The Artsy Raven Podcast about Writing and Art with host JF Garrard

JF Garrard
  • 4.5 (2)
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JF Garrard (writer, editor and publisher) has frank conversations with writers, editors, publishers, artists, actors, directors and other art professionals about what inspires them to create and what led to their success. Writers on the podcast will showcase their work by reading from their book. Main Artsy Raven website with access to 100+ episodes: https://artsyraven.com/ Artsy Raven merch: https://darkhelixpress.com/merchandise The Artsy Raven is on Feed Spot’s list of Top 60 Literature Podcasts & Top 10 Canadian Literature Podcasts on the web.

  1. 1d ago

    Ep 152A Comedy Meets Documentary Filmmaking with Mily Mumford and Ky Sargeant

    Mily Mumford and Ky Sargeant discuss the inspiration behindtheir documentary Trans Girls: Raw & Uncut, the difficulties ofindependent filmmaking, and how the documentary challenges stereotypes by centering on real voices and experiences. Mily Mumford | Director, Producer, Story Editor(they/them) Mily Mumford is a writer/director/producer and scientistfocusing on film, immersive theatre and new media. They have had over twenty works as a writer/director produced for the stage, and have written and directed several award winning shorts and music videos. They are an alumnus ofthe Warner Brother’s Canada Access Writer’s Program (2022), the Women in the Director’s Chair Career Advancement Module (2023), the Gender Equity in Media’s Genre Lab (2024), TIFF’s Series Accelerator (2024), and the inaugural Disabled Producer’s Lab (2025) with the National Screen Institute. They have a BSc. in neuroscience and an MSc. in Interactive Technology and their scientific work greatly informs their creative work and vice versa.  Ky Sargeant | Executive Producer, Story Editor (she/they) Ky Sargeant, also known on stage as Kay, is the founder ofTrans Girls: Raw and Uncut and has solo-produced the show for the last 3 years, in addition to hosting an open-mic where she’s developed all the talent she needs for the show. She grew up in Singapore, before coming to Canada for university, and beginning her career as an organizational culture consultant. She found her way into stand-up and film after feeling jaded about the actual impact her work had, and decided to take all her skills and passions to build one of the greatest shows in the country. Outside of comedy, she is highly active in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community both in grassroots activism and serving as the board vice chair of a major local Charity. About Trans Girls: Raw & Uncut Trans Girls: Raw & Uncut | The Movie, is a feature-length documentary about an all-trans women comedy show that has become one of the most successful stand-up shows in Vancouver. Hot—Heartfelt—Hilarious, the documentary features seven comedians performing raw stand up routines, giving up close and personal interviews, and unfilteredbehind-the-scenes storytelling. Learn more or donate to the matching fundraising campaign here by Aug. 30, 2026. https://seedandspark.com/fund/trans-girls-raw-and-uncut-the-movie#story Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep 152A Comedy Meets Documentary Filmmaking with Mily Mumford and Ky Sargeant

  2. 1d ago

    Ep152 Writing, Motherhood, and Finding Community with Alison Gadsby

    Alison Gadsby shares how she balanced raising three childrenwhile returning to school to study English, what inspired her to create Junction Reads, and why community plays such an important role for writers. Alison Gadsby lives and writes in Tkaronto/Toronto. Hershort fiction appears in Blank Spaces, The Temz Review, TheEx-Puritan, Blue Lake Review, and many other literary journals in Canada and abroad. She holds an MFA from the University of British Columbia, and a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from York University. She is the founder/host of Junction Reads, a prose reading series in the west end ofToronto where she lives in a multigenerational home that includes several dogs. She enjoys writing novels, but is always writing weird, dark and strangely funny short stories. You can find links to her work at www.alisongadsby.ca and more information about Junction Reads at www.junctionreads.ca In this episode, Alison reads from Breathing Is How SomePeople Stay Alive. Author website: https://alisongadsby.ca Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep152 Writing, Motherhood, and Finding Community with Alison Gadsby

  3. Jul 24

    Ep151A The Power of Being Heard with Brian Ceci

    Brian Ceci shares his experience growing up Hard of Hearing,reflects on the emotional challenges of making his documentary HEARD, and explains why patience is one of the most valuable qualities a filmmaker can develop. For Brian Ceci, growing up Hard of Hearing was something was seldom acknowledged, but clearly a very important part of daily life. Brian’s career evolved in a more visual medium unfolded much later, catapulting him all over the world, documenting the human condition with his camera. Brian has shot numerous documentaries as a Director of Photography on networks like Discovery +, OMNI,and Telus Originals. The idea of leaning into his hearing came much later, through a series of events over decades which ultimately led to this film’s creation (HEARD). Brian’s hope is that this film will help people understand the limitations of hearing loss across it’s spectrum, whilst helping empowering people on their journey with with their own hearing. Film page link: https://heard-film.com/ Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep151A The Power of Being Heard with Brian Ceci

  4. Jul 24

    Ep151 Building Writers Through Press and Community with M. C. JOUDREY

    M. C. JOUDREY discusses the importance of safeguardingcopyright for creatives, the origins of At Bay Press, and why both community and professionalism are essential for writers to succeed. M. C. JOUDREY is an award-winning Canadian writer, artistand designer. His second novel Of Violence and Cliché was released 2013, followed by his collection of short stories Charleswood Road: Stories in 2014 (nominated for a 2015 John Hirsch Manitoba Book Award). His novel Fanonymouswas released in 2019 and won the Independent Publisher gold medal for best work of fiction for Western Canada. It was also nominated for two Manitoba Book Awards, including the Margaret Laurence Award for best work of fiction. M. C.Joudrey has been a member of the submission selection committee for the CBC Short Fiction Prize and a jury member for the Manitoba Book Awards. As a designer, his work has been awarded two Alcuin Design Book Awards and theManuela Dias Manitoba Book Award for Design. He is also a bookbinder and a number of his works are held in galleries internationally. In this episode, Matthew reads from Marmalade Parade. Book link: https://guernicaeditions.com/products/marmalade-paradeArtsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrardPatreon subscribers remember to access your bonuscontent for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep151 Building Writers Through Press and Community with M. C. JOUDREY

  5. Jul 17

    Ep150A Giving a Voice to Hidden Stories with Kayla Branstetter

    Kayla Branstetter talks about the insights she gained fromhundreds of interviews with women, her strategies for overcoming writer's block, and reflects on the cultural contrasts between rural Missouri and suburban Denver. Kayla Branstetter is a published writer, an award-winningartist, and TEDx speaker from Missouri. While growing up, she split her time between rural Missouri and the suburbs of Denver. With her feet in two worlds, she became adept at connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. She has apassion for breaking through barriers to achieve gender equality and amplifying marginalized voices. Her forthcoming nonfiction book, Don’t Be an Athena, where women tell their stories about abortion, birth, and infertility, is scheduled to be released in July 2026. In this episode, Kayla reads from Don’t Be an Athena. Author website: https://kaylabranstetter.wordpress.com/about-2/ Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers, remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep150A Giving a Voice to Hidden Stories with Kayla Branstetter

  6. Jul 17

    Ep150 Writing Strange Worlds with Heart

    Emmalea Russo discusses her transition from poetry andvisual arts to novel writing, the creation of her sci-fi novel The Moon Papers, and why she believes creativity works best when she doesn’t force the writing process. Emmalea Russo is the author of Vivienne, Confetti, WaveArchive, and G. She lives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In this episode, Emmalea reads from The Moon Papers. Author website: https://emmalearusso.com/ Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep150 Writing Strange Worlds with Heart

  7. Jul 10

    Ep149A The Friendship Behind Muse with Wanda Nolan and Ting Ting Chen

    Wanda Nolan and Ting Ting Chen discuss the making of theiraward-winning documentary Muse, how a meeting with Robert Tilley grew into an extraordinary friendship, and the creative challenges of bringing his story to the screen. The Muse is now streaming free on The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) platforms - https://www.nfb.ca/film/the-muse/ Wanda Nolan is a writer, story consultant and filmmakerresiding in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Her award-winning short films have been screened nationally and internationally, including The Mystery of the Secret Room, which was produced by the NFB and nominated for two Golden Sheaf Awards (Yorkton Film Festival) and a Golden Egg Award (Reykjavik International Film Festival). In March 2020, she was honoured to be a Visiting Writer at the University of British Columbia School of Creative Writing. Wanda holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from UBC. https://wandanolan.com/ Ting Ting Chen is a St. John’s based fine art photographer.Her photography works showcasing the beauty of Newfoundland have won multiple prestigious international photography awards.  She left her home in Asia and came toNewfoundland, Canada in 2018. She found her new home in Newfoundland and her muse, Robert Tilley, her best friend and eternal muse. https://www.tingtingchenart.com/ About Muse - When 74-year-old Robert Tilley agreed to take photographer Ting Ting Chen on a road trip across Newfoundland, neither could have predicted the deep, cross-generational friendship that would blossom between them, nor how Robert’s role in Ting Ting’s art would challenge traditional ideas of the artist-muse relationship. This touchingshort film explores the concepts of aging, memory and identity while demonstrating the power of creative connection. Sadly, Robert passed away in December 2025.   Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/ Artsy Raven merchandise available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep149A The Friendship Behind Muse with Wanda Nolan and Ting Ting Chen

  8. Jul 10

    Ep149 Honeymoon Adventures to Crime Stories with Hilary Davidson

    Hilary Davidson discusses her transition from traveljournalism to crime fiction, why she intentionally created an unlikeable protagonist in her latest novel, and the supportive writing community she found through Sisters in Crime, which welcomes both men and women. Hilary Davidson was a journalist before she turned to thedark side and started writing crime fiction. Her novels include the award-winning Lily Moore series, the bestselling Shadows of New York series, and the standalone novels Blood Always Tells and Her Last Breath. She is also the author of some fifty short stories. Her fiction has won two Anthony Awards, a Derringer Award, and a host of other accolades. Her novels have been translated into French, German, Hungarian, Polish,Romanian, and Russian. Toronto born and raised, she moved to New York City in October 2001. She is also the author of eighteen nonfiction books. In this episodes, Hilary reads from Every Lie I Told You. Author Links: website, Instagram, Facebook Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join ourexclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: https://artsyraven.com/ Artsy Raven merchandise available here: https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/ If you really like this show, please feel free to send us a digital tip https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard Patreon subscribers remember to access your bonus content for each episode: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep149 Honeymoon Adventures to Crime Stories with Hilary Davidson
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JF Garrard (writer, editor and publisher) has frank conversations with writers, editors, publishers, artists, actors, directors and other art professionals about what inspires them to create and what led to their success. Writers on the podcast will showcase their work by reading from their book. Main Artsy Raven website with access to 100+ episodes: https://artsyraven.com/ Artsy Raven merch: https://darkhelixpress.com/merchandise The Artsy Raven is on Feed Spot’s list of Top 60 Literature Podcasts & Top 10 Canadian Literature Podcasts on the web.

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