murmurstations

Augur Society
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A podcast about the power of speculative genres to imagine and build the futures we need. In other words: A podcast on worldbuilding. Join us as we speak to creatives, contributors to Augur Society's publications, on how they think about worldbuilding across their imagined worlds and real life.

Episodes

  1. Oct 9

    Episode 9: A.D. Sui on Unexpected Trajectories

    In this special live-recorded episode of murmurstations, Sonia joins A.D. Sui for the launch of The Iron Garden Sutra to talk about generation ships, death monks, academics, and more. The spirit of murmurstations is to have conversations with speculative fiction creators about the imaginative work of building us a bridge into a better future. It asks: What’s the trajectory we hope to set ourselves on, and how can we capture this moment as a capsule of those hopes and visions? The Iron Garden Sutra (or TIGS for short) is a great representation of the spirit of this pursuit. Generation ships are themselves a kind of time capsule for the hopes of a generation of humanity. And TIGS opens by confronting us with the reality that those hopes often end up in unexpected places, sometimes meeting a tragic end, or blooming new possibilities. Read Toronto Isn't Real and Other Metropolitan Anomalies (Augur 5.2): https://augursociety.org/toronto-isnt-real-and-other-metropolitan-anomalies/  Read One Becomes Two (Augur 7.3): https://augursociety.org/one-becomes-two/  Find The Iron Garden Sutra and A.D.’s other books here: https://thesuiway.ca/books/  Follow A.D. Sui: https://thesuiway.ca/about/ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thesuiway/⁠ Follow the Augur Literary Society: ⁠⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠⁠ ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/augursociety.bsky.social⁠ Host and Producer:  Sonia Urlando Artwork by: Moccha  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha⁠ ⁠https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws ⁠ Music:  Lost Stage Recorded: February 28, 2026 at Bakka-Phoenix Books on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat peoples, covered by Treaty 13 (colonially known as Toronto.)

  2. 06/19/2025

    Episode 8: Ai Jiang on the Strange & Familiar

    How does expectation shape our sense of what is horrific or strange, uncanny or eerie? Together, Ai and Sonia explore human and non-human relationships—with spirits, nature, technology, and more—and our changing sense of familiarity and strangeness in these relationships. Ai writes across many genres including folklore, dystopia, horror, climate fiction, sci-fi, fantasy—but we talk mainly about her Augur published work On Land We Drown and what goes into crafting tales that are genre bending and expansive to the ways we think about humanity. Transcript Read On Land We Drown in Issue 5.2 of Augur Magazine Follow Ai Jiang: https://aijiangauthor.wordpress.com/ Follow the Augur Literary Society ⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠ https://x.com/augursociety⁠ Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Sound Production: Jehan Vakharia Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois L.K. Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws Music: Original music by Jehan Vakharia

  3. 05/22/2025

    Episode 7: Lynne Sargent on Fairytale Tellings and Ethics

    At the core of every fairytale is a rule. And when that rule gets broken, the story begins. "Don't step off the path," they say. "Don't get close to the wolf." And yet we do, time and time again. Behind the vivid and playful ornamentation, fairytales are rife with darkness and desire. Together, Lynne and Sonia discuss the ethics at play and what's illuminated when fairytales are reimagined. They read and explore Lynne's two poems The Wolf Of Your Passions and Beauty, Sleeping.TranscriptRead Beauty, Sleeping in Issue 2.2 of Augur MagazineRead The Wolf of Your Passions in Issue 5.2 of Augur Magazine Follow Lynne Sargenthttps://scribbledshadows.wordpress.com/ https://x.com/samlynneshttps://bsky.app/profile/lynnesargent.bsky.social https://www.instagram.com/lynne.sargent http://moralguillotines.wordpress.com/ Follow the Augur Literary Society⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠⁠https://x.com/augursociety⁠Host and Producer: Sonia UrlandoSound Production:Jehan VakhariaSpecial Thanks To: Kerry C. ByrneLorna AntoniazziMartine NguyenLois L.K. ChanCindy LyEugénie Szwalek Madeleine VigneronHelena RamsaroopLily HArtwork by:Moccha https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mochahttps://twitter.com/Mocchadraws Music: Original music - Jehan Vakharia

  4. 04/17/2025

    Episode 6: Premee Mohamed on Apocalypse and Intimacy

    There's something about a cataclysmic event that brings people together. Premee is a virtuoso when it comes to writing compelling characters—who often find themselves experiencing an end to their world, and a new beginning. In her two stories Some Solace For Thy Woes (Augur) and The Youngest Son Misses His Boat To The Crusades (Tales & Feathers), she draws us into close relationships between just a few characters experiencing an end. Together, Premee and Sonia explore intimacy in apocalypse as it relates to these stories. And what carries on after a world ends. Episode Transcript Read Some Solace For Thy Woes (Augur 1.3) Read The Youngest Son Misses His Boat to the Crusades (T&F) Follow Premee Mohamed https://premeemohamed.com/ https://www.instagram.com/premeesaurus/ https://bsky.app/profile/premeemohamed.com Support Premee on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/premee Follow the Augur Literary Society: ⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/augursociety.bsky.social Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Sound Production: Jehan Vakharia Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois L.K. Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws Music: Distill, accessed through Blue Dot Records. secondearth, accessed through Free Music Archive

  5. 03/20/2025

    Episode 5: Matteo Cerilli on Mythology and Masculinity

    Through settings and symbols mundane and mythological, Matteo Cerilli presents two poems, Star Bright and Bathroom Chatter. In this fifth episode of murmurstations, Sonia and Matteo discuss these poems with an eye on themes of mythologies of masculinity as well as growth, innocence, loss, discovery, (be)longing. They discuss Matteo's activism roots and how they surface in his stories, the characters and causes he's interested in writing about, and the genres (like horror) that best allow him to do this. Transcript Read: Bathroom Chatter (Augur 5.2) Read Star Bright (Augur 6.2) Follow Matteo Cerilli https://mlcerilli.wixsite.com/author-page https://www.instagram.com/matteolcerilli/?hl=en Sign up for Matteo's newsletter https://matteolcerilli.substack.com/ Follow the Augur Literary Society: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/augursociety⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/augursociety.bsky.social Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois L.K. Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws ⁠⁠⁠ Music: In The Sun, by CrowanderAccessed by: https://freemusicarchive.org/

  6. 11/22/2024

    Episode 4: A.G.A Wilmot on Legacy and Reclamation

    In this fourth episode of Murmurstations, A.G.A Wilmot explores themes of legacy, identity, and the role of art in shaping our understanding of the world. Andrew shares their journey as a multimedia artist, discussing the pressures of navigating the literary and genre worlds while emphasizing the importance of empathy—both for oneself and for others. We explore how personal experiences of fear, trauma, and societal issues inform their creative process, and how art serves as a reflection of humanity. Join us as we unpack the complexities of legacy and transformation within the context of sci-fi storytelling and the broader human experience. Read Lasciare Suonare (Augur 1.1) and Volcanic (Augur 5.2) ⁠https://augursociety.org/lasciare-suonare/⁠ ⁠https://augursociety.org/volcanic/⁠ Follow A.G.A Wilmot ⁠https://www.agawilmot.ca/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/agawilmotauthor⁠ ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/agawilmot.bsky.social⁠ Follow the Augur Literary Society:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/augursociety⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois L.K. Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: True Shape, by Galen Huckins, Blue Dot Sessions

  7. 11/01/2024

    Episode 3: Saad Omar Khan on Spirituality in Sci-fi

    In this third episode of Murmurstations, we explore the intersections of spirituality and speculative fiction with Saad Omar Khan, focusing on his short story, The Zones of Heaven and Earth. Saad discusses the importance of representing diverse voices in a genre often dominated by Western narratives, reflecting on his own journey as a Muslim writer in a secular environment. We delve into themes of migration, climate change, and the tension between tradition and adaptation. Saad shares his hopes for a more inclusive future in literature, emphasizing the importance of nuanced portrayals of faith and identity. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on storytelling and representation. Extra Notes: Correction: In Saad's bio, we say "Best Canadian Fiction 2025" when we mean to say "Best Canadian Stories 2025". Correction: At the 21:50 mark, Saad mentions Safir "travelling to Mars" when he means to say "the Moon." The anthology of Palestinian science fiction Saad refers to is Palestine +100: Stories From A Century After The Nakba. Read The Zones of Heaven and Earth (Augur 6.1) https://augursociety.org/the-zones-of-heaven-and-earth/ Follow Saad Omar Khan https://www.saadomarkhan.com/ https://twitter.com/sokonline https://www.instagram.com/s.omar.khan/ Follow the Augur Literary Society: ⁠⁠⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/augursociety⁠⁠⁠ Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois L.K. Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws ⁠⁠Music: By By River, by Lobo Lobo Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Accessed by: http://freemusicarchive.org/

  8. 10/17/2024

    Episode 2: Chimedum Ohaegbu on Poetry and Escapism

    In this second episode of Murmurstations, we explore the transformative power of speculative poetry with guest Chimedum Ohaegbu, focusing on her poem Moonshaped Midas. She discusses how ambiguity and confusion, at times a source of harm, can become a generative space for creativity and understanding. We talk about the tensions between beauty and violence in poetry, the role of relationships in worldbuilding, and the potential of speculative genres to inspire awe and connection. By blurring the lines between literal and metaphorical, speculative poetry offers a unique lens to navigate human experiences, enriching both the writer's and reader's journeys. Find the episode transcript here. Read Moonshaped Midas (Augur 4.1) https://augursociety.org/moonshaped-midas/⁠ Follow Chimedum Ohaegbu ⁠https://chimedum.com/ ⁠ Extra Notes: Quote by James Baldwin, from a lecture titled The Artist's Struggle for Integrity "You must understand that your pain is trivial except insofar as you can use it to connect with other people’s pain; and insofar as you can do that with your pain, you can be released from it, and then hopefully it works the other way around too; insofar as I can tell you what it is to suffer, perhaps I can help you to suffer less." Follow the Augur Literary Society: ⁠⁠https://augursociety.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/augursociety⁠⁠ Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois L.K. Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha⁠ ⁠https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws Music: Inspector D, Blue Dot Sessions

  9. 09/27/2024

    Episode 1: Cleopatria Peterson on Craft and Community

    Find the episode transcript here In the first episode of Murmurstations' in-augur-al season, Cleopatria Peterson, author of Mango Maker, discusses their multidisciplinary art practice, community building, and dreams of worlds centered on joy and care. They share about the pathways of family tradition that can root us in the sweetness of memories, even in the presence of pain, grief, or loss—as seen in Mango Maker. Peterson also provides listeners with a toolbox for overcoming and dismantling colonialist and ableist barriers to making art. They demonstrate what goes into making accessible, transformative, and educational spaces as modes of practicing love and togetherness. In framing art as nourishment, Peterson offers us a "mango" of creative insight, process, and delight—so we invite you to take a "bite" of this episode and press play. Read Mango Maker (Augur 5.1): "Mango Maker" by Cleopatria Peterson Follow Cleopatria Peterson: https://www.cleopatria.ca/ https://www.instagram.com/cleopatriia Extra Notes: Augur is running a Kickstarter campaign through October 2024. Augur Society is an all-volunteer nonprofit that now runs two pro magazines (Augur Magazine, Tales & Feathers Magazine), a speculative literature convention (AugurCon), and year-round programming. Please consider supporting our efforts. Follow the Augur Literary Society: ⁠https://augursociety.org/ ⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/⁠ https://x.com/augursociety⁠ Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois L.K. Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek  Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws Music:

  10. Season 1 Trailer

    Musing on Murmurstations

    In this preview episode, we invite you to discover the spirit behind the name we've given this podcast. Murmurstations is brought to your by the Augur Literary Society, a publishing space that believes in exploring stories that shape the futures we need. And with that vision in mind, this podcast explores worldbuilding through speculative genres. Together, we find the throughlines between the imagined and real worlds we are building. Follow the Augur Literary Society: https://augursociety.org/ https://www.instagram.com/augursociety/ https://x.com/augursociety Host and Producer: Sonia Urlando Special Thanks To: Kerry C. Byrne Lorna Antoniazzi Martine Nguyen Lois Chan Cindy Ly Eugénie Szwalek  Madeleine Vigneron Helena Ramsaroop Lily H Artwork by: Moccha https://www.instagram.com/mochii.mocha https://twitter.com/Mocchadraws Music: River Meditation - Jason Shaw

  • 1 Trailer
    9 Episodes

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About

A podcast about the power of speculative genres to imagine and build the futures we need. In other words: A podcast on worldbuilding. Join us as we speak to creatives, contributors to Augur Society's publications, on how they think about worldbuilding across their imagined worlds and real life.

Information

  • Creator
    Augur Society
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Augur Society
  • Show Website
    murmurstations