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Re-Creative

Re-Creative

Auteur(s): 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 Sciences sociales
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  • Animator/Filmmaker Tess Martin and Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales

    Animator/Filmmaker Tess Martin and Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales
    Mar 2 2026
    Re-Creative Spotlight: Tess MartinIn this episode of Re-Creative, Mark A. Rayner and I got up early to drink our coffee and talk to an animator/filmmaker an ocean away: Tess Martin, based in Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands. Mark usually starts the podcast by asking me a question but this morning I beat him to it, asking: “What’s your favourite piece of animation?” His initial response was a classic of Canadian animation, from the NFB. (I’ll make you listen to the episode to find out exactly what he said!)The Creative Inspiration: Yuri Norstein’s Tale of TalesWe almost always challenge our guests to choose a piece of art to talk about. One that they love and that informs their own work. Tess chose to discuss a film that had a huge impact on her and that continues to inspire her: Yuri Norstein’s Tale of Tales (1979), a complex, surreal masterpiece a little different than the Saturday morning cartoons you might remember from your youth. It’s not exactly Bugs Bunny, but no less rewarding if you’re up for it. Some consider it the greatest animated film of all time.As Tess explained to us, Tale of Tales is less a classical narrative than a tapestry of memories, providing just enough clues to allow viewers to unlock its meaning and hidden depths, though a familiarity with the culture from which it emerged helps. Featuring a little grey wolf from a traditional Russian lullaby, Norstein employs deeply personal and culturally specific imagery—such as a glass of vodka and bread as an offering for the dead—making the film feel intensely real and true, even if one doesn’t fully grasp every reference the first time around.We talked about how Tale of Tales and similar art invites audiences to be active participants, interpreting clues and symbols to find their own meaning.When you’re done listening to our conversation (or maybe before!) check out the film for yourself to see what we’re talking about: Tale of Tales, a 1979 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Yuri Norstein[1][2] and produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow:Support Our GuestOriginally from the States, Tess Martin relocated to the Netherlands to pursue her craft. Her own work follows in Norstein’s tradition of thoughtful, material-based art. Her projects tend to develop through a mix of personal interest and the practicalities of the Dutch public arts funding system. And they can take a long time: she’s currently working on an SF project that has already taken a number of years, and is likely to take at least another couple. I can’t wait to see it!Mark, Tessa and I discussed two of her recent films:* How Now House: Using archives, personal memories and the philosophy of time, the film questions whether a space can ever really belong to one person, or time period, at all.* 1976 Search for Life: A new father visits the hometown of his mother in 1976, accompanied by his wife and baby. At the same time, the NASA Viking lander is sending the first images back to Earth from the surface of another planet.You can check out Tess’s work on her website. And I highly recommend that you do! 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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    51 min
  • Joe Versus the World

    Joe Versus the World
    Mar 1 2026

    I’m fortunate in that I have direct access to the World.

    I’m not entirely sure how this came about, but I’m not one to look a gift planet in the mouth. The World and I chat for time to time and occasionally we record that conversation for posterity.

    I recorded this particular conversation back in 2018. A lot has happened since then, but the gist of the conversation remains relevant. Maybe more so than ever.

    I quite like the World. I mean, not just to live on, but to talk to. I find it refreshingly honest. It says what it means. It doesn’t beat around the bush. I may not always like what it has to tell me but I have to respect it.

    And I would be a fool not to listen.

    To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Paid subscriptions support the creation of new books and podcasts.

    Follow Joe Mahoney and Donovan Street Press Inc. on: Goodreads, Bluesky, Threads, Mastadon, Facebook, and Instagram

    If you like what you’re reading, please spread the word!



    Get full access to Donovan Street Press Inc. at mahoneyj.substack.com/subscribe
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    2 min
  • Nina Munteanu

    Nina Munteanu
    Feb 17 2026
    Re-Creative Spotlight: Nina Munteanu on The OverstoryOn this episode of Re-Creative, Mark and I talk to writer, naturalist and limnologist Nina Munteanu about a Pulitzer Prize winning novel that had quite an impact on her: Richard Power’s The Overstory. Nina considers herself an environmental activist and ecologist. Much of her fiction is written in a sub-genre of SF: eco-fiction. She’s also a lover of irony, which is one of the reasons she loves the novel so much.Each character in The Overstory is either an avatar of a tree, or, perhaps, the trees are the main characters and the people simply represent them. “What Powers does is very powerful, in that he keeps it real,” Nina tells us.The novel deals with issues of deforestation, ecological collapse, and the extinction of some large trees.In this engrossing conversation, Nina teaches us some new ecological terms, such as the “duff” — the litter, or the decaying vegetation on the forest floor, underneath the overstory. (Also, limnology, the study of waters found within continents.)By the end of this conversation you will want to read not only The Overstory, but Nina’s own work!Support our Guest!Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist and internationally published novelist of science fiction and fantasy. In addition to eight published novels, Nina has written award-nominated short stories, articles and non-fiction books, which have been translated into several languages. Recognition for her work includes the Midwest Book Review Reader’s Choice Award, finalist for Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award, the SLF Fountain Award, and The Delta Optimist Reviewers Choice.Nina’s latest work (as of this recording) is A Diary in the Age of Water, which is an eco-fiction that follows the climate-induced journey of humanity through four generations of women with a unique relationship with water.Find all her books at her website, here! Paid subscriptions of this podcast 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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    43 min
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