Essays

Book Hiatus & Newsletter Redesign

Dear reader; In late 2022 and early 2023, I wrote the first draft of my memoir about coming of age among anarchists in Vancouver and Montréal. Once I…

23 hrs ago

The Right Looks for Converts; the Left Looks for Traitors

After publishing my essay about my life as an anarchist a few weeks ago, I got a message from a stranger on Instagram that read: “I’m trying to decide…

Apr 12

My Life as an Anarchist

When I was twenty, I moved to Montréal & pretty quickly fell into a group of friends who were activists like me. I hung from the top of a tripod to…

Mar 29

The Limits of Consent

MeToo provided important language, but it was a blunt instrument, and it didn’t provide insight into encounters that were awkward, uncomfortable or…

Mar 15

Guardians of Authenticity: The History & Future of Punk

Jason Myles is the host of the podcast THIS IS REVOLUTION, a musician (Bitter Lake, La Fin Absolute du Monde) and a dad that resides in Mexico. We…

Mar 8

The Trouble With the Guilt Economy

Even if you win, you lose.

Feb 23

How To Spot a Crybully

Since a local organization is currently under attack from false allegations of a social justice nature, crybullies have been on my mind, and it’s come…

Feb 2

Polyamory's Superiority Complex

When polyamorists are the butt of a joke, the premise is often that polyamorists believe themselves to be superior to the dull-eyed, monogamous masses…

Jan 19

The Futile Search for Purity

I never thought I would relate to people who’d left fundamentalist religions. I grew up atheist, with a mother who was loyal to science and a dad who…

Jan 5

My Year in Ten Books (2023)

An erotic, dreamlike novel that reads like a memoir. Hazel Jane Plante does a lot of worldbuilding for someone who’s not writing speculative fiction.

Dec 22, 2023

Why I Don't Believe in Allyship

& what I recommend in its place.

Dec 1, 2023

On the Arrival of Silver Hair

For a discussion of this essay, check out Hot Take Think Tank episode six. Every morning, I turn the trifold bathroom mirror inward so that it surrounds…

Nov 17, 2023

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts