Natalie Vineberg | The Walrus

Illustration of a doctor watching a house with a parent and child playing in the yard. A blank space separates the doctor from the house. The background is bright orange.

COVID-19

Health Care Workers Still Fear Bringing the Pandemic Home

August 6, 2020August 7, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

We may have flattened the curve, but nurses, doctors, and staff can’t relax—the worst may be yet to come

Illustration of a public transit bus on a pedestal. The color scheme is blue, yellow, and orange.

Cities

The Fight to Save Public Transit

August 4, 2020August 4, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

COVID-19 has accelerated an already dire transit crisis. Why can’t we make ridership free?

Illustration of a woman walking across a tightrope against a royal blue background. Swirling in the air around her are various objects showing the collision of work and parenting life––paperwork, children's alphabetical building blocks, a cup of coffee, a bottle, and envelopes.

COVID-19 / Society

My Son Peed Onscreen in a Zoom Call, and Other Tales of a Working Parent

July 7, 2020July 16, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

In a pandemic, our economy is sending a clear message: you can either work or parent

An animated illustration of a stick figure sitting at a table on a laptop. As the person types frantically, the laptop moves across the table. To continue working, the person's arms extend, and they eventually flip over the table––kicking the light fixture on the way over––in order to continue working.

Society

Are We Ever Offline Anymore?

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

Thanks to the convenience of technology, work is taking over our lives—yet we keep logging on

A five-panel illustration of a person sitting in front of a laptop at a desk, their back to the viewer. As the days of the week progress, the light dims and the vase of flowers in the corner of the desk starts to droop. In the fifth panel, the person is away from their desk and the flowers have sprung back to life.

Business

Is a Four-Day Work Week the Secret to Saving the Planet?

June 10, 2020June 10, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

Perpetual economic growth is driving climate change and making us miserable. The degrowth movement offers a way out

An illustration of the head and shoulders of a human silhouette. In the background are several small houses, spread far apart, with a high density of trees in between. The colour scheme is dark periwinkle blue and the houses have yellow lights.

First Person / Society

How Northern Landscapes Helped Shape My Queer Identity

June 1, 2020June 1, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

In the boreal, locked between the tundra, the coastal rainforests, and the prairies, I learned to relate to my body beyond my gender

Illustration of two bottles of bleach with large red X's behind them and yellow letters saying, in all capitals, "DO NOT DRINK." The background is turquoise blue.

COVID-19 / Health

Don’t Drink the Bleach

April 29, 2020May 1, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

Medical scams are bad enough in ordinary situations. During a pandemic, they can be deadly

Black-and-white illustration of a grid of apartment units containing tenants trying to connect with people in other units––some are linked by phone cables, some are waving to one another, others are bringing one another food.

Business / COVID-19

Do Good Landlords Even Exist?

April 21, 2020May 1, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

In the current rental crisis, landlords have a chance to step up. But too many of them are failing their tenants

Sports

Sports under Quarantine

March 30, 2020May 1, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

With the closure of arenas, a sports fan laments the loss of community

A stick-figure illustration of three figures beneath raining clouds. To their right are large pink flowers being consumed by flame. The background is midnight blue and the figures are outlined in green.

Environment / First Person

Parenting through an Apocalypse

March 17, 2020July 29, 2020 - by Natalie Vineberg

What stories can we tell our children to help them face the world they will inherit?