The writer and activist Miriam Edelson discusses her memoir The Swirl in My Burl (Adelaide Books, 2022), with Joseph Planta.

The Swirl in My Burl by Miriam Edelson (Adelaide Books, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Swirl in My Burl

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Miriam Edelson joins me now. She’s just published a collection of essays, The Swirl in My Burl. It’s a fascinating title too, but you’ll have to buy the book to get what it means. In the book, with honesty and humour, Miriam writes about her upbringing, what her parents were like, what it’s like being a mother, raising a son and a daughter, losing her son, and being an activist throughout her life. Miriam is also rather candid in talking about living with mental illness, illustrating how it’s like an unwanted guest that visits, and she writes about how she’s had to contend with it, and its attendant difficulties, physically, and emotionally; and publicly. Miriam Edelson is a neurodivergent social activist, settler and mother. Her literary non-fiction, personal essays, and commentaries have appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, CBC Radio, and other outlets. She completed a doctorate in 2016 at the University of Toronto focused upon mental health in the workplace. This is her third book, and it’s published by Adelaide Books. The website for more is at www.miriamedelson.com. She joined me from Toronto last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Miriam Edelson; Dr. Edelson, good morning.

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