
Holly was recently appointed writer-in-residence at the Regina Public Library where she’ll be available to consult with local writers until May. She holds a Ph.D. focusing on 18th-century literature, madness and theories of the body, and has written and taught widely in the area. In 2006, Holly published a poetry collection called Sway, and followed that up with the horror/mystery novel Quiver in 2011. Here are six songs she considers favourites. /Gregory Beatty
“Glory Box”
Portishead, Dummy (1994)
This was the theme song to “Cold Fuchsia”, a weekly mix-format radio show I had with a friend in Fredericton on CHSR — the campus/independent radio station. That show was a lot of fun. My co-host and I had the chance to riffle through all the new CDs that came through the station, and basically play new music and chat on-air every Tuesday night. YouTube
“Precious Things”
Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes (1992)
This song reminds me of the Tori Amos concert a good friend and I went to at Royal Albert Hall in London. It was an absolutely epic performance. At certain points in the concert, we were balls of emotion! YouTube
“Sway”
Bic Runga, Drive (1997)
This song reminds me of New Zealand, where I travelled and lived for awhile after my undergrad degree. It was an amazing adventure of a year, and the first time in a long time I wasn’t in a classroom! YouTube
“Wheat Kings”
The Tragically Hip, Fully Completely (1992)
This song seems to continually pop up on radio across Canada, and wherever I am it reminds me of the prairies (even though it’s a fairly dark song that references the David Milgaard case). YouTube
“Both Hands”
Ani Di Franco, Ani DiFranco (1990)
This song reminds me of when a friend and I drove hours to Maine to see an Ani DiFranco concert. I also listened to tons of Ani di Franco songs when I was volunteering at CFUV, the campus radio station at UVic. We got a bit lost on our way to the concert and I think we missed the opening act, but it was great. YouTube
“Money Changes Everything”
Cyndi Lauper, She’s So Unusual (1983)
Even though this recording is actually a cover of a song by the U.S. band The Brains, Cyndi Lauper’s version is the one I discovered. When I was a kid, she was the first pop star I really became attached to. I also of course love “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Lauper’s songs are great pop songs, and often contain savvy social commentary. YouTube