Society | The Walrus

Health

Record of a Pandemic

April 7, 2020April 9, 2020 - by The Walrus Staff

excerpt

An illustration of a woman, sitting at a window inside an apartment. In front of her is a laptop with an open window that says "stay home." Outside the window is a park and a block of buildings, in which people socialize, picnic, play basketball, and talk, not bothering to maintain any physical distancing measures.

Family on the Front Lines of a Pandemic

April 7, 2020April 8, 2020 - by Judy Ziyi Gu

Until my uncle was sent to care for patients in Wuhan, the outbreak didn’t feel real to me. If only we had all paid attention sooner

A cyclist crossing a busy intersection in downtown Toronto at dusk. The streets are full of cars and a TTC bus. In the background are high-rise office buildings.

Cities

When Cities Are Built for White Men

April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 - by Chantaie Allick

Our public spaces are used by diverse populations. Why does urban design still fail to reflect that?

A family silhouetted in orange against a dark purple background. A woman stands at the far left of the frame, and a man at the far right. In between them are three young children standing in close proximity.

Society

Divorce Can Make Flattening the Curve Even Harder

April 1, 2020April 7, 2020 - by Elisabeth de Mariaffi

The challenge of social distancing when staying home involves two different places

A photo of a Black woman with her hair in a bun, looking to the right of the frame. The image is slightly blurred.

First Person / Society

The Pressure to Describe My “Background”

March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 - by Eternity Martis

As a Black child in a brown family, I had to learn how to define my identity in a new way

Illustration of an elderly woman sitting in a chair with her back to the viewer. She is surrounded by animals––an owl, a leopard, a turtle, a goose, and a dog, which she pets while it sits at her feet.

April 2020 / First Person

What I’ve Learned from What My Mother Has Forgotten

March 19, 2020March 27, 2020 - by Damian Rogers

My mother’s dementia made me think about my own future in a new way

Illustration of a small bird, perched inside a glass vase on the stem of a flower. The background is a light turquoise blue.

April 2020 / Health

When Is a Senior No Longer Capable Of Making Their Own Decisions?

March 18, 2020March 27, 2020 - by Sharon J. Riley

How our medical systems strip elders of their autonomy

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, 2020March 27, 2020 - by Liz Harmer

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

An illustration of a person peeking through their fingers. Their eyeball is the shape of the COVID-19 germ (a small round microbe with protrusions that look like the spokes of a crown).

Health / May 2020

Anatomy of a Pandemic

March 11, 2020April 9, 2020 - by Kevin Patterson

Like major contagions throughout history, the new coronavirus causes fear as well as illness. The remedy for both, it turns out, is the same

A row of children sit in front of a bookcase and read books studiously.

Society

The Biased Ways We Praise “Smart Kids”

March 10, 2020 - by Anne Thériault

When we prioritize certain interests as being “better” or “smarter,” we’re failing children whose talents lie in other areas