Monday, March 2, 2026
“I don’t know if anyone has noticed but I only ever write about one thing: being alone. The fear of being alone, the desire to not be alone, the attempts we make to find our… Read More
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Oh, the poor em dash. Often overused by writers like me, it’s now become a symbol of cheating, a giveaway that someone had an AI like ChatGPT whip up an essay for them. Pity, because… Read More
Sunday, March 1, 2026
“I wanted to create a woman who would be representative of my mother’s generation, because these women are leaving us, and I feel a great debt of gratitude to them. Not only was I raised… Read More
Saturday, February 28, 2026
If there’s an industry that could use a proverbial drink, it’s the booze industry in the United States. Consider this. American wine and beer exports fell in 2025, and fell hard — a drop of… Read More
Saturday, February 28, 2026
“I learned this lesson too late, frankly: Do not judge it while you’re doing it. Do not go back and fix things that are 20 pages ago when you’re already 20 pages past that. You’ll… Read More
Friday, February 27, 2026
Most journalists are accustomed to encountering a politician who is thrown by a question, or who seems uncertain while formulating an answer. Occasionally, though, you get the “deer in the headlights” look, with a politician… Read More
Friday, February 27, 2026
“Only the mob and the elite can be attracted by the momentum of totalitarianism itself. The masses have to be won by propaganda.” — Hannah Arendt Hannah Arendt, who had an enormous influence on what… Read More
Thursday, February 26, 2026
We’re having a record-setting time in the St. John’s metro area this month. A few days ago, we passed the mark of 170.2 centimetres of accumulated snowfall, making it the snowiest February since record-keeping got… Read More
Thursday, February 26, 2026
“The great advantage of having a reputation for being stupid: people are less suspicious of you.”— Richard Curtis These words come out of the mouth of Tom, the richer-than-rich, loyal and slightly daft friend in… Read More
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Beirut is the band in which Zach Condon expresses his ideas, or gets a few things out of his system. Like, say, divorce. Perth is a song released on Beirut’s album No No No in… Read More
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
“Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them.”— Agatha Christie Composed for the short story Witness for the Prosecution (later a play, and later adapted several times for the screen), this insight from… Read More
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
I have written plenty of obituaries over my time, and by that I mean news stories about public figures whose lives were remarkable. I also wrote or edited many articles involving death. There’s a language… Read More
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
“It is very well known that you learn more from failure—when things are not working well… It is very important not to focus on success—it’s so rare. If you want instant gratification, don’t be a… Read More
Monday, February 23, 2026
Here’s a quick look at some podcasts that might be worthy of your ears. I’m really looking forward to reading the new novel from St. John’s writer Sharon Bala. Good Guys evidently takes a swipe… Read More
Monday, February 23, 2026
“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.”– Laurence J. Peter Born in Vancouver, Peter found fame in the United States, and became well enough known that… Read More