Simon Lewsen
@simonlewsen.bsky.social
Magazine journalist. Kinda arty. Kinda science-y. Toronto / Ottawa.
Reposted by Simon Lewsen
If you only read one piece on the life of Ryan Wedding, this should be it. Brilliantly done.
Ryan Wedding—the Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin turned celebrity fugitive—is back in the news today. If you want a primer on the darkest, wildest, most Vince Gilligan-y story in Canada right now, give my @torontolifemag.bsky.social feature on Wedding a read.
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
Becoming El Jefe: The story of Ryan Wedding, Canada’s Olympic snowboarder turned ruthless drug lord - Toronto Life
Before Ryan Wedding landed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list as a high-level associate of El Chapo, he was a bright-eyed kid from Thunder Bay. The inside story...
torontolife.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:09 AM
If you only read one piece on the life of Ryan Wedding, this should be it. Brilliantly done.
Reposted by Simon Lewsen
Wow. Brilliant writing, and impressive research! I feel like I just watched the film. Wow. I had no idea he was this infamous. Or evil.
November 20, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Wow. Brilliant writing, and impressive research! I feel like I just watched the film. Wow. I had no idea he was this infamous. Or evil.
Ryan Wedding—the Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin turned celebrity fugitive—is back in the news today. If you want a primer on the darkest, wildest, most Vince Gilligan-y story in Canada right now, give my @torontolifemag.bsky.social feature on Wedding a read.
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
Becoming El Jefe: The story of Ryan Wedding, Canada’s Olympic snowboarder turned ruthless drug lord - Toronto Life
Before Ryan Wedding landed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list as a high-level associate of El Chapo, he was a bright-eyed kid from Thunder Bay. The inside story...
torontolife.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Ryan Wedding—the Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin turned celebrity fugitive—is back in the news today. If you want a primer on the darkest, wildest, most Vince Gilligan-y story in Canada right now, give my @torontolifemag.bsky.social feature on Wedding a read.
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
I take critiques of neutrality seriously. I'm unconvinced that there's some kind of perfect neutral state humans can attain. But I think neutrality is important as a guiding principle. If I were accused of a crime, I'd want to be tried in a court that strives, however imperfectly, for neutrality.
I trained in the positivist tradition, in which, to the extent possible, one is to leave one's values at the door. Institutional neutrality reflects this paradigm.
However, it also comes with a lot of baggage about what objectivity looks like and who is capable of it.
macleans.ca/longforms/th...
However, it also comes with a lot of baggage about what objectivity looks like and who is capable of it.
macleans.ca/longforms/th...
The Battle for the Soul of the University - Macleans.ca
A group of University of British Columbia professors say their administration is taking too many political stances and should commit to institutional neutrality. They’re going to court to prove it.
macleans.ca
November 19, 2025 at 7:24 PM
I take critiques of neutrality seriously. I'm unconvinced that there's some kind of perfect neutral state humans can attain. But I think neutrality is important as a guiding principle. If I were accused of a crime, I'd want to be tried in a court that strives, however imperfectly, for neutrality.
Reposted by Simon Lewsen
I trained in the positivist tradition, in which, to the extent possible, one is to leave one's values at the door. Institutional neutrality reflects this paradigm.
However, it also comes with a lot of baggage about what objectivity looks like and who is capable of it.
macleans.ca/longforms/th...
However, it also comes with a lot of baggage about what objectivity looks like and who is capable of it.
macleans.ca/longforms/th...
The Battle for the Soul of the University - Macleans.ca
A group of University of British Columbia professors say their administration is taking too many political stances and should commit to institutional neutrality. They’re going to court to prove it.
macleans.ca
November 19, 2025 at 4:57 AM
I trained in the positivist tradition, in which, to the extent possible, one is to leave one's values at the door. Institutional neutrality reflects this paradigm.
However, it also comes with a lot of baggage about what objectivity looks like and who is capable of it.
macleans.ca/longforms/th...
However, it also comes with a lot of baggage about what objectivity looks like and who is capable of it.
macleans.ca/longforms/th...
"Institutional neutrality on campus isn’t about renouncing social progress; it’s about protecting the intellectual conditions that make such progress possible" —me. @macleans.bsky.social
UBC prof Andrew Irvine believes Canadian universities take too many political stances—and that they're abdicating their rightful role as free and open places of debate. He's taking his own employer to court to prove it. https://macleans.ca/longforms/the-battle-for-the-soul-of-the-university/
The Battle for the Soul of the University - Macleans.ca
A group of University of British Columbia professors say their administration is taking too many political stances and should commit to institutional neutrality. They’re going to court to prove it.
macleans.ca
November 18, 2025 at 5:05 PM
"Institutional neutrality on campus isn’t about renouncing social progress; it’s about protecting the intellectual conditions that make such progress possible" —me. @macleans.bsky.social
Reposted by Simon Lewsen
Should universities serve as engines of social justice or spaces of independent inquiry? Can they be both? https://macleans.ca/longforms/the-battle-for-the-soul-of-the-university/
The Battle for the Soul of the University - Macleans.ca
A group of University of British Columbia professors say their administration is taking too many political stances and should commit to institutional neutrality. They’re going to court to prove it.
macleans.ca
November 17, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Should universities serve as engines of social justice or spaces of independent inquiry? Can they be both? https://macleans.ca/longforms/the-battle-for-the-soul-of-the-university/
I wrote an essay for @macleans.bsky.social. It's a defence of institutional neutrality on campus. If university administrators value the work that students and professors do, they should get out of the way and let them do it. macleans.ca/longforms/th...
The Battle for the Soul of the University - Macleans.ca
A group of University of British Columbia professors say their administration is taking too many political stances and should commit to institutional neutrality. They’re going to court to prove it.
macleans.ca
November 18, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I wrote an essay for @macleans.bsky.social. It's a defence of institutional neutrality on campus. If university administrators value the work that students and professors do, they should get out of the way and let them do it. macleans.ca/longforms/th...
An essay I wrote three years ago is, for the moment, the number one trending piece at @thewalrus.ca. The largest art heist in Canadian history happened in 1972. In a world obsessed with art crime, why did Canadians basically shrug the whole thing off? thewalrus.ca/canadas-bigg...
What Canada’s Largest Art Heist Reveals about the Art World’s Shady Side | The Walrus
The stolen masterpieces have never turned up—and nobody’s really looking for them
thewalrus.ca
October 28, 2025 at 3:56 PM
An essay I wrote three years ago is, for the moment, the number one trending piece at @thewalrus.ca. The largest art heist in Canadian history happened in 1972. In a world obsessed with art crime, why did Canadians basically shrug the whole thing off? thewalrus.ca/canadas-bigg...
What a devastating loss. This man gave us three absolutely perfect records.
pitchfork.com/news/dangelo...
pitchfork.com/news/dangelo...
D’Angelo, Groundbreaking R&B Artist, Dies at 51
From his 1995 debut Brown Sugar to his 2014 comeback Black Messiah, he helped define the neo-soul movement
pitchfork.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:45 PM
What a devastating loss. This man gave us three absolutely perfect records.
pitchfork.com/news/dangelo...
pitchfork.com/news/dangelo...
This piece is still the one I'm most proud of in my career. (And @chloeellingson.bsky.social's photos are gorgeous.)
From the #LocalArchives: The Annex is shrinking. The towers of Crescent Town are exploding. @simonlewsen.bsky.social on a tale of two cities, and how the uneven, illogical densification pattern of the last 50 years created today’s Toronto. thelocal.to/density-the-...
In the Annex and Crescent Town, Two Sides to a Density Dilemma | The Local
The Annex had fewer residents in 2021 than 1971. The towers of Crescent Town had far more. How the uneven, illogical densification pattern of the last 50 years created today’s Toronto.
thelocal.to
October 8, 2025 at 9:06 PM
This piece is still the one I'm most proud of in my career. (And @chloeellingson.bsky.social's photos are gorgeous.)
Reposted by Simon Lewsen
From the #LocalArchives: The Annex is shrinking. The towers of Crescent Town are exploding. @simonlewsen.bsky.social on a tale of two cities, and how the uneven, illogical densification pattern of the last 50 years created today’s Toronto. thelocal.to/density-the-...
In the Annex and Crescent Town, Two Sides to a Density Dilemma | The Local
The Annex had fewer residents in 2021 than 1971. The towers of Crescent Town had far more. How the uneven, illogical densification pattern of the last 50 years created today’s Toronto.
thelocal.to
October 6, 2025 at 1:32 PM
From the #LocalArchives: The Annex is shrinking. The towers of Crescent Town are exploding. @simonlewsen.bsky.social on a tale of two cities, and how the uneven, illogical densification pattern of the last 50 years created today’s Toronto. thelocal.to/density-the-...
My piece on the death (and possible rebirth) of humanities education has been re-printed by @thelineca.bsky.social, one of the best places on the internet for lively writing and independent thought.
www.readtheline.ca/p/simon-lews...
www.readtheline.ca/p/simon-lews...
Simon Lewsen: Despite tough times, the humanities aren't dead yet
And, in fact, in an era where everything is mechanized, including thought, they may be rebounding.
www.readtheline.ca
September 19, 2025 at 3:49 PM
My piece on the death (and possible rebirth) of humanities education has been re-printed by @thelineca.bsky.social, one of the best places on the internet for lively writing and independent thought.
www.readtheline.ca/p/simon-lews...
www.readtheline.ca/p/simon-lews...
These words from @cherilucasrowlands.com made me happy:
"After reading a series of articles lamenting the death of higher education and critical thinking in the age of ChatGPT, I tempered my despair with Simon Lewsen’s somewhat hopeful essay on the humanities"
longreads.com/2025/09/10/d...
"After reading a series of articles lamenting the death of higher education and critical thinking in the age of ChatGPT, I tempered my despair with Simon Lewsen’s somewhat hopeful essay on the humanities"
longreads.com/2025/09/10/d...
September 11, 2025 at 4:49 PM
These words from @cherilucasrowlands.com made me happy:
"After reading a series of articles lamenting the death of higher education and critical thinking in the age of ChatGPT, I tempered my despair with Simon Lewsen’s somewhat hopeful essay on the humanities"
longreads.com/2025/09/10/d...
"After reading a series of articles lamenting the death of higher education and critical thinking in the age of ChatGPT, I tempered my despair with Simon Lewsen’s somewhat hopeful essay on the humanities"
longreads.com/2025/09/10/d...
Reposted by Simon Lewsen
"I didn’t expect any of this, and I’m unsure what to make of it. But I wonder if the emerging threat of AI is restoring a sense of vitality to the humanistic mission."
@simonlewsen.bsky.social for @thelocal.to: thelocal.to/humanities-i...
@simonlewsen.bsky.social for @thelocal.to: thelocal.to/humanities-i...
The Humanities Aren't Dead Yet | The Local
Enrollment in the liberal arts has been in freefall for years. But despite apocalyptic declarations about the end of the humanities, in my own classroom I see signs of life.
thelocal.to
September 10, 2025 at 5:16 PM
"I didn’t expect any of this, and I’m unsure what to make of it. But I wonder if the emerging threat of AI is restoring a sense of vitality to the humanistic mission."
@simonlewsen.bsky.social for @thelocal.to: thelocal.to/humanities-i...
@simonlewsen.bsky.social for @thelocal.to: thelocal.to/humanities-i...
For my Designlines column, I visited Biidaasige—the new adventure playground at the foot of the Don River—and let my toddler guide me around. She was ecstatic. Children need risky play. Long live Biidaasige.
@waterfrontoronto.bsky.social
www.designlinesmagazine.com/biidaasige-p...
@waterfrontoronto.bsky.social
www.designlinesmagazine.com/biidaasige-p...
Biidaasige Park Is a Triumph
Biidaasige transforms the Don River’s flood-prone, industrial canal into a restored delta and vibrant new park for Toronto.
www.designlinesmagazine.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:53 PM
For my Designlines column, I visited Biidaasige—the new adventure playground at the foot of the Don River—and let my toddler guide me around. She was ecstatic. Children need risky play. Long live Biidaasige.
@waterfrontoronto.bsky.social
www.designlinesmagazine.com/biidaasige-p...
@waterfrontoronto.bsky.social
www.designlinesmagazine.com/biidaasige-p...
Reposted by Simon Lewsen
The humanities have been in crisis for the entirety of @simonlewsen.bsky.social's career. But despite apocalyptic declarations about the death of the liberal arts, in his own classroom he sees signs of life. thelocal.to/humanities-i...
The Humanities Aren't Dead Yet | The Local
Enrollment in the liberal arts has been in freefall for years. But despite apocalyptic declarations about the end of the humanities, in my own classroom I see signs of life.
thelocal.to
September 9, 2025 at 1:23 PM
The humanities have been in crisis for the entirety of @simonlewsen.bsky.social's career. But despite apocalyptic declarations about the death of the liberal arts, in his own classroom he sees signs of life. thelocal.to/humanities-i...
So, @thelocal.to is rolling out its Higher Education issue today. I wrote an essay about the supposed death of the humanities. Are the humanities really dying, though? In my own classroom at the University of Toronto, I see surprising signs of life.
thelocal.to/humanities-i...
thelocal.to/humanities-i...
The Humanities Aren't Dead Yet | The Local
Enrollment in the liberal arts has been in freefall for years. But despite apocalyptic declarations about the end of the humanities, in my own classroom I see signs of life.
thelocal.to
September 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM
So, @thelocal.to is rolling out its Higher Education issue today. I wrote an essay about the supposed death of the humanities. Are the humanities really dying, though? In my own classroom at the University of Toronto, I see surprising signs of life.
thelocal.to/humanities-i...
thelocal.to/humanities-i...
The federal government is seeking to punish the City of Toronto for failing to legalize sixplexes. My hot take: When it comes to housing, the feds should throw their weight around even more. My latest column instalment for Designlines.
www.designlinesmagazine.com/sixplexes-in...
www.designlinesmagazine.com/sixplexes-in...
Toronto Fumbled on Sixplexes—Now It Could Lose $30 Million
The Federal Government Might Refuse to Hand Over $30 Million in Housing Funds to the City of Toronto for its shortcoming on Siplexes.
www.designlinesmagazine.com
August 20, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The federal government is seeking to punish the City of Toronto for failing to legalize sixplexes. My hot take: When it comes to housing, the feds should throw their weight around even more. My latest column instalment for Designlines.
www.designlinesmagazine.com/sixplexes-in...
www.designlinesmagazine.com/sixplexes-in...
I'm jazzed to be included in the Sunday Long Read's 500th weekly edition—an essential round-up of the best long-form journalism.
mailchi.mp/sundaylongre...
mailchi.mp/sundaylongre...
The Sunday Long Read: 500 Editions!
The week's best journalism. Every Sunday.
mailchi.mp
August 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
I'm jazzed to be included in the Sunday Long Read's 500th weekly edition—an essential round-up of the best long-form journalism.
mailchi.mp/sundaylongre...
mailchi.mp/sundaylongre...
In 2002, Ryan Wedding was a rising-star athlete. Today, he's an international drug lord running a billion-dollar enterprise. In @torontolifemag.bsky.social, I tell the story of how a cherubic kid from Thunder Bay, ON, became one of the world's most-wanted fugitives.
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
Becoming El Jefe: The story of Ryan Wedding, Canada’s Olympic snowboarder turned ruthless drug lord - Toronto Life
Before Ryan Wedding landed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list as a high-level associate of El Chapo, he was a bright-eyed kid from Thunder Bay. The inside story...
torontolife.com
July 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM
In 2002, Ryan Wedding was a rising-star athlete. Today, he's an international drug lord running a billion-dollar enterprise. In @torontolifemag.bsky.social, I tell the story of how a cherubic kid from Thunder Bay, ON, became one of the world's most-wanted fugitives.
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
torontolife.com/deep-dives/b...
For @thestar.com, I interviewed Meghan Daum—personal essayist turned heterodox podcaster—about her new book, the LA fires, the fertility crisis, what JD Vance gets right and wrong about family policy, and whether we've passed peak wokeness.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Meghan Daum became famous for her deeply revealing personal essays. Now, she sees self-censorship everywhere
In her new book “The Catastrophe Zone,” she explores middle age, giving up dreams and losing everything in the LA fires
www.thestar.com
May 29, 2025 at 3:49 PM
For @thestar.com, I interviewed Meghan Daum—personal essayist turned heterodox podcaster—about her new book, the LA fires, the fertility crisis, what JD Vance gets right and wrong about family policy, and whether we've passed peak wokeness.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
My City Beat Column—on art, architecture, and urbanism—for Designlines magazine is a finalist for a Digital Publishing Awards (Best Column). And that's a nice little nod for a column in its first year.
🏙️ The City Beat
Designlines Magazine
Finalist – Best Column at the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards
Well done, @simonlewsen.bsky.social and team!
🔗 zurl.co/It9q7
#DigitalPublishingAwards #DPA25
Designlines Magazine
Finalist – Best Column at the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards
Well done, @simonlewsen.bsky.social and team!
🔗 zurl.co/It9q7
#DigitalPublishingAwards #DPA25
May 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
My City Beat Column—on art, architecture, and urbanism—for Designlines magazine is a finalist for a Digital Publishing Awards (Best Column). And that's a nice little nod for a column in its first year.
Reposted by Simon Lewsen
🏙️ The City Beat
Designlines Magazine
Finalist – Best Column at the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards
Well done, @simonlewsen.bsky.social and team!
🔗 zurl.co/It9q7
#DigitalPublishingAwards #DPA25
Designlines Magazine
Finalist – Best Column at the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards
Well done, @simonlewsen.bsky.social and team!
🔗 zurl.co/It9q7
#DigitalPublishingAwards #DPA25
May 6, 2025 at 3:14 PM
🏙️ The City Beat
Designlines Magazine
Finalist – Best Column at the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards
Well done, @simonlewsen.bsky.social and team!
🔗 zurl.co/It9q7
#DigitalPublishingAwards #DPA25
Designlines Magazine
Finalist – Best Column at the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards
Well done, @simonlewsen.bsky.social and team!
🔗 zurl.co/It9q7
#DigitalPublishingAwards #DPA25
For the latest instalment of my City Beat column, I wrote about one of my favourite places in Toronto—the Paradise Theatre. This is what the future of moviegoing looks like.
www.designlinesmagazine.com/paradise-the...
www.designlinesmagazine.com/paradise-the...
All Culture Is Niche Culture—Even the Movies
Today, the Paradise Theatre seems less like a quirky anomaly and more like the future of cinema and where to watch movies in Toronto.
www.designlinesmagazine.com
May 5, 2025 at 3:46 PM
For the latest instalment of my City Beat column, I wrote about one of my favourite places in Toronto—the Paradise Theatre. This is what the future of moviegoing looks like.
www.designlinesmagazine.com/paradise-the...
www.designlinesmagazine.com/paradise-the...