The Sunday Edition for January 13, 2019
Michael's essay - Why has Ultima Thule failed to excite us the way space travel used to? Perhaps we have become jaded, taking for granted those things which, in earlier days, would have galvanized our imaginations. Why look to the heavens when we can stare down at our smartphones and play Solitaire?"
Hordes of tourists brandishing selfie-sticks are ruining the world's great cities and natural wonders. What's to be done? From Venice to Mount Everest, tourists are overwhelming infrastructure, littering and crowding out local residents. Michael's guests are: Sandra Carvao of the United Nations World Tourism Organization; Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked: The Global Business of Travel & Tourism, and Stephen Burgen, who writes for The Guardian newspaper from Barcelona.
In Quebec, family caregivers are demanding real change, and they just might get it: One in four Quebecers are caring for a sick spouse, a disabled child, an aging parent, or a troubled sibling. Now the right-leaning, tax-cutting party known as the CAQ, is promising concrete support. They appointed Marguerite Blais as Canada's first provincial cabinet minister responsible for informal caregivers. David Gutnick's documentary is called, "What's Love Got to Do with It?"
Why virtuoso violinist Leila Josefowicz champions the music of living composers: Josefowicz, born in Mississauga, Ontario, began violin lessons at the age of three. She performed at Carnegie Hall at the age of 16. Today, she is a much-in-demand soloist who plays with the world's most prestigious orchestras. The composer John Adams says Josefowicz possesses "an incredible combination of emotional intensity and supreme technical virtuosity, and some extra level of charisma, a kind of electricity onstage." She joins Michael Enright to talk about her passion for contemporary classical music.
Early risers are not necessarily healthier, wealthier or wiser: Early risers are seen as more dependable, more productive, even as holding the high moral ground. But maybe it's time to think again. Camilla Kring, says we must abandon our nine-to-five mentality. She consults with organizations around the world about how to accommodate the internal sleep clocks of employees, and why that will improve life for everyone.
Uncovering a family's hidden past: On shiny websites and in musty archives, millions are using their DNA to delve into the past. Anne Letain knew she was taking some risks when she set out to look back, and marched ahead anyway. Her essay is called "Revisionist History."
One man's quest to understand feminism in the wake of #MeToo: Carl Cederstrom is a Swedish academic who studies self-help movements. In the wake of #MeToo, he decided to read 13 classic books about feminism, all in one month. He tells Michael Enright what he learned about how to be a better man.