Erika Thorkelson
@ethorkel.bsky.social
Writer of CNF/fiction, instructor at Emily Carr U and writing consultant. Recent bylines at The Walrus, University Affairs, etc. She/ her https://linktr.ee/ethorkel
Pinned
Erika Thorkelson
@ethorkel.bsky.social
· Nov 15
Me, My Selfies, and I | The Walrus
Those of us on the line between Gen X and millennial are watching our identities shift and age in a way no previous generation has
thewalrus.ca
Guess I’ll reintroduce myself! I’m a writer of CNF, journalism, fiction sometimes. I write a lot about gender, class, arts & culture. I teach humanities + writing to art students & I’m working on a memoir about growing up poor and nerdy. A recent essay for The Walrus:
thewalrus.ca/me-my-selfie...
thewalrus.ca/me-my-selfie...
Happy birthday my dearest @betarayben.bsky.social! It’s gross that we don’t live in the same city so we can share Ukrainian food and I can tell you drunken stories
November 8, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Happy birthday my dearest @betarayben.bsky.social! It’s gross that we don’t live in the same city so we can share Ukrainian food and I can tell you drunken stories
It’s Oct 23 and I was just in a restaurant with full Christmas decorations and a load of garland waiting to be added. What is happening???!
October 24, 2025 at 5:02 AM
It’s Oct 23 and I was just in a restaurant with full Christmas decorations and a load of garland waiting to be added. What is happening???!
Explaining the complexities of 90s anime fandom is both frustrating and kind of my kink
October 8, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Explaining the complexities of 90s anime fandom is both frustrating and kind of my kink
I don’t know what this little guy did, but I forgive him anything
October 7, 2025 at 9:20 PM
I don’t know what this little guy did, but I forgive him anything
Last night I went to a VIFF screening of the doc Are We Good? About comedian and venerable podcaster Marc Maron followed by a Q&A with the director and subject.
The doc was touching and funny, mostly focussed on the sudden loss of his partner and how he processed grief on stage and on his podcast
The doc was touching and funny, mostly focussed on the sudden loss of his partner and how he processed grief on stage and on his podcast
October 7, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Last night I went to a VIFF screening of the doc Are We Good? About comedian and venerable podcaster Marc Maron followed by a Q&A with the director and subject.
The doc was touching and funny, mostly focussed on the sudden loss of his partner and how he processed grief on stage and on his podcast
The doc was touching and funny, mostly focussed on the sudden loss of his partner and how he processed grief on stage and on his podcast
My partner and I will be putting together an ikea dresser today. Please keep us in your thoughts
September 27, 2025 at 7:40 PM
My partner and I will be putting together an ikea dresser today. Please keep us in your thoughts
I saw One Battle After Another last night and it was brilliant and I feel like I need to see it again today just to put it all together in my head
September 27, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I saw One Battle After Another last night and it was brilliant and I feel like I need to see it again today just to put it all together in my head
Kids these days have it so easy with AI chatbots. I remember when you had to find real people on the internet to project your romantic feelings onto
September 23, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Kids these days have it so easy with AI chatbots. I remember when you had to find real people on the internet to project your romantic feelings onto
So the news today is that if you take Tylenol while pregnant you can’t get raptured, right?
September 23, 2025 at 4:12 AM
So the news today is that if you take Tylenol while pregnant you can’t get raptured, right?
Influencer hell is where you made a joke one time and it really worked and then you have to keep making new permutations of that same joke for the next 5-10 years because now it’s your *brand*
September 20, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Influencer hell is where you made a joke one time and it really worked and then you have to keep making new permutations of that same joke for the next 5-10 years because now it’s your *brand*
Like Star Trek? Like lying? You might also like this even I’m doing next week! www.eventbrite.ca/e/liars-of-o...
September 19, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Like Star Trek? Like lying? You might also like this even I’m doing next week! www.eventbrite.ca/e/liars-of-o...
The best thing Roy said last night was about failure, how she considers both herself and Klein to be failures because they lose almost every fight they enter, and she’s proud of that. She considers failures to be more interesting and more powerful than successes that have given up on their ideals
Even from the very back row, I could feel the heat of these two brilliant minds in conversation
September 18, 2025 at 7:14 PM
The best thing Roy said last night was about failure, how she considers both herself and Klein to be failures because they lose almost every fight they enter, and she’s proud of that. She considers failures to be more interesting and more powerful than successes that have given up on their ideals
Even from the very back row, I could feel the heat of these two brilliant minds in conversation
September 18, 2025 at 5:15 AM
Even from the very back row, I could feel the heat of these two brilliant minds in conversation
Occasionally I come up with a lesson plan idea so good that I look around expecting applause, but I know there won’t be any from anyone ever
September 17, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Occasionally I come up with a lesson plan idea so good that I look around expecting applause, but I know there won’t be any from anyone ever
I found this season of Strange New Worlds kind of pitchy and disappointing. I think the problem is that Star Trek used to be about something—philosophy or science or baseball or whatever. Now it’s just about Star Trek.
September 16, 2025 at 7:26 PM
I found this season of Strange New Worlds kind of pitchy and disappointing. I think the problem is that Star Trek used to be about something—philosophy or science or baseball or whatever. Now it’s just about Star Trek.
More and more I think that the purpose of contemporary debate as a kind of cage match between thinkers (often of wildly varying quality and understanding) is a waste of time at best and tool of aggression and obfuscation at worst. A meaningful conversation shouldn’t have a winner and loser.
"...every ounce of my energy has been devoted to an active
opposition to cruel bigotry, convulsive violence, and the sadistic persecution which has characterised the philosophy and practice of fascism...nothing fruitful or sincere could ever emerge from association between us."
opposition to cruel bigotry, convulsive violence, and the sadistic persecution which has characterised the philosophy and practice of fascism...nothing fruitful or sincere could ever emerge from association between us."
September 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM
More and more I think that the purpose of contemporary debate as a kind of cage match between thinkers (often of wildly varying quality and understanding) is a waste of time at best and tool of aggression and obfuscation at worst. A meaningful conversation shouldn’t have a winner and loser.
No Canada Council grant this round, but I’ve got this sticky note on my laptop with a quote from a song by Austra to keep me going.
September 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM
No Canada Council grant this round, but I’ve got this sticky note on my laptop with a quote from a song by Austra to keep me going.
I was so tired after teaching yesterday that I dreamed about taking a nap in the middle of a stress dream
September 12, 2025 at 4:56 PM
I was so tired after teaching yesterday that I dreamed about taking a nap in the middle of a stress dream
It never ceases to amaze me how many pundits are willing to call American conservatism “counterculture” when republicans hold power over literally every branch of government
September 11, 2025 at 6:21 PM
It never ceases to amaze me how many pundits are willing to call American conservatism “counterculture” when republicans hold power over literally every branch of government
I gasped with such force when this appeared in my inbox that it made my partner jump. Turned out it was just alerting me that the results will arrive within the next 10 days 🤣
September 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
I gasped with such force when this appeared in my inbox that it made my partner jump. Turned out it was just alerting me that the results will arrive within the next 10 days 🤣
Being a parentified eldest daughter means occasionally seeing a problem you could EASILY FIX, but you know everyone will hate you for pointing it out, so then you have to fight with the very core of your nature to stay quiet about it
September 10, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Being a parentified eldest daughter means occasionally seeing a problem you could EASILY FIX, but you know everyone will hate you for pointing it out, so then you have to fight with the very core of your nature to stay quiet about it
I’m just a girl, standing before the Canada Council, asking you to open that damned portal already
September 10, 2025 at 12:01 AM
I’m just a girl, standing before the Canada Council, asking you to open that damned portal already
It’s so rude that email occasionally brings you fun news but then the rest of the time it’s literally just bla bla bla bla
September 9, 2025 at 10:05 PM
It’s so rude that email occasionally brings you fun news but then the rest of the time it’s literally just bla bla bla bla
Oh god, what if I was actually a libra all along???! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Your Zodiac Sign Is 2,000 Years Out of Date
Over millennia, our view of the stars has shifted, because of Earth’s wobble. It may be time to rethink your sign.
www.nytimes.com
September 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Oh god, what if I was actually a libra all along???! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Grab an issue of Prairie Fire and read the tragicomic tale of my first cigarette
Check out Erika Thorkelson's coming of age story "Smoker" in our summer issue, on sale now at prairiefire.ca and in stores across Canada!
Thanks to Erika for sending this picture of herself circa "Smoker".
Check out the issue at prairiefire.ca/current-issue/
Thanks to Erika for sending this picture of herself circa "Smoker".
Check out the issue at prairiefire.ca/current-issue/
September 9, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Grab an issue of Prairie Fire and read the tragicomic tale of my first cigarette