"Only connect" -E.M. Forster
I’m an Alberta-based freelance writer, pulling at loose threads to see what unravels — and then making sense of the mess. I often cover climate, LGBTQ2S+ issues, mental health, travel, and parenting, but the threads can lead anywhere. You can find my work on HuffPost Canada, The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Xtra, Today’s Parent, and more.
Published In
Featured Writing
The Globe and Mail · April 16th, 2022
Hikers push for Alberta’s Great Divide Trail to be given official recognition
Last summer, Andrew Cotterell was one of about 200 people who completed the Great Divide Trail, an epic hike that crisscrosses the Rocky Mountains and winds 1,123 kilometres from Waterton, Alta., southwest of Lethbridge, to Kakwa Lake, B.C., east of Prince George.
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The Globe and Mail · December 26th, 2020
Six Canadians on Why Buying Books is More Meaningful Than Ever
A calming visit to a bookstore is something that most of us took for granted before 2020. The year asked us to reimagine a lot of things, including how we relax and how we shop. “We’re all in it together” is the oft-repeated slogan of the year – and buying books from an independent bookstore...
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The Walrus · February 11th, 2020
Count me in: How universal health care fails queer communities
Early one October, Nick North arrived at a Calgary hospital feeling a mix of fear and excitement. He had long felt that his body did not match who he was inside: he had been assigned female at birth but did not identify as a woman, and the day had finally come for his gender-affirming top...
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The Globe and Mail · December 12th, 2019
Sorry, Jason Kenney, Education is Always Political
The idea that education is always political comes from the work of renowned Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, who said “teaching is never a neutral act.” To pretend that it could be, to try to remove politics from the classroom, risks removing students’ ability to discern bias and teachers’...
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Toronto Star · November 1st, 2019
Scarlet letters and green rage: The climate change backlash is being directed at women
While I lived over half my life in Ontario, I’m now in Alberta, ground zero for climate skepticism. I want to have open discussions in my community, but as an environmentalist, I have to be vigilant about what I say and to whom. I’m also a freelance writer and for every climate-related article I...
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TVO · July 25th, 2019
How soaring temperatures are affecting Ontario’s homeless
“Health is a political decision,” says Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario and a long-time health leader and social advocate. Grinspun knows better than most that heat amplifies health risks, particularly for the homeless and under-housed. “We have a public-health...
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Medium · April 19th, 2019
5 Modern Versions of Tired Parenting Cliches
Most parents have a list of phrases they heard and hated in childhood — and then vowed never to use on their own kids. Things that annoyed them, or frustrated them, or just felt like an arbitrary imposition of rules: Because I said so. Don’t make me turn this car around. If your friend jumped off...
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Xtra · December 13th, 2018
I’m Married to a Man — and Queerer Than Ever
Two hours after I vowed to spend the rest of my life with husband, I kissed my first girlfriend. We were playing that ubiquitous wedding game: a guest stands up, clinks a wine glass and models the kiss they want to see from the newlyweds.In this case, we were each instructed to find someone of...
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I’m currently accepting a limited number of assignments. Please reach out at sharpe.brianna@gmail.com
I like hearing from people, making connections, and following people who are more witty on social media than I am. If you try, you might be able to find me on Instagram and Twitter.