Bob Armstrong
@bobarmstrongwriter.bsky.social
Novelist, hiker, collector of experiences, occasional open-mic comedian. Go-to karaoke songs: That's Life, Psycho Killer, The Weight. Writings on Substack at wanderingwriterbobarmstrong.
If you're tired of current events, I've got 1500 words on the fur trade for you, right here: armstrongb.substack.com/p/an-old-sto...
An old story given new life
Encounters with the fur trade in person and on the page
armstrongb.substack.com
October 25, 2025 at 3:21 PM
If you're tired of current events, I've got 1500 words on the fur trade for you, right here: armstrongb.substack.com/p/an-old-sto...
In light of recent news, I can't be the only one thinking about Alex Garland's 2024 film Civil War, Omar El-Akkad's 2017 novel American War and the Talking Heads' Life During Wartime, can I? open.substack.com/pub/armstron...
Life During (Civil) Wartime
Fratricidal breakdowns in novels, films, music and reality
open.substack.com
October 11, 2025 at 1:45 PM
In light of recent news, I can't be the only one thinking about Alex Garland's 2024 film Civil War, Omar El-Akkad's 2017 novel American War and the Talking Heads' Life During Wartime, can I? open.substack.com/pub/armstron...
I was thinking about rejection recently and decided I'd share with you my most-rejected short story (40+). armstrongb.substack.com/p/name-your-...
Le Salon des Refusés
Does this stuff suck, am I ahead of my time, or is this William Goldman's Law in action?
armstrongb.substack.com
August 21, 2025 at 9:19 PM
I was thinking about rejection recently and decided I'd share with you my most-rejected short story (40+). armstrongb.substack.com/p/name-your-...
Connecting all the coloured threads on my basement wall in my latest Substack post about AI, DEI, literary festivals and more. armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-trojan-...
August 18, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Connecting all the coloured threads on my basement wall in my latest Substack post about AI, DEI, literary festivals and more. armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-trojan-...
Got a jack, Jack? (Lessons from three great Canadian road trips.) armstrongb.substack.com/p/road-tripp...
Road-tripping in Canada this year?
Three reminders to keep your cool and bring a jack
armstrongb.substack.com
July 19, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Got a jack, Jack? (Lessons from three great Canadian road trips.) armstrongb.substack.com/p/road-tripp...
Surveys are showing that Canadians aren't doing their usual road trips to the U.S. this year, so in honour (with a u) of Canada Day I've put together my personal Canadian road trip playlist. Happy trails. armstrongb.substack.com/p/get-your-m...
July 2, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Surveys are showing that Canadians aren't doing their usual road trips to the U.S. this year, so in honour (with a u) of Canada Day I've put together my personal Canadian road trip playlist. Happy trails. armstrongb.substack.com/p/get-your-m...
It's summer! Time to get out an explore. Maybe. Depending on what your genes are telling you. armstrongb.substack.com/p/if-explori...
If exploring is in our genes, why are jeans bad exploring pants?
On Alex Hutchinson's The Explorer's Genes
armstrongb.substack.com
June 28, 2025 at 2:24 PM
It's summer! Time to get out an explore. Maybe. Depending on what your genes are telling you. armstrongb.substack.com/p/if-explori...
Is Sunday your curl-up-with-a-book day? Thoughts on reading and writing big books, and what fiction is for, after the link. armstrongb.substack.com/p/i-like-big...
I like big books and I cannot lie
On enjoying junk in my literary trunk
armstrongb.substack.com
April 27, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Is Sunday your curl-up-with-a-book day? Thoughts on reading and writing big books, and what fiction is for, after the link. armstrongb.substack.com/p/i-like-big...
It really hinders your effort to trim your novel when you keep reading chapters and pumping your fist and shouting "this fuckin' rules!"
April 17, 2025 at 4:19 PM
It really hinders your effort to trim your novel when you keep reading chapters and pumping your fist and shouting "this fuckin' rules!"
A big announcement and a history-buff nerdfest on my Substack today. armstrongb.substack.com/p/canadians-...
Canadians in the Wild West, then and now
My new book contract and my explanation for writing about the Wild West while living in the Elbows Up North
armstrongb.substack.com
April 12, 2025 at 2:10 PM
A big announcement and a history-buff nerdfest on my Substack today. armstrongb.substack.com/p/canadians-...
The growth of smuggling in the tariff-happy U.S.A. is going to open up all kinds of career opportunities for raffish, sardonic tough guys with hearts of gold.
April 8, 2025 at 1:30 PM
The growth of smuggling in the tariff-happy U.S.A. is going to open up all kinds of career opportunities for raffish, sardonic tough guys with hearts of gold.
From today's Rally for Canada at the Manitoba Legislative Building. We're not huge flag wavers up here, so it takes something pretty unusual to make us to do this.
April 7, 2025 at 1:33 AM
From today's Rally for Canada at the Manitoba Legislative Building. We're not huge flag wavers up here, so it takes something pretty unusual to make us to do this.
So I wrote a piece about travel anxiety and kind of forgot to mention the fear I had throughout my trip that just as I got home the world would be plunged into economic disaster. armstrongb.substack.com/p/welcome-to...
April 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM
So I wrote a piece about travel anxiety and kind of forgot to mention the fear I had throughout my trip that just as I got home the world would be plunged into economic disaster. armstrongb.substack.com/p/welcome-to...
Thinking about trade wars, broken alliances, devastated public health programs, Batman and Rush this week. How about you.
armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-nerds-a...
armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-nerds-a...
Of nerds and prophets
Dispatches from beyond the word "why"
armstrongb.substack.com
March 8, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Thinking about trade wars, broken alliances, devastated public health programs, Batman and Rush this week. How about you.
armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-nerds-a...
armstrongb.substack.com/p/of-nerds-a...
Looks as if all the Oscars tonight went to the pre-show favourites. The night's only surprise was that Gray's Anatomy is still on the air.
March 3, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Looks as if all the Oscars tonight went to the pre-show favourites. The night's only surprise was that Gray's Anatomy is still on the air.
Two books that set me up for a lifelong literary interest - and a link to an award-winning story. armstrongb.substack.com/p/the-1870s-...
The 1870s bring out the best in me
Follow the link to read my story Clay Allison's Girl
armstrongb.substack.com
February 22, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Two books that set me up for a lifelong literary interest - and a link to an award-winning story. armstrongb.substack.com/p/the-1870s-...
I'm getting ready on my Substack for end-of-the-year thought pieces.
armstrongb.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
armstrongb.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
Word of the Year: an early front-runner
Please prove me wrong, world
armstrongb.substack.com
February 16, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I'm getting ready on my Substack for end-of-the-year thought pieces.
armstrongb.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
armstrongb.substack.com/p/word-of-th...
I'm not saying this is the most depressing online phenomenon, but those writers' pitch events that are all:
YA fantasy franchise X Other YA fantasy franchise
<Mood board of AI generated images>
are pretty goddam bleak.
YA fantasy franchise X Other YA fantasy franchise
<Mood board of AI generated images>
are pretty goddam bleak.
February 12, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I'm not saying this is the most depressing online phenomenon, but those writers' pitch events that are all:
YA fantasy franchise X Other YA fantasy franchise
<Mood board of AI generated images>
are pretty goddam bleak.
YA fantasy franchise X Other YA fantasy franchise
<Mood board of AI generated images>
are pretty goddam bleak.
Any writers out there working on their second half-century? Here's a story of mine that's just come out from Thin Skin, a literary magazine showcasing writers 50 and older. thin-skin.com/shortstory/o...
Order Carnivora - Thin Skin
I took out a pocket calculator and started estimating. Fifty pounds of brisket at six dollars a pound. One good-sized rack of beef ribs for maybe eighty dollars. Nine pounds of beef heart at eight dol...
thin-skin.com
January 30, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Any writers out there working on their second half-century? Here's a story of mine that's just come out from Thin Skin, a literary magazine showcasing writers 50 and older. thin-skin.com/shortstory/o...
Inauguration day minus 2 and I'm in a bit of a No Pasaran mood up here. More on my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/on-the-zom...
On the zombie-like return of manifest destiny
And my unproduced play about American expansion northward
armstrongb.substack.com
January 18, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Inauguration day minus 2 and I'm in a bit of a No Pasaran mood up here. More on my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/on-the-zom...
Is there any chance at all he can be talked into moving the inauguration back outside? millercenter.org/president/ha...
William Harrison: Death of the President | Miller Center
millercenter.org
January 18, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Is there any chance at all he can be talked into moving the inauguration back outside? millercenter.org/president/ha...
Bob's tribute to Bob. On my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/how-does-i...
How does it feeeel?
A Bob Dylan fan's life
armstrongb.substack.com
January 11, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Bob's tribute to Bob. On my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/how-does-i...
In case your new year's resolutions included cleaning up your bookcases...
open.substack.com/pub/armstron...
open.substack.com/pub/armstron...
January 3, 2025 at 2:18 PM
In case your new year's resolutions included cleaning up your bookcases...
open.substack.com/pub/armstron...
open.substack.com/pub/armstron...
Thoughts on an often-underappreciated genre and a year in writing on my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/into-the-w...
Into the West (again)
A prize-winning story, a new review and an old source of inspiration
armstrongb.substack.com
December 30, 2024 at 12:20 AM
Thoughts on an often-underappreciated genre and a year in writing on my Substack. armstrongb.substack.com/p/into-the-w...
Thoughts on one of Canada's greatest living novelists, from The Literary Review of Canada. reviewcanada.ca/magazine/202...
Wise Guy | Literary Review of Canada
Bob Armstrong reviews “Because Somebody Asked Me To,” written by Guy Vanderhaeghe and published by Thistledown Press.
reviewcanada.ca
December 20, 2024 at 6:20 PM
Thoughts on one of Canada's greatest living novelists, from The Literary Review of Canada. reviewcanada.ca/magazine/202...