World of Stories

S2E1 - How to Human in a Pandemic

Margrit and Eileen (fka Lin) are back with season 2 of World of Stories. 

This time around, we'll be discussing how to live in this new reality we find ourselves in. What does work look like in a pandemic? What does rest look like? Can we imagine an alternative to capitalism? Just how ableist is our language? What is the value of friendship? How do we live with trauma? 

How to Human in a Pandemic? 

Recommendation of the Episode: Death to 2020 on Netflix, and Yearly Departed on Amazon Prime. 

Question of the Episode: What has changed for you since the start of the pandemic? How have you had to adapt? What has been the biggest challenge? 

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com. 

The full transcript of the show is available at WorldOfStories.org.

Ep 40 - Goodbye For Now

Episode 40! We’re using this round number to announce that we’re going on a hiatus to rethink our follow-through on the goals and wishes that fuelled us to start the podcast as a space to talk about diversity in storytelling. If you have notes, comments, and edits for us, as always, we’re happy to hear/read them.

Ep 39 - More Than Enough and Diane Arbus

Elaine Welteroth’s memoir More than Enough (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/598362/more-than-enough-by-elaine-welteroth/) recounts her ascent to the position of editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue in the 2010s, and the subsequent transformation of the magazine into a politically engaged voice for a diverse group of young women. In spite of her remarkable professional accomplishments, Welteroth’s memoir remains grounded and genuine, and Lin recommends it heartily.

Diane Arbus revolutionized photography, and the Art Gallery of Ontario’s exhibit (https://ago.ca/exhibitions/diane-arbus-photographs-1956-1971) traces her artistic and technical development chronologically from 1956, when Arbus numbered her first roll of film #1, to her death in 1971. The stark monochrome pictures document an array of “the ceremonies of our present,” centering people from marginalized groups.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com.

Ep 38 - Braiding Sweetgrass and the Torque Dance Festival

Braiding Sweetgrass (https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass) is one of the best books Lin has ever read. An Indigenous plant ecologist, Robin Wall Kimmerer, blends native healing traditions and storytelling with “hard science” to explain the medical effectiveness of plants and the sustainability of the traditional way of life.

Margrit loved A.I.M’s Mixed Repertory contemporary dance performance (https://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/torque/mixed-repertory-program/). The NYC-based company blends hip-hop with classical and contemporary styles to raise questions about how we defined ourselves as individuals, how we relate to history, and how we create community with diverse perspectives.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com.

Ep 37 - The Last Back Unicorn and Harley Quinn

Tiffany Haddish’s memoir, The Last Black Unicorn (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Last-Black-Unicorn/Tiffany-Haddish/9781501181832), balances humour with poignancy as it recounts the personal and professional struggles of the comedian trying to make it in the industry. Haddish’s irreverent style reveals a big heart and a desire to open the door to other marginalized comedians.

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (http://www.birdsofpreymovie.net) centres a morally ambiguous female anti-hero who triumphs when bandying up with other women to defeat the villains chasing a child. The movie beats with gorgeously choreographed action and wry commentary on gender and heroism.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com.

Ep 36 - Karena & Kasey's Foreign Flavours and Jojo Rabbit

In this episode, Lin's fallen in love with Karena & Kasey’s Foreign Flavours,  a perfectly binge-able travel and food show on CBC Gem (https://gem.cbc.ca/season/karena-kaseys-foreign-flavours/season-1/1d6abffa-a00e-4192-9d55-5c78a49cfbff). Come for the enticing culinary tours these two Maori sisters from New Zealand experience, and stay for the rad haircuts and lovely sisterly relationship.

Meanwhile, Margrit's family enjoyed the satirical comedy Jojo Rabbit (https://www.tiff.net/events/jojo-rabbit). Wonderfully acted and directed, this movie showcases how people can learn how to be kind and understanding to those who are different just as easily as they can be indoctrinated into bigotry. It's a message that's especially important, given the rise of anti-Semitism in Germany (https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/auschwitz-75-years-anti-semitism-germany-1.5441314).

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com.

Ep 35 - Brotopia and Russian Doll

Emily Chang’s Brotopia (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547571/brotopia-by-emily-chang/) exposes the toxic monoculture of masculinity in the Silicon Valley. For Lin, it solidifies the conviction that journalists make compelling arguments in good stories backed up by a wealth of examples, so she recommends the book not just as an example of the perniciousness of promoting sameness, but for its energetic style.

Many good reviews have persuaded Margrit to go back to watching Russian Doll on Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/80211627), and they’re here to urge more people to enjoy its hopeful message that resilience comes not from individual struggle, but from finding your community of people who are not the same as you.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com.

Ep 34 - A Look Back and A Look Forward

We take stock and look forward in this New Year’s episode.

Lin talks about the lasting mark Tanya Talaga’s Seven Fallen Feathers (Episode 7: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-3zipj-a30adc) left on her consciousness as a settler in Canada. It fuels Lin’s resolve to attempt a zero-waste lifestyle in the year to come.

Margrit remembers Tales of City (Episode 20: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-7dnnq-b5490f) fondly and rejoices in being immersed in young-adult literature for the care and empathy it shows its characters. Seeing some of that empathy working in the world and learning how to do nothing guilt-free are some of the things Margrit looks forward to.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com.

Ep 33 - Dora and the Lost City of Gold and Cub

Lin appreciated the cultural respect that went into centering a Latina character and story in the movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold (https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/dora-and-the-lost-city-of-gold). The film uses a fictional myth instead of appropriating existing ones, while the title-character actor drew on relatives for language coaching, and the result is a highly enjoyable adventure film.

Hi-lo is a publishing category for stories that present high-interest themes to struggling readers. Margrit recommends Paul Coccia’s Cub (https://www.orcabook.com/Cub-P4021.aspx) for its fast-paced plot that sacrifices neither emotional depth nor character development in satisfying the low readability requirement of the category.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com.

Ep 32 - Love Boat: Taiwan and Lucifer

Love Boat: Taiwan (https://www.loveboat-taiwan.com/about) is a documentary showcasing the experience of diasporic Chinese and Taiwanese youth who took part in one of the longest-running summer programs in the world. Lin recounts her own experiences and juxtaposes them with the documentary interviewees’ while also providing a historical & political background for context.

What are the implications of retelling the same stories over and over? Grounded in the Netflix show Lucifer (https://www.netflix.com/title/80057918), we examine this questions from a cultural and economic perspective.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @World_ofStories or email us at worldofstoriespodcast@gmail.com.