The journalist Ian Haysom discusses his new book Grandfathered: Dispatches from the Trenches of Modern Grandparenthood (Heritage House, 2020), with Joseph Planta.

Grandfathered: Dispatches from the Trenches of Modern Grandparenthood by Ian Haysom (Heritage House, 2020). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Grandfathered

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Early on in Ian Haysom’s new book, he says, as a grandfather, and all others like him, are not their grandfathers. It’s not just that people of Haysom’s vintage are baby boomers, but the role of grandfather has seemingly been reinvented from one generation to the next, just as music tastes change say. That’s just one of the themes explored in Grandfathered: Dispatches from the Trenches of Modern Grandparenthood. The book features pieces written by Mr. Haysom, who joins me now, featuring his four grandchildren, and the adventures he’s found himself on the last decade or so. He reflects on the difference of being a parent and a grandparent, as well as looks to the future. The pieces in the book are funny as well as poignant, and they’re relatable whether you’re a grandparent too, or someone like me who doesn’t have kids and conceivably doesn’t see grandchildren in the offing anytime soon. If you’re like me and didn’t get the chance to meet his grandfathers, the book is also useful, providing a sense of what one might have missed. Ian Haysom is a lifelong journalist who has worked in newspapers, television and online. He’s been a reporter, critic, as well as an editor and columnist, starting his career in Fleet Street in London, then at the Hamilton Spectator, Ottawa Journal, and Ottawa Citizen. He was editor-in-chief of the Vancouver Province, and Vancouver Sun. In the world of television, he was the news director at BCTV News, CHEK News in Victoria, and Global News here in Vancouver. A couple of pieces in the book had previously appeared in the Victoria Times-Colonist, where he has had a regular column for many years. Other grandfathers with pieces in the book include: George Garrett, Mike McRanor, Bob Stall, and Roger Hope, among others. This new book is published by Heritage House. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Ian Haysom; Mr. Haysom, good morning.

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