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.

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?

Sipping to the Good Life

Herein are two approaches to life: technology as an end or technology as a means to the end.

What's a street rat worth, and what makes his life worthwhile?

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.

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

Coffee does much more than get us through the day (or night), but it can't be rushed.

Introducing a new series: Disney Retrospective: "Some 20 years after the release of Disney's animated Mulan, my thoughts on the movie have changed."

Used books, like the used and repair economies in general, call into question the value of production for production's sake.

Music has a profound ability to shape our experience of the world.

The shaping power of my little library goes beyond the suggestion to bury myself in Dostoevsky. The library is my life history collected across volumes; these are the ideas and stories that have formed me.

When you’re largely stuck indoors, even the building next door becomes special. And I see how this house blocks the sun, how it abuts the little walkway between our buildings that makes me feel cramped and unwelcome. No wonder I rarely step through here.

Relationships are a natural and essential part of being human. Because they happen naturally, it's very easy to take relationships for granted. Our culture of busyness doesn't help.