Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

Anne Michaels is an award-winning Canadian poet and novelist whose long-awaited third novel, “Held,” has just made the Booker Prize longlist. The story spans 115 years and deals in themes familiar to her work: history, grief and the power of love. Anne tells Tom why it took nearly 15 years to write the novel, why she’s so interested in writing about war, and why she chooses to live an intensely private life.

If you listen to this podcast regularly, you might be familiar with our theme music. But it's not a track we commissioned for the show, it's actually a song titled “Still Got the Spirit” by the Montreal band Bye Parula. Singer Loïc Calatayud joins Tom to share the story behind the song that's kind of become the soundtrack to our show.

The Canadian country singer Orville Peck has been steadily on the rise since the release of his debut album, “Pony,” in 2019. With the release of his latest album, “Stampede,” Orville sits down with Tom to discuss his career, his decision to take a step back from fame for a bit, and what it was like singing a duet with Willie Nelson.

This past spring, the Canadian writer Zehra Naqvi released her debut poetry collection, “The Knot of My Tongue.” She tells guest host Talia Schlanger about her work, why she’s fascinated by the themes of language and displacement, and how her writing was deeply influenced by the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan.

From 2009 to 2018, Jasmeet Raina was known online as Jus Reign. His viral videos about being a first generation Indo-Canadian millennial amassed more than 160 million views on YouTube and more than a million fans on Facebook. But one day, with no explanation, Jasmeet decided to walk away from the spotlight. Now, he’s back with a comedy series on Crave called “Late Bloomer.” Jasmeet talks to Tom about his hiatus, representing his Punjabi Sikh culture and faith on screen, and what his relationship with the internet is like now.

Hana Shafi is a Canadian illustrator, essayist and poet whose new book, “People You Know, Places You've Been,” takes readers on a journey from public transportation to antique stores to waiting rooms, looking at the connections we create with total strangers as we go about our daily lives. Hana speaks with guest host Talia Schlanger about the book and the power of those seemingly mundane interactions. Plus, she reads a poem from the collection.

Between 1998 and 2002, Josh Hartnett was an inescapable presence on the big screen. During that time, he became a teen heartthrob with films like “The Virgin Suicides” and “40 Days and 40 Nights,” before catapulting to A-list status in blockbusters like “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down.” But then, at the height of his fame, he decided to walk away from Hollywood in search of artistic fulfillment. Now, he’s back in the spotlight with recent roles in “Oppenheimer,” “Black Mirror” and “The Bear.” Josh joins Tom to talk about his relationship with fame and his latest role in M. Night Shyamalan’s new action-packed thriller, “Trap.”

Elijah Wood has racked up more than 60 TV and film credits over the course of his 35-year career. He made his film debut as a child actor in 1989’s “Back to the Future Part II” and established himself with several lead roles throughout the 1990s. By the early 2000s, he had become a megastar thanks to “The Lord of the Rings” franchise. Elijah’s latest role is in the family-friendly adventure movie “Bookworm,” which follows a washed-up magician who reconnects with his estranged daughter. He tells guest host Talia Schlanger about the film and his past as a child star.

Sarah McLachlan is having a big year. Right now, the Grammy-winning Canadian superstar is in the middle of a massive North American tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her breakthrough album, “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.” This September, she’ll also be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Sarah joins Tom to talk about being back on the road for the first time in nearly a decade, what she thinks about some of her biggest hits, and why she says her daughters finally think she’s cool.

What’s your relationship like with holy texts? Growing up, the Canadian poet and novelist Emily Austin attended Catholic school and was an altar server, but as she got older, she started questioning how parts of the Bible made her feel as a woman and a queer person. In her new collection of poetry, “Gay Girl Prayers,” she reclaims Catholic prayers and biblical passages by providing alternate versions through a queer and feminist lens. Emily joins Tom to talk about the collection and read a poem from it.

Sometime between starring in action movies and touring with his band Dogstar, Keanu Reeves created a comic book series called “BRZRKR.” But he wanted to take the story further, so he called up China Miéville, one of the most prolific speculative fiction authors in the world, and convinced him to collaborate. Now, they’ve released their new novel, “The Book of Elsewhere,” which is based on the series. In this Canadian broadcast exclusive interview, Tom chats with Keanu and China about the book and how they felt about stepping outside of their creative comfort zones.

The Canadian actor Qasim Khan has taken on the coveted role of Hamlet for Canadian Stage’s annual Dream in High Park, which sees him performing in an outdoor amphitheatre to an audience of a thousand people, six times a week. Qasim sits down with Tom to talk about the part, his complicated relationship with the iconic “To be, or not to be” soliloquy, and what this production of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy does a bit differently.

For more than 30 years, “Law & Order” has taken viewers inside a dramatized version of the American justice system. While the franchise is most notably associated with New York, it’s now come to Toronto with the Canadian spinoff series “Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.” Actor Karen Robinson talks to Tom about her starring role on the show, her love of telling complex stories, and how it feels making her dad proud.

Two Canadian visual artists, Marigold Santos and Rajni Perera, have come together to create an epic exhibit called “Efflorescence/The Way We Wake” at Montreal's Fondation Phi. The four-floor show includes work by both artists separately as well as pieces they made together. It explores topics like diasporic identity and motherhood through the lens of science fiction and folklore. Marigold and Rajni join guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the exhibit and the trust between them that made it possible.

Jelly Roll’s origin story isn’t that of the average country singer-songwriter. While growing up in Nashville's Antioch neighbourhood in the ‘90s, Jelly Roll developed an interest in hip-hop music and learned to rap. But from 14 to 25, he began cycling in and out of prison for various offences, including felony charges. In the years since getting out, he’s gone from rapping to singing, ultimately finding a home in country music. Jelly Roll sits down with Tom to share his incredible story.

The acclaimed Canadian troubadour Donovan Woods is back with a brand new album, “Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now.” He sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to set up a new song called “When Our Friends Come Over” (featuring Madi Diaz).

Noah Kahan is one of the most successful singer-songwriters in the world right now, but it wasn’t that long ago that he was writing his latest album, “Stick Season,” while isolated on a Vermont farm during the peak of the pandemic. Now, he’s considered the next big thing in music. Noah joins Tom in studio for a conversation about writing the album that would change his life, the power of tapping into his authentic self, and how he’s protected his mental health while on this crazy ride. 

The Summer Olympics in Paris kick off today and right before the opening ceremonies, viewers will be treated to a spoken word piece written by Ontario’s first poet laureate, Randell Adjei. He sits down with Tom in studio to talk about collaborating on the piece with former three-time Olympian Phylicia George, and shares the lessons he thinks everyone can learn from Olympians — even if you plan on spending the summer on your couch.

Chromeo’s Dave 1 and P-Thugg started out as high school best friends making weird music in Montreal basements 20 years ago. They never could have guessed that their interest in electro-funk and ‘80s synths would take them to festival stages and earn them a Grammy nod along the way. Chromeo drops by to chat with Tom about their new album, “Adult Contemporary,” which poses the question: what does it mean to be funky as you approach middle age?

Ian Harnarine is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker who found inspiration for his debut feature film, “Doubles,” in the delicious Trinidadian snack of the same name. The story follows an estranged father and son who are brought back together by difficult circumstances. Ian joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about drawing on his own experiences with his father to make the film, how it challenges clichés about the experience of immigrating to Canada, and what it was like getting Spike Lee’s hand-written notes as a film student at NYU.