Part One: Mildred Baxter

Legend has it that folk-hero Mildred Baxter came to Harbour Breton in the mid-1840s to settle a score with her cheating fiance.

In order to make the trip from her home in England, she adopted a secret identity. She disguised herself as a man and took up life in Harbour Breton alongside her fiance and his new bride.

It’s a fascinating tale of love, lies and revenge that stretches the limits of credibility.

Read: ⁠The Love and Lies of Mildred Baxter and Paul Langstone⁠

Part Two: Rosemary Lawton Talks Jackets and Trousers

Rosemary Lawton is an award-winning singer-songwriter with a keen interest in Newfoundland music. She is a classically trained violinist, educator and writer. She has recorded traditional Newfoundland music (Fierce and Untamed), original compositions (Canvas) and published the book, Resilience: A Collection of Empowering Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador Women.

Rosemary joins me on Strange Truths and Tall Tales to discuss Mildred Taylor, the tradition of ‘Jacket and Trouser’ songs, and her own songwriting.

Hear Rosemary Lawton at the following links:

Rosemary Lawton (website)
Resilience, Rosemary Lawton
Apple Music
Spotify
Instagram

Part Three: Kyle Callahan’s Monsters

Kyle Callahan is a visual artist from Mount Pearl, NL. He’s sometimes called ‘The Godzilla Guy’ owing to his popular artwork featuring classic movie monsters (like Godzilla) exploring Newfoundland. His artwork has recently been featured in the new Engen publication The Fairies of Foggy Island.

Kyle discusses his work and explains how Godzilla discovered St. John’s harbour.

See Kyle Callahan’s work:

Kyle Callahan (website)
Instagram

Part Four: Monstrous Things

The season, I’ve been capping off each episode with a segment I call Monstrous Things. It features tales of a Newfoundland sea monster sightings reported in the mainstream media.

This edition takes us back to 1888 on Newfoundland’s Grand Banks, when an enormous sea monster was seen by fisherman aboard the Schooner Augusta. The sighting was described in the Evening Telegram on August 25th, 1888.

Sources & Further Reading

The Love and Lies of Mildred Baxter and Paul Langstone, Product of Newfoundland
History, Town of Harbour Breton
The Ballad of Mildred Baxter, Simani
Rosemary Lawton
Resilience, Rosemary Lawton
Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland, Elisabeth Greenleaf
Kyle Callahan
The Fairies of Foggy Island, Melissa Bishop, Nicole Russel, & Kyle Callahan, Engen Books
Sea Monster Attack, Product of Newfoundland
Monster of the Deep, The Evening Telegram, August 25, 1888

Francis Pickmore's Worst Winter. Ever.

Strange Truths and Tall Tales: Product of NewfoundlandBy Robert (@productofnfld)Feb 26, 2023