listen | The Walrus

A black and white photo of an older man wearing a winter coat, his hands in his pockets. Behind him is a barn that says "Elm Knoll Farm" and the ground is covered in snow.

June 2020 / The Walrus True Crime

Murder in Old Barns

May 27, 2020June 27, 2020 - by Lindsay Jones

Why a Nova Scotia community is still searching for the killer of a beloved farmer thirty years later

Illustration of a young brown woman in a suit, telling jokes from onstage at a comedy club. The young, diverse audience laughs. Several male comics, older and white, stand outside the spotlight looking moody and resentful.

Arts & Culture / June 2020

The Comedy Culture War

May 25, 2020June 18, 2020 - by Erika Thorkelson

A new wave of comics is rejecting stand-up’s tired tropes

Photograph of a man kneeling on a woven mat in front of an orange wall.

Environment / June 2020

Stranded by the Climate Crisis

May 20, 2020June 10, 2020 - by Carolyn Thompson

Global environmental disasters are forcing thousands of people to flee their homes, their countries, and everything they know

Illustration of an astronaut in full space gear, surrounding by bright streaks of light that resemble small comets.

June 2020 / Science

What Astronauts Can Teach Us about Mental Health and Isolation

May 19, 2020June 27, 2020 - by Elizabeth Howell

We’re learning what members of space missions have known for decades: it’s hard to live in a confined space for long periods of time

Illustration of two people wearing leopard-print jackets and running down the aisles of a supermarket. The woman is pushing a cart.

COVID-19 / June 2020 / Science

Your Brain on COVID-19

May 6, 2020June 18, 2020 - by Carolyn Abraham

Fear, denial, panic buying: why our minds are not designed to process threats like the coronavirus pandemic

Psychedelic-style illustration of a man wearing a white coat and large goggles to protect his eyes. In the goggles' reflection, we see two hands pouring brightly-coloured material from one into the other. His hair is a spectrum of brightly-coloured waves.

Health / May 2020

Why It’s So Hard to Legalize Recreational Drugs

April 28, 2020June 10, 2020 - by Jonah Brunet

Scientists believe that newly invented psychoactive substances might have untapped health benefits. Too bad none of us will ever get to try them

A photograph of the poet, Bronwen Wallace, in black and white. She is wearing jeans, a white shirt, and a scarf tied around her neck. Her hands are in her pockets and she is smiling at the camera.

Arts & Culture / May 2020

The Poet Whose Work Helped Set the Stage for #MeToo

April 24, 2020June 10, 2020 - by Anita Lahey

Twenty-seven years after her death, Bronwen Wallace’s feminist poetry feels newly relevant

A group of pilgrims pose in front of the Canadian Martyrs Shrine, a large stone building with two turrets topped with crosses.

May 2020 / Photography

Summer Service

April 22, 2020June 10, 2020 - by Randy Boyagoda

Every year, Sri Lankan Catholics from all over make a pilgrimage to Ontario’s cottage country

Illustration of a woman in a head wrap and hoop earrings, holding a phone up to take a selfie. Around her are hands offering free products––boots, headphones, sunglasses, and a tube of cream.

Business / May 2020

We’ll All Be Social Media Sellouts Soon

April 15, 2020June 10, 2020 - by Tatum Dooley

Companies are turning to small-time influencers to promote their brands. Will any of us be able to resist the lure of free products and cash?

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.

COVID-19 / First Person / Society

Family on the Front Lines of a Pandemic

April 7, 2020June 27, 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