The writer and poet Judith Pond discusses her debut novel The Signs of No (University of Calgary Press, 2024), with Joseph Planta.

The Signs of No by Judith Pond (University of Calgary Press, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Signs of No

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Judith Pond is the author of the new novel The Signs of No. She joins me now to talk about the characters in the book, and the themes she tackles in the novel. The first character we meet as the story begins is Rose, a divorced, fifty-year-old, who we later find out is estranged from her daughter. I’ll ask her about Rose, this fascinating character who as our hero is relatable for the reader. I’ll also ask about other characters in the book, like Morrison, and Abbey, and what these characters go through. The book contends with guilt and grief, as the characters deal or don’t deal with loss in their lives. They also deal with parenthood, motherhood in particular. I’ll ask Judith about these themes that she explores and the characters that she spent a lot of time with as she wrote this book. Judith Pond has published fiction and poetry in a wide variety of literary journals. She is the author of four poetry collections, including A Shape of Breath. Visit www.judithpond.ca for more. The Signs of No is published by University of Calgary Press, as part of their Brave and Brilliant Series. We spoke about two and a half weeks ago, with Judith joining me from Calgary. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Judith Pond; Ms. Pond, good morning.

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