Imprint

This topical literary series offers discussion and debate on a wide range of issues in the world of literature, interspersed with the latest publishing events and book news. While keeping tabs on the continuing evolution of the English language, the programs explore all manner of writing, from rap to screenwriting, with books in between.

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  • Imprint
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    November 27, 1989

    Jennifer Gibson interviews Mordecai Richler about his book "Solomon Gursky Was Here", while Paul Roberts analyzes the same work with writers Larry Zolf and Carole Corbeil. Roberts also interviews novelist Dorothy Dunnett.

  • Imprint
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    November 20, 1989

    Paul Roberts and Jennifer Gibson host this program that features author Irving Layton, a report on computers in school, and a debate between broadcaster Michael Enright and writer-critic Bill Casselman about word processing.

  • Interview: Hubert Reeves
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    M.T. Kelly interviews Montreal-born astrophysicist and philosopher Hubert Reeves about the science and technology.

  • Hockey and Canadian Literature
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    A panel that discusses the importance of hockey in our country's cultural consciousness. The panel includes poet Stephen Scriver ("More All-Star Poet") and novelist Paul Quarrington ("King Leary").

  • How Science Thinks
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    What are the ideas behind the scientific revolution?

  • Interview: Mordecai Richler
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    Jennifer Gibson interviews Mordecai Richler about his book "Solomon Gursky Was Here".

  • The Colonization of Space
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    NASA would like to one day colonize the moon and beyond, but have we thought about what this would mean for us on earth and for the astronauts living on another planet?

  • Interview: George F. Walker
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    Guy Lawrson interviews Canadian playwright about his new play "Nothing Sacred" which looks at questions of identity and foreign influence.

  • Interview: Northrop Frye
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    Paul Roberts interviews literary giant Northrop Frye about literature, William Blake, and the Bible

  • Moses Znaimer's Toronto
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    Moses Znaimer takes us on a tour of his Toronto.

  • Interview: Pat Boon
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    Mike McManus talks to musican Pat Boon about music, his family and his spiritual life.

  • Interview: Tom Stoppard

    Barbara Gowdy interviews British playwright, screenwriter and director Tom Stoppard. When Gowdy interviews Stoppard he is in Toronto promoting his film Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

  • Interview: Leonard Cohen

    Imprint's Barbara Gowdy interviews Leonard Cohen about his poetry and music. Cohen also reads his poem The Future.

  • War Reporting

    An Imprint panel examines the realities of war reporting. Panelists are war correspondent Joan Hoey; John Keegan, author of à History of Warfare"; journalist Pierre Berton; and Oakland Ross, author of "Guerrilla Beach".

  • The Meaning of Cool
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    On a special episode of Imprint Clifton Joseph looks at the meaning of the word "Cool" in different aspects of our culture.

  • Interview: Ursula K LeGuin

    Antanas Sileika interviews science fiction icon Ursula K LeGuin.

  • A Short History of Toronto by historian William Kilbourn
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    Toronto historian and writer William Kilbourn retells a short history of the city, starting with the family compact and ending on modern city hall politics.

  • Interview: Margaret Drabble

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews British writer Margaret Drabble about her book The Peppered Moth.

  • A Day with Parliament Hill Reporter Julie Van Dusen

    Every wonder how journalists did their jobs before Blackberrys, Twitter and digital editing?

  • Interview: Barbara Gowdy

    The Ontario writer and two-time Giller nominee, Barbara Gowdy writes about love in all its variations in her latest novel The Romantic.

  • Interview: Maxine Hong Kingston

    An interview with pre-eminent Chinese American writer Maxine Hong Kingston. After a lifetime of producing groundbreaking novels, she talks about turning her creative juices to poetry.

  • Northrop Frye
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    Paul Roberts interviews Northrop Frye about literature, William Blake, and the Bible.

  • Meet Michael Connelly

    A profile of mystery writer Michael Connelly and his new book Chasing the Dime. Imprint catches up with Connelly at a Toronto book signing.

  • Michael Enright and Bill Casselman debate the Future of the Word Processor

    Michael Enright and Bill Casselman debate how the word processor is changing how we write and if it's truly necessary.

  • Ontario Meets Stockwell Day

    Studio 2 follows Stockwell Day, leader of the Canadian Alliance, on the first day of a two-day swing through southern Ontario.

  • Interview: Dave Barry
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    Mary Hynes interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning American humorist David Barry about his book "Dave Barry Turns 50".

  • Interview: Michael Moore

    Steve Paikin spends the afternoon with filmmaker Michael Moore while he was promoting his movie Canadian Bacon in Toronto.

  • Interview: Jim Crace
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    Mary Hynes interviews British writer Jim Crace about his novel "Being Dead".

  • The Internet is Here to Stay

    The net is here to stay. But after the hype what are we really left with? Steve talks with two people who spend a lot of time on-line. Cory Doctorow, who produces home pages for the WWW, and Bill Washburn of Meklermedia.

  • Barbara Gowdy House Call

    Gerald L'Ecuyer pays a visit to the home of Canadian writer Barbara Gowdy. Gowdy's home features a thief stopping door mirror and a mall style security barrier to keep her cat of the bed.

  • Interview: Naomi Wolf

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews feminist writer Naomi Wolf about motherhood and birth as well as her book Misconceptions.

  • Michael Palin, Ernest Hemingway and Toronto

    Gerald L'Ecuyer shows Michael Palin around Hemingway's Toronto, including his old home on Bathurst Street. We also see Palin talk to an audience about his new book Hemingway Adventure.

  • Interview: Farley Mowat

    Mary Hynes interviews Canadian writer Farley Mowat about his career, Canadian literature and what he's working on.

  • Interview: Guillermo Gómez-Pena

    Guy Lawson interviews Guillermo Gómez-Pena, Mexican performance artist, video artist, and poet about his work and ideas.

  • Yonge Street: The End of the Road

    I'm sure you've heard of Yonge Street, but have you ever heard of where the street ends? This TVO doc travels to Rainy River, Ontario the end of the road for Yonge Street.

  • Inside Rideau Hall

    In this Studio 2 field piece we take a behind the scenes tour of Rideau Hall, the Governor General's home in Ottawa

  • Interview: Carl Sagan

    Mary Hynes speaks with astronomer Carl Sagan about his latest book "Pale Blue Dot".

  • Interview: David Gilmour

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews Toronto writer and broadcaster David Gilmour about his book Sparrow Nights.

  • Writer's Biography

    Ian Brown and Cynthia Macdonald discuses what you can learn about a writer from their biography.

  • Interview: Ian Stewart

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews war correspondent Ian Stewart about his book Freetown Ambush. The book tells the story of being shot while covering the war in Sierra Leone.

  • Interview: Thomas Keneally

    Mike McManus talks to Thomas Keneally, Australia's foremost man of letters, about his book "Schindler's List" and what inspired him to write it.

  • Think Again About Your Water Supply

    Are we running out of water? Is water the new oil? Should we export our water to the United States and how much water does Canada really have? Think Again tries to find out!

  • Interview: Holly Cole

    Mike McManus interviews singer Holly Cole about her beginnings, stepping onto the big stage, her popularity in Japan, and her East Coast roots.

  • Interview: Joyce Carol Oates

    Gerald L'Ecuyer interviews Joyce Carol Oats about her new book My Heart Laid Bare her writing process and love of running.

  • Interview: Barbara Frum

    Mike McManus interviews CBC broadcaster Barbra Frum about hosting As it Happens, her passion for journalism and cynicism.

  • Interview: Peter Gzowski

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews the late great Canadian Peter Gzowski shortly before his death about his book "A Peter Gzowski Reader".

  • The New Urbanism of North Oakville

    Christopher Hume of the Toronto Star visits North Oakville to see what the new Urbanism is all about.

  • Interview: Raymond Moriyama

    Mike McManus interviews Raymond Moriyama. This Canadian is known as one of the world's leading architects.

  • Interview: Peter Gzowski

    After 15 years on Morningside on CBC Radio, Peter Gzowski calls it quits. Tonight, an in-depth interview with Peter Gzowski.

  • Interview: Douglas Coupland

    Guy Lawson speaks with "Generation X" author Douglas Copeland about his latest work, "Life after God".

  • Interview: A.M. Holmes

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews American writer A.M. Holmes about her new book of short stories called "Things You Should Know".

  • Interview: Ann-Marie MacDonald

    nn-Marie MacDonald Her debut novel Fall on Your Knees was a runaway hit, and earned the writer a coveted spot as a guest on Oprah. Tina talks to MacDonald about her new book The Way the Crow Flies.

  • The Life of a Suburban Lawn Mowing Fanatic

    Walter Boyko, loves lawns and not just the one that grows on his property

  • Racial Tolerance in Markham

    Take a trip back to 1995, where the Deputy Mayor of the town of Markham implies that the Chinese were changing the community and causing the older residents to move out. It sparked a reaction that took the town by storm.

  • Interview: Camille Paglia

    Daniel Richler interviews writer and social critic Camille Paglia.

  • Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews with pre-eminent Canadian writer Margaret Atwood about Oryx and Crake, her new novel that paints a chilling portrait of the future.

  • Interview: Simon Winchester

    Mary Hynes interviews British writer Simon Winchester about his book The Professor and the Madman, which chronicles the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.

  • Poetry on the Radio

    Imprint contributor Gerald L'Ecuyer looks at how Toronto's CIUT brings local poetry to the airwaves.

  • Voice and Appropriation

    A panel discussion hosted by Daniel Richler about cultural apportion in literature. The panel features Ann Decter, Rhea Tregebov, Libby Scheier and Clifton Joseph.

  • Interview: William Trevor

    Imprint's Michael Coren conducts a rare interview with renowned Irish writer William Trevor. He has written The Boarding House, Fools of Fortune, and Felicia's Journey.

  • Interview: Roberta Jamieson

    Chief of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Roberta Jamieson, reflects on Prime Minister Paul Martin's Throne Speech commitment to ease aboriginal struggles.

  • Politics in the Time of Disaster

    What does it take to be a government minister and a politician when a humanitarian disaster strikes?

  • Mordecai Richler in conversation with Daniel Richler

    Mordecai Richler talks to Daniel about his new book of essays Broadsides.

  • Think Again about Censorship
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    Three ways that censorship affects are modern world from hate speech laws to internet filtering

  • TVO and Hot Docs

    TVO has four outstanding films showing at the Hot Docs festival this year.

  • So You Want to be a Writer?

    So you want to be a writer? What are your chances of getting published? Imprint brings you a reality check from the trenches of the Toronto's creative writing programs.

  • The Future of Journalism: A Debate

    Conservative thinker David Frum and Television producer Mark Starowicz debate the future of journalism in the age of the internet.

  • Interview: Tom Wolfe

    American writer Tom Wolfe talks about his eye-opening visits to college campuses, as part of the research for his latest book, I Am Charlotte Simmons.

  • The Rosedale Spoiler?

    A documentary on the independent candidacy of former Toronto Mayor John Sewell.

  • Interview: Northrop Frye

    Internationally-known Canadian literary critic, Northrop Frye, discusses with Mike McManus some of his books.

  • A Day in the Life of Toronto's Metro Children's Aid

    In this short TVO doc we spend a day with Toronto Children's Aid front-line worker Keith Lee as he deals with the stresses of handling multiply cases while knowing that in his job, he is making a difference.

  • Interview: John Irving

    Barbara Gowdy talks to best selling American writer John Irving about his latest novel à Son of the Circus".

  • Interview: Margaret Atwood

    Mike McManus interviews poet, novelist, and critic Margaret Atwood about her work.

  • The Trappist Monks of Hockley Hills

    Every year people searching for spiritual rejuvenation journey to a simple monastery in Hockley Hills, near Orangeville, Ontario.

  • Interview: Noah Richler

    Allan Gregg in Conversation with Noah Richler about Canadian writers can tell us about our national idenitity.

  • Fiction vs Non-Fiction

    Biographer Charlotte Gray, and Canadian novelist and critic Antanas Sileika discusses what's the better read, fiction or non-fiction.

  • The Canadian Police College in Ottawa

    A look at what happens inside the Canadian Police College in Ottawa. At the college officers from across the province learn to work together to solve crime, in the wake of the Bernardo murders.

  • The Letters of Irving Layton

    Canadian poet Irving Layton talks about publishing his letters in a book and his word processor.

  • Interview: Malcolm Gladwell

    Malcolm Gladwell speaks with Paula Todd about his book ,The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.,

  • Steve Pakin's Wrestling Lesson

    Steve Paikin goes to the Canadian Wrestling Federation training centre in Hamilton and gets a lesson in wrestling from Jason Robertson.

  • Interview: Spider Robinson

    Canadian science fiction writer Spider Robinson talks to Imprint Host Mary Hynes about how he became a writer, why he is an optimist and his book The Callahan Chronicles.

  • Interview: Jonathan Franzen

    Tina Srebotnjak interview writer Jonathan Franzen about his new novel The Corrections.

  • Is Can-Lit Boring?

    Gerald L'Ecuyer talks to writer Rob Payne about his accusation in the Globe and Mail that Can-Lit is boring.

  • Interview: Alice Munro

    In a rare television interview, the Canadian literary giant shares her story with Paula Todd.

  • The Representations of the Intellectual in Everyday Life

    Philosophy professor Mark Kingswell talks about the intellectual's ability for critical engagement in a media saturated environment.

  • A Philosophy of Book Collecting

    Gerald L'Ecuyer interviews avid book collector Steve Singer on his collection of philosophy books and the philosophy of book collecting.

  • Sex in the City (of Toronto)

    Sex in the City author Candace Bushnell visit Toronto to promote her book 4 Blondes.

  • Interview: Kevin Kelly

    Steve Paikin interviews Kevin Kelly of Wired Magazine, the discuss the fear of technology and the cultural battle over cyberspace

  • Birding!

    . In this short doc Joey Slinger lets us in on the hows - whys and why nots of birding, North America's fastest-growing past-time.

  • Interview: Armistead Maupin

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews San Francisco writer Armistead Maupin about his book The Night Listeners. The clip also shows Maupin reading at The University of Toronto's Heart House.

  • Interview: Linus Torvalds

    Paula Todd speaks with Finland's techno guru Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux operating system, which he gave to the world for free.

  • Writing and Rejection

    Writers like Malachy McCourt, Val McDermid, Alan Twigg, and Candace Bushnell discuss how they handle rejection.

  • A Feature Profile on Stuart McLean

    Stuart McLean is one of Canada's top broadcaster, and his weekly CBC program The Vinyl Café has a rabid following, but despite his popularity, we know little about the man behind the microphone.

  • Interview: Guy Vanderhaeghe

    Tina interviews Governor General's Award winner Guy Vanderhaeghe on his best selling book The Last Crossing.

  • Interview: Lise Bissonnette

    Tina Srebotnjak in conversation with Quebec writer Lise Bissonnette about, An Appropriate Place her latest novel set in post-Referendum Quebec.

  • The North and Canadian Literature

    Daniel Richler hosts a panel discussion on where Canada's north fits into the literary landscape. The panel features Ruby Wiebe, Alootook Ipellie and Sean Virgo.

  • Interview: Yann Martel

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews best selling Canadian writer Yann Martel about his book 'Life of Pi'.

  • David Sedaris In Toronto

    Gerald talks with author David Sedaris about Paris and getting his first book published. We also see David Sedaris give a short talk to an amused Toronto audience.

  • Journalist Stevie Cameron

    Gerald L'Ecuyer interviews award winning investigative journalist and Elm Street editor Stevie Cameron. Stevie Cameron is famous for her reporting on the Brian Mulroney Airbus scandal.

  • Interview: John Ralston Saul

    Writer and former viceregal consort of Canada John Ralston Saul talks about his book "The Doubter's Companion" a philosophical dictionary.

  • Interview: Jeffrey Eugenides

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews Jeffrey Eugenides about his two hit novels The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex.

  • Interview: Salman Rushdie

    Tina Srebotnjak interviews world famous author Salman Rushdie about his new book "Step Across This Line"

  • Interview: Pico Iyre

    Pico Iyer is one of the most revered travel writers of our time. He's journeyed the world covering distant places for publications like Time, Harpers and The New Yorker. Tina interviews him about his travaling writing.

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