[ALT] My November writing plans?

[rfmcdonald]

I don't believe that the world we currently live in was inevitable. Even if you believe that the overall form of the 21st century--the rise of the United States and China and India, the decline of the individual European Great Powers, the emergence of a globalized society and economy without corresponding political developments, the growth of radically new forms of cultural expression--was inevitable, the details might well be different. Imagine a world where (for instance) Yugoslavia survived to the present day, or another world where a certain Soviet military officer decided it was best to launch on warning, or still another where the German Empire took Paris in 1914 and was faced with a restive Continent for the next generation. Nothing's inevitable.

The Toronto that I live in, and that I love, has managed a dizzying rise through the ranks of Canadian and world cities. Toronto matters now, in certain very specific ways. What if it mattered in different ways, though? What if Toronto was still Toronto, but different? This is what my November writing project will be dedicated to exploring. In the morning, you'll get to read a brief article from this different Toronto. In the evening, you'll be presented with the specific historical backgrounds.

So, here's to ambitious plans!