Ira Wells | The Walrus
Skip to content

The Walrus

Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation

The Walrus
  • Support The Walrus
  • Subscribe to The Walrus
    • Renew your subscription
    • Get our latest issue
    • Give a gift subscription
  • Sections
    • Hope You're Well
    • Environment
    • Current Affairs
    • Society
    • Health
    • Business
    • Arts & Culture
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
    • Memoir
  • Events
    • The Walrus Events
    • The Walrus Talks Video Room
    • The Walrus Talks Leadership Forums
    • The Walrus Talks Leadership Roundtable
  • The Walrus Lab
    • Amazon Canada First Novel Award
    • Media Kit
    • What We Do
    • Our Projects
    • The Insider newsletter
  • Podcasts
    • The Deep Dive
    • The Conversation Piece
    • Let's Talk About the Internet
    • Bandwidth
    • What About Water
    • The Edge of Energy
    • Courage Inc.
  •   Newsletters
  •   About The Walrus
  • Shop The Walrus
Menu
  • Sections

    Business

    Environment

    Society

    Politics

    Arts & Culture

    Health

    Fiction

    Poetry

    Memoir

    Education

    Justice

    Current Affairs

    Special Series

    Hope You're Well

    For the Love of the Game

    Living Rooms

    In Other Worlds

    More Special Series ⇒

    NEWSLETTERS

    Weekly Newsletter

    The Events Newsletter

    The Walrus Lab Insider Newsletter

    Subscribe

    Get our latest issue:

    Subscribe to The Walrus magazineRenew or Gift a subscriptionChange your address

    Events

    The Walrus Events

    The Walrus Talks Video Room

    PODCASTS

    The Deep Dive

    The Conversation Piece

    Let's Talk About the Internet

    Bandwidth

    What About Water

    The Edge of Energy

    Courage Inc.

    The Walrus Lab

    Amazon Canada First Novel Award

    What We Do

    Our Services

    Our Projects

    The Insider Newsletter

    SHOP THE WALRUS

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
The Walrus

Ira Wells

Ira Wells teaches literature and cultural criticism at the University of Toronto. His work has appeared in The New Republic, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Puritan, and elsewhere.
A rich man with a monocle wipes his tears with a one-hundred-dollar bill.
Books

A War on the Rich? A New Book Aims to Dispel Anger toward Affluence

May 4, 2022May 4, 2022 - by Ira Wells

We shouldn’t criticize the 1 percent, In Defence of Wealth insists—we should thank them

Read More
A collage of Cher and Nicholas Cage kissing in the film Moonstruck superimposed on top of an outline of the Manhattan skyline and a full moon.
Film / July/August 2021

The Making of Moonstruck

June 28, 2021October 18, 2021 - by Ira Wells

The 1987 rom-com starring Cher and Nicolas Cage seemed doomed to fail. Director Norman Jewison turned it into a modern classic

Read More
Members of the far-right group the Proud Boys gather in E street northwest before marching into Freedom Plaza, in Washington, DC
Politics

Labelling the Proud Boys Terrorists May Do More Harm than Good

February 24, 2021April 13, 2022 - by Ira Wells

The decision may feel like justice, but expanding the designation could have unintended consequences

Read More
Photo of Steve Bannon holding a microphone.
Politics

The Night Steve Bannon Came to Toronto

November 5, 2018September 14, 2021 - by Ira Wells

His Munk Debate with David Frum filled an auditorium with sound and fury, but was anyone listening?

Read More
Kathleen Wynne stands
Politics

The Unpopularity of Female Politicians Has Everything to Do With Sexism

June 5, 2018March 9, 2021 - by Ira Wells

Why voters love to hate leaders like Kathleen Wynne

Read More
Illustration of Brian Mulroney
Politics

The New Life of Brian Mulroney

April 19, 2018June 25, 2021 - by Ira Wells

A new biography reassesses the legacy—and tracks the comeback—of our eighteenth prime minister

Read More
portrait of jordan peterson
Society

The Professor of Piffle

November 27, 2017December 17, 2019 - by Ira Wells

The dangerous underside of Jordan Peterson’s crusade against the humanities

Read More
Illustration by Franziska Barczyk
Politics

Punching Nazis Won’t End Fascism

October 17, 2017April 3, 2020 - by Ira Wells

Antifa argues that violence is necessary, but a rigorous democracy is a far stronger weapon

Read More
Courtesy of the Province of British Columbia
Arts & Culture

Why Canada’s New Cultural Policy Will Be Terrible for the Arts

October 3, 2017April 3, 2020 - by Ira Wells

Turning artists into tech entrepreneurs is a triumph of Silicon Valley values

Read More
Photo by Lauren Southern
Media

The Unwitting Role of Canadian Media in Marketing Hatred

August 14, 2017April 5, 2020 - by Ira Wells

What responsibility do mainstream journalists have when reporting on the antics and ideas of far-right provocateurs?

Read More

Posts navigation

1 2 Next

Our Latest Issue

Cover of the June issue of The Walrus magazine. June 2022
The legacy of Canadian soldiers in Ukraine, how credit scores can ruin lives, the superficial diversity of Canadian TV, and the story of Sarah Polley.

BB Ad for Twitter spaces event on Sept. 17, 2021

Part of The Trust Project

Read more about The Trust Project and how this article fits in it

Part of The Trust Project

The Trust Project is a collaboration among news organizations around the world. Its goal is to create strategies that fulfill journalism’s basic pledge: to serve society with a truthful, intelligent and comprehensive account of ideas and events.

Learn more.
Behind The Story

Editorial Policies

Read more about our editorial policies here.


Walrus logo with tusks and Canada's Conversation

​​The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.
Read more on our About Us page.

About The Walrus

  • About Us
  • Our Staff
  • Contact
  • Submissions
  • Careers & Fellowships
  • Advertise with us

The Walrus Lab

What we do
Our Services
Our Projects
Our Clients
Get in touch

The Walrus Lab

  • Amazon Canada First Novel Award
  • What we do
  • Our Services
  • Our Projects
  • Our Clients
  • Get in Touch

Subscribe

  • Magazine Subscription
  • Weekly Newsletter
  • Events Newsletter
  • The Conversation Piece Podcast

More

  • The Walrus Talks @Home
  • The Walrus Books
  • The Walrus Podcasts
  • Magazine Archives
  • Policies and Standards
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
© 2022 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved.
Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001

The Walrus uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Learn more or change your cookie preferences.

×
×

Do you believe a healthy society relies on informed citizens? For only $5, help us keep our journalism available to all.  

   Exclusive updates, a free tote, and more!

×


Do you believe a healthy society relies on informed citizens? For only $5, help us keep our journalism available to all.

×

×

×