Tapestry with Mary Hynes
Latest
Still seeking your soul mate? 'One' is a whole number, says psychologist
Many of us are taught from a young age that marriage is the key to happiness. But what if this commonly held belief isn’t true? Social psychologist Bella DePaulo breaks down the stereotypes about single life.
Good Cop/Bad Cop: Why cop shows make for complicated entertainment
Following the George Floyd protests across the world last year, television shows about police officers have become, for many viewers, a lot more complicated to watch. Media researcher Tiara Sukhan breaks down the line between reality and escapism.
Escapism and the single life
Social psychologist Bella DePaulo breaks down the stereotypes about single life and media researcher Tiara Sukhan breaks down the line between reality and escapism, when it comes to police shows.
Reimagining work
Christine Bader and Eva Dienel are sharing the stories of a future of work that works for everyone with a project called The Life I Want. And, Kate Soper takes a critical look at the so-called 'the good life' that really may not be so good for our health, our planet, or our way of being in her latest book Post-Growth Living For an Alternative Hedonism.
Why it's not just your brain that makes you smart
Science journalist Annie Murphy Paul, author of The Extended Mind, wants to dispel us of our brain fixation. Meanwhile assistant professor Julia Kam, who runs Internal Attention Lab at the University of Calgary, emphasizes how important it is to let the mind wander.
Q&A
Rituals are a way to connect with the beauty of the world, says author
Sasha Sagan says so many things that we don’t think about are rituals, and they can be magic. She says if we look closer, we can find it.
Remembering John Shelby Spong
John Shelby Spong died this past summer at the age of 90. By popular demand, here are his conservations with Tapestry from 2007 and 2009.
Jett: The Far Shore's vision of space exploration a far cry from today's billionaire space race
The new video game by Canadian developer Craig Adams tells a story about environmentalism, climate change and faith, and the future with an outlook quite unlike the modern-day corporate space race.
You have more influence than you think
Have you ever felt uncomfortable asking a stranger for directions because you don’t want to bother them? Social psychologist Vanessa Bohns says we might want to think again, because according to her research, we have far more influence over others than we think.
Under the sea of influence
Have you ever felt uncomfortable asking a stranger for directions because you don’t want to bother them? Social psychologist Vanessa Bohns says we might want to think again because we have far more influence over others than we think. Peter Marra saw Disney’s The Little Mermaid in theatres many times as a child. But it was only as an adult with a PhD in film studies that he truly recognized the influence the movie had on his queer identity.
Discovering my queer identity through The Little Mermaid
Peter Marra saw Disney’s The Little Mermaid in theatres many times as a child. But it was only until he was in his 30s with a PhD in film studies that he truly recognized the influence the movie had on his queer identity.
This woman says being blind has helped and hindered her life during the pandemic
Shermeen Khan says many pandemic safety precautions - like arrows marked on the floor - have impeded her ability to navigate the world independently. But over a lifetime being blind, she has developed skills that give her an advantage during COVID-19.
How Canada's Drag Race helped this Black, queer choreographer make his mark
Toronto choreographer Hollywood Jade says LGBTQ performers, including himself, are finding more opportunities to be celebrated in mainstream media through series like RuPaul’s Drag Race, and its Canadian counterpart Canada’s Drag Race where he serves as resident choreographer.
Marvel and Disney films are not just popcorn movies — they're about life's greatest mysteries
The Marvel Cinematic Universe and stories of Disney princesses deal with the fundamental themes of being human. A.G. Holdier, a graduate student of philosophy at the University of Arkansas, thinks superheroes and princesses can serve a serious function in the real world.
'We need places like this': LGBTQ refugees find support at Toronto church
Over the years, thousands of refugees persecuted in their home country because of their sexual identity have found a sponsor — and acceptance — with the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto.
'Release your anger': 30 years later, this film critic learned new lessons from Star Wars
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...they had a lot of resilience. For Chris Knight, the chief film critic for the National Post newspaper, the life lessons found in Star Wars are now hitting pretty close to home. Knight believes that Star Wars has forced him to find a little patience in the pandemic.
LGBT refugees welcomed by Toronto church; being blind in the pandemic
The documentary “No Going Back” tells the story of three LGBT refugees who fled persecution in their home countries and found support and acceptance at the Metropolitan Community Church in downtown Toronto. And lawyer Shermeen Khan describes how her experience of the pandemic has been helped and hindered by her blindness.
Philosophy in film
The Marvel movies, Disney princesses and Star Wars are much deeper than you might first think. Tapestry talks to people for whom these massive media properties feel larger than life and offer real lessons.
Building a utopia that wasn't
Thad Russell grew up in suburban Boston, but his parents felt disconnected from the wealthy neighbourhood they lived in. In 1990, they built a small, off-the-grid solar powered home in rural Vermont. But their plan to live a more modest life wasn’t as simple as they had hoped.
What if the world stopped shopping?
From the Kalahari Desert to an island in Japan, writer J.B. MacKinnon has travelled the world to try and discover what may be inconceivable to many – what if, one day, the world stops shopping?
Beyond consumerism
J.B. MacKinnon has travelled the world to try and discover what might be inconceivable to many – what if, one day, the world stops shopping? Thad Russell’s parents built an off grid home, but their plan to live a more modest life wasn’t as nearly simple as they hoped.
'You are in a church that is still learning how to love you,' Jesuit priest tells LGBTQ Catholics
Father James Martin is a noted advocate for the LGBTQ community. He says there is much the Catholic church can do now to offer its support, even without changing church doctrine. Martin explains the difference between sadness and despair, and what The Lord of the Rings can teach us about morality.
Alcohol helped shape civilization and ferment innovation, says author
Given the enormous costs of intoxication, why has the consumption of alcohol remained at the heart of social life? Author Edward Slingerland says it was essential to human evolution.
Sound Medicine: Bringing nature to Australian Indigenous women in prison
Indigenous people in Australia’s prison system experience a profound loss of connection to culture while incarcerated and isolated from the familiar sounds of home. A team of researchers worked with a group of incarcerated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to reconnect them to a sense of place — through sound.
My grandfather, the saint
Andrew Faiz is the grandson of a Presbyterian Pakistani saint - Vazir Chand. Most Presbyterians don't honour saints, yet for this specific Pakistani community, Andrew's grandfather has been given special reverence.
