Faculty of Arts
Culture
An eclectic approach to Canada’s history
When film director Matthew Rankin, BA’01, came to Montreal to study at McGill, it put him on the path to learning French, embracing the city as his new home – and making the critically acclaimed Universal Language.
Culture
Looking for a holiday read?
The holidays are almost upon us and (hopefully) that means you’ll soon be able to spend some quality time with a good book or two. Here are some possibilities for you to consider – all written by McGill alums.
Culture
One of the Big Apple’s best booksellers
Sarah McNally, BA’98, is the driving force behind McNally Jackson Books in New York. Her chain of independent bookstores has managed to thrive in challenging times. Both Vogue and The New Yorker recently included McNally Jackson’s shops on their lists of New York’s finest bookstores.
Culture
Championing Quebec culture
As the president and director general of the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), Louise Lantagne, BA’77, plays a crucial role in supporting Quebec culture – both inside the province and around the world. (Cet article est disponible en français.)
Culture
The story behind Chromeo’s distinctly funky charms
If the Montreal electro-funk duo Chromeo’s music hadn’t caught on, David Macklovitch, BA’00, MA’03, the band’s vocalist and guitarist, might be at the front of a university classroom right now, teaching French literature.
Culture
A complicated legacy
Pete Rose has more hits than any player in Major League Baseball history, but he isn’t in its Hall of Fame because he bet on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Jeffrey Lenkov, BA’87, co-created a recent TV series about the controversial baseball legend.
Society
Telling the whole story
Yale historian Ned Blackhawk, BA’92, believes that too many accounts of U.S. history pay little attention to the pivotal role that the country’s Native Americans played in that history. His recent book, The Rediscovery of America, winner of the U.S. National Book Award for Nonfiction, serves as a corrective.
Health
Why microplastics could pose a big threat
In her unnerving new documentary about microplastics, science journalist Ziya Tong points to the growing evidence that these tiny pollutants are turning up almost everywhere – even inside our bodies.
Discovery
Exploring queer and feminist food culture
In her research on feminist restaurants and queer cuisine, Alex Ketchum, MA’13, PhD’18, an assistant professor at McGill’s Institute for Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies, examines underexplored areas of culinary history and food culture.
People
When she’s not studying economic policy, she helps shape it
Adriana Kugler is an award-winning economics professor at Georgetown University – but she is often not there. Her academic career has been interrupted by appointments from the White House. In her current role, she is serving as a governor for the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Culture
An accomplishment worth kvelling about
While working on a master’s degree at McGill, Aaron Lansky, MA’80, launched a rescue mission, one that would play a significant role in the preservation of a culture facing serious peril. As the driving force behind the Yiddish Book Center, Lansky has helped save 1.5 million books and built a one-of-a-kind collection.
Culture
How Michel Tremblay became a Scottish sensation
Playwright Michel Tremblay is one of Quebec’s most revered artists, but his works have also been celebrated in Scotland, thanks to the Scots translations of his plays by Martin Bowman, BA’67, MA’69, and Bill Findlay. Those translations were recently collected in the two-volume Michel Tremblay: Plays in Scots.