We Regret to Inform You: The Rejection Podcast

Another podcast review?

Well, there are two very good reasons for me to write a review about this particular podcast:

1. A few relatives came up to visit Montréal – with me as an option, I think – this weekend. I showed them around the old part of the city (Vieux-Port – Old Port), noting the stores, cafes, bars, and history of this preserved cultural area. At a terrasse, we sat down for a drink and I learned a lot about my cousins and their lives. One works in advertising; another is running her own business. One other has just bought a house. And I had to sit there, nursing my one espresso, while wondering about how I was going to pay my rent for next month. Of course, none of my concerns were voiced, but they were all over my thoughts as I took them to an indoor market and noted how they were haggling over jewelry in one small boutique. What was I doing with my life?

2. When I got home on the Saturday, I had an online class that had to be moved from the middle of the week due to some last-minute problems. My student, a very nice young woman, was in tears as she discussed the harassment she was facing at work because the man in charge of her team felt that her English was not yet strong enough (his French was very poor, but this was not mentioned in their discussions). I really did not know what to say. It was the first time that I had ever seen her cry in all the sessions we had online. And I told her to stay in touch with me and to let me know if there was anything I could do to help.

And those are two of the reasons why I decided to write about the latest podcast discovery made this past week.

“We Regret to Inform You: The Rejection Podcast” is all about the famous and their trials and tribulations before they gained that fame. I did not discover it on an app; it was from CBC Radio One that I learned about it and listened to the very first episode. It covered the career of Stephen King and his first success with the novel “Carrie,” a book that he began, tossed into the trash, and only finished because his wife fished it out – it was her turn to take out the trash (imagine if it wasn’t) – and she wanted to know how it would end. And I continued to listen on my smartphone as they covered the early hurdles of Alanis Morissette, The Duffer Brothers (creators of “Stranger Things”), Bill Hader (his anxiety is the main theme), and, of course, Monty Python’s Flying Circus (no real surprises there). The list of episodes – the show is now in its sixth season – includes Jim Carrey, Lady Gaga, Pedro Pascal, Breaking Bad, Walt Disney, The Supremes, Missy Elliot, Sandra Oh, and the Rubik’s Cube (yes, each and every one of the people, shows and things mentioned above were rejected by the powers that should not have been).

Has this helped me find my own focus and the will to keep writing? Am I working with stars in my eyes? Well, Stephen had thirty rejections for that novel and still did not give up (thank his wife, Tabitha, for his persistence). Alanis Morissette flew to Los Angeles without any money or contacts, just a will to succeed (she tried busking for change; the police had other plans). I have over 700 pieces up on Vocal, three Honorable Mentions, two books on Amazon, and the unrelenting urge to keep my hand in the game. Giving up is not really an option for me anymore.

How about you?

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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