On Tuesday, October 18, 2016 my book tour took me to the marble bowels of the Hart House on the University of Toronto campus to visit with HOWL radio show’s host Valentino Assenza. I was slated to be interviewed by Valentino for the writing show he co-hosts with Nancy Bullis called HOWL. Novelist Mia Herrara was there as well to talk about, read from and promote her novel Shade (Inanna Publications).
Oh man. I had such a great time! Valentino is a stellar interviewer. He read both of our books and had prepared questions that were challenging and heartfelt. We had some fun – laughing and talking about poetry. Despite a small coughing fit I had to silence (tears flowing down my cheeks!), the interview went super well!
As a writer, one of my favourite parts is being able to talk about the writing I do – to have an in-depth conversation about process and choices and the power of words. Valentino understands this (he’s a writer too!), and so our conversation was real and intense. I’m so grateful to have been on the show, and to have been interviewed by Valentino. He’s definitely one of the best!
Here’s a link to our conversation ‘Vanessa and Mia on HOWL’ – please note: this is a link to a dropbox with a downloadable mp3. The show runs just under 60 minutes with my interview in the first half and Mia’s in the second!
HOWL airs Tuesdays from 10pm – 11pm at the CIUT (89.5FM) station in Toronto on the University of Toronto campus. This show is dedicated to “showcasing poets, performing artists and songwriters – Beat, Beat Box, Dub, Slam, First Nations literature, new works and classics”.
Folks, if you fall under poets, performing artists and songwriters – Beat, Beat Box, Dub, Slam, First Nations literature, new works and classics – please take the time to contact Valentino and Nancy at HOWL. It’s a show that we need to promote and support!! And, in doing so, we support each other, don’t we?
VANESSA SHIELDS, writer 
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