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

JF Garrard
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  • Updated Semimonthly

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. 10h ago

    Ep156A Writing, Peacekeeping, and Staying Curious with Brent van Staalduinen

    Brent van Staalduinen explores his career as a writer and educator, the complex roles of Canadian peacekeepers, and why writers should refuse to sit still. Brent van Staalduinen is the award-winning and bestselling author of the novels Unthinkable, Nothing But Life, and Boy, and the forthcoming novels The Peace Thieves and Do Not Count the Days. His stories have appeared in journals on both sides of the Atlantic, and have won the Bristol Short Story Prize, the Fiddlehead Best Fiction Award, the Lush Triumphant Literary Award, and numerous other accolades. He lives, writes, and teaches in Hamilton. In this episode, Brent reads from The Peace Thieves. For more information about Brent and his writing, visit www.brentvans.com and follow him on social media (@brentvans). Book link: https://thistledownpress.com/product/the-peace-thieves/ Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: ⁠https://artsyraven.com/⁠ You can support the podcast by: 1) Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts 2) Wearing fan merchandise: ⁠https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/⁠ 3) Sending a one-time digital tip: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard⁠ 4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+bonus episodes: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep156A Writing, Peacekeeping, and Staying Curious with Brent van Staalduinen

  2. 15h ago

    Ep156 Stories Across Borders with Fartumo Kusow

    Fartumo Kusow discusses her journey from Somalia to Canada, the importance of giving women and children a voice through storytelling, and why writers should make writing a daily habit. Trigger warning: This episode contains discussionabout violence against women. Fartumo Kusow is a Somali Canadian novelist, educator,and public advocate on gender-based violence. She is the author of Tale of a Boon’s Wife and the forthcoming novel Winter of My Spring, a literary exploration of girls kidnapped and forced into child marriage and what happens after they return home. Through We Speak Media and the Sahra Bulle Foundation, Kusow leads public education initiatives on survivor justice and social silence. She also hosts two podcasts — Break the Silence, Build a Future and My Mother: The Person and the Patient — using storytelling as a tool for public accountability and repair. In this episode, Fartumo reads from Winter of My Spring. Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Winter-My-Spring-Fartumo-Kusow/dp/1684633508 Artsy Raven links: For more about The Artsy Raven Podcast or to join our exclusive Artsy Raven club to receive free books and other cool stuff, visit: ⁠https://artsyraven.com/⁠ You can support the podcast by: 1) Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts 2) Wearing fan merchandise: ⁠https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/⁠ 3) Sending a one-time digital tip: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard⁠ 4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+bonus episodes: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep156 Stories Across Borders with Fartumo Kusow

  3. Aug 21

    Ep155 Following Your Creative Energy with Natalie Southworth

    Natalie Southworth explores her transition from journalism to literary fiction, explains why awards can be valuable stepping stones for emerging writers, and reveals why the best stories come from following creative energy. Natalie Southworth's short stories have appeared in literary journals in Canada, the US, and the UK. They have won The Brighton Prize, placed third in The Moth Short Story Prize, and were finalists for The Fish Prize, The New Quarterly's Peter Hinchcliffe Award, and Prairie Fire's McNally Robinson Booksellers Short Fiction Contest. Originally fromEngland, she lives in Montreal with her husband and children. Her debut short story collection, There's Always More to Say, was published by Linda Leith Publishing in March 2026. In this episode, Natalie reads from There's Always More to Say. Link to book page: https://www.lindaleith.com/en/Pages/bookDetail/Theres_Always_More_to_Say Author website: https://nataliesouthworth.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/⁠ You can support the podcast by: 1) Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts 2) Wearing fan merchandise: ⁠https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/⁠ 3) Sending a one-time digital tip: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard⁠ 4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+bonus episodes: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep155 Following Your Creative Energy with Natalie Southworth

  4. Aug 14

    Ep154A Inside Independent Publishing with Kyle Bentley

    Kyle Bentley talks about life as an indie publisher, his character-first approach to storytelling, and the publishing scams aspiring authors should avoid. Kyle Bentley has spent most of his life in Ottawa, Canada, though some of his formative years were spent in the United States. He fell in love with creating fictional worlds and tellingstories from a young age, and decided he wanted to be an author while he was in high school. His favorite genres are science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the dark alleyways where the three intertwine. He went to university to study English and Psychology, to learn how to write better stories and more realistic characters. He is currently working on The Age of Entropy series, a series that blends science-fiction, fantasy, and horror with our modern world. The first two books, TheNightmare Schematic and The Price of Progress, have been published and both have won awards from Author Shout. Besides novels, Kyle also writes short stories and material for tabletop roleplaying games, which are published by Faceless Publishing, his small publishing house. When he isn’t writing, Kyle likes reading, playing games of all kinds, and building models. He lives with his wife Kelsey in a house that never seems to have enough room for books. You can learn more about Kyle’s books at his official website, https://kylerbentley.com/, or at the Faceless Publishing website, https://facelesspublishing.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/ You can support the podcast by: 1) Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts 2) Wearing fan merchandise: https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/ 3) Sending a one-time digital tip: https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard 4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep154A Inside Independent Publishing with Kyle Bentley

  5. Aug 14

    Ep154 Growing Up With Stories with Anita Rau Badami

    Anita Rau Badami talks about growing up in a family of gifted storytellers, how a mysterious white-haired woman from her childhood inspired Asha in Her Garden, and why persistence is one of a writer's greatest strengths. Anita Rau Badami’s first novel was the bestseller TamarindMem.  Her novels The Hero’s Walk, Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? and Tell It to The Trees were all national bestsellers and were nominated for numerous awards, including being longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize. Anita Rau Badami lives in Montreal. In this episode, Anita reads from Asha in Her Garden. Book link: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/565882/asha-in-her-garden-by-anita-rau-badami/9780735274341 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/ You can support the podcast by: 1)  Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts 2) Wearing fan merchandise: https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/ 3) Sending a one-time digital tip: https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard 4) Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+ bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep154 Growing Up With Stories with Anita Rau Badami

  6. Aug 7

    Ep153A Writing the American Heartland with Ross Barkan

    Ross Barkan discusses how he balances life as an editor,columnist, and novelist, why memorable characters are the foundation of great storytelling, and how his travels through the American Midwest inspired his latest novel, Colossus. Ross Barkan is the author of five books, including the novelGlass Century. He's a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, a columnist for New York Magazine, and the editor-in-chief of The Metropolitan Review, a books and culture review publication.  Book link: https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/arcade-publishing/9781648211782/colossus/ 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/ You can support the podcast by: 1)    Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts 2)    Wearing fan merchandise: https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/ 3)    Sending a one-time digital tip: https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard 4)    Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+ bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep153A Writing the American Heartland with Ross Barkan

  7. Aug 7

    Ep153 From Advertising to Thriller Author with Rachel Peterson

    Rachel Peterson  talks about leaving advertising for writing, navigating the challenges of thrillers, and why writing what you know makes stories stronger. Rachel Peterson graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in English and creative writing. Born and raised in Ohio, she started her career in advertising before spending nearly a decade in New York City as a marketing executive for technology companies. An avid traveler, Rachel now splits her time between Manhattan and the Midwest, where she lives with her husband Ken, their dog Olive, and horse Hope. In this episode, Rachel reads from Killing Sadie. Book links: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Killing-Sadie/Rachel-Peterson/9798347109869 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/ You can support the podcast by: 1)    Liking us on Youtube or following on Spotify/Apple Podcasts 2)    Wearing fan merchandise: https://darkhelix.threadless.com/designs/the-artsy-raven-logo-v2/ 3)    Sending a one-time digital tip: https://ko-fi.com/jfgarrard 4)    Support as a Patreon and gain access to over 150+ bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/jfgarrard

    Ep153 From Advertising to Thriller Author with Rachel Peterson

  8. Jul 31

    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
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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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