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Re-Creative

Re-Creative

Written by: Mark A. Rayner and Joe Mahoney (MonkeyJoy Press and Donovan Street Press Inc.)
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Hosted by Joe Mahoney and Mark A. Rayner, Re-Creative is a podcast about creativity and the works that inspire it. We talk to creative people from all walks of life, and learn from them what piece of art stokes their own imaginative fires.

mahoneyj.substack.comJoe Mahoney Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Michèle Laframboise on Sheri S. Tepper’s Grass

    Michèle Laframboise on Sheri S. Tepper’s Grass
    Sep 21 2026
    “When you write science fiction you feed from the work of many other fantastic people.” –Michèle LaframboiseOn this, the 19th episode of Re-Creative, author Michèle Laframboise shares with Mark and I her love for Sheri S. Tepper’s novel Grass, which she finds totally engrossing. Michèle especially enjoys the well-drawn secondary characters, the description of the planet, which she considers a character itself, and how Sheri masterfully manages the multiple story lines.Michèle explains that Tepper started to write later in life, and that many of her stories have an ecological perspective. Tepper’s awareness of overpopulation issues informs much of her writing.Had she not discovered Tepper, Michèle never would have become a writer herself, she tells us. And it goes even deeper. “I know that after reading Grass, I am a better human being,” she adds.The three of us discuss the vibrancy of the science fiction and fantasy field in Quebec, with Michèle recommending fellow writers Élisabeth Vonarburg, Yves Meynard, and the sadly departed and much missed Jean Louis Trudel.We talk about the vagaries of the publishing business. Much like Mark, Michèle got into self-publishing when the publisher of her first three novels closed up shop.Support Our GuestBeside trying to initiate first contact with strange flora, Michèle Laframboise feeds coffee grounds to her garden plants, runs long distances, and writes full-time.Fascinated by sciences and nature since she could walk, Michèle has published 19 novels and over 70 short-stories in French and English, earning various distinctions in Canada and Europe. She is also a comic enthusiast who drew a dozen graphic novels and maintains an illustrated blog.Her stories have been featured in Solaris, Galaxies, Brins d’Éternité, Asimov’s, Analog, Compelling Science Fiction, Abyss & Apex, and Future SF. Holding degrees in geography and engineering, she draws from her scientific background to create worlds filled with humor, invention and wonder.Check out Michèle Laframboise’s website, and don’t miss her 2023 Trillium Book Award winner, Le secret de Paloma! You can buy her books at her bookshop here. And if you’re on Goodreads, and you enjoyed her work, leave a review here!Re-Creative is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.comIf you don’t wish to receive the podcast (or you’re receiving too many emails from this newsletter), it is possible to manage your Substack subscription to receive only the sections you want (e.g., the Donovan Street Press newsletter, the Captain’s Away serial, the Re-Creative podcast) via your account settings. You can do so by clicking on your avatar and selecting “Manage subscription” or by directly navigating to your account page.Follow Joe Mahoney and Donovan Street Press Inc. on: Goodreads, Bluesky, Threads, Mastadon, Facebook, and Instagram Get full access to Donovan Street Press Inc. at mahoneyj.substack.com/subscribe
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    41 mins
  • Celu Amberstone and Paula Johanson

    Celu Amberstone and Paula Johanson
    Aug 26 2026
    Re-Creative Spotlight: Celu Amberstone and Paula JohansonThis episode of Re-Creative was a first for the show as Mark and I hosted two guests at the same time: Celu Amberstone and Paula Johanson, both writers and educators with a love of the natural world. They both live in British Columbia. Paula’s inspiration is the map, particularly a map of Salt Spring Island, where she lives. Kipling once described the island as one of the most beautiful and temperate places in the world, and Paula agrees. “A map is trying to tell you about how people think about a place,” Paula says. [see below for two of the maps we discussed]Celu likes to listen to music that gets her in touch with her characters and stories. But it’s not music with lyrics that she can understand; it’s a visceral experience for her. She likes to listen to “Viking”, Celtic and indigenous music. The latter connects, especially, to her own indigenous heritage.“Tribal music tells me about the people and the land,” Celu says. “If I’m listening to the old people sing, I can feel the land through their songs.”They both share the idea that geography itself are major characters in their work, with Paula the influence stems from maps and with Celu it’s tonal music that describes the land.A fascinating and evocative conversation!Find out more about this episode at re-creative.caSupport Our GuestsPaula JohansonPaula is a Canadian writer. A graduate of the University of Victoria, she has worked as a security guard, a short order cook, a teacher, newspaper writer, and more. As well as editing books and teaching materials, she has run an organic-method small farm with her spouse, raised gifted twins, and cleaned university dormitories.In addition to novels and stories, she is the author of forty-two books written for educational publishers, among them The Paleolithic Revolution and Women Writers from the series Defying Convention: Women Who Changed The World. Johanson is an active member of SF Canada, the national association of science fiction and fantasy authors.Celu AmberstoneCelu is of mixed Cherokee and Scots-Irish ancestry, and she was one of the few young people in her family to take an interest in learning Traditional Native crafts and medicine ways. This interest apparently made several of the older members of her family very happy while annoying others.Legally blind since birth, Celu has defied her limitations and spent much of her life avoiding cities. Moving to Canada after falling in love with a Métis-Cree man from Manitoba, she has lived in the rain forests of the west coast, a tepee in the desert, and a small village in Canada’s arctic. Along the way she also managed to acquire a BA in cultural anthropology and an MA in health education. Celu loves telling stories and reading. She lives in Victoria British Columbia near her grown children and grandchildren.Discover Celu’s books at Books2Read! Or, check them out at your local library!Find Paula’s books at Books2Read! Or, check them out at your local library!You can subscribe to six month’s worth of this podcast completely for free. Paid subscriptions support Donovan Street Press Inc. and the creation of new books and podcasts.Re-Creative is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com If you don’t wish to receive the podcast (or you’re receiving too many emails from this newsletter), it is possible to manage your Substack subscription to receive only the sections you want (e.g., the Donovan Street Press newsletter, the Captain’s Away serial, the Re-Creative podcast) via your account settings. You can do so by clicking on your avatar and selecting “Manage subscription” or by directly navigating to your account page.Follow Joe Mahoney and Donovan Street Press Inc. on: Goodreads, Bluesky, Threads, Mastadon, Facebook, and Instagram Get full access to Donovan Street Press Inc. at mahoneyj.substack.com/subscribe
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    41 mins
  • Miriam Schulman: Artpreneur, and Mary Renault's The Bull from the Sea

    Miriam Schulman: Artpreneur, and Mary Renault's The Bull from the Sea
    Aug 3 2026
    Re-Creative Spotlight: Miriam SchulmanIn the latest episode of Re-Creative, Mark and I welcome Miriam Schulman. Miriam is an artist, author, and — as host of The Inspiration Podcast — a fellow podcaster. Miriam kind of blew my mind because she’s good at the business side of art. As our conversation went on I became increasingly curious about how her approach could apply to books and publishing.Whenever Mark and I have these conversation I try not to do too much talking. Although they’re not interviews per se — they’re conversations — they’re not about me. I don’t invite people to our podcasts so I can talk about me! But as I edited this one I kept having to cut myself out because I wouldn’t shut up about my own little publishing company and our approach and how it could benefit from Miriam’s approach. Miriam was quite patient and understanding but it’s definitely a better episode with A. less of me and B. more of her and Mark. Weeks before the episode Miriam offered us copies of her book for free. “Don’t worry about it,” I told her. “To be honest, I won’t have time to read it before we record.” Now I’m kicking myself because after talking to her I really want to read her book! Guess I’ll just have to buy it — which, of course, is what I should be doing anyway, to support out guest. It’s a really interesting conversation about how Miriam draws from her own artistic and financial background to teach others how to build sustainable, profitable careers from their art — without selling their souls. As always, our conversation is built around art that has inspired our guest. In this case, Mary Renault’s classic historical novel The Bull from the Sea, the sequel to The King Must Die. Miriam tells Mark and I what drew her to this retelling of the Theseus myth and its emphasis on living with the consequences of one’s choices. And from there we get into how rich people think, “how they love crazy,” such as Beeple’s $100,000 pooping robot dogs, and how people typically purchase “meaning over medium.”Support Our GuestYou can learn more about Miriam Schulman and her work by picking up a copy of her book, Artpreneur, or by visiting her website. To dive deeper into her strategies for creative business and mindset, tune into The Inspiration Place podcast, available on all major podcast platforms and YouTubeYou can subscribe to six month’s worth of this podcast completely for free. Paid subscriptions support Donovan Street Press Inc. and the creation of new books and podcasts.Re-Creative is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com If you don’t wish to receive the podcast (or you’re receiving too many emails from this newsletter), it is possible to manage your Substack subscription to receive only the sections you want (e.g., the Donovan Street Press newsletter, the Captain’s Away serial, the Re-Creative podcast) via your account settings. You can do so by clicking on your avatar and selecting “Manage subscription” or by directly navigating to your account page.Follow Joe Mahoney and Donovan Street Press Inc. on: Goodreads, Bluesky, Threads, Mastadon, Facebook, and Instagram Get full access to Donovan Street Press Inc. at mahoneyj.substack.com/subscribe
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
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