Month: June 2022

Ted Staunton

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This week we welcome Ted Staunton, the author of well over 40 books; he writes everything from YA and mid-grade novels to Hi-Los, non-fiction, early chapter books, and of course picture books. His YA novel Who I’m Not won the 2014 CCBC John Spray Mystery Award. Ted’s work has also been nominated for Silver Birch, Red Maple, Hackmatack, Arthur Ellis, and BC Stellar awards. Trained as a teacher, Ted is a speaker, performer, and workshop leader in schools, libraries and venues across Canada. As well, he teaches the Writing Children’s Fiction courses at George Brown College. He has also travelled to Ethiopia several times to work with English language writers and editors there. When he’s not writing, Ted plays in the MAPLE LEAF CHAMPIONS JUG BAND. (He always brings his guitar and banjo to school presentations too.) He enjoys running, reading and writing and listening to music. Born young, he is now older. Ted and his family live in Port Hope, Ontario.

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Tom Gannon Hamilton

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This week we talk to Tom Gannon Hamilton, poet, musician and academic. Tom Gannon Hamilton (Urban Folk Art Salon — Founder/Curator/Host) has been published extensively in literary periodicals and anthologies: Dalhousie Review, Vallum (Canada) Lummox (USA), Verse&Voice (Hong Kong), Voices of Israel and numerous others. His poem Non-Consultant won First Prize in The Ontario Poetry Society (2021) “As Love Lies Bleeding” competition, judged by George Elliot Clarke. El Marillo was awarded First Prize in the 2018 Big Pond Rumours Chapbook Contest. Tom’s full length collections are the critically acclaimed Panoptic (2018) and The Mezzo Soprano Dines Alone (2021), both from Aeolus House. Dr. Hamilton’s scholarly works include an MA Thesis (Inside the Words: The Rise of Dub Poetry 1984) and PhD dissertation (A Poetics of Possibility, 2001). Career Musician since age 14, multi-instrumentalist, virtuoso violinist, Dr. Tom appeared in the TV series Murdoch Mysteries, Netflix production American Gods and feature film Shape of Water which swept the Oscars in 2018.

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Katie Hoogendam

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Today we talk to Meredith K. Hoogendam (Katie/Merkat) is a poet, writer, mother & interdisciplinary artist—including work as a voice over artist and sometime radio host on this station. A former high school teacher and home school educator, she remains interested in educational theory and practice. Folklore, feminism, and a deep love for the natural world inform her art. Her work appears in publications across the U.S. and Canada, including Geez, Mutha & catapult, among others. Her play, Plan X, debuted at the 2019 Spirit of the Hills Northumberland Arts Festival, and her poem “Courage,” was short-listed for Room Magazine’s 2019 Poetry contest. Her most recent collection of poems, Spring Thaw (Glentula Press) launched at Let’s Talk Books in April 2022 as part of their spring reading series. Her next poetry project, Grief Forest, is in the works for 2023. You can find her on Instagram @merkatart.

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Reva Nelson

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Join us for a repeat of our conversation with Reva Nelson. Reva is from Hamilton, has a degree in Psychology and Education from Western University, and lived in London, Guelph, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and then Toronto before moving to Cobourg almost 6 years ago. Reva has had several careers, (due to restlessness, not being fired!) as an actor, conference planner, ESL teacher, seminar leader and professional keynote speaker. She was one of the first females in the speaking business, as President of Words Worth Keynotes & and spoke across Canada on Positive Risk-taking and Resilience. Reva is the author of 4 books, Risk It!, Bounce Back!, a memoir—Hippie Chick Abroad, and recently, a book of poetry, Twisted Branches. She volunteers for the Art Gallery, the Civic Awards Committee and several Boards. Reva also writes for newspapers and magazines and enjoys the easy access to the lake and nature that Cobourg offers.

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