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A year into this pandemic, we look ahead and we realize that there is still a long way to go. I can’t help to think about the front line workers and how much they’ve been carrying on their shoulders. If you’re anything like me you’ve been curious about how they’ve been coping, how they’ve been continuing on. I’ve wondered a lot about the situation in the long term care homes and how bad it actually is. Melissa Carter joins me on the podcast this month.     She stepped up to the Quebec governments call to train new PAB’s or personal support workers in a very short period of time. Melissa talks about her experience working in these homes, and her experiences and stories literally brought me to tears. Her strength amazes me. So sit back and take this one in.     After listening back to our episode I am in deep gratitude to Melissa and everyone who’s out there doing their best to ease and lessen the blow of COVID-19.

In this episode I invited my dear friend Benita Bailey up to the mic and she stepped up brilliantly.  Benita is a an actor in theatre, film/tv and also the creator and host of a new show called Yell It! that is gaining momentum across Canada and Germany. I was so delighted to be able to have her on the show, nestled in between trips to Germany and mothering her two young children.  We talked relationships, the reality of parenting, trying to juggle it all but one of my favourite topics at the moment was about the healing nature of diverse representation not just on screen but across the board.  You're gonna fall in love with Benita's groundedness in this one and be astonished and inspired by everything she is doing and working for and towards. www.benitabailey.com Insta: @yell_it_from_the_mountain

My next guest needs no introduction. But I’m going to introduce her anyways cause that’s what I do here on the show.  If you’ve been in Montreal for long enough you’ll recognize her voice as a broadcaster on CBC’s the Bridge and the Arts and Culture contributor on Daybreak. She’s a regular panelist on like, every panel in town, she’s a hip hop artist part one of the only two women in the group Nomadic Massive who were nominated for an award at L’ADISQ this year by the way, she’s also a mom. I can go on and on about Nantali Indongo but I’ll let this interview speak for itself. I gotta say I’m bowled over by her generosity and openness. Ladies and gents Nantali Indongo.  Artists mentioned in this episode:  @witchprophet @sunsunart503 @sunsunbeats @fiyabruxa @teenadultt @nik_brovkin

Hair.  It's political,  it holds power, trauma, our little girl memories in it's coils as tightly as we hold our identities to our hearts.  That's why talking with Abisara Machold was such an exciting experience for me, especially being the owner of one of my favorite places in Montreal.  She is a queen, and I definitely had a fan girl moment interviewing her.  Abisara owns inHairitance, a salon that specifically targets curly hair.  She has built a community, an essential service, if you ask me, and every one of her customers.  Her upbringing has so interestingly paved her way towards leadership, activism and reclaiming her femininity and black identity.  She shares her heart, her own path, how Covid-19 has affected her business and also bonus for you curly folk out there gives us a masterclass in how to take care of your locks.  This is a one of a kind episode. Instagram: @inhairitance_curlcare Links to Black business' mentioned in episode:  Tourist in my city Marché Coloré Librairie Racines Fimo Mitchell (meditation teacher) Boutique Espace Urbain

I had so much fun in this one.  Dayane and Aiza Ntibarikure joined me and shared some wise life tips and how to live big celebrate the sh*t out of everything.  If you haven't heard yet singer/songwriter Aiza is pretty much a Canadian star in the music industry and Dayane has worked across Canada, onscreen and onstage as a director, actor and creator in many artistic mediums.  They are honest about their struggles and anxieties, especially during this time.  Dayane and Aiza share such a deep sisterly bond and realness and they are letting us in! Both on the podcast and on their IGTV show which is now in development with CBC.  I   laughed a lot in this one and came out of it supercharged and energized.  Their spirits are infectious.  This is a good one y"all. DnA Unscripted IGTV Monday 7pm est @aizabby @dayaneKN

Actress, singer, producer, mentor, creator, and mother Mariah Inger joins me on the podcast as part of the Black Voices Matters series.  Mariah has a very strong voice & screen presence and had some very poignant thoughts about racism, and how it has been affecting her and her community.  We go deep into representation in media and how important this moment is in defining the next generation of creators and story tellers.  Mariah reminds us that we it is about time we make space for ugly conversations. Black Wealth Media Facebook Page

Shanice Nicole is back.  Go back and listen to my first interview with her on the SEX series.  This time we are talking about coming back to the body in times of crisis.  Some of the ways she does it may delightfully tickle you!  Shanice Nicole Website Facebook Page Notes:  Marcia Thomas of MarZen: https://instagram.com/marzen_tcm Pre-Order her book : Dear Black Girls

In the entertainment industry there is a certain position that is highly underrated, unrecognized in all the award ceremonies and no one really gives out major accolades to, yet people who are in this position have the ability to change someone’s life, overnight. The casting director. They are somewhat of the intermediate between the actors & production. Put simply they help cast the show but really they do so much more than that. They rely on their intuition and Instincts and hold stake in the reason why you love that character but can’t put your finger on why...I was so lucky that Jessica Greenberg, of Greenberg Casting sat down with me to talk about this unconventional career path. It was really interesting to have a relaxed conversation with someone who sits on the other side of the table and have her demystify the process. Jessica is refreshingly down to earth, positive and really excited to get to know actors and local talent! She built her company from the ground up cause there’s no casting director training but the job itself.  Actor or not this is a rare insight on an elusive industry and Jessica Greenberg makes is more relaxed, welcoming and fun!

*Cet épisode est bilingue * This episode is bilingual in French and English Do you know about the business of death here in Quebec?  Connaissez-vous la procedure, qui vous devez contactez apres la mort de quelqu'un.  Connaissez vous vos droits en tant que parenté de la personne qui est morte.  I had no idea about the legislation of death until Marie-Pier Beausejour sat down with me to explain the current law around death & funerals; what happens to the body right after death and the choices that are available to us  here in Quebec.  Marie-Pier is a 2nd year PhD student in humanities and her fields are anthropology, sociology and public health...comme elle l'explique si bien: “Je me questionne, sur ce que veut dire la mise à distance du corps, dans un contexte de sécularisation, médicalisation,  professionalisation et bureaucratisation, de construire une relation avec le cadavre dans la mesure où les soins ont été déplacés des familles aux industries funéraires et médecins''.   We tend to shy away from the subject of death let alone the logistics of it so it was surprisingly refreshing to speak with Marie-Pier who is so curious, inquisitive and who doesn't burrow away from the mess of death.  In fact thanks to Marie-Pier I have been reflecting on how we can make death and after death more just, inclusive and diverse.  I think Marie-Pier is one of the thought leaders of this so hopefully we will have her back on post phD for more, but for now, this is an extremely educational and interesting interview and I hope it gets you thinking and challenging the status quo. Marie-Pier is also an extremely resourceful person for articles and media on death and dying.  Here are some resources if you would like to explore this subject more:  Article: Trop Jeune pour voir mourir maman     & The Uses and enchantments in American Home Funerals / en Français Documentary to watch: How to die in Oregon Podcast: Criminal ep. 17 - Final Exit

In certain lineages of Buddhism one important meditation is that if death.  Meditating on death can be an albeit peculiar way of appreciating this earthly life.  I’ve been wanting to talk more deeply about the subject for a very long time perhaps as a way to prepare for the inevitable, perhaps as a way to find some succour and beauty in the greatest mystery of all.  What better way to welcome in a new year than to contemplate death not alone but with other people who are around it and study it.  After speaking to my guests on the death series, I am reminded that we will never know what it is until we go through it, and we will go through it.  The dying remind us that under the layers and veneer of this mortal coil is a truth that we can access by opening our hearts, listening deeply and being present with one another. This is something my last guest has practiced. Amelie Villeneuve currently works in palliative care as a spiritual aid in a public hospital here in Montreal.  My talk with her was fascinating as someone who is surrounded by death everyday, but she also works with people who are healing or dealing with a loss but still have a lot of life to live.  It has definitely made her reflect on her own spirituality and what that means and how it changes, she tells me about what challenges her in the work but also the simplicity of connecting with someone, a stranger, who is dying and how intimate that is.  .  If you’re looking for answers, for life hacks, for the meaning of life, you won’t get it here but you will listen in on a very interesting. And intimate conversation It reminded me that death is coming for me and that life is now.  Ok let that sink in.

Welcome to the 2nd season of Her Story! We are kicking off 2020 with a series on Death & Dying.   In certain lineages of Buddhism one important meditation is that if death.  Meditating on death can be an albeit peculiar way of appreciating this earthly life.  I’ve been wanting to talk more deeply about the subject for a very long time perhaps as a way to prepare for the inevitable, perhaps as a way to find some succour and beauty in the greatest mystery of all.  What better way to welcome in a new year than to contemplate death not alone but with other people who are around it and study it.  After speaking to my guests on the death series, I am reminded that we will never know what it is until we go through it, and we will go through it.  The dying remind us that under the layers and veneer of this mortal coil is a truth that we can access by opening our hearts, listening deeply and being present with one another.   This is something my next two guests have practiced on a daily basis.  First, Val Thomas used to work palliative care as a spiritual aid in a public hospital here in Montreal.   she talks about her experience with accompanying people in their final days and hours, how it has affected her personally, and the wisdom she has taken from her work.  This interview blew me away and I think you’ll be touched by it too.  Find your coziest chair, a cup of something warm and settle in. www.valthomasmusic.com

Welcome to The Travel Issue!  HerStory travels.  I happened to be in New Zealand** accompanying my latest guest PL Summersett Patricia Summersett on her comicon journey.  If you don't know by now, Patricia voiced the iconic Nintendo videogame character of Zelda.  This is huge because it is the first time ever that Zelda has had a voice so to speak.  Patricia agreed to sit down with me and answer my questions one night in a hotel room in Auckland mainly cause I threatened to tell her deepest darkest secrets if she didn't...jokes aside Patricia and I have been friends and travel buddies for many years and I have had the privilege to not only have her as a colleague, roommate, critic, professional sidekick, but throughout the years I have witnessed her immense growth as an artist and person.  Her journey up until this moment is nothing less than intriguing, from her competitive ice dancing years in the US & Canada, to health scares to getting married and divorced in her early twenties, to almost becoming a nurse to actually becoming and actor & to leaving what is no longer working out for her to following every gut dream she has to the end.  These days she has been travelling & meeting Zelda, Rainbow Six and Assassin's Creed fans the world over.  Patricia is one of the few people I know who acts so strongly on what she believes in and what she wants and makes it happen.  She is passionate to the core & she is also kind and generous and I am proud and happy to call her my friend.  I am sure this interview will give you an inside look on one of the most driven and talented people I know. **Bear with us...this show contains alcohol patriciasummersett.com Summersett Band

I was thrilled to have my friend Emily Gan on the podcast. Emily is a filmmaker who recently made some waves at the Hot Docs Festival. She won the Emerging Canadian Filmmaker award with her documentary Cave Birds and will be screened here in Montreal next week. The film follows her father who invested in a swiftlet bird nest business in Malaysia (rest assured the birds are safe), and as Emily says it's a subtle metaphor of her relationship with her father and that side of her family. It was so interesting to hear Emily speak about her journey of making the film and what she was confronted with throughout the process. Emily is a true artist and her take on what film represents and what she chooses to depict with a film is a refreshing and clear view of how we can experience our own lives. A moment in time. A frame of that single moment. She talks about how her yoga practice supported that view and how teaching yoga was at times a relief from the minutia of making a film. Emily's ability to be self reflective on her mistakes and life was inspiring and I was touched that she was so honest in this interview. I think those are qualities we can all aspire to have. Cave Birds will be screened at Cinema du Quartier Latin on Nov. 20th, 6pm & Cinema du Parc Nov. 22nd, 9pm www.emilygan.com

Amadea Kezar runs the ASK Physiothérapie clinic on Green and St-Catherine's in Montreal and she invited me to her office so that we could talk about all things pelvis.  The pelvis is essentially at the receiving end of the brain and nervous system so there is no wonder that our pelvic muscles and organs, genitals and evacuation system are entirely affected by patterns of fear and stress, post-partum and everyday habits.  Amadea is on a mission to bring awareness and healing to these intimate parts.  So many people today experience pain with sex and are understandably afraid or embarrassed to talk about it.  So many women have issues with post-partum recovery that can take a toll on their wellbeing.   We go right into the shame behind pain and the concrete solution Amadea uses to facilitate healing.  We talk extensively about the vagina and specific sensitive areas where her patients can feel discomfort.  Amadea talks me through what a typical appointment with her would look like and we cover all the bases such as douching and waxing and ways in which partners can get involved in the conversation about intimacy, pain and our pelvis'.  We are incredibly lucky to have people like Amadea and her team of therapists out there in the world, educating and spreading awareness about the pelvis because as I learned, these issues are so widespread and have such an impact on our intimate lives.  Bottom line, we are entitled to feel safe, and to feel pleasure, and to feel well in our bodies at any given time.   This conversation may be triggering for some so please use your discretion. ASK Physiothérapie

You know when you've just sat down to have a conversation with someone and very shortly into the conversation you realize you're in the presence of someone so knowledgeable and really cool and you wonder where you put the cocktails cause you know the conversation is going to be mind-blowing?  Well, as soon as Shanice Nicole came in, I had a feeling we were going to go places.  Shanice is a black feminist educator, facilitator & writer and much of her work focusses on anti-oppression and anti-racism.  In this conversation we specifically talk about how to look at systemic oppression through the lense of sex.  And we talk about the vagina y'all.  We talk about the "Husband Stitch" -and yeah, it's as bad as it sounds- and so many other ways in which the typical conversation around sex is one-dimensional.  She shares with me her ideas on how to make the information on sexual health more inclusive...I mean who do we talk about when we talk about women?  Because in the archaic yet ever present sexual education we receive from a not so young age, so many people are left out.  Having a conversation with Shanice is like sitting down with your really really really smart friend who looks at everything from a different perspective anchored in compassion and inclusivity and challenges the status quo and who also has great nails and is a cool spoken word artist.  At the end we are treated with a piece of hers which encompasses so perfectly what we've explored together.  Shanice Nicole is an important voice in this city and it's our honour and privilege to hear her speak. facebook.com/ShaniceNicoleSpeaks www.advocatesforyouth.org www.sexandu.ca

I had a very informative conversation with Jennifer Drummond aka JD who is the coordinator Concordia University Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC). The work that her and her colleagues are doing is elemental, especially in a university setting. She answered my questions on the kind of counselling they do for victims of sexual assault and harassment; how to deal with the grey areas of sexual aggression and violence and the impact our use of language has. She proposes new modalities of prevention and education that really should be implemented over the outdated suggestion that "women take self defence classes to not be sexually abused". The conversation switches directions when I asked JD about her research on sexuality and aging & disease. How do couples maintain a healthy sexual relationship when on of them is physically disable or terminally ill? How does a person with a visible disability celebrate their own sexuality? She gives beautiful and heartbreaking examples of people who are having intimate and sexual relationships in different ways. This is an intimate look at the highs and lows of being a sexual person in an over sexualized world fraught with taboos and abuse of power. We need people like JD out there on the frontline who educate & support. This conversation may be triggering for some listeners and may also be helpful to some. SARC Concordia University Hall Building 6th floor, room 345 Jennifer Drummond ext. 3353 sarc@concordia.ca Montreal Sexual Assault Crisis Line 514-933-9007

The Parlour Project has made it's grand debut in Montreal and the woman behind this multi-media performance is one of the most open hearted women I have encountered. Artist Amber Dawn pours her heart out with all honesty and beauty sharing with us her experience building this massive art project, from the ground up, inspired by her past as a sex worker. The Parlour Project rooted in ritual and ceremony asks us how much we value femininity and in ALL of its forms. Amber offers us a different view on what it means to be a powerful woman. If anything she will draw you into her web, she is a frequency enhancer, as she likes to put it...and it's true that the vibration in the room was higher after she left. Let your hearts and ears be open, may your eyes be wide like Amber's. Parlour Project Sept.19-28, 8pm, 3pm matinee on Sunday www.theparlourproject.com MTL Wolf Lab https://www.facebook.com/wolflabmtl/

When I sat down with Dawn Mauricio, I thought: ''wow, I could just hang out with this woman forever.''  She's the type of woman with boundless energy but knows exactly where to direct it and how to harness it.  From a basketball playing bigger brother pleasing little girl to a woman who has built a business teaching yoga and meditation pretty much all over the world, sitting down with Dawn was like spending time with a wise, compassionate, cool best friend.  She tells us how she got to where she is now studying at the historic Spirit Rock Meditation Centre in California and in the spirit of the podcast she delves into what it means to bring the feminine into meditation practice.  You will love her true blue honesty about her own spiritual practice and the way that she explains it might even encourage you to practice meditation yourself.  We can all agree that Dawn brings a fresh perspective to meditation anchored in inclusivity, diversity, patience and compassion.  You're going to love this one! www.dawnmauricio.com www.spiritrock.org instagram: @dawnmauricio

Let it be said, Kimberley Manning has coined the term "The Politics of Presence" on this podcast!  As we speak Kim is running for Liberal Nomination in Montreal's West Island. This woman is on fire with bright ideas; there seems to be no end to her passion for public policy, progressive change, activism and advocacy. She spoke about her role of principal at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute and her political science studies in China, her commitment to Montreal's Filipino community, namely through the means of Zumba! Although we lost this part of the conversation into the nether region of cyber space this interview starts at a critical point in our entire conversation where she speaks about her advocacy for the trans rights movement. She explains to me what a feminist academic institution may look like and believe me, it looks pretty darn ideal. Kim is a force of nature yes, but she did open up about loss, mental health, and the ways in which she must keep herself balanced for her to do the work she does and be a mom of three. I was so in awe with Kim's intellect, but also her generosity & energy and you will be too. https://gendercreativekids.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/LPCKimManning/

THE Jessica Lanyadoo was so kind and generous with her time in Montreal and sat down with me to answer some questions about astrology but mainly questions about herself and how she navigates this big bad world.  She spoke openly about how she communicates with the dead, and how once she surrendered to her gifts as a medium and psychic was she able to release pain and really step into her own.  She broke down some fundamental questionings that I had about astrology and spoke to how we can use it to harness our own energy, and understanding of life's  undercurrent, subliminally (or not) scoring our earthly experience.  If you already listen to her podcast- Ghost of a Podcast- or read her publications and follow her on social media, you already know how brilliantly she anchors the "woo" in everyday life.  Her approach is pragmatic and, in my opinion, serves the bigger picture.  From queer politics, to aesthetic beauty, to identity, to social justice Jessica speaks the truth about her practices and encourages every one of her listeners to do the same, for the bigger good.  There are so many quotable quotes in this episode so listen closely, and thank me later. www.lovelanyadoo.com Ghost of a Podcast