John Zada
@johnzada.bsky.social
Writer and journalist | Co-founder of The Conciliators Guild | Author of 'The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey' and 'In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond'. johnzada.com
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John Zada
@johnzada.bsky.social
· Sep 17
Happy to share that a new book I’ve been working on, ‘The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey: An East-West Memoir’, a work of narrative nonfiction set in the Middle East, is out in the world today. Many thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council for their support. bit.ly/4o84UdH
Went into the Taurus Mountains of Turkey last week to the ancient city of Termessos—an unexcavated and little-known Greco-Roman era site obscured by the Mediterranean’s other archaeological wonders. bit.ly/49A1o6U
November 6, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Went into the Taurus Mountains of Turkey last week to the ancient city of Termessos—an unexcavated and little-known Greco-Roman era site obscured by the Mediterranean’s other archaeological wonders. bit.ly/49A1o6U
Can we move beyond the common human tendency to think in largely dualistic terms? The wellbeing of our societies, and even their survival, may in part, depend on it. bit.ly/3RZneWK
October 13, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Can we move beyond the common human tendency to think in largely dualistic terms? The wellbeing of our societies, and even their survival, may in part, depend on it. bit.ly/3RZneWK
I wrote for the Globe and Mail about the rise of big box and corporate retail in our cities at the expense of indie brick and mortar businesses. It’s starting to have an impact on our communities and the way we relate to one another. bit.ly/4mHTU4R
Opinion: Soulless ‘big box’ storefronts are erasing downtowns’ character. But there’s still time to save our cities
New retail developments are replacing small storefronts in downtown areas, leading to a kind of suburbanization of urban cores
bit.ly
October 2, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I wrote for the Globe and Mail about the rise of big box and corporate retail in our cities at the expense of indie brick and mortar businesses. It’s starting to have an impact on our communities and the way we relate to one another. bit.ly/4mHTU4R
Happy to share that a new book I’ve been working on, ‘The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey: An East-West Memoir’, a work of narrative nonfiction set in the Middle East, is out in the world today. Many thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council for their support. bit.ly/4o84UdH
September 17, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Happy to share that a new book I’ve been working on, ‘The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey: An East-West Memoir’, a work of narrative nonfiction set in the Middle East, is out in the world today. Many thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council for their support. bit.ly/4o84UdH
Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn. But in a rapidly changing world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to question our assumptions, rethink our beliefs, and change our minds. bit.ly/46K1CFJ
September 15, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn. But in a rapidly changing world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to question our assumptions, rethink our beliefs, and change our minds. bit.ly/46K1CFJ
Jerry Dennis’s classic travelogue, 'The Living Great Lakes', captures the beauty, fragility, and mystery of North America's majestic inland seas. bit.ly/46rNKki
The Living Great Lakes, by Jerry Dennis - John Zada
Jerry Dennis’s travelogue, 'The Living Great Lakes', captures the beauty, fragility, and mystery of North America's majestic inland seas.
bit.ly
September 8, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Jerry Dennis’s classic travelogue, 'The Living Great Lakes', captures the beauty, fragility, and mystery of North America's majestic inland seas. bit.ly/46rNKki
“A breathtaking travelogue that invites readers to rethink what ‘home’ really means.” From Kirkus Reviews on The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey. bit.ly/3I04Zjm
THE PATCHWORK CLOAK OF KAMAL BEY | Kirkus Reviews
A journalist reflects on his travels around the world and contemplates the idea of belonging within the context of his multicultural identity.
bit.ly
September 7, 2025 at 4:01 PM
“A breathtaking travelogue that invites readers to rethink what ‘home’ really means.” From Kirkus Reviews on The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey. bit.ly/3I04Zjm
In her book, 'Jorge Luis Borges: Sources and Illumination', author Giovanna de Garayalde reveals strong parallels between the Argentinian writer Borges’ writings and the Sufi mystical tradition of Middle East and Central Asia. bit.ly/4lNguIC
Giovanna de Garayalde on Jorge Luis Borges and Sufism - The Planisphere˚
Author Giovanna de Garayalde reveals strong parallels between Jorge Luis Borges' writings and the Sufi mystical tradition of Middle East.
bit.ly
August 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM
In her book, 'Jorge Luis Borges: Sources and Illumination', author Giovanna de Garayalde reveals strong parallels between the Argentinian writer Borges’ writings and the Sufi mystical tradition of Middle East and Central Asia. bit.ly/4lNguIC
Excited to share that ‘The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey: An East-West Memoir’, a work of narrative nonfiction set in the Middle East, will be released this September. Cover art by @michelvrana.com. Many thanks to Canada Council for the Arts + Ontario Arts Council for their support. bit.ly/4o84UdH
July 29, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Excited to share that ‘The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey: An East-West Memoir’, a work of narrative nonfiction set in the Middle East, will be released this September. Cover art by @michelvrana.com. Many thanks to Canada Council for the Arts + Ontario Arts Council for their support. bit.ly/4o84UdH
Reposted by John Zada
In Fluke, political scientist Brian Klaas explores the phenomenon of random chance and the outsize impact it has on shaping the future. Our latest review by @melraff.bsky.social bit.ly/4eNiKOd
July 14, 2025 at 6:37 PM
In Fluke, political scientist Brian Klaas explores the phenomenon of random chance and the outsize impact it has on shaping the future. Our latest review by @melraff.bsky.social bit.ly/4eNiKOd
The idea of multiple personalities is often associated with extreme clinical conditions, but we are all affected by a smaller version of this phenomenon which pays high dividends to understand and bring under greater control. My latest piece for The Human Journey project. bit.ly/43Z9IZJ
Our Subpersonalities and Many-Sided Selves
Multiple personalities is often associated with clinical conditions, but we are all affected by a smaller version of this phenomenon.
bit.ly
May 29, 2025 at 3:18 PM
The idea of multiple personalities is often associated with extreme clinical conditions, but we are all affected by a smaller version of this phenomenon which pays high dividends to understand and bring under greater control. My latest piece for The Human Journey project. bit.ly/43Z9IZJ
Reposted by John Zada
The idea of multiple personalities is often associated with severe clinical conditions, but as John Zada writes we are all affected by a smaller version of this phenomenon which pays high dividends to understand and bring under greater control. Our latest from the Human Journey blog. bit.ly/43Z9IZJ
Our Subpersonalities and Many-Sided Selves
Multiple personalities is often associated with clinical conditions, but we are all affected by a smaller version of this phenomenon.
bit.ly
May 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
The idea of multiple personalities is often associated with severe clinical conditions, but as John Zada writes we are all affected by a smaller version of this phenomenon which pays high dividends to understand and bring under greater control. Our latest from the Human Journey blog. bit.ly/43Z9IZJ
Brazilian documentary photographer Sebastião Salgado passed away today at 81. No one used the medium better, I think, to capture both the difficulties of the human condition and the sheer magic of life. If you're not familiar with him, I urge you to find and explore his work in print form.
May 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Brazilian documentary photographer Sebastião Salgado passed away today at 81. No one used the medium better, I think, to capture both the difficulties of the human condition and the sheer magic of life. If you're not familiar with him, I urge you to find and explore his work in print form.
Reposted by John Zada
May 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
A good read about the power of implicit meaning and metaphysical messaging in traditional stories and folklore bit.ly/3FX1Ijr from @andrewbodenwrites.bsky.social
April 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
A good read about the power of implicit meaning and metaphysical messaging in traditional stories and folklore bit.ly/3FX1Ijr from @andrewbodenwrites.bsky.social
Reposted by John Zada
The way in which different cultures describe and classify colors reveals differences in how they perceive the world. It also might help us better understand and navigate the increasingly polarized nature of our conversations, globally, into the future. bit.ly/4hwhsXB
March 13, 2025 at 6:20 PM
The way in which different cultures describe and classify colors reveals differences in how they perceive the world. It also might help us better understand and navigate the increasingly polarized nature of our conversations, globally, into the future. bit.ly/4hwhsXB
A new piece I wrote on digital indoctrination for The Human Journey project.
Our culture is becoming inured to the negatives of too much screen time. However, one heinous impact of smart phone use, the potential manipulation of our beliefs, remains both sorely underappreciated and poorly understood. bit.ly/43yaPRi
The Conditioning Machines in Our Back Pockets
We are becoming inured to the negatives of too much screen time. But one impact—the manipulation of our beliefs—remains underappreciated.
bit.ly
March 10, 2025 at 10:04 PM
A new piece I wrote on digital indoctrination for The Human Journey project.
A talented and award-winning author friend with 15 great books to his name, Robert Twigger, is giving a 3-day creative writing course in #Wigtown, Scotland next month—along with authors Jessica Fox, and Shaun Bythell. Check it out. bit.ly/4ks7LMu
March 6, 2025 at 9:12 PM
A talented and award-winning author friend with 15 great books to his name, Robert Twigger, is giving a 3-day creative writing course in #Wigtown, Scotland next month—along with authors Jessica Fox, and Shaun Bythell. Check it out. bit.ly/4ks7LMu
El Cerro Tronador, "The Thunderer", an extinct volcano above the town of Bariloche, in the Patagonian Andes of Argentina.
March 2, 2025 at 12:17 AM
El Cerro Tronador, "The Thunderer", an extinct volcano above the town of Bariloche, in the Patagonian Andes of Argentina.
An important read for @psychologytoday.com by friend and colleague Denise Winn on our reflex to jump to conclusions based on our lack of information—something we are so often oblivious to. bit.ly/3Q7h6eS
Do You Really Know What You Think You Know?
Do you trust yourself too much?
bit.ly
February 28, 2025 at 4:16 PM
An important read for @psychologytoday.com by friend and colleague Denise Winn on our reflex to jump to conclusions based on our lack of information—something we are so often oblivious to. bit.ly/3Q7h6eS
Reposted by John Zada
One of the most startling findings of modern science is that we don’t experience the world as it is, but as a virtual reality. It is an understanding that is crucial to so many disciplines, and to grasping a core aspect of our human condition. bit.ly/3WjIGZY
January 13, 2025 at 5:33 PM
One of the most startling findings of modern science is that we don’t experience the world as it is, but as a virtual reality. It is an understanding that is crucial to so many disciplines, and to grasping a core aspect of our human condition. bit.ly/3WjIGZY
Reposted by John Zada
Give us our daylight back!
I’m with you @johnzada.bsky.social!!!
I’m with you @johnzada.bsky.social!!!
I wrote a piece for @theglobeandmail.com about the enforced darkening of airplane cabins on some Air Canada day flights, and our preference for screens over the magical, big-picture window views of air travel. bit.ly/3ZLpXXX
December 25, 2024 at 2:25 PM
Give us our daylight back!
I’m with you @johnzada.bsky.social!!!
I’m with you @johnzada.bsky.social!!!
I wrote a piece for @theglobeandmail.com about the enforced darkening of airplane cabins on some Air Canada day flights, and our preference for screens over the magical, big-picture window views of air travel. bit.ly/3ZLpXXX
December 23, 2024 at 8:51 PM
I wrote a piece for @theglobeandmail.com about the enforced darkening of airplane cabins on some Air Canada day flights, and our preference for screens over the magical, big-picture window views of air travel. bit.ly/3ZLpXXX
Reposted by John Zada
In his two-volume book, ‘The Matter with Things', British scholar Iain McGilchrist argues that for humanity to thrive and survive we need to move from an understanding based upon the reality of matter to one based on process and flow. bit.ly/4iIZZgz
The Matter with Things
Iain McGilchrist book 'The Matter with Things' is an epic, in-depth journey into the functions, limits, and possibilities of the human mind.
bit.ly
December 23, 2024 at 6:34 PM
In his two-volume book, ‘The Matter with Things', British scholar Iain McGilchrist argues that for humanity to thrive and survive we need to move from an understanding based upon the reality of matter to one based on process and flow. bit.ly/4iIZZgz
Sunday op-ed for the Globe and Mail on the situation in Syria.
Opinion: Will Syrians be able to unite as they forge a new future?
With al-Assad gone, and key foreign powers stepping back, Syria may enjoy an interlude of greater breathing space in which to forge their new era
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 10, 2024 at 9:31 PM
Sunday op-ed for the Globe and Mail on the situation in Syria.