Mark Canada, Ph.D.
@markcanadaphd.bsky.social
I’m a professor, author, and speaker specializing in literature, language, and history. My publication, Mind Inclined, helps you elevate your mind and life: https://mindinclined.substack.com/
Pinned
I'm Dead. Press Play. (Ep. 1)
YouTube video by Mark Canada, Ph.D.
youtu.be
My NEW audio drama will be released as daily episodes. Told in the form of recordings left on a cell phone, this literary (and linguistic) thriller combines mystery, adventure, romance, and... Poe.
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #thriller #mystery
youtu.be/4WRob23r9fo
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #thriller #mystery
youtu.be/4WRob23r9fo
The word 'January' comes from the Roman God Janus, who had two faces looking towards both the past and future. A reminder to pause, reflect, and choose how we move forward.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/look-both-...
#writing #language #reflection #Substack
mindinclined.substack.com/p/look-both-...
#writing #language #reflection #Substack
Look Both Ways Before You Cross
Tucked into the English word January are some truths that can help you improve yourself and your world.
mindinclined.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:54 PM
The word 'January' comes from the Roman God Janus, who had two faces looking towards both the past and future. A reminder to pause, reflect, and choose how we move forward.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/look-both-...
#writing #language #reflection #Substack
mindinclined.substack.com/p/look-both-...
#writing #language #reflection #Substack
I hope you'll read my short reflection on a piece from the new Ken Burns documentary, The American Revolution. #AmericanRevolution mindinclined.substack.com/p/e-pluribus...
November 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I hope you'll read my short reflection on a piece from the new Ken Burns documentary, The American Revolution. #AmericanRevolution mindinclined.substack.com/p/e-pluribus...
Learn a valuable lesson from William Penn: mindinclined.substack.com/p/philadelph... #Penn #Philadelphia #America #America250
November 15, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Learn a valuable lesson from William Penn: mindinclined.substack.com/p/philadelph... #Penn #Philadelphia #America #America250
Read my latest Mind Travel reflection in less than 5 minutes: mindinclined.substack.com/p/philadelph...
#Philly #Philadelphia #America #Travel #Travelblog #Substack
#Philly #Philadelphia #America #Travel #Travelblog #Substack
November 13, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Read my latest Mind Travel reflection in less than 5 minutes: mindinclined.substack.com/p/philadelph...
#Philly #Philadelphia #America #Travel #Travelblog #Substack
#Philly #Philadelphia #America #Travel #Travelblog #Substack
In this special Halloween edition of Mind Travel, we celebrate Halloween with a look at “The Masque of the Red Death,” one of Poe’s best stories. mindinclined.substack.com/p/poes-quint...
Poe's Quintessential Halloween Story
In this special Halloween edition of Mind Travel, we celebrate Halloween with a look at a story by Poe.
mindinclined.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:40 PM
In this special Halloween edition of Mind Travel, we celebrate Halloween with a look at “The Masque of the Red Death,” one of Poe’s best stories. mindinclined.substack.com/p/poes-quint...
How did #Poe use the power of sound to make “The Raven” such a #poetry sensation? open.substack.com/pub/mindincl...
"The Philosophy of Composition" — the Key to Poe's Method?, Part 2
What's in a sound?
open.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 5:13 PM
How did #Poe use the power of sound to make “The Raven” such a #poetry sensation? open.substack.com/pub/mindincl...
As a former #editor, I have a soft spot for these lines from Bob Seger:
“Well those drifter's days are past me now.
I've got so much more to think about:
Deadlines and commitments,
What to leave in, what to leave out.”
#writersky #writing #authorsky
“Well those drifter's days are past me now.
I've got so much more to think about:
Deadlines and commitments,
What to leave in, what to leave out.”
#writersky #writing #authorsky
October 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
As a former #editor, I have a soft spot for these lines from Bob Seger:
“Well those drifter's days are past me now.
I've got so much more to think about:
Deadlines and commitments,
What to leave in, what to leave out.”
#writersky #writing #authorsky
“Well those drifter's days are past me now.
I've got so much more to think about:
Deadlines and commitments,
What to leave in, what to leave out.”
#writersky #writing #authorsky
When it comes to our conversations, our ideas, even our lives, it may be our problems come not so much from being insufficiently creative “writers” as not being sufficiently active, critical “editors.” Consider the implications and unintended consequences.
#writersky #writing
#writersky #writing
October 12, 2025 at 10:19 PM
When it comes to our conversations, our ideas, even our lives, it may be our problems come not so much from being insufficiently creative “writers” as not being sufficiently active, critical “editors.” Consider the implications and unintended consequences.
#writersky #writing
#writersky #writing
“A New Way to Consider Writing: More Curation Than Creation”
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #novel #writing
mindinclined.substack.com/p/writing-a-...
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #novel #writing
mindinclined.substack.com/p/writing-a-...
Writing a Novel, Part 2
“A New Way to Consider Writing: More Curation Than Creation”
mindinclined.substack.com
October 12, 2025 at 10:09 PM
“A New Way to Consider Writing: More Curation Than Creation”
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #novel #writing
mindinclined.substack.com/p/writing-a-...
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #novel #writing
mindinclined.substack.com/p/writing-a-...
Do you find #networking awkward, even a little too self-promotional? Here’s the thing: the people you are most likely to engage, well, they get it. They’re doing it, too. Go ahead. Mention your side hustle, your new venture, your idea. You may be surprised by the positive responses you receive.
October 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Do you find #networking awkward, even a little too self-promotional? Here’s the thing: the people you are most likely to engage, well, they get it. They’re doing it, too. Go ahead. Mention your side hustle, your new venture, your idea. You may be surprised by the positive responses you receive.
Does #publicspeaking make you anxious? Here’s a pro tip: start with a joke, ideally something growing out of the occasion or someone else’s remarks. You will win over the listeners at the start and feel more at ease. I have given countless speeches, and I’m here to tell you: humor works.
October 8, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Does #publicspeaking make you anxious? Here’s a pro tip: start with a joke, ideally something growing out of the occasion or someone else’s remarks. You will win over the listeners at the start and feel more at ease. I have given countless speeches, and I’m here to tell you: humor works.
To anyone #writing a #novel right now: You got this!
I'm thrilled to share that my mystery novel (about a recent college grad on the run) is being released in daily episodes this month.
This week, I wrote a column about the experience of writing a novel. mindinclined.substack.com/p/writing-a-...
I'm thrilled to share that my mystery novel (about a recent college grad on the run) is being released in daily episodes this month.
This week, I wrote a column about the experience of writing a novel. mindinclined.substack.com/p/writing-a-...
Writing a Novel, Part 1
This time, I'm writing about the experience of writing my new novel, which dropped this week on Substack.
mindinclined.substack.com
October 4, 2025 at 5:44 PM
To anyone #writing a #novel right now: You got this!
I'm thrilled to share that my mystery novel (about a recent college grad on the run) is being released in daily episodes this month.
This week, I wrote a column about the experience of writing a novel. mindinclined.substack.com/p/writing-a-...
I'm thrilled to share that my mystery novel (about a recent college grad on the run) is being released in daily episodes this month.
This week, I wrote a column about the experience of writing a novel. mindinclined.substack.com/p/writing-a-...
My NEW audio drama will be released as daily episodes. Told in the form of recordings left on a cell phone, this literary (and linguistic) thriller combines mystery, adventure, romance, and... Poe.
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #thriller #mystery
youtu.be/4WRob23r9fo
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #thriller #mystery
youtu.be/4WRob23r9fo
I'm Dead. Press Play. (Ep. 1)
YouTube video by Mark Canada, Ph.D.
youtu.be
October 2, 2025 at 2:05 PM
My NEW audio drama will be released as daily episodes. Told in the form of recordings left on a cell phone, this literary (and linguistic) thriller combines mystery, adventure, romance, and... Poe.
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #thriller #mystery
youtu.be/4WRob23r9fo
#booksky #authorsky #writersky #thriller #mystery
youtu.be/4WRob23r9fo
Today, September 17, is Constitution Day. Please join us at Mind Inclined for an inspiring reflection on how Benjamin Franklin got past ideas to get to results during the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Benjamin Franklin's Mulberry Tree
Ideas can be powerful, important, and inspirational. They also can be rigid, divisive, and destructive.
substack.com
September 17, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Today, September 17, is Constitution Day. Please join us at Mind Inclined for an inspiring reflection on how Benjamin Franklin got past ideas to get to results during the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Here’s a sneak peek into my latest Moving Experience in Washington, D.C.! Become a paid subscriber (mindinclined.substack.com) to watch my entire half-hour virtual tour of the #DC National Mall’s highlights.
September 16, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Here’s a sneak peek into my latest Moving Experience in Washington, D.C.! Become a paid subscriber (mindinclined.substack.com) to watch my entire half-hour virtual tour of the #DC National Mall’s highlights.
Country music is more than steel guitars and cowboy boots. It’s poetry—funny, heartbreaking, clever #poetry.
Give me five minutes and I’ll prove it.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/the-poetry...
Give me five minutes and I’ll prove it.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/the-poetry...
The Poetry of Country Music, Part 1
Country music deserves to be taken seriously.
mindinclined.substack.com
September 13, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Country music is more than steel guitars and cowboy boots. It’s poetry—funny, heartbreaking, clever #poetry.
Give me five minutes and I’ll prove it.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/the-poetry...
Give me five minutes and I’ll prove it.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/the-poetry...
Some writers imagine, others immerse. Stephen Crane became “one of them” to write about #poverty in New York. His work reminds us that #literature can bridge the distance between lives. Explore the story: substack.com/home/post/p-...
Stephen Crane's "An Experiment in Misery”
Do you imagine writers as solitary, sedentary individuals emptying their teeming brains while sitting in a garret or a pasture?
substack.com
September 6, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Some writers imagine, others immerse. Stephen Crane became “one of them” to write about #poverty in New York. His work reminds us that #literature can bridge the distance between lives. Explore the story: substack.com/home/post/p-...
Have you ever wondered where #newwords come from? I've thought a lot about this — more than the vast majority of the population, I'm guessing — and I have an idea of what makes this process fun.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/whipping-u...
mindinclined.substack.com/p/whipping-u...
Whipping Up Words
Listen now | We all see the world through our own personal lenses, and one of mine is the linguistic lens. I love words, and I like to think about what they mean, where they come from, how they work.
mindinclined.substack.com
August 16, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Have you ever wondered where #newwords come from? I've thought a lot about this — more than the vast majority of the population, I'm guessing — and I have an idea of what makes this process fun.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/whipping-u...
mindinclined.substack.com/p/whipping-u...
Does the name "King Alfred" mean anything to you?
King Alfred, Legendary Baker
Watch now | Does the name "King Alfred" mean anything to you?
open.substack.com
June 28, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Does the name "King Alfred" mean anything to you?
If you want to explore the benefits of memorizing #poetry and learn how to do it yourself, check out this video lesson we filmed in a beautiful garden using an Emily Dickinson #poem about #flowers.
A Poem in Your Pocket
Here's how to memorize a poem and why it will help you think and write better.
mindinclined.substack.com
May 3, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Today's #poem: “Dulce et Decorum Est,” by Wilfred Owen
In this powerful poem, the poet takes on idealistic representations of war. The final lines, "Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori," recall a Latin quotation from the Roman poet Horace: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country."
In this powerful poem, the poet takes on idealistic representations of war. The final lines, "Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori," recall a Latin quotation from the Roman poet Horace: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country."
Dulce et Decorum Est
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
www.poetryfoundation.org
April 23, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Today's #poem: “Dulce et Decorum Est,” by Wilfred Owen
In this powerful poem, the poet takes on idealistic representations of war. The final lines, "Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori," recall a Latin quotation from the Roman poet Horace: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country."
In this powerful poem, the poet takes on idealistic representations of war. The final lines, "Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori," recall a Latin quotation from the Roman poet Horace: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country."
In this masterful #poem, Stevie Smith sketches a tragedy in a mere 12 lines. More than a powerful evocation of loss, her poem makes an insightful statement on the failure of #communication and #connection. In this week's essay and #podcast, I take a close look at both aspects of the poem.
A Tragedy in Twelve Lines
Experience the power of poetry capturing the human condition.
mindinclined.substack.com
April 19, 2025 at 1:46 PM
In this masterful #poem, Stevie Smith sketches a tragedy in a mere 12 lines. More than a powerful evocation of loss, her poem makes an insightful statement on the failure of #communication and #connection. In this week's essay and #podcast, I take a close look at both aspects of the poem.
"We Real Cool," by Gwendolyn Brooks shows how much a masterful #poet can do with just a few words. Check out my #podcast on #Substack to learn more about the way Brooks uses sound in this marvelous #poem.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/we-real-co...
mindinclined.substack.com/p/we-real-co...
"We Real Cool" — A Poem for the Ears
Watch now | Where does a poem live?
mindinclined.substack.com
April 13, 2025 at 1:11 PM
"We Real Cool," by Gwendolyn Brooks shows how much a masterful #poet can do with just a few words. Check out my #podcast on #Substack to learn more about the way Brooks uses sound in this marvelous #poem.
mindinclined.substack.com/p/we-real-co...
mindinclined.substack.com/p/we-real-co...
Today's daily poem for #NationalPoetryMonth is "After great pain, a formal feeling comes," by Emily Dickinson
This #poem brilliantly captures a common human response to #grief: feeling #numb.
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47651/...
This #poem brilliantly captures a common human response to #grief: feeling #numb.
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47651/...
After great pain, a formal feeling comes – (372)
After great pain, a formal feeling comes – The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs – The stiff Heart questions ‘was it He, that bore,’ And ‘Yesterday, or Centuries before’? The Feet, mechanical, go ro...
www.poetryfoundation.org
April 9, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Today's daily poem for #NationalPoetryMonth is "After great pain, a formal feeling comes," by Emily Dickinson
This #poem brilliantly captures a common human response to #grief: feeling #numb.
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47651/...
This #poem brilliantly captures a common human response to #grief: feeling #numb.
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47651/...