Bert Archer
Encyclopedia
Bert Archer is a Canadian
author, journalist
, travel writer, essayist and critic
.
Archer was born in Montreal
and lived in Calgary
and Vancouver
before attending St. Michael's University School in Victoria
, British Columbia
, the University of St. Michael's College
at the University of Toronto
, and Trinity College, Dublin
. He was editor of his college's arts journal, The Grammateion in his second undergraduate year, and as editor-in-chief of The Mike, the college newspaper, a year later. The year after that, he was president of the Ontario
region of the Canadian University Press
, North America's oldest national student organization.
While still in school he worked as an assistant to editor David Colbert at Harper & Collins Canada
. In 1994, he was hired as an editorial assistant by Quill & Quire
, Canada's national book trade magazine. Two years later, as review editor, Archer was pressured to resign after writing an essay in the Financial Post
which some considered derogatory to certain elements in the Canadian publishing industry, specifically, the small presses. He was subsequently hired as a columnist for the Toronto Star
, Canada's largest circulation newspaper, to review books published by small Canadian publishers.
Since then, Archer has been an editor at NOW
and Eye Weekly
, Toronto's two weekly alternative arts magazines, as well as the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail
, Canada's national newspaper. As of 2008, he is a columnist for Toronto Life
magazine and writes for the Globe and Mail. His piece about the ethnic grocery market in Canada for Report on Business magazine was part of The Future of Food package that won a 2007 National Magazine Award.http://www.magazine-awards.com/1/6/5/6/index1.shtml
He is the author of The End of Gay (and the death of heterosexuality), published in Canada in 1999, in the US in 2002 and the UK in 2004. The book argues that there is no such thing as inherent sexual identity, and that sexual behaviour is a product of many factors, personal will not least among them. The book became a staple on reading lists for college and university courses dealing with identity politics, sexuality and gender.
Archer has also contributed chapters to several books: "Why Boys Are Better Than Girls" for What I Meant to Say (2006), Creating a Toronto of the Imagination for uTOpia (2006), as well as chapters for its follow-up, GreenTOpia (2007), and a book about water called HtO (2008), excerpted in the National Post, Canada's other national newspaper.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
author, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, travel writer, essayist and critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
.
Archer was born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and lived in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
before attending St. Michael's University School in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, the University of St. Michael's College
University of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, and Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. He was editor of his college's arts journal, The Grammateion in his second undergraduate year, and as editor-in-chief of The Mike, the college newspaper, a year later. The year after that, he was president of the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
region of the Canadian University Press
Canadian University Press
Canadian University Press is a non-profit co-operative and newswire service owned by almost 90 student newspapers at post-secondary schools in Canada. Founded in 1938, CUP is the oldest student newswire service in the world and the oldest national student organization in North America. Many...
, North America's oldest national student organization.
While still in school he worked as an assistant to editor David Colbert at Harper & Collins Canada
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
. In 1994, he was hired as an editorial assistant by Quill & Quire
Quill & Quire
Quill & Quire, a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry, was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, but its publisher claims a readership of 25,000...
, Canada's national book trade magazine. Two years later, as review editor, Archer was pressured to resign after writing an essay in the Financial Post
Financial Post
The Financial Post was an English Canadian business newspaper, which published from 1907 to 1998. In 1998, the publication was folded into the new National Post, although the name Financial Post has been retained as the banner for that paper's business section and also lives on in the Post’s...
which some considered derogatory to certain elements in the Canadian publishing industry, specifically, the small presses. He was subsequently hired as a columnist for the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, Canada's largest circulation newspaper, to review books published by small Canadian publishers.
Since then, Archer has been an editor at NOW
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
and Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...
, Toronto's two weekly alternative arts magazines, as well as the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, Canada's national newspaper. As of 2008, he is a columnist for Toronto Life
Toronto Life
Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings. Established in 1966,...
magazine and writes for the Globe and Mail. His piece about the ethnic grocery market in Canada for Report on Business magazine was part of The Future of Food package that won a 2007 National Magazine Award.http://www.magazine-awards.com/1/6/5/6/index1.shtml
He is the author of The End of Gay (and the death of heterosexuality), published in Canada in 1999, in the US in 2002 and the UK in 2004. The book argues that there is no such thing as inherent sexual identity, and that sexual behaviour is a product of many factors, personal will not least among them. The book became a staple on reading lists for college and university courses dealing with identity politics, sexuality and gender.
Archer has also contributed chapters to several books: "Why Boys Are Better Than Girls" for What I Meant to Say (2006), Creating a Toronto of the Imagination for uTOpia (2006), as well as chapters for its follow-up, GreenTOpia (2007), and a book about water called HtO (2008), excerpted in the National Post, Canada's other national newspaper.