Oliver Moorcraft-Sykes is an acclaimed spiritualist, scrivener, and amateur orthodontist living and writing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His accomplishments are too many and varied to list, but suffice it to say that he’s done everything that George Santos has done, and then some. Should you have any questions or concerns about his writing, please do not hesitate to try and contact him.
Well, I don’t know about you, but from where I stand the world looks a little dodgy these days. As in, the wheels might soon fall off. As Bob Dylan once pointed out, it’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there. Still, all the darkness in the world hasn’t yet managed to completely annihilate the… Read more »
I’m writing this column on the afternoon of Canada Day, a once laid-back holiday that we are now encouraged to see as, like so much else in our world, divisive and tainted by the darkness of colonial history. Also at this time, right wing populism is gaining ground in Canada, both provincially and federally. As… Read more »
Whenever I am in search of a solid foundation of wisdom upon which to build the structure of my life, I don’t look to religion or philosophy. I tend, instead, to evoke the moral principles and pragmatic understanding that I have gained from several years of working in restaurants, as well as the many more… Read more »
I have found myself, lately, finding refuge from the troubles of the world by spending time revisiting some old films and books that I have enjoyed in the past. It seems somewhat counterintuitive, but the most comforting of these mini-escapes have come in the form of old horror stories. Sitting in the backyard on weekend… Read more »
I do love sleep, but we have trust issues. Such a capricious and fickle lover, always promising to stay the night, but so often and so disappointingly disappearing in the wee small hours, just when needed the most. Good thing there are several playlists for this kind of thing. (I have playlists for nearly every… Read more »
After a restless night, you get a late start on the day. It’s well after ten o’clock, and you’re still drinking your morning coffee, gloomily contemplating the day ahead. A spider web in the corner of the ceiling, a partially clogged drain, a sink full of dirty dishes, a basket full of unwashed clothes. All… Read more »
One of the most potent aspects of art is that it can help us understand and come to terms with the darker aspects of the world and ourselves. The mysterious power that the storyteller brings to bear is their ability to simultaneously call forth, examine, and assuage the fears that haunt us, the traumas that… Read more »
Perhaps because of my well-known penchants for sloth and hedonism, people close to me have been trying to convince me I would enjoy a visit to a local Nordic spa. They are absolutely bewildered when I try to explain to them that this is way, way down on the list of things I am eager… Read more »
As Alexander Pope once pointed out, to err is human. Mistakes, just like forms of love, are of infinite variety, coming in all shapes and sizes. Error, clanger, boner, blunder, mishap, foible, fuck up, and faux pas; viewed from a certain perspective, my own life has been an impressive litany of them. There are those… Read more »
A friend of mine (let’s call him Nels, because that’s his name) is one of those really gloomy types you sometimes meet. He’s forever whingeing on about the way human beings are devastating and wasting the planet. Sort of like doom scrolling personified. Maybe I am shallow, blasé, and oblivious, but I just can’t abide… Read more »