Lester Liao

Lester Liao

Toronto
Lester is a physician in Toronto and a co-founder of Common Pursuits. He has written for CBC, National Post, the Globe and Mail, HuffPost, and his daughter's letter collection.
Mar
03
Luca and Alberto stand in a picturesque Italian plaza.

Luca & The Misunderstood Child

As a culture, we tend to be more sympathetic to the Giulias and the Lucas than the Albertos.
9 min read
Jul
18
The Ninja Foodi & The Goodness of Machines

The Ninja Foodi & The Goodness of Machines

Lester Liao on being not anti-machine but, in many ways, very pro-machine.
3 min read
Feb
10
La Casa Madrigal from Disney's Encanto.

Encanto: The Miracle is You

Going beyond community expectations or individual-based achievement enables us to see differently, from a lens of merit to a lens of love. Love pierces through the veil of what we are for who we are.
8 min read
Nov
09
Unfulfilled by passion in Disney's Soul

Soul: Doing What You Love Won't Save You

We must fit our passions under another overarching narrative that can bear the weight of our deepest desires. The artwork cannot stand alone; it needs a frame.
8 min read
Jul
06
Hercules: Finding Your Place

Hercules: Finding Your Place

In a globalized, lonely world, we are all like Hercules. We all want to know where we belong. But is home in a place or a person?
8 min read
Jun
08
Nespresso Machine or Espresso Maker?

Nespresso Machine or Espresso Maker?

Sipping to the Good Life
3 min read
May
25
WALL-E: Looking Past Appearances

WALL-E: Looking Past Appearances

Herein are two approaches to life: technology as an end or technology as a means to the end.
6 min read
Mar
02
Aladdin: What's a Street Rat Worth?

Aladdin: What's a Street Rat Worth?

What's a street rat worth, and what makes his life worthwhile?
7 min read
Dec
08
Second-Round Lockdown

Second-Round Lockdown

Toronto just went back into lockdown. It's frustrating. We are tired of this pandemic. But going into lockdown the second time is not the same.
3 min read
Nov
17
Ratatouille: Devoted to Delight

Ratatouille: Devoted to Delight

What is often called snobbery is potentially an ardent devotion to what is good, if only we have the will to see.
7 min read