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From the archives

Between Words

Anne Carson’s new book-without-a-spine, and the spiritual experience of centrelessness

Sonnet L’Abbé

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

A postmodern elegy from our most original writer

Sam Solecki

Boredom as a Political Weapon

Saul Bellow fought banality—and taught us to look hard at the world

Tom Jokinen
Cover spread by Alex MacAskill for October 2026.
This week with bookworm

David Silverberg on Will Ferguson’s Officer Shimada and the Disappearing Girl. Marisa Grizenko reviews Christopher Cheung’s Very Vancouver. Grace Henkel on Patmeena Sabit’s Good People. And Emily Mernin remembers meeting Canada’s latest Nobel laureate.

More from the latest issue

Crossing a Line

On the connection between books and home

Kyle Wyatt
An illustration by Dave Murray for Troy Nahumko’s October 2026 essay, “Above Summerland.”

Above Summerland

My daughters saw everything but the sky

Troy Nahumko
An illustration by Scot Ritchie for Darrell Varga’s October 2026 review of “The Future Belongs to Those Who Fight,” by Todd Dufresne.

Bug in the System

Does healing the world mean abandoning capitalism?

Darrell Varga
An illustration by Raymond Biesinger for Graham Fraser’s October 2026 review of “Une décennie de turbulences électorales au Québec review (2012-2022),” by Richard Nadeau, Jean-François Daoust, Éric Bélanger, and Ruth Dassonneville.

Votez ici

Ten transformative years

Graham Fraser

Provisioning Pages

Printed and bound for Odesa

Sara Cassidy
An illustration by Matthew Daley for George Anderson’s October 2026 review of “Fragile Nations: The Promise and Perils of Multinational Democracies,” by Félix Mathieu.

Minor but Key

Where non-sovereign nations dwell

George Anderson

Opposition Leader

When Canada stood up against apartheid

Geoff White
A photo by Alamy for Bronwen Jervis’s October 2026 review of “The First Lady Next Door: A Canadian’s Memoir of Iceland, Identity, and Unexpected Adventure,” by Eliza Reid.

Forsetafrúin

To be a president’s wife

Bronwen Jervis
An illustration by Paige Stampatori for Keith Garebian’s October 2026 review of “Ground to Stand On: A Canadian Literary Life,” by Sandra Djwa.

The Promoter

Sandra Djwa chronicles her own legacy

Keith Garebian
An illustration by David Parkins for John Geddes October 2026 review of “Edward Burtynsky: The Biography,” by James King.

Big Pictures

He once let the viewer decide

John Geddes
A photo by Getty Images for David Marks Shribman’s October 2026 review of “Royal Treatment: Jackie Robinson, Montreal, and the Breaking of Baseball’s Color Barrier,” by Sean J. McLaughlin.

Before He Wore 42

Jackie Robinson’s season in Montreal

David Marks Shribman
An illustration by Karsten Petrat for Alison Motluk’s October 2026 review of “Beyond Inheritance: Our Ever-Mutating Cells and a New Understanding of Health,” by Roxanne Khamsi.

Copy of a Copy of a Copy

When genetic error is introduced

Alison Motluk
An illustration by Sandi Falconer for Kevin Jagernauth’s October 2026 review of “It’s Only Forever: Labyrinth,” by Jes Battis.

Beyond the Goblin City

We can still get lost in the maze

Kevin Jagernauth
An illustration by Blair Kelly for J.R. Patterson’s October 2026 reviews of “True North,” by Paul Theroux and “Geography of Heaven,” by Rory MacLean.

Have Pen, Will Travel

Two writers hit the road

J.R. Patterson
An illustration by Mateusz Napieralski for Adrienne Mason’s October 2026 reviews of “Flora Culture,” by Christin Geall and “The Book of Birds,” by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.

If Petals Could Fly

What’s overhead and underfoot

Adrienne Mason
An illustration by Dave Cutler for Suzanne Stewart’s October 2026 essay “Down Lighthouse Road.”

Down Lighthouse Road

Built for storms but made for stories

Suzanne Stewart
An illustration by Natàlia Pàmies Lluís for Linda Leith’s October 2026 review of “Ninan: Tiohtiá:ke, Montreal,” by Michel Jean and translated by Susan Ouriou.

Second Chances

Michel Jean in translation

Linda Leith
An illustration by Neil Webb for Tomas Hachard’s October 2026 review of “Exit Party,” by Emily St. John Mandel.

Frayed Futures

The latest from Emily St. John Mandel

Tomas Hachard
An illustration by Nick Lowndes for Irina Dumitrescu’s October 2026 review of “The Alchemy of Paradise,” by Susannah M. Smith.

A Thing of Beauty

Susannah M. Smith’s curated fragments

Irina Dumitrescu
An illustration by YQ Huang for Kyle Wyatt’s October 2026 review of “Mad Hell-Rush of Days,” by Natalie Appleton.

Branded Content

In the Cypress Hills with Natalie Appleton

Kyle Wyatt

Somehow He Missed It

I wish I had read Tom Stoppard sooner

Daniel Goodwin

From the archives

Between Words

Anne Carson’s new book-without-a-spine, and the spiritual experience of centrelessness

Sonnet L’Abbé

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

A postmodern elegy from our most original writer

Sam Solecki

Boredom as a Political Weapon

Saul Bellow fought banality—and taught us to look hard at the world

Tom Jokinen