Michael Kesterton
Encyclopedia
Michael Kesterton is a columnist with The Globe and Mail
. Since 1990, his weekday column, "Social Studies", has been running on the back page of the Life section.
in Ottawa
, Ontario
.
He attended the University of Toronto
, where he studied mathematics
, physics
and psychology
. He did not study journalism
, but he did work on the student newspaper, The Varsity
.
. After seven years he moved to the computer room. He was there for two years before being promoted to a copy editor for newspaper's business section, Report on Business
. He worked briefly as a Business feature writer and Technology section editor.
In 1990, the Globe underwent a major transformation. Then Editor-in-chief
, William Thorsell personally selected Kesteron to create a column consisting of short, often unusual pieces for the back page of the A section. It was to be called Social Studies and would be carry a "strong interest agenda". On May 21, 1990, Kesterton started compiling stories for his new column. The redesign was launched on June 12, 1990 and his column became an instant success.
Unlike most journalists, Kesteron does not do interviews or any original research. All of his stories have been pulled from other sources, which he diligently cites. He regularly combs through 120 websites, newspaper and library archives to find 5 or 6 stories for each day's column. The column is tagged as "a daily miscellany of information."
In 1996, Kesterton’s book Social Studies was published. His second book, The Twelve Best Months of the Year, was published in 1998.
In 2007, Kesterton completed writing a novel set in 1925 Africa. Its publication date is unknown.
Kesterton lives in the west end of Toronto
.
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...
. Since 1990, his weekday column, "Social Studies", has been running on the back page of the Life section.
Early life
Kesterton’s father was a professional photographer and trade publication writer and his mother was a real estate agent. The person he credits with inspiring his career in journalism was his uncle, Wilf Kesterton, a journalism professor at Carleton UniversityCarleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, 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....
.
He attended 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...
, where he studied mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. He did not study journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, but he did work on the student newspaper, The Varsity
The Varsity (newspaper)
The Varsity is one of the main student newspapers of the University of Toronto. In publication since 1880, it is the second-oldest student newspaper in Canada....
.
Career
In 1969, Kesterton began working at The Globe and Mail as a proofreaderProofreading
Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or computer monitor to detect and correct production-errors of text or art. Proofreaders are expected to be consistently accurate by default because they occupy the last stage of typographic production before publication.-Traditional method:A proof is...
. After seven years he moved to the computer room. He was there for two years before being promoted to a copy editor for newspaper's business section, Report on Business
Report on Business
Report on Business, commonly referred to as simply ROB, is the financial section of The Globe and Mail, a large Toronto-based Canadian newspaper. It is the most lengthy completion of economic news in Canada, and is considered an integral part of the newspaper...
. He worked briefly as a Business feature writer and Technology section editor.
In 1990, the Globe underwent a major transformation. Then Editor-in-chief
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, William Thorsell personally selected Kesteron to create a column consisting of short, often unusual pieces for the back page of the A section. It was to be called Social Studies and would be carry a "strong interest agenda". On May 21, 1990, Kesterton started compiling stories for his new column. The redesign was launched on June 12, 1990 and his column became an instant success.
Unlike most journalists, Kesteron does not do interviews or any original research. All of his stories have been pulled from other sources, which he diligently cites. He regularly combs through 120 websites, newspaper and library archives to find 5 or 6 stories for each day's column. The column is tagged as "a daily miscellany of information."
“There are hundreds of reporters who can do a better job at [news stories] than I ever could… The light-hearted hack work that I am doing isn't hugely important and will never win journalism awards, but I'm better at it than anyone I know and readers often love the columns and tell me so. There are worse ways to earn a living.” – Michael Kesterton
In 1996, Kesterton’s book Social Studies was published. His second book, The Twelve Best Months of the Year, was published in 1998.
In 2007, Kesterton completed writing a novel set in 1925 Africa. Its publication date is unknown.
Kesterton lives in the west end of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.