Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Title: Robert Munsch’s decision to die
Podcast: Front Burner (CBC)
Date: September 23, 2025
Host: Jayme Poisson
Guest: Katie Engelhardt (Journalist, NYT contributor)

This episode delves into the legacy of Canadian children’s author Robert Munsch—his rapport with readers, the impact of his stories, his recent struggles with Parkinson’s and dementia, and his decision to apply for medically assisted death (MAID). Journalist Katie Engelhardt, author of a New York Times feature on Munsch, joins host Jayme Poisson to discuss Munsch’s creative process, his personal tragedies, and the broader and often controversial landscape of MAID in Canada.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Robert Munsch: Literary Legacy and Creative Process

• Childhood impact: Both host and guest reminisce about reading Munsch as kids and now sharing his books with their children.
  • “My boys love Mortimer. They love, like, pretending to be like Mortimer. They do not like to go to bed. They make crazy noises. They try to drive us, drive us crazy, just like Mortimer.” (Jamie Poisson, 02:34)
• Story development: Munsch’s stories were shaped by direct interaction with children from his days as a preschool teacher, using kids’ reactions to refine his tales.
  • “For him, children were always more than just his audience. They were a part of his creative process… He discovered if he was telling good stories, interesting stories, the children would stay there. If he told bad stories… the children would get bored and wander away.” (Katie Engelhardt, 04:22)
• Editor’s perspective: His Scholastic editor observed that, unlike other authors, Munsch created “objects for children to devour and enjoy” rather than stories he thought kids needed. (05:51)
• Fan connection: Munsch’s practice of responding to all fan letters is highlighted by his enduring pen-pal relationship with Ganing Tang, culminating in an impromptu and heartfelt visit from Munsch during her childhood. (07:11)

2. Personal Struggles and Inspiration Behind “Love You Forever”

• Grief informs art: The refrain “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be” (09:37) arose from Munsch’s grief over two stillborn children and became the backbone of his now-classic book.
• Publishing resistance: Munsch’s original publisher rejected the melancholy, death-adjacent theme; Firefly Books picked it up, and it became one of the best-selling picture books in history. (09:52-10:37)

3. Living with Parkinson’s and Dementia: Impact on Creativity

• Current state: Munsch is physically frail, experiences cognitive decline, and is largely housebound.
  • “He’s falling around the house. He’s using a walker or a cane wherever he goes… he has trouble remembering when friends come to visit. He has trouble finding words.” (Katie Engelhardt, 12:18)
• Creativity affected:
  • “He’s not able to come up with new ideas… but his existing stories remain completely intact within him… These little nuggets preserved in his deteriorating mind.” (Katie Engelhardt, 13:46)
• Memorable quote:
  • “Occasionally he’ll think of a kind of premise… but that doesn’t happen anymore. On the other hand, his existing stories remain completely intact within him.” (Katie Engelhardt, 13:46)

4. Choosing Medically Assisted Death (MAID)

• Munsch’s reasoning:
  • Watched a brother die slowly of ALS and wanted an alternative to prolonged suffering.
  • “He was really facing the possibility of being, in his words, a turnip in a year, and he wanted another way.” (Katie Engelhardt, 15:16)
  • Has arranged regular reassessments with his doctors to ensure he maintains capacity to consent; intends MAID when he loses ability to communicate.
  • “What he said to me was that once he loses more of his communication abilities… the time will be right for him.” (Katie Engelhardt, 15:53)
• Consent and legal standards:
  • In most of Canada, patients must be capable of consenting on their day of death. Quebec’s advance directive expansion allows for pre-written consent if capacity is lost (17:02).
  • “The fear is that they will progress and lose their chance and then potentially live many, many years in a way that they previously didn’t want to.” (Katie Engelhardt, 17:02)

5. Broader Issues Around MAID in Canada

• Rising prevalence:

  • 1 in 20 Canadian deaths are now via MAID (19:22).
    • “It means we probably all know someone who’s died by MAID.” (Katie Engelhardt, 19:22)

• Comparisons and controversies:

  • Canada’s MAID laws are broader than those in US states, where legal eligibility is typically restricted to terminally ill patients with less than six months to live. (21:09)
  • Expansions to include people who are not dying but suffering from chronic conditions have sparked criticism from disability groups and some MAID providers. (21:29)
    • “A person might be declared eligible for MAID because of society’s failure to protect them. That’s a very compelling argument.” (Katie Engelhardt, 21:29)
  • Most MAID deaths remain those with a foreseeable death (14,721 Track 1 vs 622 Track 2 in 2023). (24:26)

• Doctors’ ethical dilemmas:

  • Some MAID providers struggle with the breadth of the law; debate centers on whether doctors should always comply with eligible requests, or steer patients toward further care. (25:05)
    • “She doesn’t think that’s what medicine should really be doing, helping people to end painful lives… She argues that too often MAID providers are concerned only with what the law allows.” (Katie Engelhardt, 21:29 and 25:05)

6. Patient Experience and the Meaning of Choice

• Not all who are approved proceed:
  • Many never use their MAID approval; some lose capacity, some die of other causes, some change their minds.
  • The approval itself can offer comfort—“a sort of medical treatment, like a palliative treatment”—even before or without using it. (26:59)
    • “It makes them feel better to have.” (Katie Engelhardt, 26:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Munsch’s creative approach:
  • “He really took that philosophy of story writing in concert with children throughout his entire career.” (Katie Engelhardt, 04:22)
• On MAID and choice:
  • “Canada's law doesn't require that MAID be a last resort. It is up to a patient to decide that her condition is causing sufficient suffering to merit death.” (Katie Engelhardt, 25:05)
• On legacy and memory:
  • “His existing stories... remain completely intact within him. It's almost mysterious.” (Katie Engelhardt, 13:46)
• On MAID as comfort:
  • “The MAID approval itself is a sort of medical treatment, like a palliative treatment, because it makes them feel better to have.” (Katie Engelhardt, 26:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Early Munsch memories, Mortimer replayed – 01:38–04:11
• How Munsch developed his stories – 04:11–06:25
• Fan correspondence and personal connection – 06:55–08:53
• Personal loss and “Love You Forever” – 08:53–10:37
• Current health and creativity changes – 12:04–14:55
• MAID: Munsch’s rationale – 14:55–15:53
• Canadian MAID law, consent, and capacity – 17:02–18:35
• MAID in Quebec, national context and stats – 18:35–21:09
• Criticism and controversy over MAID expansion – 21:29–24:49
• Doctors’ role and ethical complexity – 25:05–26:46
• Patient experience and meaning of MAID approval – 26:46–27:55

Conclusion

This episode offers an intimate portrait of Robert Munsch as both a master storyteller and a man grappling with decline, using his dignity and agency to choose the manner of his death. The conversation with Katie Engelhardt elegantly blends personal reminiscence with a nuanced exploration of Canada’s evolving MAID framework—its promise, its pitfalls, and what the normalization of “assisted dying” means for families, physicians, and future generations.