History in the Now Conversations

Paul Zanazanian
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In this podcast series, Paul Zanazanian, author and Associate Professor at McGill University, explores what history is, what it can do, and how people use it in their everyday lives. What is unique about this series is that Zanazanian engages in conversations with scholars and other professionals who do not work in any field directly related to history but — as shall be discovered — hold valuable insights about history’s worth and relevance. The podcast is inspired by Zanazanian’s book, Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology, which examines history’s life uses.

  1. INVITED GUEST: Richard Bourhis, Professor Emeritus, Université du Québec à Montréal

    Jun 11

    INVITED GUEST: Richard Bourhis, Professor Emeritus, Université du Québec à Montréal

    Richard Y. Bourhis obtained a BSc in Psychology at McGill University, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology at the University of Bristol, England (1977). He was Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at McMaster University and was full professor in the Psychology Department of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) where he was elected Emeritus professor in 2017. Richard published several books and 200 journal articles and chapters on bilingual communication, immigrant/host community acculturation, discrimination and intergroup relations, language policies in multilingual settings. Richard was elected Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, Fellow of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and Fellow of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology (SESP). In 2008, he received an award for outstanding research on Bilingualism from the International Association of Language and Social Psychology, and an award of distinction from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. He received a doctorate ‘Honoris causa’ from Université de Lorraine, France, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in Quebec and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2012. He received the Gold Medal Award of the Canadian Psychological Association in 2019 for his lifetime contribution to Canadian Psychology. REFERENCING FOR CITATION PURPOSES: Zanazanian, P. (Host) & Bourhis, R. (Guest). (2026, June) How history lives within us: Professor Emeritus Richard Bourhis from the Université du Québec à Montréal talks history. History in the Now Conversations ⁠https://historyinthenow.com/podcast/⁠ *This podcast, History in the Now Conversations, emerges from my research which can be found in my book: Zanazanian, P. (2025) Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology. University of Toronto Press. For more information, visit: ⁠⁠https://historyinthenow.com/book-historical-consciousness-practical-life/⁠⁠.

    1h 31m
  2. INVITED GUEST: Daniel Weinstock, Full Professor, McGill University

    May 18

    INVITED GUEST: Daniel Weinstock, Full Professor, McGill University

    Daniel Weinstock is the Katharine A. Pearson Chair in the Faculty of Law and the Department of Philosophy at McGill University. He also held a James McGill Professorship at McGill from 2013 to 2019. He was the Director of McGill’s Institute for Health and Social Policy from 2013 to 2020. Before moving to McGill in 2012, he was a Professor in the Department of Philosophy of the Université de Montréal, where from 2000 to 2012 he held both Tier 1 and Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs. He was the Founding Director of the Centre de recherche en éthique de l’Université de Montréal. His work and teaching have been recognized by a number of major prizes. He spent the 1998-1999 academic year as a Rockefeller Fellow at Princeton. In 2004, he was made a Prize Fellow of the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau Foundation, and in 2008, he received the Prix André-Laurendeau from the Association canadienne-française pour l’avancement des sciences. He was awarded the Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Public Policy Research in 2017. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and was awarded the Order of Canada in 2023. REFERENCING FOR CITATION PURPOSES: Zanazanian, P. (Host) & Weinstock, D. (Guest). (2026, May) How history lives within us: Full Professor Daniel Weinstock from McGill University talks history. History in the Now Conversations ⁠https://historyinthenow.com/podcast/⁠ *This podcast, History in the Now Conversations, emerges from my research which can be found in my book: Zanazanian, P. (2025) Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology. University of Toronto Press. For more information, visit: ⁠⁠https://historyinthenow.com/book-historical-consciousness-practical-life/⁠⁠.

    1h 19m
  3. INVITED GUEST: Mark Silverberg, Emeritus Professor, Cape Breton University

    Apr 13

    INVITED GUEST: Mark Silverberg, Emeritus Professor, Cape Breton University

    Mark Silverberg is a poet, an Emeritus Professor of English, and a teacher of mindfulness meditation and Buddhist spirituality. After retiring as a full professor from Cape Breton University, he spent time travelling in Asia (Burma, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam) and settled in Montreal where he continues to pursue academic, literary and spiritual interests. He is the author of The New York School Poets and the Neo-Avant-Garde: Between Radical Art and Radical Chic (Ashgate) and editor of New York School Collaborations: The Color of Vowels (Palgrave/ MacMillan). He is also the author of a prize-winning collection of ekphrastic poems, Believing the Line: The Jack Siegel Poems (Breton Books), and has published his own poetry widely. His past research focused on (avant-garde) American poetry, poetics, interdisciplinary arts and artistic collaborations. His current work explores Buddhist American poetry, mindfulness, individual and interpersonal meditation, and contemplative practices in education. He is a collaborator on the SSHRC- funded project, Rehearsals for Change, and offers mindfulness and dharma teachings online and in-person. REFERENCING FOR CITATION PURPOSES: Zanazanian, P. (Host) & Silverberg, M. (Guest). (2026, April) How history lives within us: Emeritus Professor Mark Silverberg from Cape Breton University talks history. History in the Now Conversations ⁠https://historyinthenow.com/podcast/⁠ *This podcast, History in the Now Conversations, emerges from my research which can be found in my book: Zanazanian, P. (2025) Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology. University of Toronto Press. For more information, visit: ⁠⁠https://historyinthenow.com/book-historical-consciousness-practical-life/⁠⁠.

    53 min
  4. INVITED GUEST: Bruce Maxwell, Associate Professor, Université de Montréal

    Mar 5

    INVITED GUEST: Bruce Maxwell, Associate Professor, Université de Montréal

    Bruce Maxwell is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Montreal. A former humanities teacher at the college level and ethicist by training, he teaches courses on education law, professional ethics, and the history of educational ideas. He has produced a number of written works on these topics including, most recently, the co-authored book Professional Ethics and Law in Education (Canadian Scholars Press, 2022) and, as editor, the six-volume series Foundations of Education (Bloomsbury, 2023). REFERENCING FOR CITATION PURPOSES: Zanazanian, P. (Host) & Maxwell, B. (Guest). (2026, March) How history lives within us: Associate Professor Bruce Maxwell from Université de Montréal talks history. History in the Now Conversations https://historyinthenow.com/podcast/ *This podcast, History in the Now Conversations, emerges from my research which can be found in my book: Zanazanian, P. (2025) Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology. University of Toronto Press. For more information, visit: ⁠https://historyinthenow.com/book-historical-consciousness-practical-life/⁠.

    52 min
  5. INVITED GUEST: Claudia Mitchell, Full Professor, McGill University

    Feb 9

    INVITED GUEST: Claudia Mitchell, Full Professor, McGill University

    Claudia Michell is a Distinguished James McGill Professor in the Faculty of Education at McGill University in Montreal, where she is the Founder and Director of the Participatory Cultures Lab. She is also an Honorary Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Claudia's empirical work focuses on participatory visual and arts-based research particularly in the context of social justice issues, ranging from youth-focused research on gender-based violence to work with teachers. She is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Girlhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal and the author-co-editor of numerous books, including her most recent book Collaborative Methods: Participatory Data Analysis in Feminist Research (2025; University of Alberta Press; with Kaylan Schwarz and Rebekah Hutten). Claudia has won numerous awards, including the SSHRC Gold Medal for the impact of her research with young people, and the Léon Guérin Prix du Québec. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. REFERENCING FOR CITATION PURPOSES: Zanazanian, P. (Host) & Mitchell, C. (Guest). (2026, February) How history lives within us: Professor Claudia Mitchell from McGill University talks history. History in the Now Conversations https://historyinthenow.com/podcast/ *This podcast, History in the Now Conversations, emerges from my research which can be found in my book: Zanazanian, P. (2025) Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology. University of Toronto Press. For more information, visit: ⁠https://historyinthenow.com/book-historical-consciousness-practical-life/⁠.

    1h 12m
  6. INVITED GUEST: Daniel Goldsmith, Teacher, Dawson College

    Jan 7

    INVITED GUEST: Daniel Goldsmith, Teacher, Dawson College

    Daniel Goldsmith has been teaching in the humanities department at Dawson College since 2009, where his courses deal with questions of self-identity, compassionate action, and enlightened consciousness. His courses draw on his formal education (BA and MA from McGill University), as well as the nearly 2 years he spent in India learning about yoga and meditation. He is a Certified Core Energetics Practitioner (CCEP) and is currently working on developing pedagogical activities that integrate body and mind. In 2025, he organized several "Embodied Philosophy" workshops and is currently organizing a Buddhism-inspired somatic retreat in spring 2026. He is recruiting participants for a research project exploring the confluence of "waking up" (spiritual practices toreveal the ultimate nature of Reality) and "cleaning up"(psychological shadow work). REFERENCING FOR CITATION PURPOSES: Zanazanian, P. (Host) & Goldsmith, D. (Guest). (2026, January) How history lives within us: Teacher Daniel Goldsmith from Dawson College talks history. History in the Now Conversations⁠https://historyinthenow.com/podcast/ *This podcast, History in the Now Conversations, emerges from my research which can be found in my book: Zanazanian, P. (2025) Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology. University of Toronto Press. For more information, visit: https://historyinthenow.com/book-historical-consciousness-practical-life/.

    1h 3m
  7. INVITED GUEST: Lauren Bialystok, Associate Professor, University of Toronto

    12/09/2025

    INVITED GUEST: Lauren Bialystok, Associate Professor, University of Toronto

    Lauren Bialystok is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto.  She is a member of the Advisory Board to the Centre for Ethics and affiliated with the Centre for Jewish Studies. Her research spans topics in ethics, education, and identity; she has published on authenticity, social justice education, open-mindedness, sex education, and high school philosophy, among other topics.  She is co-author (with Lisa Andersen) of Touchy Subject: The History and Philosophy of Sex Education (Chicago, 2022) and co-editor (with Bruce Maxwell) of the Educational Foundations series (Bloomsbury, 2023).  Her current project is investigating the impact of AI on education in the humanities. REFERENCING FOR CITATION PURPOSES: Zanazanian, P. (Host) & Bialystok, L. (Guest). (2025, December) How history lives within us: Associate Professor Lauren Bialystok from the University of Toronto talks history. History in the Now Conversations https://historyinthenow.com/podcast/ *This podcast, History in the Now Conversations, emerges from my research which can be found in my book: Zanazanian, P. (2025) Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology. University of Toronto Press. For more information, visit: https://historyinthenow.com/book-historical-consciousness-practical-life/.

    1h 9m
  8. INVITED GUEST: Tristan Verboven, Teacher, Bois de Boulogne College

    11/12/2025

    INVITED GUEST: Tristan Verboven, Teacher, Bois de Boulogne College

    Tristan Verboven (BFA, M.Ed, MA.) is currently employed at Bois de Boulogne College in Montreal as an English Teacher. Tristan has a diverse professional background. After studying Fine Arts (Film Animation) at Concordia, he travelled through Europe and the Middle East, working in film and radio, and teaching English, as well as taking on odd jobs as a tour guide, photographer and UN field officer. Upon his return to Canada in 2003 he pursued a Master’s in Education, and then another in Motivational Psychology. But his true passion has always been history, cultivated by a childhood spent hunting castles and ancient ruins. He now contributes to The Twilight Histories, a podcast series exploring the obsession, confusion, and excitement of experiencing history firsthand. His podcasting work also includes a dramatic account of the history of Rome and Carthage, and an audio book on Self-determination Theory.  The Twilight Histories: https://open.spotify.com/episode/28M2Gq0B336mD6sMMDR8Ng?si=kyeaSJvSQV-cycP0JOwV9A The Story Engine: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/thestoryenginepodcast Codified Motivational Profiles: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/tverboventwilight REFERENCING FOR CITATION PURPOSES: Zanazanian, P. (Host) & Verboven, T. (Guest). (2025, November) How history lives within us: Teacher Tristan Verboven from Bois de Boulogne College talks history. History in the Now Conversations ⁠https://historyinthenow.com/podcast/ *This podcast, History in the Now Conversations, emerges from my research which can be found in my book: Zanazanian, P. (2025) Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology. University of Toronto Press. For more information, visit: ⁠https://historyinthenow.com/book-historical-consciousness-practical-life/⁠.

    54 min
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About

In this podcast series, Paul Zanazanian, author and Associate Professor at McGill University, explores what history is, what it can do, and how people use it in their everyday lives. What is unique about this series is that Zanazanian engages in conversations with scholars and other professionals who do not work in any field directly related to history but — as shall be discovered — hold valuable insights about history’s worth and relevance. The podcast is inspired by Zanazanian’s book, Historical Consciousness and Practical Life: A Theory and Methodology, which examines history’s life uses.

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