Best JF Garrard Podcasts (2025)

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Ep 102 Telling Stories Out of Necessity with Luke Gleeson 31:08

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10h ago31:08

31:08

Luke Gleeson shares why he felt compelled to tell Tsay KehDene stories, what the disappearing caribou signify, and why filmmakers should take the time to find the story that calls to them. Luke Gleeson owns and operates a number of businessesranging from consultation, to film and media services. As a businessman, and a member of the Tsay Keh Dene N…

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Ep 101 Behind the Scenes of 25 Years of Film Programming with Angela Heck and Robin Smith, Whistler Film Festival 24:49

5d ago24:49

24:49

Marking the festival’s 25th anniversary, Angela Heck and Robin Smith reflect on the Whistler Film Festival’s (WFF) history, share insights on talentprograms designed to cultivate and elevate Canadian talent in the industry, and share tips on how filmmakers can prepare strong applications. Angela Heck has been involved in Canada’s screen-based media…

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Ep100 Nurturing Writers for Half a Century with Effie Pow & Sean Gunn, Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW) 27:52

6d ago27:52

27:52

Celebrating half a century of nurturing Asian Canadian talent, the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop’s (ACWW) Effie Pow and Sean Gunn talk about the history of the organization, why it’s important to nurture creative voices, and Sean sings us "Asian Canadian Blues"! Effie Pow is a writer/editor and cultural connector interested in storytelling, crea…

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Ep 99 Turning Trauma Into Story: with Sean Paul Bedell 30:16

10d ago30:16

30:16

Sean Paul Bedell explores turning paramedic trauma intofiction, the therapeutic force of writing, and his role in founding the Jampolis Cottage Writing Retreat. Sean Paul Bedell, author of Shoebox and SomewhereThere’s Music, has been writing and publishing for more than 30 years and previously served as a longtime paramedic and fire service captain…

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Ep 98 Writer’s Block is a Myth with Neal Shusterman 31:50

7d ago31:50

31:50

Neal Shusterman talks about the importance of being at theright place at the right time, how longhand fuels their creativity and why they reject the idea of a writer’s block. Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Unwind dystology, the Skinjacke…

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Ep 97 Imagining a Pride & Prejudice Murder Mystery with Tirzah Price 30:55

19d ago30:55

30:55

Tirzah shares how she used OldBailey.net to explorehistorical English criminal proceedings for her research, discusses her work with Book Riot, and explains why it’s perfectly fine to jump between scenes when writing. Tirzah Price is a former librarian and Book Riot contributor and holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont …

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Ep 96 Discipline Meets Horror-Inspired Imagination with Janet-Rose Nguyen 18:37

22d ago18:37

18:37

Janet-Rose Nguyen opens up about the early influences thatshaped her storytelling voice, the unexpected journey that led to casting Kim’s Convenience star Jean Yoon in her debut feature, and why she believes discipline isn’t just helpful—but absolutely essential—to both writing and filmmaking. Janet-Rose Nguyen holds a BA in Creative Writing and a …

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Ep 95 Living with Loss and Mortality with Eleanor Lerman 36:41

21d ago36:41

36:41

Eleanor Lerman discusses the poetic influence of Leonard Cohen on her books, the themes of grief in her books and confronting mortalitythrough art. Eleanor Lerman is an acclaimed author whose fifty-yearcareer spans award-winning poetry, short stories, and novels. She was one of the youngest finalists for the National Book Award in Poetry and has re…

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Ep 94 Triumphing Over Bullies as a Dork with Rachel Renée Russell and Nikki Russell 41:04

1M ago41:04

41:04

Rachel Renée Russell and Nikki Russell open up about theinspiration behind Dork Diaries—the international blockbuster series with over 55 million copies sold worldwide—how their stories have empowered kids facing bullying, and why they’re bringing Nikki Maxwell’s adventures to life in vibrant full color for a new generation of readers. Rachel Renée…

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Ep 93 Climate Fiction and Magical Realism with Katie Welch 27:50

1M ago27:50

27:50

Katie Welch delves into magical realism in Ladder to Heaven, where a cataclysmic earthquake opens an extraordinary channel of communication between humans and animals. Drawing on her experience as a Banff Centre alumnus, she also shares her insights and wisdom for fellow writers. Katie Welch lives in Kamloops and on Cortes Island, BC. Herdebut nove…

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Ep 92 Balancing Writing and Life with Danila Botha 37:55

1M ago37:55

37:55

Danila shares how she balances life with writing, how she turned a bad reviewer into a friend, and why it’s essential to understand that an author cannot control awards or reviews. Danila Botha is the author of the critically acclaimed shortstory collections, Got No Secrets, For All the Men (and Some of the Women) I’ve Known, which was a finalist f…

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Ep91 The Truth About AI, Audiobooks, and Author Success with Robert Chazz Chute 38:44

2M ago38:44

38:44

Robert Chazz Chute shares why AI is currently terrible foraudiobooks, the importance of covers, and shares his top marketing recommendations. Robert Chazz Chute writes full time from his blanketfort in Other London. The winner of fifteen writing awards, he pens apocalyptic epics with heart and killer crime thrillers with muscle. A graduate of the U…

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Ep90 Why Utopias Fail with Ewan Morrison 32:52

2M ago32:52

32:52

Ewan Morrison talks about what inspired his latest novel, For Emma, the resurgence of utopian ideas in the world, and why it’s important for every writer to have one burning question. Ewan Morrison is an award-winning Scottish novelist, screenwriter, and essayist, praised as “the most fluent and intelligent Scottish writer of his generation” by Boo…

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Ep 89 Reimagining Myths and Making Magic with Julie Berry 35:31

3M ago35:31

35:31

Award-winning author and independent bookstore owner Julie Berry reflects on how recognition has shaped her journey, the spark behind her daring new novel that pits Jack the Ripper against Medusa, and the transformative magic that reading brings into people’s lives. Julie Berry is the New York Times bestselling author ofthe 2020 NCTE Walden Award a…

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Ep 88 From TikTok to the Bookshelf with Jinwoo Park 37:52

3M ago37:52

37:52

Jinwoo Park shares about what it’s like growing up withintwo cultures (Korean & Canadian), how TikTok got him published, and what inspired his latest book. Jinwoo Park is a Korean Canadian writer based in Montreal.Born and raised in Seoul, he has lived in various parts of North America and the UK since the age of 11. He obtained his bachelor’s degr…

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Ep87 A Coming of Age Story with Sonia Daccarett 22:19

3M ago22:19

22:19

On the Artsy Raven, Sonia Daccarett discusses what inspired her to write a memoir, her process of publishing the book, and the universal theme of being an outsider while coming of age. Sonia Daccarett is a writer and communications professional. Born in Colombia to a Christian Palestinian father and a Jewish mother, she moved to the United States a…

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Ep86 Writing Realistic Crime Plots with Alice Fitzpatrick 21:23

4M ago21:23

21:23

Alice Fitzpatrick speaks about the importance of research tocreate realistic crime plots, participating in twitter pitches to find a publisher, and piecing together her family history. Alice Fitzpatrick has contributed short stories to literarymagazines and crime anthologies and has recently retired from teaching in order to devote herself to writi…

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Ep 85 Monetizing Memories with Yiming Ma 31:29

4M ago31:29

31:29

Yiming Ma shares why he transitioned from the tech andfinance world into writing, what inspired his dystopian novel These Memories Do Not Belong to Us, and why he sees his memories in monochrome. Born in Shanghai, YIMING MA spent a decade in thetech and finance world across New York, Toronto, London, Berlin, and South Africa before writing the dyst…

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Ep 84 The Accountant Who Became a Crime Writer with Anthony Bidulka 34:07

4M ago34:07

34:07

Anthony Bidulka shares how he transitioned from an accountant to acclaimed author, breaks down the importance of a character bible, and reveals why the crime genre keeps him coming back for more. In 1999, Anthony Bidulka left a professional accounting career to pursue writing and never looked back. Anthony has dedicated his career to writing tradit…

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Ep 83 What Is a Soul-Identification System? with Rebecca Danzenbaker 30:08

4M ago30:08

30:08

Rebecca Danzenbaker speaks to the Artsy Raven about howshe transitioned from photography to writing, what a soul-identification system is in Soulmatch and how she got a book deal. Rebecca Danzenbaker believes in trusting your gut and chasing your dreams. That probably explains her massive career jumps—from teaching elementary school music, to manag…

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Ep 82 Country Music and Storytelling with Lee Adams 27:22

4M ago27:22

27:22

Lee Adams talks about why country music is about stories, the changes that have happened in the industry over time, and what led to her publishing her first book. Lee Adams has been active in the country music industry since the 1980s, working at a radio station before joining Decca/MCA Records and then Broken Bow Records, where she has been VP of …

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Ep 81 Coming of Age as an Outsider with Dur e Aziz Amna 27:40

5M ago27:40

27:40

Dur e Aziz Amna tells us about what inspired her coming-of-age book (American Fever), challenges faced as a new immigrant in America, and what she hopes readers will take away from her story. Dur e Aziz Amna is the author of American Fever,which won the SABA Book Award and the APALA Award for Literature. Her work has been published in the New York …

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Ep 80 James & Eddie, a Korean- Canadian play on War, Migration, and Family 28:53

6M ago28:53

28:53

Playwright and actress M.J. Kang along with actress Elsha Kim speak about what inspired the play James & Eddie, how they bring their own experiences into the play and what they hope to achieve on their acting journeys. Set in 1980s Toronto, James & Eddie explores the friendship between two Korean families navigating life in an unfamiliar city still…

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Ep 79 Writing Inspired by the New York Art Scene with Laura Leffler 26:32

6M ago26:32

26:32

Laura Leffler shares her art world muses, the parallels between her personal life and her experience during 9/11, and explains what happened during the Knoedler Gallery scandal. Laura Leffler is a writer and veteran of the New York City art world. She currently lives in Colorado with her family. Her website is https://www.lauraleffler.com/ At time …

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Ep 78 Writing is Like a Sport with Christy Climenhage 24:17

6M ago24:17

24:17

Christy Climenhage explains how she transitionsfrom politics to science fiction, what inspired her sci-fi thriller and gives advice to new writers on why writing is similar to sportsmanship. Christy Climenhage was born in southern Ontario, Canada, and currently lives in a forest north of Ottawa. In between, she has lived on four continents. She hol…

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Ep 77 Overcoming a Disability While Becoming an Award-Winning Writer with Bruce Hunter 38:01

6M ago38:01

38:01

Bruce Hunter shares with us how he makes his teachings and works accessible, how his book was published in Italian, and how he overcame his disability to become a writer. Bruce Hunter’s poems, stories and essays have appeared in over 80 publications in Canada, China, India, Italy, the U.K and the US. He has authored eleven books. His latest book is…

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Ep 76 Incorporating Spirituality into a Memoir with Linda Trinh 24:16

7M ago24:16

24:16

On the Artsy Raven, Linda Trinh discusses why spiritualityis such an important theme in her memoir, the conflict of being caught between cultures, and how her favorite place inspired her book’s cover art! Linda Trinh is a Vietnamese Canadian author who writesnonfiction and fiction for adults and children. She explores identity, cultural background,…

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Ep 75 Words have Power with Connor Lafortune and Lindsay Mayhew 28:05

7M ago28:05

28:05

Connor Lafortune and Lindsay Mayhew share their journey on how they became editors of the anthology A Thousand Tiny Awakenings and why it’s important for youth to have a voice. Connor Lafortune is from Dokis First Nation on RobinsonHuron Treaty territory of 1850 in Northeastern Ontario. He works primarily in Life Promotion, harm-reduction, mental h…

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Ep 74 Freeing a Creative Self with Mary Sui Yee Wong 10:04

8M ago10:04

10:04

On the Artsy Raven, Mary shares her journey on how she became an artist and what inspires her. Mary Sui Yee Wong is a Montréal-based multidisciplinary artist who immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1963.Working across disciplines that include sculpture, installation, video, and performance, Wong endeavors to defy fixedness in art as an act of re…

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Ep 73 The Shifting Definition of Feminism with Marianna Marlowe 27:42

8M ago27:42

27:42

On the Artsy Raven, Marianna Marlowe speaks about why thedefinition of feminism has shifted, zooming in and out of scenes during memoir writing and the importance of self-care when conducting emotional advocacy work. Marianna Marlowe is a Latina writer who lives in the SanFrancisco Bay Area. After devoting years to academic writing, her focus now i…

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Ep 72 Revealing a Never-Before-Told Story with Kathleen Lippa 35:07

9M ago35:07

35:07

Kathleen Lippa, a Canadian journalist, reveals a never-before-told story about a pedophile schoolteacher in the Arctic and the Inuit lives he destroyed and discusses the complications she faced during the research process. Kathleen Lippa is a Canadian journalist, born in Toronto and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She trained as a professional …

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Ep 71 How I Published a Debut Novel with Su Chang 28:53

9M ago28:53

28:53

Su Chang discusses how to get debut novel published,her writing process word count target, and how writing helped her out of post-partum. Su Chang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, born and raisedin Shanghai and the daughter of a reluctant Red Guard leader. Her fiction has been recognized in Prairie Fire’s Short Fiction Contest, the Canadian Authors As…

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Ep 70 Devil in the White House with Daniel Debs Nossiter 21:05

10M ago21:05

21:05

Daniel Debs Nossiter talks about the inspiration, bookinfluences and themes in his latest book, Devil Takes It, a darkly comic satire set against the backdrop of Trump-era Washington, D.C. Daniel Debs Nossiter, son and brother of reporters, becameone himself. After a stint at the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire, he joined the staff of Barron’s in …

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Ep 69 How to Write Better and Faster with Daphne Gray-Grant 25:09

10M ago25:09

25:09

Daphne Gray-Grant, publication coach, speaks about common writer problems, how to write faster and why changing font size is a good idea! Daphne Gray-Grant grew up in the newspaper business: her parents owned a struggling weekly where she worked from the age of 16, even while completing an honours degree in political science at the University of B.…

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Ep 68 Insights into Marketing for Authors with Leah Paulos 28:01

12M ago28:01

28:01

Leah Paulos shares her insights and tips on how authors canbuild an effective author platform, how to break through the noise around them and what authors can do to focus on their target audience. Leah Paulos is the Founder and Director of Publicity at Press Shop PR and Book Publicity School, and has worked at theintersection of books and media for…

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Ep 67 Can the Craft of Writing be Passed on? with Suyi Davies Okungbowa 34:24

12M ago34:24

34:24

Suyi Davies Okungbowa discusses if it is possible to pass onthe craft of writing from a professor’s perspective, common pitfalls he sees in his classes and why it’s important to treat literature as its own medium. Suyi Davies Okungbowa is an award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. His latest books include Warrior of the Wind (sequel to…

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Ep66 Let’s Talk about Authors and Copyrights! With D.G. Valdron 32:19

1y ago32:19

32:19

D.G. discusses what copyright is, what authors should lookfor in contracts and scenarios affecting books if a publisher goes out of business. D.G. Valdron is a wayward Maritimer and denizenof the Canadian prairie. Growing up he spent his youth working at a Drive in Theatre and was raised on a steady diet of B-movies and pop culture. Valdron has had…

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Ep 65 Writing LitRPG and Xianxia Stories with Tao Wong 32:51

1y ago32:51

32:51

On The Artsy Raven, Tao Wong talks about the differences between LitRPG, Japanese light novels, wuxia and xianxia, why he started writing his own stories after being inspired by the wuxia genre and offers marketing tips to other indie authors. Tao Wong is a full-time author in the scifi and fantasy genres, writing predominantly in the LitRPG and xi…

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Ep 64 How Disneyland Inspires Horror! with Mike Bockoven 28:20

1y ago28:20

28:20

Mike Bockoven explains how a trip to Disneyland inspired his horror novel - FantasticLand, why he writes in afirst-person interview style and how he uses small increments of time to write in hyper focus mode. Mike Bockoven writes thriller/horror novels while his kids are in gymnastics class or at piano lessons. He lives with his wife, Sarah, two da…

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Ep 63 Spreading Poetic Graffiti across a City with Kim Fahner 27:21

1y ago27:21

27:21

Kim Fahner talks to the Artsy Raven about her roles as Poet Laureate for the City of Greater Sudbury and First Vice-Chair of The Writers' Union of Canada, spreading poetic graffiti across Sudbury and the family rumour that inspired her historical fiction book, The Donoghue Girl. Kim Fahner lives and writes in Sudbury. Her debutnovel, The Donoghue G…

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Ep 62 When Blood Isn’t Thicker than Water with Stephanie Cesca 21:56

1y ago21:56

21:56

Stephanie Cesca talks about why sometimes blood isn’tthicker than water, how she juggles writing while raising three kids and why stepping away from your project will help make it better. Stephanie Cesca was born and raised in Toronto, whereshe lives with her husband and three children. A former newspaper editor in both Canada and Europe, she holds…

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Ep 61 The Importance of Building Community with Pat Connors 25:17

1y ago25:17

25:17

Poet Patrick Connors talk to the Artsy Raven about why he writes poetry, the importance of building community and what makes a good reading performance. Patrick Connors first chapbook, Scarborough Songs, was released by Lyricalmyrical Press in 2013, and charted on the Toronto Poetry Map. He contributed 18 poems to Bottom of the Wine Jar, published …

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Ep 60 Navigating the spaces of ethnicity and family as a transnational adoptee 22:09

1+ y ago22:09

22:09

Jenny Heijun Wills shares her childhood experience growing up as a transnational adoptee, how the media chooses to represent Asian cultures and why she writes. As a transnational adoptee, Jenny Heijun Wills has spent her life navigating the spaces of race and ethnicity. As a pan-polyam individual, she occupies a liminality between family—adopted, b…

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Ep 59 From Journalism to Writing about Martial Arts with Phoebe An Lee 18:09

1+ y ago18:09

18:09

Phoebe An Lee talks to the Artsy Raven about how journalism school helped her writing, why she writesmartial arts fantasy novels and what inspires her. Phoebe An Lee is a writer of sorts. She has written and edited for various media, such as newspapers, marketing collateral, project proposals and other corporate communications materials. Her debut …

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Ep 58 Writing about Family and Mental Health with Gina Carroll 41:21

1+ y ago41:21

41:21

On the Artsy Raven, Gina Carroll speaks to us about what she gained from leaving a corporate law practice, how she started an authorship services company and the important themes of dementia and mental illness in her latest book, The Grandest Garden. Gina Carroll began writing, blogging and speaking after leaving a large corporate law practice to r…

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Ep 57 Humour and Crime Writing with Bruce R Madole 33:20

1+ y ago33:20

33:20

Bruce Madole, an award-winning songwriter and short fiction writer, speaks about the reality of publishing, advice he learned from writing mentors and the importance of humour in crime writing. Bruce Madole is an award-winning songwriter and was the 2017 winner of the John Kenneth Galbraith Literary Award, for a short story titled How To Make A BLT…

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Ep 56 Writing in South America and Interviewing a WW2 British Commando with Christopher Canniff 31:49

1+ y ago31:49

31:49

Christopher Canniff shares his journey through Ecuador,Peru and Colombia, and how he began work on two novels, one of which became Poor Man's Galapagos. He also talks about how he ended up interviewing a WW2 British Commando for his book, Intervals of Hope. Christopher Canniff is the author of Intervals of Hope (Blue Denim Press, October 2021), Poo…

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Ep 55 What Do Publishers Want? with Suzanne Craig-Whytoc 23:24

1+ y ago23:24

23:24

Fellow Canadian Suzanne Craig-Whytock shares how shetransitioned from being a writer to publisher, the goals for her publishing house DarkWinter Press and what writers can expect after their manuscript is submitted for publication. Suzanne Craig-Whytock is the author of four novels: Smile, TheDome (English version, 2019; international Arabic transl…

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Ep 54 Creating a Canadian Kpop Drama with Sarah Haasz 13:35

1+ y ago13:35

13:35

Sarah Haasz shares her career journey, how she ended up creating "Gangnam Project" and what inspires her work. After 20 years as a Broadcast Executive for variouschildren's programming networks in Canada, Sarah Haasz has taken her robust industry experience directly to kids television production, creating original series and assisting producers in …

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Ep 53 How Fantasy Inspires this Writer with Jesse Zimmerman 43:48

2y ago43:48

43:48

Writer Jesse Zimmerman discusses what inspired him to write, the difficulties of publishing and how he created his main character, "the Challenger" in his first book, Our Adventures with the Challenger. At time 22:00 he reads from Our Adventures with the Challenger. Jesse has always lived, worked, and studied in Toronto. Growing up, Jesse enjoyed f…