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From the archives

The Envoy

Mark Carney has a plan

Jeff Costen

Bubble Weary in Trump's America

A dispatch from the early days of a divided nation

Padma Viswanathan

On Familiar Spirits

A senator warns against another witch hunt

Yuen Pau Woo

Cover illustration for January | February 2025 by Paige Stampatori.

Published by a charitable non-profit, the Literary Review of Canada is a one-of-a-kind forum for discussion and debate about books, culture, politics, and ideas.

This week with bookworm

Alexandra Oliver reviews Paper Boat: New and Selected Poems, 1961–2023, by Margaret Atwood. Ximena González on Nature-First Cities. Poetry by Ronna Bloom.

More from the latest issue

The Mail Gaze

Better late than never

Kyle Wyatt

Photography for Jill Abramson's January | February 2025 review of "A Nation's Paper," edited by John Ibbitson.

Read All Over

Report on a news business

Jill Abramson

Photography for J. L. Granatstein's January | February 2025 review of "The Great Right North," by Stéphane Leman-Langlois, Aurélie Campana, and Samuel Tanner.

The Madding Crowd

Interviews with Canada’s far right

J. L. Granatstein

Illustration by Murray for Pamela Divinsky's January | February 2025 review of three books on Toronto neighbourhoods.

City Limits

Cultivating true community in Toronto

Pamela Divinsky

Illustration by Tom Chitty for Rohinton Medhora's January | February 2025 review of "Invention and Innovation," by Vaclav Smil.

Necessity’s Child

When invention is not enough

Rohinton Medhora

Photography for Patrice Dutil’s January | February 2025 review of “Boosters and Barkers,” by David Roberts.

Float a Loan

On balance sheets and bayonets

Patrice Dutil

Illustration by Tim Bouckley for David Marks Shribman's January | February 2025 review of "The Good Allies," by Tim Cook.

How the West Was One

Tim Cook’s story of Allied cooperation

David Marks Shribman

Risky Business

A series of unfortunate events

Murray Campbell

Illustration by Natàlia Pàmies for Tara Henley's January | February 2025 essay on divorce books.

Bored of the Rings

To have, to hold, and to head out

Tara Henley

Illustration by Jamie Bennett for Alexandra Trnka's January | February 2025 review of "Vantage Points," by Chase Joynt.

View Finder

A filmmaker’s kaleidoscopic memoir

Alexandra Trnka

Illustration by Min Gyo Chung for David Venn's January | February 2025 review of two books on small-town British Columbia.

Remembrances

Local history in British Columbia

David Venn

Photography for Julie McGonegal's January | February 2025 review of "Climate Hope," by David Geselbracht.

To Save a Planet

Between despair and disaster

Julie McGonegal

Illustration by Karsten Petrat for Donald Wright’s January | February 2025 review of “The Carbon Tax Question,” by Thomas F. Pedersen.

Clear the Air

Debating the carbon tax

Donald Wright

Photography for Martin Laflamme’s January | February 2025 review of “Lloyd Axworthy,” by Lloyd Axworthy.

A Minister from Manitoba

Lloyd Axworthy looks back

Martin Laflamme

Illustration by Alexander MacAskill for Amanda Perry’s January | February 2025 review of “Ordures! Journal d’un vidangeur,” by Simon Paré-Poupart.

The Waste Land

A garbageman talks trash

Amanda Perry

Illustration by Mateusz Napieralski for David Macfarlane’s January | February 2025 essay on uncertain reading.

Without the Utmost Pertinacity

A case for uncertain reading

David Macfarlane

Illustration by David Parkins for J. R. Patterson’s January | February 2025 review of two books on Carol Shields and Mavis Gallant.

Different Strokes

Selections from Mavis Gallant and Carol Shields

J.R. Patterson

Illustration by Silas Kaufman for Bob Armstrong’s January | February 2025 review of “Because Somebody Asked Me To,” by Guy Vanderhaeghe.

Wise Guy

Insights of a celebrated novelist

Bob Armstrong

Turn of the Century

Into the woods with Anik See

Caroline Noël

Illustration by Sandi Falconer for Sam White’s January | February 2025 review of “Kilworthy Tanner” by Jean Marc Ah‑Sen.

Shroom, Shroom

Jean Marc Ah‑Sen’s literary romp

Sam White

Illustration by Amery Sandford for Emily Mernin’s January | February 2025 review of “Moon Road” and “Blessed Nowhere.”

Wheels of Time

Parenthood and grief two ways

Emily Mernin

Illustration by Sarah Farquhar for Robert McGill’s January | February 2025 review of “Journey,” edited by Alexander MacLeod and Souvankham Thammavongsa.

A Storied Legacy

The Journey Prize at thirty-five

Robert McGill

That Enduring Force

What a Toni Morrison classic says about today

Joyce Wayne