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Person2Person with Paula Todd Share in the hard-won wisdom and life lessons of people who have overcome formidable challenges. Designed to teach us about living fully and how to cope with adversity, Person2Person with Paula Todd is empowering television. Each half-hour program offers a "heart-to-heart" with an individual of great courage — most likely revealed after an unexpected tragedy or life setback or, for others, honed through a difficult upbringing or ongoing struggle. People profiled have taken these negative experiences and, through sheer strength of character, turned them into a positive force. Acclaimed journalist Paula Todd, co-host of TVO's Studio 2, conducts each revealing interview. Paula's deft and intelligent questioning style — coupled with her sensitivity and compassion — reveals the spirit and humanity of her admirable guests.

PROGRAMS

Jean Little BPN 798704 Jean Little is one of Canada’s most successful children’s authors. For over four decades her books have made a mark on generations of children. But Jean Little’s life as a blind writer is every bit as interesting as her stories. (26:38) Alan Young BPN 798705 Toronto lawyer Alan Young is an enemy of the establishment, a rebel with many causes. But he is also one of the sharpest legal minds in Canada who's never shied away from lost causes or unpopular clients. (Viewer discretion is advised.) (27:35) barbara Arrowsmith Young BPN 798718 Special education instruction helps compensate for learning disabilities, but never has anyone attempted to change the structure of the brain… until Barbara Arrowsmith Young came long. As a child, she herself was so severely learning-disabled that she was called “retarded”. Not one to accept limitations, Young set out to fight against her disability and the naysayers. (28:14) Sister Elaine Macinnes BPN 798728 Sister Elaine MacInnes is a Roman Catholic nun, and one of a very few Zen masters in the Western world. She has taken her method of meditation to convicts in England, political prisoners in the Philippines, and has been recognized with the Order of Canada. (27:56) Sally Armstrong BPN 798732 As Editor-in-Chief for Homemakers magazine, Sally Armstrong traveled around the world to tell the stories of oppressed women and their tragedies. She was a crusader and a high energy-achiever: three beautiful children, a loving home, a wonderful career. Then one daya terrible tragedy hit her own home. (26:40) Oriah Mountain Dreamer BPN 798737 Her name, given to her by Native Indian elders, means “one who likes to push the edge”. Now, Oriah Mountain Dreamer encourages others to challenge their day-to-day lives. But she one had to heal herself after an abusive marriage and chronic fatigue syndrome. (28:00) Helen McLean BPN 852011 Like many women of her generation, Helen McLean did what she was supposed to do: get married, shelve her ambitions, raise her children, and support her husband's career. And then one day she woke up and ran away to Prince Edward County. Now in her 70s, Helen McLean is an accomplished author and artist whose work is exhibited across the country. (28:00) Dan Haley BPN 852014 Twenty years ago, if you had told Dan Haley that he was going to be a respected social worker, a prison chaplain, and a published author, he probably would have laughed and ordered another drink. For most of his adult life he was an alcoholic, drug addict and self-proclaimed wife abuser. Then Dan admitted what he had been hiding—he couldn't read. (28:00) Jill Frayne BPN 852018 When Jill Frayne's long-term relationship broke up, she packed up her car and trekked across Canada with a tent, a kayak, and her journal. And along the way, she tackled her fears. (28:00) Sondra Gotlieb BPN 852019 For half her life, Sondra Gotlieb fulfilled the traditional role of wife and mother. She supported her husband Allan in his diplomatic career, most notably as the Canadian Ambassador to the United States. Now she is an award-winning writer and celebrity in her own right. (28:00) Ainsworth Morgan BPN 852024 Ainsworth Morgan was raised in a tough, crime-ridden housing project by a single mother. Today the former football star is a respected teacher in that same neighborhood. (28:00) Howard Engel BPN 852028 Howard Engel is one of Canada's pre-eminent crime novelists. But what makes him a mystery to famed neurologist Oliver Sacks is the stroke that left Engel with an unusual brain condition called Alexia. Engel can write, but he says reading is like trying to push a ton of raw liver uphill. (28:00) Dr. Alastair Cunningham BPN 852029 When Dr Alistair Cunningham was told he had a one in three chance of surviving his colon cancer, he underwent surgery and headed off to an ashram. That was 16 years ago. He credits luck and his spiritual outlook for saving his life. (28:00) Vivienne Poy BPN 852036 Vivienne Poy was born into a wealthy Chinese family and was supposed to lead a privileged life. But when the Japanese invaded Hong Kong, her family was forced to run for their lives. Eventually, Poy pieced together a life that mirrored her family's stature back in China. She has been a clothing designer, author and now a Senator in Canada's Parliament. (28:00) Isobel Anderson BPN 852037 Isobel Anderson was one of the first black, female officers on police forces in two different countries. But she’s most proud of how, after being pricked by a hypodermic needle, she was able to fight for a new law that will protect others. (28:00) Susan Aglukark BPN 852042 Susan Aglukark used music to help her work through issues of abuse and the isolation of growing up in the far north of Canada. (28:00) Dr. Bryan Walls BPN 852043 In his historical novel, The Road That Led to Somewhere, Dr. Bryan Walls traces his great-great-grandparents amazing journey from slavery to freedom on the Underground Railroad. (28:00) Wayson Choy BPN 852051 Novelist Wayson Choy's biggest shock was not that his very first novel became a national bestseller. Or that he shared the prestigious Trillium Award with literary giant Margaret Atwood. It came when, at the age of 57, he found out he was adopted. (28:00) Arnie Stewart BPN 852055 Don’t drink the water. Adults Only. Slippery when wet. These are some of the signposts along the highway of life. But what if you had to wander down the back roads because you couldn’t figure out the directions? That’s what happened to Arnie Stewart, because, for most of his life, he couldn’t read or write. His illiteracy didn’t just hold him back in life – it almost killed him. Today Arnie Stewart is no longer afraid of words. (28:00) Nhung Hoang BPN 852059 Born into a life of privilege in Vietnam, young poet Nhung Hoang fled to Canada after the communists took control in 1975. (28:00) Jack Rabinovitch BPN 852065 The Giller Prize for Canadian fiction is a memorial to Jack Rabinovitch’s late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller. When Giller died of cancer at the age of 63, family friends recall a husband’s grief so profound it took their breath away. A year later, Rabinovitch launched the prize that bears his late wife’s name—and the flashy party that goes with it. (28:00)

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