Re-Creative: A podcast about inspiration and creativity
Episodes
Trevor Strong on Creativity, Humour, and Tom Lehrer's Poisoning Pigeons in the Park
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Re-Creative, Mark and Joe talk to Trevor Strong—writer, educator, and long-standing member of the musical comedy troupe The Arrog...
Judy Cormier on Acting and Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Re-Creative, it’s all about acting. Mark and Joe talk to Judy Cormier, an actor based in London, Ontario where she can ofte...
Animator/Filmmaker Tess Martin and Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Re-Creative, Mark and Joe talk to animator/filmmaker Tess Martin about Yuri Norstein’s Tale of Tales (1979), a complex, surreal m...
Singer-Songwriter Jenn Grant and The Daily Drum
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Re-Creative, Mark and Joe talk to singer-songwriter Jenn Grant about coffee, smoothies, and a whole lot more, including Jenn’s up...
Diane Walton and On Spec: The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Re-Creative, Mark and Joe talk to Diane Walton, a founding member and long-time managing editor of On Spec: The Canadian magazine o...
Lynda Williams and Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzon
11 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Re-Creative, Joe and Mark dive into a fascinating conversation with author and publisher Lynda Williams, the "obscure Canadian Tolk...
Christopher Sweet and Stephen King's The Dark Tower
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher Sweet is an author from New Brunswick. Christopher has been, in his words, “…a freelance writer, manager, waiter, bartender, event DJ,...
Ira Nayman on Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr.
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark welcome back writer and editor Ira Nayman, returning to Re-Creative for a third time — we like him that much!Ira has returned to the po...
Michael Antman Haiku
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author and critic Michael Antman joins Joe and Mark for Michael's second appearance on Re-Creative.After discussing Michael's novel, Cherry Whip: the ...
Meals on Wheels Charity Edition: Ruth Abernethy
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a special re-broadcast of an episode of Re-Creative as a part of Podcasthon: "The world’s largest podcast charity initiative, bringing toget...
Christian Gossett and Kurasawa's Seven Samurai
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The lads are joined by writer, director, comic book artist and creator Christian Gossett.Christian is on the show to champion the groundbreaking Akira...
Spencer Evans on Ray Charles
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Spencer Evans is a working musician in Kingston, Ontario. He joins Mark and Joe to discuss the influence that Ray Charles had on him as piano player a...
Lauren LoGrasso and Billy Joel's Vienna
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Singer, podcaster and producer Lauren LoGrasso drops by to talk about one of her favorite pieces of music, Vienna, by Billy Joel.The song is having a ...
Cathi Bond
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by Cathi Bond, Canadian writer, broadcaster and novelist.Joe and Cathi used to work together at the CBC, where Cathi was the “...
Ruth Abernethy
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ruth Abernethy, sculptor of some of the most iconic public art in Canada, joins the podcast to discuss her work.Ruth has been a sculptor for more than...
Jen Prince and Veronica Mars
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Independent filmmaker Jen Prince joins Mark and Joe to discuss one of her favorite shows, Veronica Mars.As an indie filmmaker, Jen has had to wear a l...
Peter Darbyshire on Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Author Peter Darbyshire joins the lads to champion the classic Roger Zelazny fantasy series, The Chronicles of Amber.A writer of fantasy and literary ...
Christopher Guerin and Ravi Shankar
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by Christopher Guerin, poet and music aficionado, who is on the podcast to champion the work of classical Indian musician Ravi...
Evan Gary Hirsch and Kip Baldwin of Soul Twin Messiah
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by Evan Gary Hirsch and Kip Baldwin, who make up the duo Soul Twin Messiah (STM).Evan Gary Hirsch, AKA The Blue Rocker, gets h...
Robert Runte and Yellowface
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Editor and writer Robert Runte joins Mark and Joe on the podcast to encourage everyone to read R. F. Kuang’s satire of the publishing industry, Yell...
Tony Schwartz and The Wire
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark invite Tony Schwartz, a veteran freelance first assistant director and line producer for film and television, to make the case for why ev...
Lisa Brandt and the Gates
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe are joined by writer and broadcaster Lisa Brandt to discuss a massive environmental art installation by Bulgarian artist Christo Yavachef...
Hugh Spencer and HG Well's War of the Worlds
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Canadian science fiction writer Hugh A. D. Spencer joins the lads to talk about one of his favorite bits of audio – the original radio play of The W...
Tom Bradley
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by the wonderfully original writer Tom Bradley. 3:AM Magazine describes Tom as "... one of the most criminally underrated auth...
Blair Young and Little Shop of Horrors
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Blair is a working stage, screen and voice actor and the president of ACTRA Alberta, the acting union for screen and voice performers.He shares with h...
Bruce Sterling and the Versifier
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by the famed cyberpunk author Bruce Sterling, from his studio in Torino (Turin), Italy."I don't like doing the same thing over...
Abigail Grimes and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe are joined by writer and poet Abigail Grimes to discuss the classic Ray Bradbury novel Fahrenheit 451.Fahrenheit 451, as perhaps you know...
Ira Nayman
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark welcome their first return guest: writer and editor Ira Nayman!Ira has returned to help Mark and Joe understand the importance and fun of...
Jenn Thorson
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Author Jenn Thorson joins the lads for a discussion of the classic children’s story, Alice in Wonderland.Jenn's latest work is set in the world of W...
Michael Antman
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Author and critic Michael Antman joins Joe and Mark for a wide-ranging discussion about visual arts and writing.Michael started out as a poet. After s...
Catherine Fitzsimmons
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe are thrilled to welcome Catherine Fitzsimmons to the show. Catherine is the founder of Brain Lag, an acclaimed Canadian science fiction a...
John Scalzi, the Prequel
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Back in 2003, at the WorldCon held in Toronto, Canada – known as Torcon 3 – Joe Mahoney met Mark Rayner for the first time. Joe also had an opport...
John Scalzi
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by the super successful and super-fun science fiction writer, John Scalzi.It's an entertaining conversation about science fict...
Candas Jane Dorsey and Crab Village
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe chat with the Canadian poet and science fiction doyenne, Candas Jane Dorsey.Candas is well-known in Canadian science fiction circles for ...
Ben Fox and Native Son
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Fox is founder of the amazing book discovery site Shepherd. Joe and Mark talk to Ben about a book that had a huge impact on him.Native Son, b...
Season Two Recap
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark reflect on the Re-Creative journey so far, after two complete seasons, and over forty episodes. For more information, check out the ...
Robert J. Sawyer: Planet of the Apes (and much, much more!)
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"If you could write – and consume – only one of these genres of science fiction, what would you pick? Space opera. Post-Apocalyptic. Or Cyberpunk?...
Mark Leiren-Young on Spiderman (and much, much more!)
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by a veritable Swiss Army Knife of writers, Mark Leiren-Young.Mark has written in multiple genres and formats, including telev...
Noah Chinn and Babylon 5
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The lads are joined by Noah Chinn, a Canadian writer of SFF, contemporary fiction and retro mysteries. (The latter two under the pen-name Noah J.D. Ch...
D.G. Valdron: Doctor Who Fandom
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined this week by D.G. Valdron, a Canadian writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction.The topic of this week's discussion i...
Steve Rosen: Edward Van Halen and Hear About it Later
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rock journalist and biographer Steve Rosen joins the lads to talk about guitar legend Edward (Eddie) Van Halen. Steve began his career in 1972 an...
Mark Kearney on Film Pioneer Al Christie
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by London, Ontario author and journalist, Mark Kearney, to talk about an early pioneer of Hollywood, Al Christie.Christie went...
Jeff Preston and the movie Christmas Evil
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Deck the halls with boughs of … horror!Joe and Mark are joined by Jeff Preston, PhD, an associate professor of disability studies at King’s Univer...
Tanya Davis and Dirty Dancing
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Poet Laureate of Prince Edward Island (PEI), Tanya Davis, joins the lads to talk about the 1987 musical romance, Dirty Dancing.Tanya is a poet, mu...
Timothy S. Johnston on John Carpenter's film The Thing
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by Canadian writer of futuristic and contemporary mystery/thrillers, Timothy S. Johnston.They discuss the classic 1982 science...
Teresa Alfeld and Doug and the Slugs and Me
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe are joined by documentary film maker Teresa Alfeld. She's made two films, The Rankin File: Legacy of a Radical and Doug and the Slugs and...
Terry Fallis: Paris in the 20s
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by beloved and bestselling Canadian author, Terry Fallis.Terry's fiction has won the Leacock Medal for Humour twice, and his d...
Saul Rubinek
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe are joined by the Canadian actor, director, producer and playwright, Saul Rubinek.They have a wide-ranging and educational conversation t...
David Brin on Artificial Intelligence
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe are joined by Hugo and Nebula Award winning science fiction author David Brin for a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion about the poe...
Karina Bates on Pottery and the Eye of Horus
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by Karina Bates, a potter from Omemee, Ontario.Karina takes the lads through a quick tour of what it’s like the throw pots a...
Robert Charles Wilson on H.G. Wells The Time Machine
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe jump around in time with Nebula and Hugo-Award winning author Robert Charles Wilson.Written in the late 1800s, The Time Machine is one of...
Visual Artist Gerard Pas on the Work of Greg Curnoe
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark are joined by visual artist Gerard Pas to discuss the work of Greg Curnoe.Gerard was born in The Netherlands and immigrated to Canada wit...
Penn Kemp on Poets in Collaboration
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe talk to poet Penn Kemp about fellow poets Harold Rhenish, Sharon Thesen, and others, and how they work in collaboration. They start with ...
Benoit Chartier on the Anime Film Akira
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode Joe and Mark talk to author Benoit Chartier about the anime film Akira.They begin with one of Mark's questions: what piece of techn...
Brian Wyvill and Ludwig van Beethoven's Adagio from Sonata Pathétique
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark join Brian Wyvill, professor of computer science, computer graphics pioneer, rock climber, mountain climber, author and amateur musician ...
Matt Watts and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark join Matt Watts, writer, comedian and actor to discuss the classic radio series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTG).That’s r...
Adventures in the Radio Trade
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To launch Joe's new book Adventures in the Radio Trade, Mark and Joe talk to two of Joe's former CBC Radio colleagues Trish Thornton and Greg DeClute....
Frank Faulk on William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe talk to Frank Faulk about Mr. Joy and Woe himself, William Blake. They take a deep dive into what Blake's poetry, particularly his Songs ...
Michèle Laframboise on the novel Grass
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe talk to Quebec author, Michèle Laframboise, about the novel that got her writing science fiction, Grass, by Sheri S. Tepper.Find out mor...
Paula Johanson and Celu Amberstone
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Re-Creative is a first for the show as Joe and Mark host two guests at the same time. Celu Amberstone and Paula Johanson, both writers...
David Perlmutter and Powerpuff Girls
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week writer and encyclopedist David Perlmutter takes Mark and Joe on a deep dive into the history of cartoons.Find out more about this episode, i...
Krista Wallace and Tunnel Vision
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe talk to author Krista Wallace about a painting that directly inspired her books, called Tunnel Vision.Check out the show notes here: http...
Tim Blackmore on Alien
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe have an engrossing conversation with Tim Blackmore about the film Alien, especially the origin and nature of the visual elements in that ...
Nina Munteanu on The Overstory
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark learn about The Overstory, by Richard Powers. It is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel that had a meaningful and moving impact on their guest...
John Corcelli on George Carlin
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark talk to John Corcelli, author of Frank Zappa FAQ, about his latest book on George Carlin. It's a fascinating deep-dive into the work, lif...
Arlene Marks and "Children's Games" by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe revisit childhood with Canadian author Arlene F. Marks, as they discuss the painting Children's Games, by by Flemish Renaissance artist P...
Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle (Joe & Mark)
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Mark discuss Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle, Vonnegut having come up several times previously in episodes of Re-Creative. For more in...
Corey Redekop and the movie Lifeforce
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Mark and Joe discuss Director Tobe Hooper's 1985 cult classic, Lifeforce, with their guest Corey Redekop. For more information about this e...
Melissa Yuan-Innes A Grimm Night by Transcen|Dance Project
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa Yuan-Innes joins hosts Mark and Joe to talk about A Grimm Night by Transcen|Dance Project, an interactive theatrical experience in which audie...
Robert Chazz Chute on William Goldman's The Color of Light
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Joe and Mark talk to author Robert Chazz Chute about his work and one of his greatest influences, well-known author and screenwriter William Gol...
Michael McCormick on Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Joe and Mark discuss "the Dean of American Composers" Aaron Copland's seminal composition Appalachian Spring with one third of the Arrogant Worm...
Ira Nayman on Satire and Lindsay Anderson's O Lucky Man
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Mark and Joe talk to author and former Amazing Stories editor Ira Nayman about satire; in particular they discuss Lindsay Anderson's 1973 comedy...
Sherry Ramsey and The Traveler
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cape Breton speculative fiction writer Sherry D. Ramsey joins Mark and Joe to discuss a painting that has been “lost” to her, The Traveler.She ori...
Susan Rodgers on Setting Day by Scott O'Neil
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Re-Creative, hosts Joe and Mark talk about author and filmmaker Susan Rodgers' inspiration, the oil painting Setting Day, by award ...
Douglas Smith on Arnold Böcklin's Isle of the Dead
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Re-Creative hosts Joe Mahoney and Mark Rayner talk to Douglas Smith about his work and about a painting that has long inspired him: Isle of the Dead b...
Joe Mahoney on D.G. Valdron's The Mermaid's Tale
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe host Re-Creative, a podcast about creativity in which creative people from all walks of life talk about the art that inspires them. Joe c...
Mark A. Rayner on Star Wars A New Hope
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Joe introduce Re-Creative, a podcast about creativity in which creative people from all walks of life talk about the art that inspires them. ...
Re-Creative: A Podcast about Creativity -- The Trailer
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hosted by Joe Mahoney and Mark A. Rayner, Re-Creative is a podcast about creativity and the works that inspire it.We talk to creative people from all ...