EPISODE 769 - Colin Belcourt - The Blue Hour Gospel is about the fear of living the wrong life, and the slow erasure of the self

Colin Belcourt joins the podcast to reflect on the curious alchemy between place, identity, and the quiet work of writing. Based outside Ottawa after moving from Toronto, Colin describes the unexpected ease of life beyond big-city rush hour and how his new role leading a municipal data team sits beside his creative life, where he acts as a translator between technical systems and everyday people. That juxtaposition—structured meetings by day, vulnerable page-by-page exploration by night—frames much of the conversation.

Colin explains how writing became a therapeutic practice at the suggestion of a therapist and how that gentle nudge eventually unfolded into a book that processes anxiety, self-erasure, and the small, stubborn moments that shape us. He describes writing as armor that allows honesty to surface: once words are on the page, patterns emerge and hidden pressures—imposter syndrome, perfectionism, the urge to diminish one’s work—start to lose their power. Colin emphasizes the slow-burn rewards of creative work, valuing one intimate reader’s note over broad acclaim and learning to celebrate those quiet confirmations.

A key thread is representation and the particular pressures of growing up gay in the nineties. Colin situates his experience—privileged but still othered—within broader community dynamics where image and assimilation often mask unresolved grief and unprocessed trauma. His book intentionally preserves ambiguity and invites readers to find themselves in the margins: characters named as variations of him embody interactions across family, strangers, lovers, and institutions. The narrative experiments with form—QR codes, recipe-like chapters, songs—to offer multiple entry points and to honor different ways readers engage with story.

Colin also reflects honestly on publishing and promotion: the surprising warmth of the writing community, the raw impact of a single meaningful review, and the awkwardness of sharing work with family. He rejects easy triumphalism about social progress, noting improvements alongside persistent microaggressions and new complexities that come with greater visibility. Looking forward, Colin is already drafting a second book that expands from the self to community, exploring the liminal places where identity, expectation, and belonging blur.

Key takeaway: Writing can be both a tool of self-revelation and communal repair—start small, value intimate responses, and let the slow work of reflection widen into connection.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-p-belcourt/

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podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

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EPISODE 768 - Maria Giesbrecht - A Little Feral, a collection of poems written several years after leaving a conservative Mennonite family

In this episode, author guest Maria Giesbrecht opens up about the deeply personal journey behind her poetry collection and the complicated path that led her toward becoming a writer. She reflects on the surreal experience of stepping into a live radio interview with little time to prepare, sharing the vulnerability that comes with putting creative work into the world and wondering how it will be received. What emerges throughout the conversation is an honest look at fear, courage, and the emotional weight of telling the truth through art.

Maria traces her love of writing back to high school, where an encouraging creative writing teacher helped her realize that writing could exist beyond assignments and grades. Although she later pursued accounting, poetry stayed beside her through difficult seasons of life and eventually became the foundation for publication. She speaks candidly about rejection in the literary world, explaining that persistence matters more than perfection and that rejection is often proof that a writer is actively pursuing their calling.

The conversation also explores Maria’s upbringing in a Mennonite community after immigrating from Mexico to Canada as a child. She shares the tension of growing up between cultures, trying to fit in while carrying traditions and experiences that felt different from those around her. Reading became a refuge during those years, and books helped her discover the power stories have to comfort, connect, and heal.

Maria speaks thoughtfully about faith, rebellion, identity, and the complicated process of finding her own voice outside the structures she grew up in. Rather than rejecting her past entirely, she reflects on learning to hold both beauty and pain together. That same philosophy shapes her writing, where she aims to portray family, spirituality, and relationships with honesty and generosity instead of reducing people to heroes or villains.

Throughout the episode, Maria encourages listeners to trust their inner desires and give themselves permission to pursue a more honest version of life. She reminds aspiring writers and creatives that consistency matters, community matters, and that finding people who truly understand your journey can make all the difference.

Key takeaway: The path toward creativity, identity, and personal freedom is rarely straightforward, but growth begins when we stop silencing ourselves and start trusting the deeper truths we carry within.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/elmira-poet-s-new-book-inspired-by-her-journey-leaving-mennonite-community-9.7175804

https://mariagiesbrecht.com/

In A Little Feral, Maria Giesbrecht delivers a debut collection that navigates faith, family, and personal resurrection through a voice at once wild, intimate, and quietly rebellious. Written in the aftermath of leaving a conservative Mennonite upbringing, these poems chart a parallel journey of breaking away— from father, from God, from the confines of obedience. Giesbrecht’ s language is lyrical and unflinching, a cadence that moves between tenderness and defiance.
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https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
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