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Simon Lewsen

Simon Lewsen has contributed to the Globe and Mail, enRoute, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and MIT Technology Review. He teaches writing at the University of Toronto.
Three photos of Beverly Glenn-Copeland pictured nearby his home with his wife blended together to create one image.
Arts & Culture / September/October 2023

Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s Late Bloom

July 27, 2023August 13, 2023 - by Simon Lewsen

It took thirty years for the world to discover the singer-songwriter. Is fame worth waiting for?

Read More
Winnie-the-pooh with his hand in a jar of blood
Arts & Culture

Blood and Honey: In Defence of the Winnie-the-Pooh Slasher Flick

February 15, 2023February 15, 2023 - by Simon Lewsen

Rhys Frake-Waterfield’s horror film might ruin your childhood, but it’s a win for creative freedom

Read More
A robber contemplates a painting while another removes one from a gallery wall
Arts & Culture

What Canada’s Largest Art Heist Reveals about the Art World’s Shady Side

September 1, 2022September 8, 2022 - by Simon Lewsen

The stolen masterpieces have never turned up—and nobody’s really looking for them

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Orville Peck rides a pink and aqua-coloured horse with leopard spots
Arts & Culture

Orville Peck Rides Again: How the Singer Nods to Queer Country History

April 22, 2022May 2, 2022 - by Simon Lewsen

Some may reckon that Peck is subverting the genre. Instead, he’s highlighting themes that have always been part of it

Read More
A composite image: on the left, a university building with greenery and a blue sky. On the right, a dark campus with a streetlight in the middle.
Education / November 2021

Inside the Mental Health Crisis Facing College and University Students

October 26, 2021October 27, 2021 - by Simon Lewsen

Campuses are offering more wellness programming than ever before, so why are rates of student mental illness on the rise?

Read More
Illustration of the human brain in neon pink and teal against a black background
Health / June 2021

What Happens to Our Brains When We Get Depressed?

May 19, 2021May 5, 2022 - by Simon Lewsen

The human brain, in all its complexity, is nearly impossible to model. One neuroscientist is trying anyway

Read More
Black and white photo of a group of newspaper carriers wearing masks.
Health / September/October 2020

The Spanish Flu Rewrote History. Will This Pandemic Do the Same?

July 16, 2020June 6, 2022 - by Simon Lewsen

Disease magnifies inequality, brings social turmoil, and offers a shot at meaningful change

Read More
A black and white photo of a row of four empty phones mounted on a chain-link fence.
Justice

Social Distancing Is Impossible in Prisons. Why Are They Still Full?

April 27, 2020May 12, 2020 - by Simon Lewsen

Bail courts have gone virtual and trials are suspended. But prisons, which pose a severe public health risk, are still open

Read More
The singer Grimes, wearing a red velvet dress and with her hair in puffy orange-and-black pigtails, sits on a concrete throne and stares at the screen.
Arts & Culture

The Terrifying, Techno-Dystopian Visions of Grimes’s New Album

February 27, 2020March 3, 2020 - by Simon Lewsen

The singer’s new album explores a dark truth: the most dangerous social forces are also the ones that fascinate us

Read More
Uncategorized

Aren’t Public Parks for Everybody?

August 20, 2019March 27, 2020 - by Simon Lewsen

After complaints of partying and loud music, one Toronto park became nearly impossible to access. Inside the fight to take it back

Read More

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​​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.

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Hey, thank you for reading!
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Before you go, did you know that The Walrus is a registered charity? We rely on donations and support from readers like you to keep our journalism independent and freely available online. Will you join us in keeping independent journalism free and available to all?

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Hey, thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed this story.
Or make a one-time donation

Before you go, did you know that The Walrus is a registered charity? We rely on donations and support from readers like you to keep our journalism independent and freely available online.

When you donate to The Walrus, you’re helping writers, editors, and artists produce stories like the ones you’ve just read. Every story is meticulously researched, written, and edited, before undergoing a rigorous fact-checking process. These stories take time, but they’re worth the effort, because you leave our site better informed about Canada and its people.

If you’d like to ensure we continue creating stories that matter to you, with a level of accuracy you can trust, please consider becoming a supporter of The Walrus. I know it’s tough out there with inflation and rising costs, but good journalism affects us as well, so I don’t ask this lightly.

Will you join us in keeping independent journalism free and available to all?

Claire Cooper
Managing Editor, The Walrus


Hey, thank you for reading!
We hope you enjoyed this story.

Before you go, did you know that The Walrus is a registered charity? We rely on donations and support from readers like you to keep our journalism independent and freely available online. Will you join us in keeping independent journalism free and available to all?

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