Episode 231: Crossing Animals with Tanis MacDonald

On this episode of Geek4, I am joined by poet and professor, Tanis MacDonald. When I reached out to her about her interest in coming on the show and topics she might want to talk about, one suggestion immediately shot to the top of the list. Tanis LOVES movies in which animals attack people! Although she usually gravitates towards films where mammals attack people, like Grizzly  (1976),  the documentary Grizzly Man  (2005), and Cocaine Bear; but she also delights in Jaws (1975), Jurassic Park (1993), and Squirm (1976). Although we talk about some pretty cheesy film, our conversation reflects on the hubris of people, eco-criticism, and the commodification of nature. I ADORE talking to smart people about bad movies.

Tanis does share a video of a white-tail deer attacking a hunter, and we talk about it. If you want to see it,

It's hilarious. Seriously. I want to re-edit it with the song, "Yakety Sax".

You can order Tanis's book, Straggle: Adventures in Walking While Female from Wolsak & Wynn or order it from your local neighbourhood book shop! It's a series of beautiful, insightful essays on nature and walking. It's truly lovely.

You can follow Tanis on Twiter at @Tanis_MacDonald and Instagram @tanismacdonald

Follow me on Twitter  @mwboyce  and Instagram @mwboyce and follow my website michaelwboyce.com/

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @geek4pod and on Instagram @geek4pod

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 I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Also, Tanis's geekiest objects are the novelizations of the The Planet of the Apes films. But, she only has Battle for The Planet of the Apes , Escape from The Planet of the Apes , and Beneath The Planet of the Apes . If any of you wonderful geeks know where she can get the other books in the series, please reach out to her! Come on, geeks. Let's get this done!