Stephen Marche
stephenmarche.bsky.social
Stephen Marche
@stephenmarche.bsky.social
Novelist, essayist, AI optimist. Death of an Author, The Next Civil War, On Writing and Failure.
Reposted by Stephen Marche
Almost a year now since I received this absolutely classic burn from the Canadian government.
November 21, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Reposted by Stephen Marche
🇨🇦 Canada looks to 🇫🇮 Finland as defense model amid 🇺🇸 Trump uncertainty

"Finland, you've been living next to this monstrosity your entire existence. That's why we're trying to learn from you," says author Stephen Marche

Canada spends 1.5% GDP on defense vs Finland's higher rate

yle.fi/a/74-20194770
Canada wants to learn from Finland
National security has been on Canadians' minds lately.
yle.fi
November 18, 2025 at 2:49 PM
"Gloves Off" made Apple's Best of 2025 list.
November 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM
I've always loved the Australian term "budgie-smuggler" for tight men's underwear. Now it's literally come true. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
Man accused of smuggling protected parakeets in his underwear
Border agents say an American traveling from Mexico hid protected orange-fronted parakeets in his underwear and claimed the bulge was merely his natural appendage.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:09 AM
The Nuzzi excerpt. I will just give my impression as a writer: It is brilliant (pointless denying this) exactly because, to understand America now, you have to get inside souls who have demolished their integrity, who have made deals with the devil for baubles, who know they richly deserve contempt
November 17, 2025 at 10:13 PM
If you want to understand Canada, start here: A man who steals a city bus for a joyride refuses to let on a passenger with an expired monthly pass.
When a man hijacked a bus in Hamilton, Ontario, on Tuesday, the potentially catastrophic scenario ended happily. It turns out he was a pretty decent bus driver. He made regular stops to pick up passengers, the police reported. At one point someone tried to board with an expired bus pass. No dice.
A Man Took a Bus for a Joyride. Turns Out, He’s Not a Bad Driver.
The incident in Hamilton, Ontario, ended safely with an arrest and no injuries (and all fares paid).
nyti.ms
November 14, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Stephen Marche
“During the Cold War, pop culture was an immensely powerful force on America’s side, and the U.S.S.R. had no answer” — but that era is over, Stephen Marche writes. “America’s global cultural dominance is diminished every day that Mr. Trump is in office.”
Opinion | America Isn’t Cool Anymore
Pop culture exports have long been a potent source of American soft power. What happens when the U.S. is no longer the global capital of cool?
nyti.ms
November 9, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Wrote for Sunday Opinion of @nytimes about the precipitous decline of American cultural power in the age of Trump. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/o...
Opinion | America Is Losing the Fight for the Teenagers of the World
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 5:57 PM
It is a privilege, in a way, to get your heart broken so deeply.

Of all the years of being a fan, of all the teams, all the seasons, in all my life, this year's @BlueJays were the easiest to root for, the most fun to follow.

I loved every minute until the last.
November 2, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Really enjoyed speaking with Sam Harris on his podcast today. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQeV...
The Threat of Civil War: A Conversation with Stephen Marche (Episode 441)
YouTube video by Sam Harris
www.youtube.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Reposted by Stephen Marche
Thanks to @stephenmarche.bsky.social for this one: "Why poke the bear? If you’re dealing with a ranting meth-addled lunatic on the subway, the correct plan is to engage as little as possible." www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Stephen Marche: The right tactics when dealing with Trump? Ignore the impossible and look for the light within
The response mechanisms of the United States are so unpredictable that the consequences of any given action are fundamentally unknowable
www.thestar.com
October 31, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Reposted by Stephen Marche
Canada was once known as a peacekeeping nation, but that reputation has faded. In the age of Trump's America, what part should we play? @jeyantvo.bsky.social asks former UN ambassador Louise Blais and journalist @stephenmarche.bsky.social, host of the podcast "Gloves Off."
Canada Without America: What's its Role in the World? | The Rundown
YouTube video by TVO Today
youtu.be
October 30, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by Stephen Marche
"What's the point in negotiating with a pirate? I mean any time that we come to an agreement, they'll just rip it up in the next five minutes." — journalist @stephenmarche.bsky.social on resuming trade negotiations with the U.S., at 8pm with @jeyantvo.bsky.social | Producer: @britweaver.bsky.social
October 29, 2025 at 8:41 PM
French-Canadian baseball callers are just better. www.threads.com/@derekvanvli...
Derek van Vliet (@derekvanvliet) on Threads
good morning french grand slam callers
www.threads.com
October 25, 2025 at 2:41 PM
I'm getting the impression that America doesn't want kings.
October 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
This is Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays Ace, teaching his daughters how to ride bikes at the Evergreen Brickworks farmers market the day before the biggest start of his life. Everybody knew who he was. Nobody bothered him. Watch out Mariners. He looks happy and loose.
October 11, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Stephen Marche
The french call of the Vlad Guerrero Jr grand slam is absolutely electric
October 5, 2025 at 11:23 PM
How long till I can buy an "I'm built for this" t-shirt?

I guess they'll probably be out by tomorrow lunch.
October 5, 2025 at 11:33 PM
I wrote for the @guardian about the best piece of advice I ever received. It was from my friend Gerry, who's 85, and it's simple: "Never lose a friend." He taught me that friendship, like exercise, is something you have to work at. Men need to learn this. www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...
Want more friends? A better social life? Be like my 85-year-old buddy Gerry
Friendship falters due to the belief it should just happen on its own. The solution: make a conscious effort to be social
www.theguardian.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Last summer, I traveled to Bayreuth to see the full Ring Cycle at the Festspielhaus designed by Richard Wagner. As expected, among the greatest cultural experiences I have ever had. I didn't expect to encounter the origin of contemporary popular culture. www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
To see The Ring Cycle at Bayreuth is to see the origin of today’s popular culture
Each summer, Wagner’s famous opera works are performed in a theatre designed by the composer himself. His work foreshadowed how art is experienced today
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Stephen Marche
Last week, I finished reading #TheLastElection by @andrew-yang.bsky.social & @stephenmarche.bsky.social.

Given today’s “great spiritizing” of the highest ranks of the U.S. military by Hegseth and Trump, consider yourselves forewarned.

Thoughts & quotes ⬇️.

#books #AndrewYang #StephenMarche
September 30, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Like, you mean, A Next Civil War?
Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"
September 30, 2025 at 7:19 PM
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My wife has entered the chat, literally, on the Jays game.
September 28, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Reposted by Stephen Marche
This book is a must-read, it's brilliant and well-researched. It's also terrifyingly accurate to how the next civil war could turn based on the events that have unfolded over the past 8 months - this was written in 2022.
@stephenmarche.bsky.social
September 28, 2025 at 4:26 AM