The Sunday Magazine for March 26, 2023
This week on The Sunday Magazine with guest host David Common:
Sunday Politics Panel: Biden comes to Canada; allegations of Chinese interference continue
Now that the dust has settled on U.S. President Joe Biden's first official visit to Canada, our Sunday Politics Panel digs into what was accomplished during Biden's 27-hours of whirlwind diplomacy and where Canada-U.S. relations now stand. Also on the agenda: a Liberal MP's decision to leave caucus last week, following more allegations of Chinese interference. Joining guest host Common are Toronto Star national columnist Susan Delacourt and The Globe and Mail's senior political reporter, Marieke Walsh
Word Processing: The exclamation mark has a rich history! And it deserves more respect!
In the latest installment of Word Processing, our ongoing look at language, we're focusing on that increasingly used, and many would say abused, bit of punctuation: the exclamation mark! Literary scholar Florence Hazrat has been unearthing its 700-year-old journey from monastery to text message for her new book An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark! She urges us not to be afraid of emotion, and to exclaim away!
A view from the top with former world-champion paraclimber Maureen Beck
For the better part of her life, Maureen Beck has been climbing her way into the record books as a two-time world paraclimbing champion and an eight-time undefeated American champion. Beck, who was born with one hand, was named a 2019 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. Beck joins guest host Common to talk about her journey in the professional climbing world, how she adapted to become a champion, and how she took on one of the most difficult climbs of her career, in a remote mountain range in the Northwest Territories called The Cirque of the Unclimbables.
Writer Premee Mohamed can't ignore climate change, but says there's still room for hope on the page
Premee Mohamed may write about the end of the world, mysterious illnesses and climate chaos but it's not hopeless apocalyptic fiction. She joins guest host Common to talk about her recent book, The Annual Migration of Clouds, which explores how the enduring power of community can help society survive even the worst crisis.
How embracing awe can improve your life - and the world around you
Whether it's the goosebumps we get upon seeing the northern lights, or the wonder we feel at this time of year at the first signs of spring, awe can have a profound effect on our lives. University of California, Berkeley psychology professor Dacher Keltner, makes the case for awe in his new book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Keltner and author and workplace culture strategist Jennifer Moss reveals how cultivating an 'awe mindest' can change our lives - and the world around us, for the better.