Launch Day Joy!
From an older version of my brain, to yours.
A quick note before I release the joy: my indie book titles—the Lola Starke series—are no longer available on Amazon, either in print or ebook editions. (More on why in a later Musings.) Everything’s still available! For now, though, please order print editions either from your favourite independent bookseller or via my Bookshop storefront. Ebook editions are still available via Kobo til further notice; I’m researching alternate platforms at the moment. As always, my titles are all still available for libraries to purchase, too. Stay tuned for updates on this new path of my hybrid author journey lol..!
It’s finally here! I am so chuffed to tell you that We Contain Multitudes has officially launched!!! Please have a listen to the inaugural episode with special guest Premee Mohamed. I dearly hope it brings a spot of joy to your day. 💗
I’d really love it, too, if you’d celebrate with me even more by sharing far and wide. Here’s a Bluesky post for your convenience. (Please give the podcast account a follow, too!)
If you’re willing to share on other socials—thank you!—you can use this link and it will lead people to the episode webpage, where they can listen right on their browser. There’s also a list on there of a few podcast players to choose from. As I’ve said many times already—LOL I know; thanks for your patience!—I just want to create more joy in the world with this podcast. I want as many people as possible sharing in the love and joy I put into creating this show.
This seems a good time to dig into the details a little bit, doesn’t it?
I said recently that I came up with the premise for this podcast in 2016 (more on where this happened, below), but after a shallow dive into archived emails, I discovered that it was actually in 2018. I attended a ‘podcasting 101’-type workshop in April that year; I remember I wanted to learn some basics and whether it was a good next step for me as an indie author. The workshop leaders were excellent; extremely knowledgeable, great with practical advice, and approachably down-to-earth. (More on them below, too.) The email I received the following day contains a long list of resources, from editing software to mic suggestions to license-free music sources.
But the one item I completely got stuck on? The Apple podcasts logo specs.
This was years before I discovered Canva, you understand. I kept reading over those graphics specs and just…not having the first clue how to begin. From there, my best intentions all seemed to unravel: the plan to release monthly episodes; creating a list of exclusively Indigenous guests for the first year; running a fundraiser each month, for a cause chosen by each guest; and ultimately, getting started with any of it.
A couple years later, instead of becoming a host, I eventually started podcasting as a guest, thanks to the Agents of SMOOCH podcast and host/creator Annette Wierstra. (who’s become a dear friend in nerdiness; which tracks, since we met at a Calgary comics expo where I was tabling with Die On Your Feet!) Through Annette, I met and befriended veteran podcaster Erika Ensign, who also happens to co-own an award-winning podcast production company with her husband (Steven Shapansky). You’ll recognize her name from the end of every episode of We Contain Multitudes because Erika edits my show, as well as many others on The Incomparable network. I count myself quite lucky to have her wonderful support behind the scenes, and her seemingly inexhaustible patience (!) as I bombard her with questions as well as the not-infrequent gaffe as I learn the ropes of podcasting.
Speaking of… Remember that ‘podcasting 101’ workshop in 2018..? If you guessed that Erika and Steven were the amazing workshop leaders I mentioned, you get a gold star. How about that, huh? It’s kind of a full-circle moment, isn’t it? Mostly, it makes me think of how strangely marvellous life can be. Especially when I consider that if it weren’t for Erika, encouraging me over this past summer and fall, this show might’ve become yet another idea consigned to the scrap heap of once-promising podcast premises.
I think that would’ve been a real shame.
Because what better way to spend my time than bringing joy to others and to myself? What could be more delightful than lifting spirits and brightening days?
It’s a privilege I never take lightly, and a brightness in my heart I hold dear.
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Joyful ✨ podcast-related ✨ Things
Starting today, episodes of Season One drop weekly, every Wednesday.
(At 9am PT/Noon ET, if you like knowing 🤓 )Season One includes nine episodes. Instead of revealing the full roster now, I’m leaving it to listeners to tune in, in order to find out who the special guest is each week. (Yes, I like lovely surprises, the giving and receiving thereof.)
Every episode will have a full transcript, edited by yours truly. Yep, it takes a lot of work; yep, it’s worth it. I know that some podcast players auto-create a transcript; these aren’t edited, however, and just never get so-called “unusual” names right. So I want to make sure those who want or need it, can access a faithful-as-I-can-get-it transcription. I created a ‘master’ list here, which will slowly fill with links to all the transcripts as each episode goes live.
I haven’t forgotten! Where did I erroneously mention 2016 in my podcast origin story? Okay, first, let’s back up for some context. The Incomparable network has membership tiers, and so of course, I wanted to offer something nifty for members only. One of the existing member perks is access to Bootleg, which is a “feed of our live recording sessions, so you can hear it all as it went down, uncut and sometimes far in advance of the episode being posted—without having to be on as we’re broadcasting live” (because some shows also livestream). My own small tweak to recordings for Bootleg is that I include extra tidbits or stories or background in my extended sessions. Which brings us to the answer to this question:
The very first episode I recorded for the show was with Erika herself. (Shhhhhhh, don’t tell, she has a really fun geek-out to share, too, which you’ll hear in a few weeks.) During the portion just for Bootleg, I explained the podcast’s origins and…that’s when I said 2016 by mistake.And finally…
I haven’t yet decided for sure when Season Two will start, but I’m leaning toward some time later this year. I’m also leaning into the casual approach; it’s a good bet that each season will vary in length!
Oh, there’s just one more thing...
If you enjoy the show, if it brings you joy…
Please subscribe/follow We Contain Multitudes on your usual podcast player/platform. (Please give it a good rating lol!)
Please tell everyone you know to listen, too. In these very difficult and often frightening times, when we see our most vulnerable communities targeted by institutional power, when there’s so much dark uncertainty swirling around us, joy is an act of rebellion.
In other words—there cannot be too much joy in this world. Though it isn’t always readily accessible, I believe joy is infinite and infinitely renewable. This little show is my attempt at keeping some tiny sparks of joy alight for all of us.
