Posts by Sophie Clearwater
The Surprising Health Benefits of Reading for Pleasure
There are neuroimaging studies to back up that finding, she continues. “When you read fiction, particularly stories that are rich in social content, it activates areas in the brain that we know are involved in social cognition, areas that always come up when you’re doing studies of theory of mind or understanding things from other…
Read MoreDakota Mortensen, Jordan Ngatikaura Not Returning to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives After Season 6
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is down two more cast members. Shortly after Mikayla Matthews announced she won’t be returning for season six of the Hulu series, cast member Jessi Draper confirmed the exit of two more: her ex-husband Jordan Ngatikaura and Taylor Frankie Paul’s ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. “Jordan and Dakota are both done filming,” Jessi…
Read MoreSaudi Arabia Calls Mecca a ‘Red Line’ After Alleged Houthi Drone Attack on the Holy Site
“Defending Mecca is going to create legitimacy domestically in their countries if they engage with the Saudis in a war against the Houthis,” says Al-Muslimi. But Gerges suggests that support from Turkey and Pakistan would be largely ineffective, and therefore unlikely. “The problem is how could Pakistan and Turkey really provide support since the armies…
Read MoreThe 2026 Toyota GR Supra MkV Final Edition Is a Perfect Eulogy on Wheels
Toyota’s fifth-generation Supra closes out a lineage dating back to 1978—hopefully retreating rather than disappearing for good. Courtesy Toyota It’s inherently thrilling to test a car as perfectly engineered as the 2026 Toyota GR Supra MkV, and so it’s stunning how adding two simple words—final edition—can change that thrill into mourning. In its last incarnation,…
Read MoreDWTS’ Derek Hough Accidentally Calls Tyler Cameron the Wrong Name Live On-Air
Of course, Hough—and fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli—will have no choice but to say Cameron’s actual name several times over, as he and Burgess shut the house down with their tango to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” As Tonioli noted, Cameron has “a natural musicality.” Inaba, for her part,…
Read MoreToronto’s Fall Cultural Calendar Foregrounds Ruin, Rebirth and Rupture
Melissa Auf der Maur, Courtney Love on Stage Pointing at fans, 1999. Courtesy Art Gallery of Ontario © Melissa Auf der Maur The most audacious act of performance and land-based art kicked off the Great Lakes’ cultural calendar weeks before TIFF or the Toronto Biennial of Art got underway this September, when Donald Trump renamed…
Read MoreBarack Obama Mourns Death of Beloved Family Dog Sunny
The Obama family is mourning one of their own. Barack Obama shared that he, as well as Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25, lost their beloved dog Sunny, who died at 13 on Sept. 14. “We will miss her terribly,” Barack wrote on Instagram Sept. 15 alongside photos of the Portuguese water dog,” and imagine she’s…
Read MoreGloria Steinem Taught Us How to Walk Forward Without Her
The most enduring lesson from Gloria Steinem’s life may be how deliberately she built a movement that could keep moving without her. Photo by Barbara Alper/Getty Images The candles on the cake were for Gloria Steinem’s 91st birthday. No doubt she had dozens of birthday celebrations that year. But in this photo, we were sitting…
Read MoreToronto Biennial Curator Allison Glenn On Creating Connections and What Happens When Things Fall Apart
Allison Glenn. Photo by Tori Mumtaz Several recent biennials around the world have focused on water and waterways to explore the complex entanglement of human histories and geological time that has led to the world we inhabit today. The upcoming 2026 Toronto Biennial of Art takes a similar approach on a more ambitious scale, extending…
Read MoreTravis Kelce Reveals the Taylor Swift Nickname Jason Kelce’s Kids Had to Unlearn
Jason Kelce’s daughters had a tough time with Taylor Swift’s big reputation. When the Grammy winner began dating the NFL alum’s brother Travis Kelce, Jason’s daughters Wyatt, 6, Elliotte, 5, Bennett, 3, Finnley, 18 months—whom he shares with wife Kylie Kelce—couldn’t quite shake off wanting to call Taylor by her full name. “We had to break that habit of your daughters,” Travis said on the…
Read MoreThe University of Toronto’s Alumni Are Everywhere in the A.I. Boom
Geoffrey Hinton speaks at Collision 2023 at Enercare Centre in Toronto, Canada. Sportsfile via Getty Images A significant portion of the global A.I. boom traces back to a single Canadian institution: the University of Toronto. Ranked first in Canada and among the top 17 universities worldwide for research and discovery, the university has become a…
Read MoreHow much racket-smashing fit cost Aryna Sabalenka at US Open
Aryna Sabalenka’s U.S. Open crash out will cost her. The former world No. 1 received a $7,500 fine for smashing her racket after losing the women’s singles final Saturday to Elena Rybakina in three sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium. At the end of the match, the Belarusian sat on her bench and smashed her racket…
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