Author, funny woman and busy person Eden Robinson calls into the Cavern from Kitimat, British Columbia to talk nail polish, carting around family in a big car and the gift that menopause gives you. Eden’s books include Traplines, the Giller-nominated Son Of A Trickster, and Blood Sports. Her trilogy, the Trickster series, is becoming a miniseries for CBC and her novel, Monkey Beach, is becoming a film. “If you need stories, take the bus.” 

Our favourite moments: “Dad had Parkinson’s. He found that seal fat was very helpful. The cousins who hunted - in the beginning, they would bring us neat little packets of seal...but towards the end, they were just leaving, like, half a seal in a bucket.  [5:40] 

“He was always embarrassed that I wasn’t a lady. And I was always like, 'You taught me to buck wood and change oil. I don’t remember any tea parties.'" [7:00] 

“I find [that] if I try to write to an outline or if I write to a plan, my muse gets inhibited.” [14:14] 

“I was realizing how few years I have left if I’m writing a book about every five years. Okay, there are books I won’t be able to write.” [21:30] 

"I also don’t have a lot of anxiety about what people think about me. I remember being very concerned about that. And them menopause just wipes that out.” [22:40] 

CREDITS: Cavern of Secrets is hosted by Lauren Mitchell. Produced byEllen Payne Smith & Katie Jensen, with assistance from Vicky Mochama and Sarah Daniel.