Read. Watch. Listen. introduces you to the personal side of our faculty, staff and alumni. Participants are asked to answer three simple questions about their reading, viewing and listening habits – what one book or newspaper/magazine article is grabbing your attention; what one movie or television show has caught your eye; and what album/song, podcast or radio show are you lending an ear to.
Physical Therapy professor David Walton recently published COVID-19: Myths of the New Normal, a “bit of longform blogging” exploring recovery from collective trauma.
Today, he takes a turn on Read. Watch. Listen.
Read.
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari. OK, perhaps a bit of a ‘that’s just work’ choice here, as a big part of my academic work is in the area of post-trauma distress and growth, but journalist Hari’s exploration of the impacts on mental health and wellness from our increasingly disconnected lives feels suddenly more relevant in the pandemic-motivated context of isolation. While at times inconsistent in its pacing and depth, this is a fairly easy read and a good opportunity to remind ourselves that while physically distanced, we should be socially connecting.
Watch.
Letterkenny. Simultaneously stupid, irreverant, pointless, funny, raunchy, and insightful, I find this send up on life in rural Ontario (where no one needs to social distance, but everyone is socially distanced) oddly refreshing. The humour will most definitely not appeal to everyone, and perhaps it’s my persistent adolescence that leads me to recommend it, but I find the adult spelling bee episode one of the funniest things I’ve seen on TV in a good while.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdcy3Zva7MI
Listen.
The Debaters (CBC). While I’m sure 20-year-old Dave would have been disgusted that I’m recommending a CBC podcast, I will reply thusly: At a time when laughs are perhaps few and far between, The Debaters is a pretty consistent source of silly humour. While the real world may be debating the merits of gun control, economic relief, and re-opening the economy, sometimes I want to hear debates on real issues, like whether sneakers can be considered formal attire or if apples are indeed better than oranges. They’re not all winners, of course, but for 20 minutes on the drive to and from campus I get to laugh (and occasionally cringe) along with a pair of professional comedians.
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Read.
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari. OK, perhaps a bit of a ‘that’s just work’ choice here, as a big part of my academic work is in the area of post-trauma distress and growth, but journalist Hari’s exploration of the impacts on mental health and wellness from our increasingly disconnected lives feels suddenly more relevant in the pandemic-motivated context of isolation. While at times inconsistent in its pacing and depth, this is a fairly easy read and a good opportunity to remind ourselves that while physically distanced, we should be socially connecting.
Watch.
Letterkenny. Simultaneously stupid, irreverant, pointless, funny, raunchy, and insightful, I find this send up on life in rural Ontario (where no one needs to social distance, but everyone is socially distanced) oddly refreshing. The humour will most definitely not appeal to everyone, and perhaps it’s my persistent adolescence that leads me to recommend it, but I find the adult spelling bee episode one of the funniest things I’ve seen on TV in a good while.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdcy3Zva7MI
Listen.
The Debaters (CBC). While I’m sure 20-year-old Dave would have been disgusted that I’m recommending a CBC podcast, I will reply thusly: At a time when laughs are perhaps few and far between, The Debaters is a pretty consistent source of silly humour. While the real world may be debating the merits of gun control, economic relief, and re-opening the economy, sometimes I want to hear debates on real issues, like whether sneakers can be considered formal attire or if apples are indeed better than oranges. They’re not all winners, of course, but for 20 minutes on the drive to and from campus I get to laugh (and occasionally cringe) along with a pair of professional comedians.
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If you have a suggestion for someone you would like to see in Read. Watch. Listen., or would like to participate yourself, drop a line to [email protected].
