"My biggest fear is not protest, it's not anger, it's not division - it's apathy." So starts Randy Boyagoda's thoughts on finding common ground to talk to each other in deeply partisan times. Hint: it involves putting aside the smartphone and getting curious about others lives. A talk for everyone wondering where we go from here, and how.

Randy is a writer, thinker and advisor for civil discourse at the University of Toronto. This talk was recorded live at the Halifax Central Library, with the CBC's Adam Walsh, as part of the Hear Me Out conversation series.

In the Spotify era, it's hard to grasp that any song is inaccessible. But the Sons of Membertou's iconic debut album is proof. Or it was - until the Smithsonian Institution came along. Wendy Bergfeldt brings us this decades-spanning story of revival, an award-winning documentary that first aired in 2023.

PR - or permanent residency - is something Rupinder Kaur of Charlottetown, and so many other newcomers to Canada, hope for. But after back to back immigration cuts, PEI is no longer as welcoming as it once was. Steve Bruce brings us the story and struggle of people trying to call PEI home.

Rhivu Rashid expected a lonely Ramadan when he first moved to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, a world away from growing up with 32 family members in one house in Bangladesh. To keep himself busy, the host of CBC's Labrador Morning recorded an audio diary — and by the end of the holy month, he found community in a surprising place. This story first aired on Atlantic Voice in May 2024.

Society pushes us to couple up; romcoms double down on that. But what if you put friendship front and centre - even to the point of buying a house with your BFF? Writers and thinkers Rhaina Cohen and francesca ekwuyasi explore those ideas with the CBC's Elamin Abdelmahmoud. This talk was recorded live at the Halifax Central Library as part of the Hear Me Out conversation series, a partnership between CBC Atlantic and the Halifax Public Libraries.

This is the story of a giant squid, 150 years ago, that got its photo taken. It's a strange photo, with an even stranger history to match. The CBC's Mike Rossiter follows the giant squid's mystery from St. John's, to Yale University, to deep below the sea. (And if you want to see the picture at the heart of it all, we recommend Googling "Moses Harvey giant squid.") This story first aired on Atlantic Voice in 2023.

Have you ever considered how weirdly beautiful a blood cell can be? Kim Morgan has. The Halifax-based artist has been working with electron microscope scans of blood cells, belly button lint and more for a decade. She joins us to talk about body particles, the intersection of medicine and art, and how her mother sparked this scientific curiosity. Kim's artwork is on display now at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown.

Some of us curl into balls in the face of confrontation. Others pick a fight. Neither sounds super great for dealing with tough conversations, does it? Irshad Manji has thought a lot about how find common ground in polarized times, and the bestselling author and thinker joins Caroline Hillier on stage at the Halifax Central Library to explain all of that. A talk recorded in March 2024 as part of Hear Me Out, a collaboration between CBC Atlantic and the Halifax Public Libraries.

Ever wanted to walk all the way around PEI? The people you'll meet today have all tackled the 700km Island Walk - and all have personal reasons for this calorie-burning pilgrimage. Producer Laura Meader breaks a (tiny) sweat as she catches up with a few of them in her documentary, 700 Kilometres.

This story first aired on Atlantic Voice in December 2023.

Roughly half of the Acadian-Wabanaki forest lies in private hands. Now, some of those woodlot owners are trying to leverage their land to fight climate change - and secure the forests for future generations. A documentary by Moira Donovan.

Would you listen to Bon Jovi as you took your last breath? Everyone has their own idea of what they'd like to hear in their final moments, and Fredericton musician Cat LeBlanc has made a side gig composing those soundtracks. She takes us into this intimate process - one that involves her own story of grief. A documentary produced by Tori Weldon.