The writer, poet and novelist Alex Boyd discusses his new collection, Take This for the Pain: Essays on Writing and Life (Palimpsest Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta.
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Take This for the Pain: Essays on Writing and Life by Alex Boyd (Palimpsest Press, 2026).
Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Take This for the Pain [1] |
Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:
I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.
Alex Boyd joins me again. The writer and novelist is out with a new book in June 2026, Take This for the Pain: Essays on Writing and Life. It’s a great collection of work by Mr. Boyd that features essays written over the last quarter century that have appeared in sundry publications, including reviews of books. The growth of the writer is gleaned through the book, as we read of Alex contending with what happens when we die, or how he’s approached being a parent. His early days a bookseller provide marvelous insight into how he views what others read, that also provides us with an idea of the sort of books that mean a great deal to him. The essays in the collection also reflect his love of writing, and naturally how reading is an essential part of that. Alex Boyd has written for publications like the Globe and Mail and Taddle Creek magazine. He helped launch Best Canadian Essays, co-editing the first two collections. His poetry collections include Making Bones Walk, and The Least Important Man. He appeared on the program in 2018 when his debut novel Army of the Brave and Accidental was published. Visit www.boydwords.wordpress.com [2] for more. This new collection is published by Palimpsest Press. We spoke nearly three weeks ago with Alex joining me from Toronto. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Alex Boyd; Mr. Boyd, good morning.
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