Rachel Stark

02/24/25 • 56 min

Rachel Stark’s debut, Perris California, is a beautiful and heart-rending novel.

Set in the 1990s in what one character calls ‘the land of momma’s boys’, it’s a story of violence, broken dreams, tenderness, and longing that shines a light on the resilience of women living in a mostly unseen America.

In a style reminiscent of John Steinbeck and Annie Proulx, Rachel contrasts the vastness and beauty of the landscape with the claustrophobia and grittiness of the lives of its inhabitants, while also insisting that hope exists in our capacity to mend each other.

Join Rachel and Red as they discuss the harsh realities and strong bonds binding those scraping a living in the ‘golden’ state.

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

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Rachel Stark’s debut, Perris California, is a beautiful and heart-rending novel.

Join Rachel and Red as they discuss the harsh realities and strong bonds binding those scraping a living in the ‘golden’ state.

About AMI

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
Email [email protected]

Previous Episode

Tara Moss

Tara Moss has much in common with the heroines of her internationally best-selling crime novels. The Canadian Australian former model is glamourous, tenacious, quick-witted, and committed to fighting for justice. She also relishes a challenge, has a Private Investigator license, and as we’ll hear, isn’t afraid of putting herself in the way of danger to learn what she needs to know.

Her latest series features Billie Walker, a Second World War correspondent turned private investigator based in Sydney, who evokes the charisma of Lee Miller in the film noir style of Raymond Chandler.

Following the publication of the second book in the series, we felt it was high time to get Ms Moss in for questioning.

Join Tara and Red as they discuss femme fatales, fact-checking, fast cars, and feminism.

About AMI

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
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Email [email protected]

Next Episode

K.J. Aiello

As a child, K.J. Aiello found hope and escape in magical stories of dragons, wizards, and fantasy. These tales provided a safe space where K.J. could reframe their battle with mental illness and trauma, and envisage the vanquishing of the darkness that haunted them.

In The Monster and the Mirror: Mental Illness, Magic, and the Stories We Tell, K.J. blends memoir, research, and cultural criticism, to examine their own mental illness. Exploring The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and other tales, they show how the darker realms of the human psyche have been portrayed and often stigmatised in popular culture; and suggest how the fantasy genre might also have therapeutic benefits.

Join K.J. and Red as they discuss K.J.’s quest for the ‘what if’ and explore the regenerative power of creative imagination.

About AMI

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

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