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Season 3 of Lauren's Best features conversations with creative parents. We kick it off in conversation with someone Lauren first met way back in high school. Rebecca Diem is a writer of hopeful speculative fiction and poetry, hosts the podcast “Read The North”, and has recently added 'mom' to her repertoire of creative pursuits. As a creative parent, she's constantly striving for harmony between her work, life and family, facing the threat of losing her creative spark in motherhood. “You really do fear at different points that you're never going to come back to your creative self or your creative practice.” After leaving the city they lived in and moving to a small beachfront Ontario community, to Rebecca's surprise (and our benefit) she rekindled her passion for poetry. The words jumped out at her from the sand and the waves as she processed the extreme experience she just had in giving birth to her daughter. “Those first days are magical, but they are also traumatic. And you have to hold the magic and the trauma together in the palm of your hand and, and look at it and say, yeah, like, this is parenthood.” Now, as Owen Sound's newest Poet Laureate, she's focused on offering that understanding and connection with others. She's reaching out in conversations, through her words and the events she has planned during her tenure. “I'd never shared such, such vulnerable human moments through my work before. And it found such a resounding response and so much community and connection.” I'm thrilled to reconnect with Rebecca, who has so many honest and positive messages for new parents. Her message in today's episode mirrors her goals for her laureateship - you are not alone. Rebecca Diem writes hopeful speculative fiction and poetry. Her work can be found on Reactor and Write Magazine, and she is the author of the indie steampunk series “Tales of the Captain Duke”. She is currently finishing her first full-length novel and working on a postpartum poetry collection inspired by beach walks with a sleeping baby. She is the Owen Sound Poet Laureate for 2024-2025. A specialist in communications and strategic initiatives, Rebecca has built a career spanning the public and non-profit sectors with a focus on culture and community. She also hosts the Read the North podcast taking listeners behind the scenes of contemporary Canadian and Indigenous literature.With favourite writing spots on three continents, Rebecca now calls Grey-Bruce home with her Australian composer husband and their ocean-eyed daughter. Website: rebeccadiem.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rebeccadiem Instagram: instagram.com/kthnxbex - - - Lauren's Best invites you to curiously consider art and life as host, Lauren Best, illuminates the creative process as an entrepreneur, mother and interdisciplinary artist. Join one-on-one reflections with Lauren, and delve into intriguing conversations with compelling creators, as together we discover insightful connections over surprising common ground. Join Lauren's Best on Substack to be the first to comment on new episodes: laurenbest.substack.com Lauren's Best is co-produced by Sam Blake and Lauren Best. - - - Work with Lauren: bestpracticearts.com Follow Lauren on Instagram: instagram.com/bylaurenbest/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lauren-best-48a71232/ - - - Give the gift of poetry, to yourself or a friend, with Just Leaves, an "intimate and unflinching" poetry collection. Paperback or audiobook: laurenbest.com/poetry
The Township of Tiny now has become the first in Simcoe County to bring in a private investigator to root out illegal rentals in the area. This comes as a response to towns across the province that are finding ways to deal with illegal operators from the height of the pandemic. We spoke to Mayor David Evans about the situation.Rebecca Diem was appointed by the Board of the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library with the honor a few weeks ago. It's a role that helps highlight the literary arts in the area. We talked to Diem about her tremendous achievement.The reaction to the news of the Grad Club at Queen's University may have to shut down has been swift from the community. After the interview, we received a number of emails including one from Chris Eckert. He's a Professor & Associate Head, of the Department of Biology at Queen's and had a lot to say about the revelation.
After the tragic events in Uvalde, my first interview today takes a closer look at gun control in Canada and the link between gun violence and violence against women. Andrea Gunraj from the Canadian Women's Foundation joins me to share why Prime Minister Trudeaus recent suggested changes to our gun laws are a good thing, but additoinally how we can still do better. Anne Brodie joins me this week with rave reviews for A Chiara, a coming of age story where a young girl must come to terms with her father's life as a gangster and drug trafficker in theatres now, Irma Vep which is a film within a film also in theatres, Under the Banner of Heaven a dark tale about Mormon Latter Day Saints Fundamentalism on Disney+, and I Love Lucy finally has a permanent home with Paramount. Book worms rejoice! The Word on the Street Festival is back in Queens Park on June 11 & 12th and you definitely won't want to miss the incredible line up of speakers and authors at this year's event. Rebecca Diem resident comms wizard since 2019 for The Word on the Street joins me to share what you can expect at this year's free to attend festival. Nancy Wilson from the Canadian Women's Chamber of Commerce is here to discuss the myth of women empowerment and how it is a distraction tactic that encourages women to focus on themselves individually and to ignore systemic inequalities. Nancy is a powerhouse committed to making systemic changes that will truly help women running their own business. Finally, if you need some inspiration you won't want to miss my final interview with Kathleen Black who is the subject of a new documentary called The Relentless One. Kathleen wants to help women shift their lives from chaos to calm and Social: Andrea Gunraj Website: https://canadianwomen.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cdnwomenfdn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canadianwomensfoundation/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CanadianWomensFoundation/ Anne Brodie Twitter: https://twitter.com/annebrodie Website: whatshesaidtalk.com Rebecca Diem Website: https://toronto.thewordonthestreet.ca/ Twitter @torontoWOTS Instagram @torontoWOTS (you can also tag me at @kthnxbex) Other https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWordOnTheStreetToronto https://rss.com/podcasts/read-the-north/ Nancy Wilson Website: www.canwcc.ca Twitter: https://twitter.com/can_wcc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canwcc/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/canwcc/ Kathleen Black Website: www.KathleenSpeaks.com Instagram: @kathleenblack_ Facebook: Kathleen Black LinkedIn: Kathleen Black
I don't know about you, dear Listener, but nothing gets my gears going quite like a hot burst of steam. So it's a good thing that we're doing Steampunk! For today's episode we read "The Stowaway Debutante (Tales of the Captain Duke Book 1)" by Rebecca Diem and "Prosperity" by Alexis Hall. For this steamin' hot episode, our begoggled hosts discuss the importance of bawdy houses, the scourge that is the "Mary Sue", and why sky pirate seems to love grain so goddamn much.
On the sixty-second edition of Reality Bomb we have a special live episode recorded at the Imperial Pub in Toronto with Graeme Burk and Joy Piedmont. We interview a panel of fans including Lori Steuart, Rebecca Diem and Cadence Gillard about their first impressions of the new Doctor and the new season. Our fifth annual new season news hype quiz tasks Peter Hill, Cameron Dixon, Warren Frey and Heather Murray about the news that somehow escaped from Chris Chibnall's grasp. Prisoners of Gravity and InnerSpace creator and comic book writer and ubergeek Mark Askwith discusses Doctor Who's foray into superheroes by bringing The Return of Doctor Mysterio to the Gallery of the Underrated. Plus, we have musician David Lush (of Memorex) performing the Doctor Who theme live, a double shot of comedy, listeners Q and A and much more! It's your favourite Doctor Who podcast... only live. In the centre of the universe!
Rebecca Diem is a co-organizer of Comic Shop Ladies Night, a pop-up after hours social just for the ladies, held at a rotating list of comic shops across Toronto. She’s also the author of a series of popular, self-published steampunk adventure novellas titled Tales of Captain Duke. After running through the early influences and inspirations that got her into comics and writing, which range from Archie and Saved by the Bell to Neil Gaiman and the Sunday Funnies, her grandma sent her, we get into the process behind and inspiration for Captain Duke. This episode will also give listeners a very layered explanation as to what steampunk actually is. Here we explore its role in reclaiming progressive ideas in a romanticized past and how some with disabilities adopt the aesthetic for empowerment. Then we move on to Comic Shop Ladies Night and dispel the notion that comics were ever or always a male-dominated fandom. This episode is sponsored by Hairy Tarantula.rebeccadiem.com@kthnxbex - Twitter@kthnxbex - InstagramRebecca's Goodreads profileThe Stowaway Debutante on AmazonBridgehead Coffee ShopComic Shop Ladies NightEpisode Sponsor: Hairy Tarantula
On the thirty-first edition of Reality Bomb, we have a super-sized episode that starts with a discussion with Keynon Wallace and Nikki Stafford about Doctor Who's new showrunner (in 2018) Chris Chibnall. Then, we're looking back at this past Christmas and The Husbands of River Song with Angelique Roche and Tammy Cunningham. Plus Lindsey Mayers, Shannon Dohar and Rebecca Diem go back and revisit the speculations they made about Series 9 last September and The Android Invasion is in the Gallery of the Underrated courtesy of Jim Sangster. All this and the world's most popular podcast examines a fan argument, week by week!
On this special Christmas edition of Reality Bomb, recorded live in Toronto in November, Graeme Burk talks with author Nikki Stafford and SPACE producer Mark Askwith about the 10th anniversary of Doctor Who Christmas Specials, while Cameron Dixon, Ari Lipsey and Peter McAlpine submit themselves to a quiz about the missing episodes. Kenyon Wallace submits The Next Doctor as his seasonal entry in the Gallery of the Underrated and Lori Steuart battles author Rebecca Diem over which David Tennant stories had brown suits vs. blue suits. Plus the music of Alex Kennard and a double shot of comedy! It's like every episode of Reality Bomb...only it's live. And it's Christmas!
On the twenty-seventh edition of Reality Bomb, Rebecca Diem, Shannon Dohar and Lindsey Mayers speculate on practically everything about the upcoming season! We continue to brace for the arrival of Series 9 with our 2nd annual New Season Hype News Quiz, with Petra Mayer, Simon Fraser and Alex Kennard braving the challenge. And Angelique Roche is talking about Jenny when The Doctor's Daughter comes to the Gallery of the Underrated. Plus, the interviewer becomes the interviewed when Graeme Burk and Robert Smith? talk about their new book The Doctors Are In to Erika Ensign. All this and another infomercial you don't want to tune out!
On the twenty-fourth edition of Reality Bomb, Graeme Burk attempts to referee a no-holds barred discussion between Lori Steuart and Lindsey Mayers on the twelfth Doctor. We also talk about the great speeches in Doctor Who with someone familiar to political speechwriting, Christopher Cutler, Advisor to the Mayor on Community Relations for the City of Hamilton, Ontario! We also have author Rebecca Diem talking about love and shapeshifting robots when she brings Let's Kill Hitler to the Gallery of the Underrated and David Barksy is in our new feature Doctor Who: From A to Z talking about the letter S! Plus: the origins of Reality Bomb are explored!
On the nineteenth episode of Reality Bomb, guest host Erika Ensign talks about Last Christmas with Lindsey Mayers, Cat Smith and author Rebecca Diem. We also discuss the growing popularity of Doctor Who Legacy with gamer and vlogger TheAdiposeTV. And television producer David Barsky takes us on a visit to Voga the Planet of Gold as Revenge of the Cybermen makes its way to the Gallery of the Underrated. Plus Alex Kennard returns to audio essays and muses on the reaction of fans to series 8 and we look at gatekeeping Doctor Who fandom. Literally.