In Volume Seven: Chapter Nine of the Podcast, we welcomed Clinton, Ontario-born and London, Ontario-based Educator, Writer, Author, and Poet Blair Trewartha. The author of three chapbooks and two full-length poetry collections, including the recently released Half-Earth, Blair joins me for his first appearance on the program to discuss a collection more than a decade in the making.

We begin by celebrating the release of Half-Earth, reflecting on the excitement surrounding its launch, the warm reception it has received, and what it means to finally share a new full-length collection twelve years after his Relit Award-shortlisted debut, Easy Fix. From there, Blair discusses how becoming a father fundamentally reshaped both his life and his writing, explaining how conversations with his two sons unexpectedly became some of the emotional foundations of the new book. Together, we explore how parenthood transformed his understanding of skepticism, compassion, mortality, and the uncertain future his children will inherit in a world shaped by climate anxiety and rapid technological change.

Our conversation then turns back to Blair's creative beginnings. Growing up on a farm outside Clinton, Ontario, he reflects on the rural landscape that continues to influence his imagination and the lasting impact of the nearby Goderich salt mine. He discusses how the stories shared by family members and friends who worked in the mine left a deep impression, leading us into a discussion about the importance of listening, oral storytelling, and the fascination with other people's stories, which evolved into a desire to tell his own through poetry.

Contact Blair:
Instagram @btrewart Purchase Half-Earth: Here

Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include:

Meccamorphosis – Penny Dreadfuls
Instagram: @meccamorphosis Website: meccamorphosis.com

Leah V – Yours
Instagram: @leahvspeaks Website: leahvspeaks.com

Mike Rosen – When God Happens
Instagram: @heymikerosen

Sonya Renee Taylor – My Body Is Not An Apology
Instagram: @sonyareneetaylor

Steven Willis – The Hustle Speaks
Instagram: @stevenwillispoetry Website: stevenwillispoetry.com

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