These books can’t stay silent; their music-infused storylines will have you humming along to the rhythm. Three authors convene to share narratives, memories, characters, and themes that are inextricably shaped by the soundtrack of life. Set in 1984 to the music of Tina Turner, Madonna, and Stevie Nicks, After We Drowned by Jill Yonit Goldberg is a haunting coming-of-age story with a fierce feminist subplot. Holly Brickley’s instant bestseller, Deep Cuts, follows two lovers over a span of many years as they’re alternately drawn together and wrenched apart by their shared love of music. Michael V. Smith has written a moving memoir and ode to music in Soundtrack, which replays his personal memories and significant moments in queer history to the songs of the era. Join us to laugh, cry, and maybe even sing. Moderated by Margaret Gallagher.
Presented in partnership with Langara College and Peliplat.
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HOLLY BRICKLEY studied English at UC Berkeley and received an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. Originally from Hope, British Columbia, she now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and their two daughters. Her debut novel, Deep Cuts, has been translated into 15 languages and is being developed into a film by A24 Studios.
MARGARET GALLAGHER is the host of CBC Radio's North by Northwest, BC's highest rated weekend radio show. She's been part of the CBC family for 25 years, previously appearing on The Early Edition, On the Coast, and as the host of Hot Air. Margaret has won numerous awards, including three National RDTNAs, a Webster Award, and an Asian Heritage Month Pan Asian Recognition Award. She has a deep passion for the written arts and always has at least two books on the go.
JILL YONIT GOLDBERG is a Prairie-born former Montrealer living in Vancouver on unceded Coast Salish territories. Recent work has been included in Room Magazine, The London Reader, and subTerrain among others. She is co-author on The Fire Still Burns: Life In and After Residential School (Purich Books/UBC Press, 2023). She teaches literature and creative writing at Langara College.
MICHAEL V. SMITH’s books have been nominated for many awards, including the Amazon Canada First Novel Award and a Lambda Literary Award. Smith was the inaugural recipient of the Writers’ Trust of Canada’s Dayne Ogilvie Prize. Smith lives with his husband in Kelowna, BC, on the unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan people.
