Adam Chapnick's Newsletter - December 2021
Thanks for subscribing to this newsletter. I hope to use it to update you on what I’ve been thinking and speaking about, where I’m speaking next, and people and issues that have caught my attention.
In the Media
Back in September, I was a part of a panel on the state of Canadian foreign policy on The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Paikin is an outstanding host and moderator who gets the most out of his guests. I am also grateful to Politico's Nick Taylor-Vaisey for once again drawing attention to my blog, this time about foreign policy and the federal election. More recently, I spoke to a reporter from the Montreal Gazette about the appointment of a new American ambassador to Canada.
Blog
I continue to try to blog every other week or so. In addition to the post about foreign policy and the federal election, since my last newsletter, I have written about:
why I'm bearish about a renwed Canadian commitment to our much-neglected foreign service;
why Ottawa should revitalize its Canadian Studies outreach program;
Publications
For the last number of years, the University of Calgary's Jean-Christophe Boucher and I have collaborated on the "Canadian foreign policy" entry of the Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science series. The third edition of our contribution was released in September. If you're new to teaching Canadian foreign policy, it should be a helpful resource.
A few weeks ago, a representative from the Canadian Historical Association asked if I could contribute something to the organization's Teaching / Learning Blog. The result was a short essay on why, after years of skepticism, I now advocate pre-recording university lectures (or 'flipping the classroom'). And after the feedback I received from this year's Canadian Forces College student cohort, I have become even more of a true believer.
Presentations and Speeches in the Community
Although the pandemic prevented me from returning to Collingwood in person (perhaps next year?), I did speak to members of the Georgian Triangle Lifelong Learning Institute about Canada-US relations via Zoom.
Upcoming Talks
I look forward to revisiting the state of the Canada-US relationship with members of Lifelong Learning Niagara in the spring.
What I'm Reading
Like many academics (and especially those who teach contemporary foreign and public policy), I subscribe to more newspapers, magazines, and journals than I can keep track of. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but take out a subscription to a new newsletter put together by Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney called The Line. Gerson and Gurney are thoughtful, at times irreverant, and yet also sincere and authentic writers. Gerson lives in Alberta, and provides what I find to be a unique perspective on contemporary Canadian politics. Gurney writes regularly about foreign policy and defence. I don't always agree with him, but he does make me think. Every week, subscribers get a round-up of Canadian politics that Gerson and Gurney put together themselves (the highlight of the subscription) along with a few additional commentaries, some written by them, and some by others. The latter have been uneven, but they aren't necessary to make my $50 annual subscription worthwhile. For readers who rely on more traditional media, be advised that Gerson and Gurney swear a lot, and I don't watch the videos they post (so I can't tell you anything about them), but the language is part of their authenticity.
Other Thoughts
Although teaching has taken up most of my time since the summer, I have finally moved onto the next chapter of the Canadian foreign policy textbook that remains the focal point of my academic research. Right now, when I'm not marking, I'm working on a case study about Ottawa's decision to largely stay out of the American invasion of Iraq post-9/11. For a relatively recent event, the historical literature is actually quite good! As I head towards a 6-month sabbatical in 2022, I hope to make significantly more progress on this book. I feel absolutely terrible that the manuscript will be late (I've never been late before and certainly did not expect to be this time, either) and have pledged to do what I can to have the book largely finished by the time I return to the classroom.