Craft, Perseverance, and In the Bear’s House, with Bruce Hunter

If you’ve ever wondered how your personal history and lived experiences might shape the stories you write, this conversation with novelist and poet Bruce Hunter will move and inspire you.

Bruce joins Rhonda to talk about the re-release of his award-winning novel In the Bear’s House (Frontenac House, 2024)—a powerful story set in 1950s and ’60s Alberta about a young mother raising her deaf son, told through two unforgettable points of view.

Born in Calgary on Treaty Seven lands, Bruce was deafened as an infant and has lived with low vision most of his life. His path to becoming a writer was anything but ordinary: he worked as a laborer, equipment operator, and Zamboni driver before earning a poetry scholarship to the Banff School of Fine Arts, where he studied with W.O. Mitchell and Irving Layton.

In this heartfelt discussion, Bruce shares how his lived experience shaped both the mother and son in In the Bear’s House—and why empathy, patience, and craftsmanship matter more to him than speed. 

He also opens up about the deep research that went into the novel, including his discovery of family connections with the Stoney Nakoda people and the true story of a friendship pipe that became a symbol of reconciliation.

Rhonda and Bruce talk about:

• Writing from multiple points of view and why he nearly abandoned the novel halfway through.
• How In the Bear’s House was translated into Italian before the English edition came out.
• The importance of place, memory, and sensory detail when writing about the Kootenay Plains.
• Balancing historical accuracy with emotional truth.
• The resilience it takes to stay creative across decades.

Bruce’s reflections on deafness, isolation, and finding one’s voice—both literally and artistically—make this a moving and unforgettable conversation.

Whether you’re deep in your first draft or revisiting work from years ago, this episode reminds us that storytelling is an act of endurance, curiosity, and care.

Links mentioned:

• In the Bear’s House by Bruce Hunter — Frontenac House (2024 edition)
• Bruce’s website.