Podcast episode 254ish: Steve Burgess

Last week's guest (and this week's podcast guest), Steve Burgess, was a real pro. The former radio deejay and current memoirist knows how to spin a yarn. So we talked about his new book, Who Killed Mom? (spoiler alert: it wasn't him), waxed poetic about reality TV in general and Jillian Harris in particular, discussed how bagels can be cute, and we touch on an old topic he was hoping would disappear. It's a bright and breezy hour with Greg Proops' doppelgänger.

Get this episode hot off the podcast presses right here by clicking on the link below. That'll play it for you immediately on your computer via a stream. But should you want to savour it, come and go at your leisure, you might want to head over to the iTunes store, search for 'What's So Funny?' and click on the one with my mug on it, then download the latest episode to your computer or iPod or MP3 device at no monetary cost to you whatsoever.

Oct. 30: Steve Burgess

On this All Hallow's Eve Eve, we've got the spooky Steve Burgess... Wait. What? Steve's not spooky at all. In fact, rumour has it he's going out as the definitely non-scary Greg Proops on Halloween. But I digress. We're not here to talk trick-or-treating; we're here to talk about Who Killed Mom?: A Delinquent Son's Meditation on Family, Mortality, and Very Tacky Candles. Burgess is a well-known award-winning writer and broadcaster (remember @the end on CBC Newsworld, the Canadian equivalent of Politically Incorrect?) and man-about-town, but this is his first book. That's kind of unbelievable so we'll ask him why it took him so long. And having recently finished Who Killed Mom?, I've got lots of other questions to ask. So tune in tonight at 11 to 102.7 FM in Vancouver or livestream the show on your computing devices at coopradio.org.

Canada Supposedly Reads

Our Sunday night guest this week will be author/broadcaster Steve Burgess, whose recent title Who Killed Mom? is currently fighting it out with 39 other Canadian non-fiction tomes on CBC's Canada Reads: True Stories list. Listeners (and book-lovers) can vote for up to five of the top 40 books listed on their website and the final 10 will be announced in February... Or something like that. Look, all I know is that the voting closes on Sunday at 9 pm PST and we hit the air at 11 pm so Steve won't be able to get the word out to the vast What's So Funny?-listening audience. So I'll do it here now.

I can (and will) personally vouch for Who Killed Mom? having just finished it yesterday. A finer book on matricide you will not read. Okay, it's not really about mother-murder despite its provocative title, but it is really good. If you haven't read it yet, you don't have time between now and Sunday (unless you're some kind of speed-reading freak of nature), so just trust me. Head over to the CBC site linked here and vote for it before Sunday night. Then tune in at 11 to CFRO, 102.7 FM (or livestream it here), to hear Steve and me talking about it. I've got lots of questions I've been scribbling down along the way.