About

Author, Playwright, Science Writer and Men’s Life Coach

My writing explores the intersection of science, story and self through an historical, philosophical and psychological perspective.

Here are some things about me that might not be evident from the rest of this website:

Each of my plays to date has involved a death, a dream and a father-child relationship. This was pointed out to me by an old English professor of mine who read all my scripts. He also wrote a Freudian-inspired book called Fathers and Sons in Shakespeare.

I’ve interviewed and collaborated with more than 600 scientists, from grad students to a dozen Nobel Laureates. I’ve learned as much about life as science, including valuing persistence, open curiosity and holding my own perspective in the face of opposition.

My work is a life partnership with the artist Rosemary Leach, my wife. We share a deep appreciation for the creative process melded with the centrality of family in our lives.

As a freelance journalist for the past thirty years, I’ve written dozens of science and medicine-related features, essays and op-eds for newspapers and magazines across Canada. See Piece of mind: What dissecting a brain taught me about human consciousness – and myself

I’ve been involved in men’s issues and psychology all my adult life. The first article I ever sold as freelance journalist was about male friendships, published in the Toronto Star in 1992.

Based on my book Jurassic Poop, I developed a one-person show, The Mysterious Case of Who Dung It. I performed it over 100 times across Canada. Thousands of kids laughed while learning paleontology

Recognition

My research and writing have been made possible by deeply enriching fellowships and supportive grants.

These include being the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA-Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology (2023-2024), a Journalist-in-Residence at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, Santa Barbara and a Dibner Fellow in the History of Science, Huntington Library in Pasadena, California and grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.