Politics
Hey do you remember when we couldn’t wait to stop wearing masks indoors? I do. In March, 61 percent of Ontarians said they were in favour of lifting all pandemic measures, which by that point we thought had been in place for either long enough or too long. We’
Travel
They always want to know how long it takes. “About 18 hours of actual driving time,” I say, refusing to add the part that goes without saying. Going from Ottawa (Ontario) to Huntsville (Alabama) requires that you cross several states that mostly look exactly like the one you just left.
Gender
The first thing that hit my face as I walked out of the Seattle-Tacoma International airport was the haze. It was thick, pasty, greyish white and three-dimensional. Make that 4D, actually, on account of the smell that grabbed me by the throat. The forest fires that were foretold by the
Travel
“How do you two know each other?” It was all we could do not to burst out laughing. Are you really that unobservant? We thought it very loudly but we didn’t let our mouths say it. There are jokes you don’t make at customs, ever. Like, anything remotely
Fiction
Nobody ever goes to England for the warmth. I brought mine with me. And so did she. I came from Montréal, she from Brazil. I don’t remember her name. Only how she felt. Dancing, I like to say, is the body laughing. At least when it’s done well.
Fiction
(Artist/artiste: R. Robson) You’re not supposed to look at your phone when you cross a big downtown street, but you know how it is and please don’t judge me. L’urgence présumée de la situation et le petit bing annoncant l’arrivée d’un message sans doute
Travel
The excitement of coming back to Huntsville -- my fourth trip since November -- was not entirely related to the weather. Although, in Canada where I sat (frozen) while those lines were written, it’s been well below zero Fahrenheit for weeks and if you don’t know what below
Travel
Maybe you’re old enough to remember that when George W. Bush decided the world should invade Iraq not everyone in the world wanted to follow. By which I mean most didn’t but as usual in Republican politics, only the right opinions are deemed to matter. (I trust you
Français
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Dans le film Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne explique au personnage joué par Morgan Freeman qu’au bout du compte, il faut se décider à vivre et non dépérir. C’est dans cet esprit que je voudrais profiter des “bonnes nouvelles” annoncées par le premier ministre de l’Ontario
Fiction
La version originale de cette nouvelle, parue en anglais, est disponible sur le site du journal Hash. Tout devait être simple, pourtant. Débarque en Irlande, passe une semaine en compétition de karaté. Ajoute une journée de plus pour aller visiter les pierres tombales des ancêtres en banlieue de Belfast. Retour
Travel
Very few people remember Richard Reid. Even if I give you his nickname you might not twig, especially if you are blessed with being younger than a gen-Xer. Richard Reid is living at the expense of U.S. taxpayers in the maximum security facility in Florence, Colorado. He is serving
Travel
Out of curiosity, how many of you have looked up what in the Greek alphabet comes after omicron? And am I the only one who doesn’t give a black olive at this point? It’s been nearly two years of us, sensible smart people that we are, doing all