Podcast Summary: New Books Network

Episode: Bruce Hunter, "In the Bear's House" (Frontenac House, 2025)
Host: Holly Gattery
Date: October 12, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Holly Gattery interviews Bruce Hunter about his acclaimed novel In the Bear’s House, recently reissued by Frontenac House. The conversation revolves around the book’s exploration of disability, the wildness of nature, family dynamics, and the complexities of perspective and cultural representation. Hunter discusses the autobiographical roots of the story, his experiences with disability, the depiction of wildness as intrinsic to humanity, and the careful portrayal of Indigenous characters and relationships. The conversation is both deeply personal and broadly resonant, moving from moments of literary craft to humorous anecdotes about boyhood and candid reflections on inclusion and cultural sensitivity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of the Story & Its Autobiographical Elements

[03:23–06:00]

• The book’s "nucleus" comes from multiple places: “Boy, that came from I think probably a half dozen different places… But about 25 or so years ago I wrote a poem called Two O' Clock Creek.” (Bruce Hunter, 03:35)
• Hunter’s visit to Kootenay Plains as a boy inspired the setting; his own experience of deafness and visual impairment informs the novel’s exploration of disability.
• The story is partly a quest to understand his childhood and his parents: “There was a lot of mystery around the time and also around my parents’ personal life… So that’s partly where it came from.” (Bruce Hunter, 05:02)
• On writing: “Just because you are something doesn’t mean you have insight into it… For me, it was an attempt to solve some problems and answer some questions and, as a teacher, to pass along the stories and the history that I’d learned.” (Bruce Hunter, 05:27)

2. Representation of Disability & Narrative Perspective

[06:00–10:34]

• Reviewers praised the nuanced representation of disability: “Hunter, who is deaf himself, recognizes Trout’s partial deafness as fundamental, but allows Trout to find ways of knowing and identity beyond that.” (06:24, paraphrasing Friction Literature review)
• Unique narrative structure: Trout’s perspective is third person, while Claire’s—the mother’s—is first person.
• The shift in perspective was a mid-process realization: “I was three years into the book before I realized if I don’t tell this story at least partly from a mother’s point of view, I don’t really have an honest or authentic book.” (Bruce Hunter, 08:52)
• The story honors the “enormous amount of unsaid, unpaid legwork by mothers,” especially in supporting children with disabilities in the 1950s and 60s.

3. Wildness, Identity, and the Human-Nature Relationship

[10:34–21:11]

• Holly discusses wildness as integral to humanity: “There is an inseparable distinction between who we are as human beings and our natural surroundings… we are wildness.” (Holly Gattery, 10:48)
• Hunter discusses how his family’s closeness to the land influenced him, and how disability can lead to developing “other powers”—especially observation: “When someone has a disability, they start to learn other powers… In my case, it was reading… On the other side, there was a tactile relationship with nature…” (Bruce Hunter, 14:13)
• On the power of observation: “We listen to the skin, we feel through our skin… there’s a great deal of information being received by animals, wild animals, and humans who may not have some of the advantages other people have.” (Bruce Hunter, 18:24)
• Story of heightened senses: Hunter’s sense of smell often guides him (“If I can’t find a coffee place, I follow my nose…”) (19:43)

4. Disability, Fear, and Overcoming Barriers

[21:11–24:07]

• Hunter draws a parallel between disability and the experience of wildness, focusing on fear: “One of the greatest disabilities we all have is fear… the fear is often much, much greater than in actuality.” (Bruce Hunter, 21:16)
• Shares anecdotes about traveling while deaf and the challenges it brings—with humor: “You idiot, you’ve been deaf all your life… and you’re deaf in every language in the world.” (Bruce Hunter, 23:42)

5. Portrayal of Indigenous Culture & Cultural Literacy

[13:21–27:00, 27:00–32:00, circling back at 31:17]

• The novel includes Indigenous characters and culture, reflected from Hunter’s real-life encounters and research: “They shared their culture and shared their stories as well… And a lot of the stories I share were stories that were shared with me… by the elders of my own Scottish clan or the elders of the Stony Nakota.” (Bruce Hunter, 16:02)
• Hunter is careful with representation: “I believe in cultural sensitivity and cultural literacy… The challenge in telling the story was that the history is constantly being updated…” (27:00/30:19)
• On reconciling outside-in and inside-out views: “Trout has an explosive sensitivity. He is the canary in the coal mine.” (30:53)
• Hunter involved Indigenous readers as sensitivity readers and based characters’ experiences on authentic stories and histories: “I had Indigenous friends read the book. I had that level of sensitivity reading.” (Holly Gattery, 31:17)

6. Coming-of-Age, Boyishness, and Humor

[36:43–47:26]

• The novel is praised for its depiction of boyishness and playfulness, even amid serious themes: “There is such lightness and play… even when Trout goes out to live with his aunt and uncle… there’s boyishness that reminds me of Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn vibes…” (Holly Gattery, 36:43)
• Morality and values are explored through Trout’s character—his readiness to help, influenced by his upbringing.
• Hunter’s intentional use of humor and body-related anecdotes (notably fart jokes) as both realism and sensory experience: “When you think of what being deaf is, it’s not so much not hearing, but it’s not being heard. And certainly the act of farting is a way of being heard because it’s shock…” (Bruce Hunter, 39:46)
  • Memorable moment: “The interviewer for Calgary Herald zeroed in on… ‘trout loves to fart.’ And I started laughing…” (Bruce Hunter, 39:19)
• On creative survival: “If you didn’t have something, you made it… which is the ultimate form of creativity.” (Bruce Hunter, 44:54)
• Personal mantra: “Let’s have fun. Let’s not stress out… If this is our last day on the planet, let’s have fun.” (Bruce Hunter, 46:34)

7. What’s Next for Bruce Hunter

[47:26–49:34]

• Hunter reflects on his recent book tour in Italy and the reception of his work: “I have tears in my eyes. This is on a regular basis. My next book, fingers crossed, I’ve already started…” (Bruce Hunter, 47:36)
• Next project involves travels in Vietnam and Cambodia, focusing on encounters with working people and sensory experiences:
  • “I put my hand out to shake the hand of the man who was making the incense… Both hands were bright red… And I thought, thank God I’m a poet and thank God I was raised the way I was, which is to shake the hand of someone who is making the thing that you are going to use.” (Bruce Hunter, 48:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Listening is multisensory. It includes occlusion, which is another way of saying, we listen to the skin, we feel through our skin…” (Bruce Hunter, 18:24)
• “One of the greatest disabilities we all have is fear. And the fear is often much, much greater than in actuality.” (Bruce Hunter, 21:16)
• “You idiot, you’ve been deaf all your life… and you’re deaf in every language in the world.” (Bruce Hunter, 23:42, on the panic of traveling abroad)
• “Creative is… if you didn’t have something, you made it… which is the ultimate form of creativity.” (Bruce Hunter, 44:54)
• “Let’s have fun. Let’s not stress out… If this is our last day on the planet, let’s have fun.” (Bruce Hunter, 46:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Origins & Autobiographical Roots — 03:23–06:00
• Disability & Narrative Perspective — 06:00–10:34
• Human/Nature Connection & Wildness — 10:34–21:11
• Disability and Fear — 21:11–24:07
• Cultural Representation, Indigenous Characters — 13:21–27:00, revisited at 31:17–32:00
• Coming-of-Age, Humor, and Boyishness — 36:43–47:26
• What’s Next for Bruce Hunter — 47:26–49:34

Tone & Style

True to the spirit of the novel, the conversation is candid, humorous, and compassionate. Both the author and the host explore challenging topics with warmth and honesty—balancing deep literary analysis, reflections on disability and belonging, and laugh-out-loud moments about childhood antics and family quirks.

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a thorough, lively discussion of In the Bear’s House—an essential, multi-layered novel about disability, wildness, culture, and family. Hunter’s insights and anecdotes, combined with Gattery’s thoughtful questions, make for an engaging listen that is equally enlightening for educators, readers, and aspiring writers.

Recommended for:

• Teachers seeking inclusive, nuanced literature
• Readers interested in disability representation
• Anyone reflecting on the deep intertwining of landscape, identity, and story