Live Wire with Luke Burbank
Episode: Scaachi Koul and Emma Ruth Rundle
Date: February 27, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Live Wire artfully explores the full emotional range—from biting humor and cultural commentary to vulnerability and catharsis—in conversation with two creative women: essayist Scaachi Koul (author of Sucker Punch) and genre-defying musician-poet Emma Ruth Rundle (author of the poetry collection The Bella Vista). The show balances personal storytelling with audience engagement and live performance, offering both laughter and moments for reflection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Good News of the Week (02:00–09:07)

Snakebite Cure Progress

• Elena shares a surprising story about Tim Freed, a lifelong snake enthusiast who's voluntarily been bitten by venomous snakes for over 24 years, aiding in the creation of a universal snakebite vaccine.
  • "He has been bitten by dozens upon dozens upon dozens of snakes. We're talking black mambas... they've published a study in Cell magazine that says they're getting closer to a universal remote snake bite cure, thanks to Tim Freed and modern science." — Elena Passarello (04:42–05:19)

Innovative Eco-Toilets for Marathons

• Luke spotlights a UK company, Pequil, building urinals for female marathoners and using collected urine to fertilize wheat, ultimately baking hundreds of loaves of bread—a circular solution for large events.
  • “It’s brilliant to think that the nervous whees of thousands of women are helping a good cause. That is very British.” — quoting runner Susan Farrell (07:24)

2. Interview: Scaachi Koul on Sucker Punch (09:07–25:51)

On Family & Cultural Dynamics

• Scaachi reflects on growing up in a South Asian family in predominantly white Calgary, learning to communicate through passionate argument:
  • “I grew up in a really white area with loud, argumentative South Asian parents. So I learned really fast that that temperament does not take outside of my family dynamic. But I was raised by lunatics. But probably.” (09:42–09:59)
  • “There are differences in how certain white people fight and how all brown people fight. So when we argue, like, that's just like tea... that's just what we're having, a conversation... So rarely in my family did fights have any consequences for anybody.” (10:08–10:46)

On Parental Roles

• Her mother was the foundation; her father, comedic relief and a “menace to society” whose penchant for buying fake furniture on Facebook is a running joke (11:37–11:56)

On The Miracle of Her Birth

• Scaachi was a surprise baby after multiple miscarriages—her mother discovered the pregnancy during an exam before a scheduled hysterectomy:
  • “She was supposed to get a hysterectomy... they’re like, ‘We can't do the surgery unless you want us to terminate.’” (14:43–15:11)
  • “My father... somehow managed to get one by, which fills me with a rectitude I can't even approach. But I really think it is about me, not about him.” (15:17–15:34)

On Dislike for the Moon

• “First of all, it’s so bossy. I don’t like that it tells me what’s going to happen to the ocean. I think it does something to my period. I don’t like the moon.” (16:15–16:40)
• Mutual amusement over why the publisher let that stand with little further commentary.

On Writing as Content & Personal Reinvention

• Discusses the double-edged sword of memoir writing in the digital age.
  • “I wrote this whole book about my life and what I thought my life was... then a couple years after that, I realized everything that I thought I knew... was false. And they were these stories I told myself because they were safe.” (17:31–18:45)
• Separation, immigration, and the pandemic upended her life, leading to profound personal change.

On Divorce: The Taboo and Its Aftermath

• “Getting divorced is really embarrassing... to have to go around to the people who came to your wedding and… you have to walk that back.” (20:13–20:27)
• Her mother immediately surmised the marriage was over before Scaachi truly accepted it, with friends unsurprised:
  • “Every single person was like, ‘Oh, yeah. So what else is new?’” (21:54)
• Transmuting pain into art:
  • “Of course I was going to turn it into something... The only thing I had after my marriage ended was the story of how it ended. It was the only thing I was able to carry.” (22:05–23:24)
• The experience made her a “divorce doula,” supporting friends through their own splits and making her less tolerant of denial in others’ lives:
  • “I started to gain a reputation amongst my friends as a divorce doula. Every couple of months, old snacky ghoul got a phone call from someone being like, ‘I think I hate my husband.’ ... it is contagious.” (23:58–25:03)
  • “I’m a tough hang. No one's denying it. I’m hard at a party... but you know, it’s okay. People invite me to go on the radio. So that’s what I get.” (25:27–25:43)

3. Audience Question: Relationship Red Flags (27:19–30:31)

• Luke and Elena engage audience members on “red flags” they've observed in other people's relationships.
• Kelsey: “Whenever somebody says that they made their partner do something.” (27:45–27:55)
• Laura: “If somebody is dating somebody who's, like, never single... they might have codependency issues, that's a red flag.” (28:52–29:02)
• Scott: “If you're having more fun with their partner than they are, that's a red flag.” (29:40–29:44)
• Lighthearted banter ensues about the universality of denial and sitcom marriages.

4. Interview: Emma Ruth Rundle on Poetry & Music (31:25–41:20)

On Becoming a Poet

• Emma began reading poetry to develop her songwriting (for her album Engine of Hell), but the interest deepened and led her to write a full poetry collection:
  • “The last full length album I put out was called Engine of Hell and I wanted to do something very stripped back... And I started getting really invested in poetry then.” (31:36–32:10)

On Writing While Touring

• Poems were chiseled out on the road: “It gives you this interesting perspective, being in motion... It's very inconvenient to try to be working on a song on an airplane. Poetry, someone once said to me, is a very slow art.” (33:01–33:52)

Live Poetry Reading

• Emma reads “The Star Maker,” with improvised piano music on a record player, creating a haunting multimedia performance.
• “[The poem was] after Remedios Varo, a surrealist painter... there’s a tower... there’s a woman feeding a caged moon, a moon in a birdcage.” (37:06–37:56)

On Addiction, Recovery & Art

• Emma reflects on five years of sobriety: “The managing addiction, it’s something that never ends.” (38:22–38:32)
• For her, art is a way to process and reintegrate difficult personal experiences: “It’s always for me a great way to take experience outside of yourself, put it into something with form, and then you can examine it.” (38:46–39:03)

On Reading Too Much Hemingway

• Title poems in The Bella Vista refer to Hemingway and her “phase” of reading and being influenced by the author after watching a Ken Burns documentary:
  • “I was lonely and I was like, I think this guy would be a great boyfriend for me. Well, he’s not living, so we can’t get too close.” (39:34–39:57)

Second Poem: “The Bella Vista”

• Emma reads the book’s title poem, summing up her poetic longing for genuine expression:
  • “I wish I'd never known any language at all other than the giving of simple gifts.” (40:47–41:20)

5. Live Performance: Emma Ruth Rundle’s “Blooms of Oblivion” (45:19–51:19)

• Emma closes with a haunting live version of her song “Blooms of Oblivion” from the album Engine of Hell.
• Critically, her performance merges folk, ambient noise, and poetic lyrics, lauded for its emotional honesty and atmosphere.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Scaachi Koul:

  • “I write this whole book... Then a couple years after that, I realized everything that I thought I knew about my marriage, about myself... was false. And they were these stories I told myself because they were safe.” (17:31–18:45)
  • “It's mortifying. Can you imagine? Okay, I'm gonna throw this party about this ludicrous concept, this like risk. I'm throwing a party about a bet... Can you buy me a toaster for the bet, please?” (20:27)
  • “As soon as you start to see that there is a possibility to leave... and things will still be okay... As soon as other people see that you can do that, they don't like that because then they have to think about their own choices.” (24:04–24:53)

• Emma Ruth Rundle:

  • “Poetry, someone once said to me, is a very slow art. So it’s like I could chip away at the lines in a waiting room, waiting backstage after a show, in a van.” (33:01–33:52)
  • “Writing art, music, it’s always for me a great way to take experience outside of yourself, put it into something with form, and then you can examine it and kind of reintegrate it in a different way.” (38:46–39:03)
  • “I wish I'd never known any language at all other than the giving of simple gifts.” (41:13–41:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Good News of the Week: 02:00–09:07
• Scaachi Koul Interview: 09:07–25:51
• Audience Red Flags: 27:19–30:31
• Emma Ruth Rundle Interview & Poetry: 31:25–41:20
• Emma Ruth Rundle “Blooms of Oblivion” performance: 45:19–51:19

Episode Tone & Flow

The episode flows from bright humor (snakebites, marathon urinals) to deep, vulnerable conversation (cultural conflicts, divorce, and recovery) without losing its lively, conversational tone. Both Scaachi Koul and Emma Ruth Rundle infuse their stories with wit and candor, perfectly in step with Live Wire’s trademark blend of levity and sincerity.

For Listeners

Whether you’re here for catharsis, culture, a dose of poetic expression, or just some inventive good news, this Live Wire episode offers a rich, engaging tapestry of stories and sounds, perfect for fans of memoir, poetry, or well-crafted radio.