Shelve Under: Podcast: Recent Episodes
Toronto Public Library
A Toronto Public Library podcast for readers, writers, and... everybody else. (Currently on hiatus due to the pandemic - but check out our past episodes!)
Books and resources discussed in this episode:
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The First Feminists: A Short Story by Bernardine Evaristo
Bernardine Evaristo in conversation with Donna Bailey Nurse
Books and resources discussed in this episode:
Gale Courses
Discover Sign Language course
"Sign language that African Americans use is different from that of whites" (The Washington Post)
Lifeprint ASL resources
Lifeprint ABC's of ASL: Learn how to Fingerspell! video
Queer Trans Online ASL Dictionary
The History of the Book in the Early Modern Period: 1450 to 1800 course
Printers' Devices database
Books and resources discussed in this episode:
tpl:kids
Online Children's programs
Wonder Wall
Storytime with Toronto Mayor John Tory
Ready for Reading
Growing a Reader blog
"Helping your Child Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic"
Brainfuse
Children's Mental Health Ontario
My Hero is You: How Kids Can Fight COVID-19! from the World Health Organization
OverDrive
Hoopla
The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renee Russell
Dog Man Unleashed by Dav Pilkey
Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
The Fire Station by Robert Munsch
Real Friends by Shannon Hale
You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith and Danielle Daniel
Books and resources discussed in this episode:
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The Great Mortality by John Kelly
Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style by W. David Marx
Online book clubs
Appel Salon author events online
Toronto Public Library Reading Challenge
Books and films discussed:
7 Suitcases by Ahmed Marie, Farah Marie, Hala Marie and Cynthia Spring
We are Displaced: My Journey and Stories From Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai
My Journey by Olivia Chow
The Boat People by Sharon Bala
Nujeen: One Girl's Incredible Journey From Syria in a Wheelchair by Nujeen Mustafa and Christina Lamb.
Resilience and Triumph: Immigrant Women Tell Their Stories by the Book Project Collective
Grandfather's Journey by Alley Say
Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration by Bryan Caplan and Zach Weinersmith
The Ward: the Life and Loss of Toronto's First Immigrant Neighbourhood edited by John Lorinc, Michael McClelland, Ellen Scheinberg, and Tatum Taylor
For Sama (on PBS) directed by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
Library services and partnerships discussed:
Using the library if you're new to Canada
Settling in Toronto
ESL & Newcomer Programs at TPL
COSTI Immigrant Services
OverDrive (Getting Started with Overdrive guides)
Books and resources discussed in this episode:
The List
The List 2020 YouTube playlist
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Verify by Joelle Charbonneau
Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan
Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
George's band is called West Coast Grey, and they have a new album coming out soon - working title: The Cursed Image.
Bonus content: Here's a Soundcloud playlist where you can hear the two live, acoustic songs on this episode plus an additional bonus track, along with their full studio versions.
Books and resources discussed in this episode:
TPL program videos on Youtube
The Recording Engineer's Handbook by Bobby Owsinski
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior
Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior
(For more always-available tech ebooks, including books on digital audio recording, visit our Safari Tech collection!)
Lynda.com
Learn to use Saved Lists on tpl.ca
George's Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/westcoastgrey
West Coast Grey on Bandcamp: https://westcoastgrey.bandcamp.com/
Books discussed:
One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
The Journey Prize Stories: The Best of Canada's New Writers
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg: and Other Stories by Mark Twain
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung
Library services discussed:
Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)
Libby app
Books mentioned:
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
The Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Braun
If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman
Library services discussed:
OverDrive (Getting Started with Overdrive guides)
“What mostly happens in disasters is, they're the moment in which the background refrigerator hum of petty grievance stops and leaves behind this ringing silence in which you realize that you have much more in common with your neighbours than you ever had as a point of difference.”
- Cory Doctorow
Books discussed:
Radicalized by Cory Doctorow
Walkaway by Cory Doctorow
Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars by Daniel Pinkwater (ebook unavailable, so try Lizard Music instead)
A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit
Afterland by Lauren Beukes (ebook coming soon)
Or What You Will by Jo Walton (coming soon)
The Thessaly Series by Jo Walton (Series about Plato's Republic)
Lent by Jo Walton (one of the books about Florence)
Books by Ada Palmer
Other topics discussed:
The Wonderful Power of Storytelling - speech by Bruce Sterling
craphound.com (Cory Doctorow's website)
Books and music discussed:
Tabula Rasa (Fratres - version for cello ensemble) by Arvo Pärt
From Sleep by Max Richter
M Train by Patti Smith
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Deep Field by Eric Whitacre
The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History by Daniel Tate and Rob Bowman
The Magic Flute by W.A. Mozart
Library services discussed:
Naxos Music Library
Naxos Music Library (Jazz) (Getting Started with Naxos Music Library Jass Guide)
Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)
Medici.tv (Getting Started with Medici.tv Guide)
Books and articles discussed:
Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto by Shawn Micallef
"Even if you're locked down from COVID-19, you can still explore the city. Here's how" by Shawn Micallef
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
"How Do We Read When Words Fail Us" by Kerry Clare
The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative by Thomas King
The 2003 CBC Massey Lectures, "The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative"
OverDrive Cooking & Food Collection
Kitchen Sink Cookies by Julia Moskin
Library services discussed:
Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)
NYTimes.com
Contact us at: shelveunder@tpl.ca
Books discussed:
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: a Memoir by Haruki Murakami
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapeña
Agency by William Gibson
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata*
*Correction: we used the wrong pronouns when referring to Sayaka Murata. She is a woman. We regret the error.
Library services discussed:
NYTimes.com
Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)
TPL Reading Challenge 2020 Facebook Group
Contact us at: shelveunder@tpl.ca
"I've tried to, at every step of the way, reject the traditional true crime lens. Whether it was the podcast, the book I'm working on, any of the stories I worked on, it was always supposed to be one that put the police process and the victims first."
- Justin Ling, journalist, author and host of Uncover: The Village
Content Warning: this episode discussed violent crimes. The topics are sensitive in nature and may be difficult for some people.
Books discussed:
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Missing from the Village by Justin Ling (out in September 2020)
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan by Jake Adelstein
The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman by Kevin Donovan
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami
The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace
Podcasts discussed:
Serial
Uncover: The Village
Missing and Murdered
In the Dark
Undisclosed
Books, movies and comics discussed:
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
The Nix by Nathan Hill
French Exit by Patrick deWitt
Ramen Heads
The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman
Library services discussed:
Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)
Hoopla (Getting Started with Hoopla Guide)
Kanopy (Getting Started with Kanopy Guide)
Flipster (Getting Started with Flipster Guide)
Contact us at: shelveunder@tpl.ca
Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of a fictional account of sexual assault.
Books discussed:
Hamartia by Raquel Rich
Making Comics by Lynda Barry
What It Is by Lynda Barry
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Writing Alone and with Others by Pat Schneider
Library services discussed:
Writers' groups
Writers' rooms
- At Toronto Reference Library
- At Locke branch
The Asquith Press book printing service
Biblioboard library ebook platform for indie authors
Other resources discussed:
Raquel's website
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)
“If you get people listening past the first 10 seconds of your podcast, they're probably going to stick through the whole thing. So those first 10 seconds are so valuable, you gotta make the best use of it.”
-Amanda Cupido, award-winning podcast producer
Books, articles, podcasts, and websites mentioned in this episode:
Let's Talk Podcasting: the Essential Guide to Doing It Right by Amanda Cupido
Her Story - Episode 1 - Athletics
STARTUP podcast (by Gimlet), Season 1 Episode 1: How Not to Pitch a Billionaire
Gimlet
Luminary
Pacific Content
Google Podcasts creator program
Werk It Festival
Phoebe Wang's acceptance speech (2018 Third Coast Awards Ceremony)
Modern Love
The New York Times
Radiolab
Radiolab, Episode, "Animal Minds"
Radiolab, Episode, "Lucy"
This American Life
Flights by Olga Tokarczuk
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
OPPO
Canadaland
Stop Podcasting Yourself
Missing and Murdered
Maximum Fun
Judge John Hodgman
Friendly Fire
The Greatest Generation
Contact us at shelveunder@torontopubliclibrary.ca
"The more I have walked, the more I have discovered that there's more to walk and understand."
-Shawn Micallef, Toronto Star columnist and noted flâneur
Christina and Mike talk about what it takes to be a flâneur and why they love exploring the city. Then Christina talks to Toronto Star columnist Shawn Micallef about what he learns during his six-hour strolls throughout the city. Then discover some new walks that start at library branches.
Books, articles, resources and websites mentioned in this episode:
Toronto Guerrilla Gardeners
Toronto Public Space Committee
Spacing Magazine
Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto by Shawn Micallef
Wanderlust: a History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit
Accidental Parkland directed by Dan Berman
Accidental City: the Transformation of Toronto by Robert Fulford
Toronto Food Policy Council
Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee
The Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel by Rachael Antony
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Tenements, Towers & Trash : an Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City by Julia Wertz
Read episode transcript
Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy
Contact us at shelveunder@torontopubliclibrary.ca
"And for me the biggest power of improv was taking a break from the struggle."
-Cameron Algie, Instructor and Founder of the Improv for Anxiety program at Second City Toronto
Jason and Christina talk anxiety with one of TPL's full-time social workers, Rahma Hashi. Jason interviews his mentor, Cameron Algie, about his mission to improve the world's mental health...with improv! Finally, some reading recommendations and self-care tips.
Books, articles, resources and websites mentioned in this episode:
"Free walk-in counselling thrives at Regina libraries" on CBC
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Books by Pema Chödrön
Books by Deepak Chopra
The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha
Play With Fire Improv
[SAD / Light Therapy Lamps] 8 at the Toronto Public Library
Going Under by Zviane
Improv Nation by Sam Wasson
The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual by Matt Besser
Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel By Changing the Way You Think by Dennis Greenberger
Mastering Adulthood: Go Beyond Adulting to Become an Emotional Grown-up by Laura E. Fielding
ConnexOntario, 1-866-531-2600, available 24/7
Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada, 1-888-223-2252
NOTE: This episode has been updated to replace an earlier version that was released in error.
Read episode transcript
Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy
Contact us at shelveunder@torontopubliclibrary.ca
"It's about the idea that you should sit down and make the thing that you want, whatever that thing is, whether it's origami or model boats or model trains or crazy weird robots or glowing things or fountains with lights in them."
- Eric Boyd, Director of Festival Programming, Maker Festival
Jason and Mike talk to Ted about the maker movement in Toronto. Then, Wendy interviews Maker Festival programming director Eric Boyd, and goes out to meet some makers in the Reference Library. Finally: noisemakers, carrot hot dogs, and other things you can learn to make from books.
Books, websites and other resources mentioned in this episode:
botbrawl.ca
Coding for Beginners Using Python by Louie Stowell
Cool Tools by Kevin Kelly
From the Kitchens of Yam Chops by Michael Abramson
The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer
Junkyard Jam Band by David Erik Nelson
Lynda.com
MakerFestival.ca
Maker Festival 2019: Call for Makers
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Read episode transcript
Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy
Contact us at shelveunder@torontopubliclibrary.ca
Please take our survey.
"We're kind of the Men in Black... People don't even know we exist." - Mike N. Jason and Wendy wonder how a book gets from the publisher's catalogue to your local hold shelf. Jason digs behind the scenes to find out - and meets library staff you never knew existed.
Books and videos mentioned in this episode:
Coffee Lids: Peel, Pinch, Pucker, Puncture by Louise Hartman and Scott Specht
Amy processes Fire and Fury by Alice
What Valerie's reading this season:
Valerie's Picks, Winter/Spring 2019
Read episode transcript
Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy
Contact us at shelveunder@torontopubliclibrary.ca
Please take our survey.
"If you wander around the city, if you are able to stop and listen, the stories are all right there." - Matt Galloway What's your Toronto all about?
Christina and Wendy talk about their respective Torontos. Then, Christina interviews CBC Metro Morning host Matt Galloway, and we find out about his Toronto - and also what his favourite book is this year, and why he's so important to librarians.
Books, music and talks mentioned in this episode:
The Art of Inclusion by Matt Galloway - Walrus Talks
Books by Peter Carey
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Books by Langston Hughes
Cab Calloway
Count Basie
Brother by David Chariandy
I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You: a Letter to My Daughter by David Chariandy
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
Books by Dionne Brand
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
Boys: What It Means to Become a Man by Rachel Giese
Motherhood by Sheila Heti
Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
uTOpia: Towards a New Toronto edited by Jason McBride and Alana Wilcox
Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto by Shawn Micallef
Frontier City: Toronto on the Verge of Greatness by Shawn Micallef
Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis
The Hidden Keys by Andre Alexis
Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam
What We All Long For by Dionne Brand
Love Enough by Dionne Brand
Consolation by Michael Redhill
Further Reading:
‘Da Kink in My Hair by Trey Anthony
Kim’s Convenience by Ins Choi
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Toronto Comics by various contributors
Spacing Magazine
Subdivided: City-Building in an Age of Hyper-Diversity edited by John Lorinc and Jay Pitter
Towerkind by Kat Verhoeven
The Ward: the Life and Loss of Toronto’s First Immigrant Neighbourhood edited by John Lorinc, Michael McClelland, Ellen Scheinberg, Tatum Taylor
And, of course, browse the Local History section online, or at your local branch!
Click here for a transcript of this episode.
Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy
Contact us at shelveunder@torontopubliclibrary.ca
Please take our survey.
"It's not 'happily ever after' - it's 'happy enough for now'." - Vicki Essex In this episode, Mike and Wendy ponder their feelings about romance, and Wendy recounts her foray into the world of romance publishing. Then, Mike interviews romance writer Vicki Essex - and they correct some fusty stereotypes about the genre. Finally: a reckoning.
Books, movies and articles mentioned in this episode:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante
The Dim Sum of All Things by Kim Wong Keltner
Avatar, the Last Airbender
Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
Matinees with Miriam by Vicki Essex
Dangerous Books for Girls by Maya Rodale
Red Carpet Arrangement by Vicki Essex
Love Between the Covers
The Original Sinners by Tiffany Reisz
The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz
The Devil's Revolver by Vicki Essex
"In Harlequin's new Dare series, heroines own their sexuality" by Joseph Saraceno in The Globe and Mail
"Authors of Fiction Confront a Problem: How to Write About Sex" by Sarah Lyall in The New York Times
Outline by Rachel Cusk
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Find Vicki Essex at http://www.vickiessex.com and http://www.vsmcgrath.com. The Devil's Pact, the third book in The Devil's Revolver series, will be released on December 18th, 2018.
Note: This episode has been edited from a previous version.
Click here for a transcript of this episode.
Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy
Contact us at shelveunder@torontopubliclibrary.ca
Please take our survey.