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Les Mains Sales Book Review

Jean-Paul Sartre
I find that when a story is too overtly philosophical, its characters tend to lack depth. It's a shame that I couldn't emotionally connect with the people in this play, because they wrestle with meaningful, messy questions of identity. What does it mean to join a struggle for the right reasons? How important is it to stand by your convictions? Is political flexibility a good thing? In the end, can one person really make a difference?

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The Revolution of Marina M. Book Review

Janet Fitch
A twisting, frenzied dance through the Russian Revolution as experienced by a young aristocratic poet who finds herself sympathizing with the Bolsheviks. In one memorable scene, she rushes out of a steam bath to plunge in an icy lake. It acts as a good metaphor for the tensions (political and romantic) that bubble over, the sharp swings of fate, the heaving tumultuous chaos of 1917.

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They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us Book Review

Hanif Abdurraqib
Part memoir, part cultural criticism, this collection of essays is a joy to sit with. Abdurraqib holds space for deep contemplation of pop music. He leads you on a half-hour reflection of a 3-minute song, proving that our time is not a fleeting or shallow one; that we live in a historic moment and these are our anthems. He takes what could be a throwaway joke and peels back layer after layer in his poet's voice. This is a book I get giddy about. These are essays I want to read aloud to my friends.

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Can commuting patterns explain Waterloo Region's cultural identity?

I moved to Waterloo in 2008 to attend university. Coming from Whitby, quite a homogeneous bedroom community, I was taken in by the incredible diversity of experiences that the tri-cities had to offer. It was a short trek from campus to downtown Kitchener, where I volunteered with Food Not Bombs and …

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