In this episode of Re-Creative, Joe and Mark talk to Sean Prpick, former journalist and network producer for CBC Radio. Mark kicks the conversation off to a great start by asking Joe and Sean about their favourite piece of analog tech. And then Mark indulges the two former CBC'ers as they reminisce about their CBC Radio careers—over thirty years for each of them. In Sean’s case, working as a reporter before serving as Saskatchewan’s network producer from 1990 to 2015, where, among other memorable experiences, he got to work with the legendary Peter Gzowski, without whom there would not have been any network producers.

The lads also talk about where the CBC is and where it’s headed, with Mark offering a cogent, dissenting opinion about where he thinks the CBC’s focus ought to be. And they talk about Sean’s current passion, which is something both Mark and Joe also happen to be interested in: the production of audiobooks, which Sean produces in collaboration with his daughter.

Re-Creative [http://www.re-creative.ca/] is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc [http://www.donovanstreetpress.com/]. in association with MonkeyJoy Press [https://markarayner.com/monkeyjoy-press/].

Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com [joe.mahoney@donovanstreetpress.com]

Re-Creative Spotlight — CBC Network Producer and Audiobook Creator Sean Prpick

In the latest episode of Re-Creative, Mark and Joe welcome Miriam Schulman. Miriam is an artist, author, and — as host of The Inspiration Podcast — a fellow podcaster. Miriam kind of blew Joe's mind because she’s good at the business side of art. As our conversation went on Joe became increasingly curious about how her approach could apply to books and publishing.

It’s a really interesting conversation about how Miriam draws from her own artistic and financial background to teach others how to build sustainable, profitable careers from their art — without selling their souls.

As always, the conversation is built around art that has inspired our guest. In this case, Mary Renault’s classic historical novel The Bull from the Sea, the sequel to The King Must Die. Miriam tells Mark and Joe what drew her to this retelling of the Theseus myth and its emphasis on living with the consequences of one’s choices. And from there they get into how rich people think, “how they love crazy,” such as Beeple’s $100,000 pooping robot dogs, and how people typically purchase “meaning over medium.”

Support Our Guest

You can learn more about Miriam Schulman and her work by picking up a copy of her book, Artpreneur, or by visiting her website [https://www.schulmanart.com/]. To dive deeper into her strategies for creative business and mindset, tune into The Inspiration Place podcast, available on all major podcast platforms and YouTube.

Re-Creative [http://www.re-creative.ca/] is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc [http://www.donovanstreetpress.com/]. in association with MonkeyJoy Press [https://markarayner.com/monkeyjoy-press/].

Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com [joe.mahoney@donovanstreetpress.com]

Miriam Schulman: Artpreneur, and Mary Renault's The Bull from the Sea

In the latest episode of Re-Creative, Mark and Joe welcome back Matt Watts [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Watts], in his second magnificent appearance [https://re-creative.ca/hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy/] on this podcast, to talk about one of his favourite movies, Mad Max: The Road Warrior.

Matt Watts appeared on Ken Finkleman’s The Newsroom [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Newsroom_(Canadian_TV_series)] and was the star and a writer on Michael, Tuesdays and Thursdays (Michael: Everyday), on CBC television.

Matt is also a comedian, radio writer, and actor. He created, wrote and starred in the CBC One radio dramas: Steve, The First [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve,_The_First], its sequel Steve, The Second [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve,_The_Second] and Canadia: 2056 [https://music.apple.com/us/album/canadia-2056-season-1-episodes-1-5/328342727] and has written for Kids in the Hall [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kids_in_the_Hall]. And he’s the author of the middle grade fiction novel Hope of the Wasteland [https://www.donovanstreetpress.com/products/hope-of-the-wasteland-trade-paperback?srsltid=AfmBOopPQrA82jJ5GdcjHRGHys7zVq9YeTivwkq4whENVn2WheE2IgYE], published by Donovan Street Press.

Re-Creative [http://www.re-creative.ca/] is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc [http://www.donovanstreetpress.com/]. in association with MonkeyJoy Press [https://markarayner.com/monkeyjoy-press/].

Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com [joe.mahoney@donovanstreetpress.com]

Matt Watts and Mad Max: The Road Warrior

Mark and Joe welcome back Timothy S. Johnston, who’s quickly becoming Re-Creative's resident monster movie expert. But not just any monster movie — only the best. Having previously dissected John Carpenter’s The Thing for Re-Creative, Timothy returns to remind the boys of the brilliance of Canadian director David Cronenberg’s 1986 masterpiece The Fly on the occasion of its 40th-anniversary.

Timothy clearly knows his stuff; he’s come well prepared with a bevy of facts and trivia about the making of The Fly along with a thoughtful analysis of what makes the movie special.

Re-Creative is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.

Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com

Timothy S. Johnston on David Cronenberg's The Fly

In this episode of Re-Creative [https://re-creative.ca/], Mark and Joe talk to Trevor Strong—writer, educator, and long-standing member of the musical comedy troupe The Arrogant Worms [https://www.arrogantworms.com/]. Trevor introduces the lads to the musical comedy gem “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuMLpdnOjY]” by Tom Lehrer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lehrer], a huge influence on Trevor’s own work. Trevor points out the song’s “gleeful” subversion of innocence as a template for his own (occasionally dark) repertoire.

Trevor holds a PhD in Education. For his thesis, he explored the concept of “creativity” from a historical perspective, which yielded surprising results. Trevor walks the boys through it; it turns out that creativity is really quite a modern concept.

It happens that Trevor himself is extremely creative, his work with The Arrogant Worms but a fraction of his output. His recent solo album, too many songs about cats, is a perfect example. He recorded it all in his own home, using a table as a drum and performing all the cat parts himselfs because (and we think we have this right) he was too cheap to hire a real cat.

Re-Creative [http://www.re-creative.ca/] is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc [http://www.donovanstreetpress.com/]. in association with MonkeyJoy Press [https://markarayner.com/monkeyjoy-press/].

Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com [joe.mahoney@donovanstreetpress.com]

Trevor Strong on Creativity, Humour, and Tom Lehrer's Poisoning Pigeons in the Park

In this episode of Re-Creative [https://re-creative.ca/], it’s all about acting. Mark and Joe talk to Judy  Cormier, an actor based in London, Ontario where she can often be found onstage at the Palace Theatre acting with the London Community Players. She’s also dabbled in directing, having recently co-directed The Wicked Witches of Oz for the Kettle Creek Players. She’s also known for her film work, notably in Black Donnellys, [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6206098/] an indie film from 2017 that explores the brutal, vigilante-led end of an infamous Irish immigrant family, and in which Judy portrayed family matriarch Johannah Donnelly.

Judy talks about the work of three heavyweights of the craft who have inspired her —Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, and Maggie Smith. Judy shares specific lessons she unearthed in Dench’s memoir Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent [https://www.amazon.ca/Shakespeare-Man-Who-Pays-Rent-ebook/dp/B0C3YPFB59], including the fundamental difference between rote line memorization and the necessity of truly understanding the text you’re performing.

Joe, Mark and Judy discuss everything from the tragedies of Euripides to the structured chaos of “Pantos,” those unique traditional musical comedies often performed around Christmas. Judy walks the lads through the unique challenge of training polite Canadian audiences to abandon their reserve and scream at the villain, something they learn Mark excels at.

It’s a fun conversation with someone truly passionate about her craft.

Re-Creative [http://www.re-creative.ca/] is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc [http://www.donovanstreetpress.com/]. in association with MonkeyJoy Press [https://markarayner.com/monkeyjoy-press/].

Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com [joe.mahoney@donovanstreetpress.com]

Judy Cormier on Acting and Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith

In this episode of Re-Creative [https://re-creative.ca/], Mark and Joe talk to animator/filmmaker Tess Martin [https://www.tessmartinart.com/] about Yuri Norstein’s Tale of Tales (1979), a complex, surreal masterpiece. As Tess explains, Tale of Tales is less a classical narrative than a tapestry of memories, providing just enough clues to allow viewers to unlock its meaning and hidden depths, though a familiarity with the culture from which it emerged helps. Featuring a little grey wolf from a traditional Russian lullaby, Norstein employs deeply personal and culturally specific imagery—such as a glass of vodka and bread as an offering for the dead—making the film feel intensely real and true, even if one doesn’t fully grasp every reference the first time around.

Originally from the States, Tess relocated to the Netherlands to pursue her craft. Her own work follows in Norstein’s tradition of thoughtful, material-based art. Her projects tend to develop through a mix of personal interest and the practicalities of the Dutch public arts funding system.  

Mark, Tessa and Joe discuss two of her recent films:

 * How Now House: Using archives, personal memories and the philosophy of time, the film questions whether a space can ever really belong to one person, or time period, at all.
 * 1976 Search for Life: A new father visits the hometown of his mother in 1976, accompanied by his wife and baby. At the same time, the NASA Viking lander is sending the first images back to Earth from the surface of another planet.

You can check out Tess’s work on her website [https://www.tessmartinart.com/]. 

Re-Creative [http://www.re-creative.ca/] is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc [http://www.donovanstreetpress.com/]. in association with MonkeyJoy Press [https://markarayner.com/monkeyjoy-press/].

Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com [joe.mahoney@donovanstreetpress.com]

Animator/Filmmaker Tess Martin and Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales

In this episode of Re-Creative, [https://re-creative.ca/the-daily-drum/] Mark and Joe talk to singer-songwriter Jenn Grant about coffee, smoothies, and a whole lot more, including Jenn’s upcoming tour Cradled by the Waves, described as “a groundbreaking live tour that transforms her forthcoming album, Queen of the Strait, into a stunning multimedia performance blending music, film, theatre, and dance.”

Drawing inspiration from Sarah Harmer, Jenn sees her work as an act of service, viewing music and art as forms of resistance, especially in these troubled times. They talk about how her current album Queen of the Strait was recorded “live off the floor” in four magical days, in their own home studio, and how the “Queen” in the title is an homage to her mother, who displayed remarkable resilience during a tumultuous time in their lives. Jenn also shares the true story behind her wonderful song “Jim Cuddy Dress”

Mark and Joe also talk to Jenn about some of her favourite art. She speaks passionately about her own journey with visual art and her admiration for the work of Mi’kmaq artist Alan Syliboy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Syliboy], and about the importance of reconciliation and supporting the long-standing work of indigenous creators.

Re-Creative is produced by Donovan Street Press [https://www.donovanstreetpress.com/] Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press [https://markarayner.com/monkeyjoy-press/].

Contact us at contact@donovanstreetpress.com

Singer-Songwriter Jenn Grant and The Daily Drum

In this episode of Re-Creative, Mark and Joe talk to Diane Walton, a founding member and long-time managing editor of On Spec: The Canadian magazine of the Fantastic. On Spec is well known in Canadian speculative fiction circles (and beyond!) for publishing quality fiction and art from (largely but not exclusively) Canadian writers and artists.

Diane tells the lads how the highly regarded Canadian spec fic magazine began in Edmonton around 1989 after a creative writing group at the University of Alberta grew frustrated with American magazines rejecting their work for being “too Canadian”. She recounts the early days of assembling an editorial team, securing startup funds, and commissioning stories from notable authors like Dave Duncan and Eileen Kernaghan for their first saddle-stitched issue.

Re-Creative [https://re-creative.ca/] is produced by Donovan Street Press Inc. [https://www.donovanstreetpress.com/] in association with MonkeyJoy Press. [https://markarayner.com/monkeyjoy-press/]

Contact us at contact@donovanstreetpress.com

Diane Walton and On Spec: The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic

In this episode of Re-Creative, Joe and Mark dive into a fascinating conversation with author and publisher Lynda Williams, the "obscure Canadian Tolkien." Joining the lads from Prince George, B.C., Lynda shares how she balances her academic background in Artificial Intelligence with her sprawling, ten-novel epic, the Okal Rel saga.

They explore Lynda’s unique approach to collaboration, where she invites other writers to play in her sandbox rather than protecting her turf. They nerd out on the physics of "reality skimming" (her version of faster-than-light travel) and discuss how her universe evolved from a passion project into a collaborative literary ecosystem.

For her "homework," Lynda chose Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan of the Apes series. The three have a frank and illuminating discussion about the Victorian and colonial influences of this early 20th-century classic, and how those "larger than life" archetypes eventually seeped into—and were subverted by—Lynda’s own bioengineered cultures and dramatized philosophies.

Support Our Guest

Lynda Williams is a powerhouse of Canadian science fiction whose work bridges the gap between hard science and epic space opera. Her ability to maintain an arc from beginning to end across ten novels has earned her a dedicated following from Germany to the Maritimes. 

Beyond her fiction, Lynda is a pioneer in the Canadian small-press scene and an educator who understands the intersection of technology and storytelling. Many of her co-collaborators have ensured that all aspects of the Okal Rel universe-everything from faster-than-light travel and fencing-are grounded in scientific logic and reality.

Lynda currently hosts a blog called Reality Skimming, where she continues to foster community by hosting guest posts on a wide range of intriguing themes.

You can explore the vast Okal Rel universe and find all of Lynda’s work by visiting her blog at realityskimming.com [https://realityskimming.com/] or her official series hub at okalrel.org [http://okalrel.org/].

For more information, please check out the show notes for this episode. 

Re-Creative is produced by Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press. 

Contact us at contact@donovanstreetpress.com

Lynda Williams and Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzon

Hosts Joe and Mark talk to artists, authors, academics, musicians and other creative people about the media and art that inspires them.

Co-hosts Joe Mahoney and Mark A. Rayner talk to artists, authors, academics, musicians and other creative people about the media and art that inspires them.

Re-Creative: A podcast about inspiration and creativity