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 »
From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge. Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile. From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and… Read more »
“What ever could life have been like before there was Tik Tok? Wasn’t everyone awfully, irremediably, bored to tears? And what was it like not having influencers for you to relate to?” These questions, when asked to any of us wizened over-thirty types, might elicit snorts and guffaws, but it merits more than a cursory… Read more »
From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge. Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile. From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and… 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 »
Developing a nose for the inane is a vital tool for neophyte social theorists. Each sniff of trite entertainment leads to an understanding of the social cause of the sensation; few things in culture are quite what they seem, after all. Take the phrase “the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.” This tongue… Read more »
Q: “You act like you’re the smartest person in the room; why does everything have to be a lengthy lecture with you?” A: “Oh yeah, no, I know I’m acting!” Performativity, that cherished theme of Mannville, Alberta’s sociological superhero Erving Goffman, is ground zero for how we present ourselves. Yet, even if we know that… 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 »
From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge. Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile. From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and… Read more »
St John’s, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, is Canada’s easternmost city. The city is on the Avalon Peninsula in southeast Newfoundland, facing the Atlantic Ocean. The site of seasonal fishing camps centuries ago, the large protected harbour made St John’s an attractive location for a major trading centre. St John’s was established as a… Read more »