Michael Hingston

Writer and Publisher at Michael Hingston Newsletter

Writer and publisher (@hingstonolsen) in the frozen north.

Articles

2025 PAW: Early Insights From the 2025 Queen Mary University of London Arbitration Survey in Partnership with White & Case

1 month ago | arbitrationblog.kluwerarbitration.com | Michael Hingston

On the second day of Paris Arbitration Week (“PAW”) 2025, a sneak preview of the forthcoming 2025 International Arbitration Survey “The Path Forward: Realities and Opportunities in Arbitration” (“the 2025 Survey”) was presented at an event hosted at White & Case LLP (“W&C”) in Paris. The 2025 Survey is the fourteenth empirical project of Queen Mary University of London’s (“QMUL”) School of International Arbitration (“SIA”).
Laser Quit Smoking Massage

Nov 1, 2024 | albertaviews.ca | Michael Hingston

The first line of Laser Quit Smoking Massage is also, conveniently, its thesis statement: “Small-town pride tends to be a desperate thing.” This combination of desperation and pride can come from the town itself, often in the form of an engine for tourism dollars (e.g., the town of Vulcan reverse-engineering itself into a haven for Star Trek fans who otherwise wouldn’t leave the highway).
A Series of Fortunate Events

Sep 24, 2024 | edifyedmonton.com | Michael Hingston

For Lisa Gilroy, none of this was the planNot the recurring roles in multiple streaming shows. Not the dozens of smaller comedic parts, in which she holds her own brilliantly against everyone from Andy Samberg to Jennifer Aniston to Blink-182. And certainly not the millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok. Heck, Gilroy wasn’t even supposed to move to Toronto, let alone Los Angeles.
Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers play hockey in its most glorious, cartoonish form

Jun 6, 2024 | thespec.com | Michael Hingston

The NHL finals kick off this Saturday, with the Edmonton Oilers heading to Sunrise, Florida to take on the Panthers in a battle for the Stanley Cup. What emotion does that sentence inspire in you? Indifference? Loathing? For most Canadians, I’m guessing it isn’t joy—certainly not in rival neighbouring markets like Calgary or Vancouver, and likely not in Toronto, either, where “hockey in June” has been more thought experiment than tangible reality since the 1960s. Already a Subscriber?
What I Read: 2023

Dec 31, 2023 | michaelhingston.substack.com | A. S. Byatt |Michael Hingston

[This post is an addendum of sorts to my regular monthly newsletter, which you can read and subscribe to here. You can find all of my reading lists, dating back to 2009, on my website; this list is also duplicated there.]Marilynne Robinson, Gilead (2004)William Gerhardie, Futility (1922)Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) (re-read)Tom Roston, The Writer’s Crusade (2021)John McPhee, Draft No. 4 (2017)Richard J. King, Ahab’s Rolling Sea (2019)Luisa Valenzuela, Up Among the Eagles (1983, trans.
They Loved Me in Medicine Hat

Nov 30, 2023 | michaelhingston.substack.com | Michael Hingston

As we turn the corner into the last month of the year, I always feel a little adrift. I want to look back and start taking stock of things, but I also want to peek ahead at the year to come. This year’s work is winding down; next year’s hasn’t quite come into focus yet. I have a brand-new 2024 daytimer sitting in front of me that I can’t wait to mark up—I just don’t know what needs to be written down yet.
Why Calvin and Hobbes cartoonist Bill Watterson was ahead of his time

Nov 1, 2023 | cbc.ca | Michael Hingston |Amelia Eqbal

Bill Watterson is known for many things — from his world-famous comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, to his disdain for merchandising and his penchant for reclusion. Now he's returned to the world of publishing with a brand new picture book, but the subject matter marks a significant departure from the family-friendly tales he is known for.
All Hail... King Juan III?

Oct 31, 2023 | michaelhingston.substack.com | Michael Hingston

When Try Not to Be Strange was published, in September 2022, a topical yet somewhat awkward news peg presented itself: the most recent king died, mere days before publication. (At that same time, two copies of the book inscribed to him were making their way across the Atlantic Ocean, never to arrive.)The awkwardness stemmed from the fact that Javier Marias had much more going on in his life than the Kingdom of Redonda. And yet the question remained: Who was going to succeed him? Well, now we know.
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

May 18, 2023 | educationnewscanada.com | Michael Hingston

Do you know the story of the trees in your neighbourhood? A new app, with roots dating back more than a decade, aims to bring those stories to the public by gathering profiles of hundreds of Alberta's "heritage trees" and placing them all on one interactive digital map.