1, 202611 min
The Miracles of Change & Second Chances: Madeleine Thien's "Alchemy"
Why should we pay attention to scars or scar tissue? After the original injury heals and its pain recedes, should we ignore what’s left behind? In this episode, Linda mulls over these questions while considering Madeleine Thien's "Alchemy," from her collection, Simple Recipes. Don't know Thien's work? Check out her award-winning novel, Do Not Say We Have Nothing (which Linda discussed in Season 1, Episode 3) and her most recent novel, The Book of Records. She also offers her best wishes for the new year, in this, the last episode of Season 6 (2025).Writer/host/producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music: Raphael Krux (The Madness of Linda). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Dec 15, 202548 min
A Story of Unfitting: Susan Swan's Memoir, Big Girls Don't Cry
Our warmest wishes for the season – and a reminder that this is the last interview for the podcast (there may be one smaller episode at the year’s end, but not an interview), before we open up voting for this year’s GLWL awards: the author featured in your favourite episode will receive a cash prize and medal to honour their involvement.In this episode, Linda reflects on how boxes are at times about imposed limitations. "Don’t box me in," you might argue – or let’s try to think outside the box (because it’s time for a change!). And it is this -- thinking and living outside the lines (and boxes) -- that Susan Swan’s wonderful new memoir, Big Girls Don’t Cry: A Memoir About Taking Up Space (HarperCollijns), compels us to do, to locate our sense of dignity and agency, to find our sense of self-worth.Swan is the author of several novels including The Biggest Modern Woman in the World (1983), The Last of The Golden Girls (1989), What Casanova Told Me (2004), and The Wives of Bath (1993), which was made into the film Lost and Delirious . In this episode, we discuss how taking up space can be positive for women (and men too!), a means to shift beyond the conventions that have hemmed her in (and us) and to find our way out of the boxes that have contained us.Other points of discussion:the genre of the memoirMargaret Atwood and official autobiographySoren KierkegaardExecutive Producer: Linda Morra; Associate Producer: Maia Harris; Music by Raphael Krux ("The Madness of Linda") and Kevin MacLeod ("Natural Vibes"); Sound producer: Jason C. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About Getting Lit with Linda - The Canadian Literature Podcast
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.
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