Late in 88

Late in 88

Late in ‘88 is a podcast that explores the blurred lines of truth and memory as two grade school classmates, Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda share their experiences of growing up queer and gender non-conforming in Calgary, Alberta 1988, at a time when there wasn't language to describe identities that were fringe and undefinable. By shining a light on their middle childhood, Bronwin and Elinor explore the impact of historical context and the gift of contemporary language that allows more freedom of self expression. The series will welcome many special guests and experts including gradeschool classmates, professors, doctors, and experts in their fields. Bronwin Parks is a Calgary city kid who grew up to be a rancher, rodeo cowboi, and the founder of the award-winning Feisty Creative, a top-notch creative agency for the music, film, television, and digital media industries. Through Feisty, Bronwin has worked with brands, award shows, and all of Canada’s major music labels. Since coming out as queer in 1996 at the age of 16 and later in 2020 as non-binary, Bronwin has fought hard to be a much-needed and outspoken champion for diversity and equity. Their dedication in fighting for systemic change has led them to serve on several music and creative industry boards, pushing DEI initiatives, creating inclusive spaces, and bringing more opportunities for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Elinor Svoboda is an award-winning filmmaker, sound designer, educator, with over 20 years of experience. Her work has been nominated for both Grammy and Juno Awards, shortlisted for the Berlin Film Festival, and premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival. Notably, her 2012 short Documentary Tegan and Sara: INDIA was broadcast and distributed internationally via Warner Brothers Music. Alongside her directorial and sound work, Elinor works as a dedicated educator, having previously served as a sessional professor at Sheridan College and an instructor at York University. She has also been a faculty member of the Training in Power Academy of Meditation and Healing for the last 20 years. Having spent several years in Toronto, Elinor recently returned to her home province of Alberta, where she is developing several television and feature narrative projects under her company, Ellefire Media.

Episodes

September 13, 2024 8 mins
In this bonus episode of Late in 88, hosts Bronwin and Elinor dive deeper into the important topic of sexuality education in Canadian schools, featuring expert insights from curriculum scholar Dr. Tonya Callaghan. Dr. Callaghan, who has years of experience teaching in junior high and high school, shares critical reflections on the challenges and gaps in the 1988 curriculum and how schools have handled gender and sexual diversity ed...
Mark as Played
In this eye-opening bonus episode of Late in '88, hosts Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda unravel the complexities of middle childhood with Clinical Psychologist Dr. Kate Thomson. Join them as they explore the crucial developmental stage of ages 8-9 and gain valuable insights into how identity and belonging take shape during this transformative period. What You'll Learn: Theories of Child Development: Discover how Erik Erikson’s ...
Mark as Played
August 30, 2024 8 mins
In this bonus episode hosts Elinor and Bronwin continue the conversation with historian Kevin Allen, founder of the Calgary Gay History Project and author of Our Past Matters: Stories of Gay Calgary, who offers a deep dive into Calgary's queer history. Kevin shares his experiences of coming out in the late 1980s, a time when resilience was essential due to societal hostility and the devastating impact of the AIDS epidemic. Discover...
Mark as Played
August 23, 2024 3 mins
Remember when hosts Elinor Svoboda and Bronwin Parks explored Olympic fever when it hit Calgary, Alberta with the 1988 Winter Olympic Games back in Episode 2? They were left with some big questions and impressions as eight year olds. In this bonus mini episode, the pair return to Winsport (formerly Canada Olympic Park) and meet Dale Oviatt, Senior Manager, Communications for a ride up the 90-meter ski jump and witness first hand wh...
Mark as Played
August 9, 2024 25 mins
Hosts Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda take the podcast on location and meet up in present day Calgary (2024) and it was a more visceral experience than either one of them expected. They tour their elementary school, explore old artifacts and finally answer the question of the podcast: What if they would have been friends from a more impressionable age in 1988? Resources: It Gets Better by Dan Savage (book - youth) - https://www.pe...
Mark as Played
July 25, 2024 22 mins
Grade 4 brings the onset of puberty, burgeoning crushes and big questions. Host Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda discuss how an encounter with ‘the question box’ in health class changed Bronwin's middle childhood. This leads the hosts to investigate how the Alberta curriculum approached homosexuality in 1988. Spoiler: It hasn’t really changed 30 years later.  This episode includes interviews with: Associate Professor Dr. Tonya Call...
Mark as Played
July 11, 2024 25 mins
Hosts Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda explore the complexity of gender roles and social expectations in adolescence, with a focus on the impact of patriarchy on gender-nonconforming behaviours. Clinical psychologist Dr. Kate Thomson helps them navigate identity during middle childhood, as they reflect on changing social constructs around friends who were boys, despite their identifying as “tomboys”. Along with special guests inclu...
Mark as Played
June 27, 2024 19 mins
Alberta has always been known as one of the most conservative provinces in Canada. Imagine growing up as a queer kid in Calgary in the 1980s...there were definitely some challenges. In this episode of Late in 88, hosts Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda explore the impact that Olympic fever had on their friends when the Winter Olympic games came to town in 1988. Olympic tales are told between childhood classmates, sporting events are...
Mark as Played
June 27, 2024 21 mins
How much can you remember from your childhood? Say, when you were eight years old? It may be a bit fuzzy, but this is where we meet the hosts of Late in 88, Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda. They travel back to grade four; a time when they both identified as tomboys but never really understood where they belonged. Through discussing their shared challenges surrounding gender identity and queerness, they arrive at the question: what...
Mark as Played
June 18, 2024 2 mins
Introducing Late in ‘88: a new podcast hosted by Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda. The two grade school classmates will share their experiences of growing up queer and gender non-conforming in Calgary, Alberta 1988, at a time when there wasn't language to describe identities that were fringe and undefinable. By shining a light on their middle childhood, Bronwin and Elinor explore the impact of historical context and the gift of con...
Mark as Played

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