Pot, Inc. Inside Medical Marijuana, America’s Most Outlaw Industry by Greg Campbell (Sterling, 2012). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Pot, Inc.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Once again I am joined by the writer Greg Campbell. He’s written a new book, Pot, Inc. Inside Medical Marijuana, America’s Most Outlaw Industry. We’ll get Mr. Campbell to tell us what the book’s about, and how he involved himself in the debate over marijuana in the United States. In this part of the world, by that I mean Vancouver, we’re pretty liberal when it comes to pot, so it’ll be interesting to see what his research uncovered. Not only did he grow pot in his basement, in this book he also looks at the culture of DIY ganjapreneurialism, and the history over marijuana prohibition. Greg Campbell was last on for the book he co-authored, Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History, which was a bestseller and a hell of a read. He’s also authored Blood Diamonds, and The Road to Kosovo. He’s won awards for his journalism which has appeared in many publications. The book is published by Sterling. The website for more is www.bygregcampbell.com. He joins me from his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Greg Campbell; Mr. Campbell, good morning.

Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years by Michael Kluckner (Whitecap, 2012). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

There’s a marvelous book out called Vanishing Vancouver: The Last 25 Years. Its author Michael Kluckner joins me now. I’ve long been a fan of his books. They’re generously illustrated, with Mr. Kluckner’s own watercolours, as well as photographs. This book is a wonderful narrative of his own observations about Vancouver, its changing landscape, thanks to the buildings either being demolished or adapted. The original Vanishing Vancouver was published in 1990 and went up to Expo ’86. This one takes up the story of that book, and takes us through to the recent past. We see Vancouver change, and I’ll ask Mr. Kluckner if it has for the better or not, where he sees Vancouver going, and we’ll discuss some of the observations made in this very fine book. Michael Kluckner is an artist and writer who has spent more than two decades recording and interpreting histories and landscapes of this city, province and country. He was the founding president of the Heritage Vancouver Society. He’s written well over a dozen books. He is a forthcoming director of the Vancouver Historical Society, of which I’m non-participating member. Incidentally, Mr. Kluckner is speaking at the May 24th meeting of the Vancouver Historical Society at the Museum of Vancouver. That’s 7.30pm next Thursday. He’ll be talking about this book. The website for more is at www.michaelkluckner.com. The book is published by Whitecap. I am very pleased to welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Michael Kluckner; Mr. Kluckner, good morning.

Out of the Blue: A Memoir of Workplace Depression, Recovery, Redemption, and Yes, Happiness by Jan Wong (2012). Click to buy this book from JanWong.ca: Out of the Blue

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Jan Wong joins me again. For over twenty years she’s been one of Canada’s most famous and infamous of journalists. Her reporting won her awards, and her famous ‘Lunch with. . .’ column in the Globe and Mail was legendary. In 2006 covering the Dawson College shooting in Montreal, what she wrote set off a controversy that marked the beginning of the end of her relationship with the Globe and Mail. After receiving many death threats, being denunciated in Parliament, and outright racism, it was the abandonment of her newspaper that caused her to fall into severe clinical depression. She has just written and published a new book, Out of the Blue: A Memoir of Workplace Depression, Recovery, Redemption, and Yes, Happiness. It’s a captivating book wherein Wong narrates her spiral from the heights of journalism in Canada to the depths of depression. Throughout the book, she cites books and people that had helped her along the way. It’s a terrific bibliography if you’re interested in reading more about depression and grief. The book is also a chronicle of her battles with the Globe and Mail; Manulife, the paper’s insurer; and Doubleday, which had been contracted to publish this book, before deciding otherwise, prompting Wong to self-publish. Virginia Woolf once said, “Take notes, and the pain goes away.” We’ll ask Ms. Wong if she took this to heart, and whether writing this book has helped her. I suspect it’ll help a lot of people define depression, notice its signs, and perhaps challenge the stigma associated with it. It’s also got the sort of media gossip that’s interesting. Jan Wong was last on for her previous book Beijing Confidential. Her previous books include Red China Blues, Jan Wong’s China, and Lunch with Jan Wong. She’s won many awards, was at the Globe and Mail for 20 years, and is currently a columnist at Toronto Life and the Halifax Chronicle Herald, and a professor of journalism at St. Thomas University in Fredricton, New Brunswick, where she splits her time with Toronto. The website for more is at www.janwong.ca; that’s where you can buy the book. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program in Toronto today, Jan Wong; Ms. Wong, good morning.

The Tower of Babble: Sins, Secrets, and Successes Inside the CBC by Richard Stursberg (Douglas & MacIntyre, 2012). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Tower of Babble

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

That the CBC is Canada’s largest and most important cultural institution is without question. Whether it’s relevant and subsequently useful is something that’s always debated by Canadians wherever they are on the political spectrum. A new book has put the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation into focus, The Tower of Babble: Sins, Secrets, and Successes Inside the CBC. In a way this book validates how one feels about the CBC, whether you wish its demise, or whether you will its survival. Richard Stursberg is the book’s author. He is the former head of CBC’s English services, overseeing television and radio. He was once executive director of Telefilm Canada. He chaired the Canadian Television Fund, was CEO of Star Choice, and was president of the Canadian Cable Television Association. He was in government too, serving as assistant deputy minister for culture and broadcasting. He was at the CBC from 2004 until 2010. We’ll ask him about his experience at the CBC, his successes and some of the failures. It’s a great view onto this institution we either love or loath. The book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. It’s candid and telling. The website for more is at www.towerofbabble.ca. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in Vancouver today, Richard Stursberg; Mr. Stursberg, good morning.

No Sailing Waits and Other Ferry Tales: 30 Years of BC Ferries Cartoons by Adrian Raeside (Harbour Publishing, 2012). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: No Sailing Waits and Other Ferry Tales

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Adrian Raeside joins me now. He’s a veteran editorial cartoonist, and we’ll talk about his new book, No Sailing Waits and Other Ferry Tales: 30 Years of BC Ferries Cartoons. These cartoons have appeared in numerous publications, chiefly the Victoria Times Colonist. The book is already a bestseller, and it’s humorous and a great piece of social history about British Columbia, our ferries, and the distance bridged between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. Harbour Publishing publishes the book. The website for more is at www.raesidecartoon.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Adrian Raeside; Mr. Raeside, good morning.

Bring Me One of Everything by Leslie Hall Pinder. (Grey Swan, 2012) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Bring Me One of Everything

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Described by Margaret Atwood as ‘a writer of great talent and sensitivity,’ Leslie Hall Pinder joins me now to talk about her latest novel, her third, Bring Me One of Everything. The novel takes Native history in this part of the world, and Ms. Pinder’s experience in law, and she weaves a story that’s described as an eloquent tale of suspense and intrigue. We’ll get Ms. Pinder to tell us about the book, who the characters are, and what drew her to write this book. An anthropologist, Austin Hart, who salvages the artistic remains of the Haida people in British Columbia, kills himself. Years later, another character, Alicia Purcell is commissioned to write the libretto for an opera based on Hart’s life. She’s got her own issues and those are borne out in the book, including her relationship with her mother Sophie. Leslie Hall Pender is a retired attorney, who practiced in her own firm, pursuing land claims on behalf of Native clients. She previously wrote two novels, Under the House, and On Double Tracks, which was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award in 1990. The websites for more are at www.lesliehallpinder.com, and www.bringmeoneofeverything.com. The book is published by Grey Swan Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Leslie Hall Pinder; Ms. Pinder, good morning.

Why Men Lie by Linden MacIntyre. (Random House, 2012) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Why Men Lie

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

The newest book from Linden MacIntyre is called Why Men Lie. It’s the conclusion to his Cape Breton trilogy which began with The Long Stretch in 1999, and was followed by The Bishop’s Man, which won the 2009 Scotiabank Giller Prize. In this novel we see men through the eyes of Effie MacAskill Gillis, she’s the sister to the bishop, Duncan MacAskill of the last book. We’ll get Mr. MacIntyre, who joins me now, to tell us about the book, we’ll ask him why men lie, and more. Linden MacIntyre is the co-host of the fifth estate, and the winner of at least nine Gemini Awards for broadcast journalism. The book is published by Random House. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Linden MacIntyre; Mr. MacIntyre, good morning.

A Roller-Coaster Ride: Thoughts on Aging by Naomi Beth Wakan. (Poplar Press, 2012) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: A Roller-Coaster Ride

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

The prolific author Naomi Beth Wakan joins me now. She’s just published a highly readable, charming book A Roller-Coaster Ride: Thoughts on Aging. It is a collection of essays written with Ms. Wakan’s thoughtful style, looking at her own concerns about growing older, as well as tips on how to do it gracefully. She joins me to talk about the book, her observations on being a woman of a certain age. Having past her eightieth birthday, she’s gained some knowledge, some expertise, and she shares that in this book. People growing older whether they’re in their eighties or just hitting their thirties can gain much from this book. Roller coasters might not be for everyone; then again growing older isn’t for sissies as Bette Davis once said. Naomi Beth Wakan has written over thirty books. Her essays, haiku and tanka have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and have been broadcast on the CBC. Among her previous books include one that I liked a great deal, Book Ends: A Year Between the Covers. The website for more is at www.naomiwakan.com. She joins me from her home on Gabriola Island. This book is published by Poplar Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Naomi Wakan; Ms. Wakan, good morning.

The Virtual Self: How Our Digital Lives Are Altering the World Around Us by Nora Young. (McClelland & Stewart, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Virtual Self

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Nora Young joins me now. The CBC Radio personality has written a new book The Virtual Self: How Our Digital Lives Are Altering the World Around Us. It’s a fascinating book that looks at how we all knowingly and unknowingly generate data about ourselves online. How we feel, what we consume, where we go, are all things we keep track of online on one of the many social media sites we maintain. There are good things about it of course: we can see what we’re doing, looking at our habits, improving ourselves thanks to our own data whether it’s a loyalty program, a mood tracker, or a calorie counter. Businesses can use it to track their customers and their habits. And there are bad things. What about where this data resides? What if it’s misappropriated by criminals, say it gets in the hands of the wrong people? Ms. Young in this book does a fine job warning us of the pitfalls, and arms the reader with ideas on how to be more savvy. It’s a great chronicle of how our world has changed, for better and for worse. Nora Young is the host and creator of Spark, the weekly program on CBC Radio that looks at technology and culture. She was the founding host of Definitely Not the Opera. Her website is at www.norayoung.ca, and you can follow her on Twitter; her handle is @nora3000. The book is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Nora Young; Ms. Young, good morning.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Everything you wanted to know about the burqa can be gleaned from a new documentary Story of Burqa: Case of a Confused Afghan. The movie premieres this Thursday, May 10th at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival; 7.00pm at the Empire Granville 7 Cinema. Its director Brishkay Ahmed joins me now to talk about this movie, a personal journey she took to determine the origin and effect of the burqa on Afghan women, its society and culture, Islam at large, and her own sense of being. She travels to Afghanistan, talks to cultural and religious historians, makers of burqas and others to find out what they think of the burqa. She travels to Holland to a museum to find out what the history of the garment is; as well does a social experiment having someone wear the burqa on the corner of Davie and Thurlow here in Vancouver. Brishkay Ahmed has film and television programming here in Canada and in Afghanistan. Her film Reclaiming Rights premiered at DOXA in 2010. The website for more is at www.chitchatproductions.ca. You can get more info on DOXA at www.DOXAfestival.ca. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Brishkay Ahmed; Ms. Ahmed, good morning.