The MaudCast: The Podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute

MaudCast S03E03 Emily Carr, L.M. Montgomery, and Literary Houses of Dreams, with Bonnie Tulloch and Pascale Halliday

Episode Description:

Host Brenton Dickieson sits down with Pascale Halliday, former Executive Director of the Emily Carr House, and Dr. Bonnie Tulloch, L.M. Montgomery scholar and educator, to explore the surprising parallels between Carr and Montgomery. Born about the same time as islanders on opposite sides of the country—Carr in Victoria, BC in 1871, and Montgomery on Prince Edward Island’s north shore in 1874—both women turned early creative ambition, complicated family lives, and decades of life writing into a lasting national mythology. Pascale takes us inside the Carr House itself, including the (in)famous Howloween Pet Parade, while Bonnie brings her research on storytelling and sense-making to bear on what connects a painter of the Pacific coast to the Atlantic Canadian author of Green Gables.

What is the MaudCast?

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In our quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Episode Links

• Emily Carr | Historica Canada
• Lucy Maud Montgomery | Historica Canada
• Emily Carr, painter, 1871-1945 - Canada Postage Stamp
• Royal Canadian Mint—Emily Carr coins
• Royal Canadian Mint unveils L.M. Montgomery $1 coin

Special Guest Bios

Dr. Bonnie Tulloch (she/her) completed her PhD in the School of Information at the University of British Columbia in 2023, building on a 2018 Vanier Scholarship, a 2020 UBC Public Scholar Award, and the inaugural Elizabeth R. Epperly Award for Outstanding Early Career Paper at the L.M. Montgomery and Reading Conference. Her research spans children’s and young adult literature and media, with a focus on the sense-making practices underlying different forms of storytelling—her dissertation examined youth, internet memes, and digital citizenship. Earlier projects include a study of Canadian children’s island fiction and a master’s thesis on children’s nonsense poetry. As an interdisciplinary scholar, she is works as a very creative teacher in BC. At the time of recording, Bonnie served as Journal Coordinator for the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies.

Pascale Halliday (she/her) is a history and education professional with a background in museum interpretation, program development, and historic site direction. She was Executive Director of the Carr House Community Society in Victoria, BC—the birthplace of artist and author Emily Carr—after roles there as summer interpreter and programming manager. She has since moved to New Brunswick, where she is Visitor Program Manager at Kings Landing Historical Settlement, and remains on the Carr House board. Alongside Bonnie Tulloch, she is currently developing a blog project on the historic houses of female authors.

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

Interim Producer: Donald Moses

Guest Producer: Fleur Rodrigues

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues

Music: Nicolas Riel 

Logo Design: Heidi Haering

Where to find the MaudCast

Find the MaudCast on Instagram: www.instagram.com/lmmimaudcast

L.M. Montgomery Institute’s website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Find the MaudCast’s other socials on linktree: https://linktr.ee/TheMaudcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=0c4e460c-2b28-4322-a8b6-95f4451b92aa 

Find Brenton Dickieson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson

Check out Brenton Dickieson’s website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Find Nicolas Riel on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/24tFIIiCjulHu0pbxeQVdA?si=RwSzlCJkQ9604TR-qxNinQ

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Allison Hudson and Caroline Jones are two of the organizers of the next biennial L.M. Montgomery Institute conference (that’s every two years, not “biannual” as twice a year, like host Brenton Dickieson says in the episode). LMMI26 is here in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, June 24-28, 2026. The Montgomery conference is a highlight for so many artists, scholars, librarians, Montgomery community members, and avid readers of her work. In this episode, three friends and scholars catch up on the news, share some fond memories of past conferences, and give some hints about what’s to come.

Dr. Allison McBain Hudson is the current Visiting Scholar at the L.M. Montgomery Institute—or the LMMI, as we call it. Her Ph.D. from Dublin City University is on the significance of material culture in Montgomery’s novels, and in the episode, we talk about what “material culture studies” really means (you can hear Brenton's stumbling definition and Allison’s elegant correction). Originally from Alberta, Allison has lived in Ireland for nearly three decades, where she quilts, sews, walks dogs, and has two daughters with her husband, an Irish artist. Allison is one of the keynote speakers at the conference.

Dr. Caroline E. Jones is a past LMMI Visiting Scholar and has published a host of essay anthologies and scholarly papers. Every time I hear Caroline give a talk, I am amazed by her creative mind. In this episode, we’ll find out more about her research, which, like Allison’s, looks more closely at Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon trilogy. Formerly a bookseller and full-time academic, Caroline currently works as an editor in Austin, Texas, USA.

This episode brings together three countries—Dublin, Ireland, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and Texas, USA—Montgomery friends in conversation, even when there is an ocean and a continent in between. We hope you enjoy the episode—including the news that the most powerful Anne of my childhood, Megan Follows, will give a keynote talk. To find out more about the June conference and our guests, check out the details below.

Tagline: Bringing listeners warm, thoughtful conversations inspired by the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Description: In this episode, we discuss fond memories of past L.M. Montgomery Institute conferences, and happy hopes for the next one in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, June 24-28, 2026.

Conference Link: https://lmmontgomery.ca/upcoming-conference/2026-l-m-montgomery-and-change/

What is the MaudCast?

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the our quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues (with writing and design credits)

Music: Nicolas Riel, with an editing credit on this episode

Logo Design: Heidi Haering

Find the MaudCast Team Online

Find the MaudCast on Instagram: www.instagram.com/lmmimaudcast

L.M. Montgomery Institute’s website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Find the MaudCast’s other socials on linktree: https://linktr.ee/TheMaudcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=0c4e460c-2b28-4322-a8b6-95f4451b92aa  

Find Brenton Dickieson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson

Check out Brenton Dickieson’s website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Find Nicolas Riel on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/24tFIIiCjulHu0pbxeQVdA?si=RwSzlCJkQ9604TR-qxNinQ

Special Guest Bio

Dr. Allison McBain Hudson is the current Visiting Scholar at the L.M. Montgomery Institute. She recently completed her Ph.D. at Dublin City University on the significance of material culture in the novels of L.M. Montgomery, particularly the Emily trilogy. Originally from Alberta, she obtained a BA in English from the University of Calgary in 1995 and moved to Ireland in 1997. She earned an MA in Children’s and Young Adult Literature from Dublin City University in 2019 with a focus on Montgomery’s unique Romanticism and “everyday magic.” When she’s not studying or teaching, she is quilting and sewing, walking the dogs in the woods, and looking for old houses and kindred spirits. She is married to an Irish artist, and they live on the outskirts of Dublin with their two daughters.

2026 Keynote Title: “Maud, Pat, and Me: The Materiality of Change”

Allison's Socials:

Instagram: @allisonmcbainhudson

Bluesky: @drmcbainhudson.bsky.social

Threads: @allisonmcbainhudson

Dr. Caroline E. Jones is a past Visiting Scholar at the L.M. Montgomery Institute. Her work on Montgomery goes back to her M.A. thesis, which explores the “happy ending” of the Emily trilogy. She has since presented and published on class, motherhood, the young artist, and more in Montgomery. She has essays in Children’s Play in Literature (2019), L.M. Montgomery and War (2017), L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys (2015), and Anne Around the World (2013). Her most recent publication is “Read What You Know: Nostalgia and the Discovery of Self through L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon,” which appears in the L.M. Montgomery and Re-Vision collection in the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies. Formerly a bookseller and full-time academic, she currently works as an editor in Austin, Texas, USA.

Caroline's Socials:

Instagram: @byrdstarr

Facebook: Caroline Emily Byrdstarr

Threads: @byrdstarr

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Bringing listeners warm, thoughtful conversations inspired by the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Description: In this episode, we discuss the editorial and archival adventures of Carolyn Strom Collins, as she talks about the manuscript edition of L.M. Montgomery’s hilarious and unusual romance, The Blue Castle.

What is the MaudCast?

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome to the microphone leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Special Guest Bio

Carolyn Strom Collins is the author of The Anne of Green Gables Treasury and other “Anne” companion books. She has also published companion books on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Carolyn founded The L. M. Montgomery Literary Society as well as the Friends of the L. M. Montgomery Institute.

In season one of the MaudCast, Carolyn joined us to discuss a couple of her editorial projects: After Many Years: Twenty-one “Long-Lost” Stories by L. M. Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables: The Original Manuscript. We are sitting down with Carolyn on the release of another brilliant Montgomery archival resource, The Blue Castle: The Original Manuscript.  

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues

Visual Design: Heidi Haering

Music: Nicolas Riel

Find the MaudCast on Instagram at www.instagram.com/lmmimaudcast

L.M. Montgomery Institute website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

L.M. Montgomery Institute X: @LMMI_PEI

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Find Brenton Dickieson on Instagram and X: https://www.instagram.com/bdickieson

Brenton Dickieson on Instagram and X: https://linktr.ee/brentondickieson

Brenton Dickieson’s website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Find Nicolas Riel on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/24tFIIiCjulHu0pbxeQVdA?si=RwSzlCJkQ9604TR-qxNinQ

Contact Information for the L.M. Montgomery Literary Society:

Website: https://lmmontgomeryliterarysociety.weebly.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmmlitsociety/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LMmontgomeryLS

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI and all of our community partners.

The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

MaudCast S03E00 The MaudSwap with the Kindred Spirits Podcast

A live on-location podcast swap from the imaginative birthplace of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. How did Montgomery keep her love and writing life secret from the curious eyes of her Cavendish neighbours?

Description

In this season three launch of the MaudCast, we chat with Ragon Duffy and Kelly Gerner, the hosts of the Kindred Spirits Podcast. On a very hot summer day, MaudCast host Brenton Dickieson met Kelly and Ragon at the Green Gables Heritage Site in Cavendish. They headed up the hill to the church, which was built when Montgomery was caring for her grandmother at the homestead at the back of the same property. This episode offers a local perspective on Montgomery’s life and works, including the great secrets of her private life as a public figure. We hope you enjoy this special crossover episode between the MaudCast and Kindred Spirits Book Club! A podcast swap … a podswap—a MaudSwap! When you enjoy, please like and share.

Show Notes

The MaudCast is the podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute. In the MaudCast’s quest to discover cutting-edge scholarship about the life and works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, we welcome leading academics, emerging scholars, local researchers, and imaginative readers and writers from around the world to the microphone. Hosted by Dr. Brenton Dickieson, we broadcast from the beautiful campus of the University of Prince Edward Island.

Guest Host Bios

Ragon Duffy and Kelly Gerner are fans of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s work and have been sharing their love for Anne through their podcast: The Kindred Spirit Book Club. They bring beloved characters from the page into our homes through witty and insightful conversations, so we’re very pleased to join with them in on this podswap episode!

Follow Kelly and Ragon on Instagram: @kindredspirits.bookclub

Website: https://www.kindredspiritsbookclub.com/

The MaudCast Team

Host and Founding Producer: Brenton Dickieson

Founding Co-Producer: Kate Scarth

Technical Director: Kristy McKinney

MaudCast Intern: Fleur Rodrigues

Logo Design: Heidi Haering

The MaudCast on Social Media

Find the MaudCast on Instagram: @LMMIMaudCast

L.M. Montgomery Institute website: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/

Kindred Spaces Research Collection Online: https://kindredspaces.ca/

The Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies: https://journaloflmmontgomerystudies.ca/

Brenton Dickieson Twitter: @BrentonDana

Brenton Dickieson Instagram: @bdickieson

Brenton Dickieson website: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com

Credits

Susato’s “Selection from The Danserye: III. Les Quatre Branle” performed by the UPEI Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Karem J Simon, available for purchase here: https://upeiwindsymphony.bandcamp.com/album/the-danserye

Thanks to Rev. Eric and the volunteers at the Cavendish United Church for hosting our discussion.

Special thanks to the Robertson Library at UPEI, the L.M. Montgomery Institute, and all of our community partners. The MaudCast is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.