Is Canada Even Real? How a Nation Built on Hobos, Beavers, Weirdos and Hip-Hop Convinced The World to Beliebe

Dundurn Press, 2017

'Is Canada Even Real?' examines the cultural factors behind the twenty-first-century monolithic myth of Canada, a nation that is lovable and real — if only in your imagination. This quirky ode to a quirky land is a humorous nostalgia trip and a fun Canadian history lesson couched in a hipster quiz book.

• Named one of the best humour books of 2017 by Vulture, the culture and entertainment branch of New York magazine.

• Named in Kobo’s list of 'The 100 Best Canadian Books of All Time’ as determined by sales, book open rates, and books that were read from start to finish.

• Reviewed favourably by the Globe and Mail and many others.

The Spaces and Places of Canadian Popular Culture

Edited by Victoria Kannen and Neil Shyminsky
A Read on Canada Reads, by J.C. Villamere, Pages 83-91.

Canadian Scholars Press 2019

An exclusively Canadian textbook, this collection investigates the relationships between identity, geography, and popular culture that are produced and consumed in this sprawling country.

Expanding beyond the clichés of friendliness and snow, this text provides a fresh perspective on what it means to be Canadian, both nationally and transnationally.

Scholars look at historical subjects like Québécois identity and Indigenous self-representation and explore issues in contemporary media, including music, film, television, comic books, video games, and social media.

From Drake to the Tragically Hip, Trailer Park Boys to The Amazing Race Canada, and poutine to maple syrup, mainstream icons and trends are studied in the interdisciplinary context of race, gender, sexuality, politics, and patriotism.

Contributing to the location of Canadian popular culture, this unique resource will engage students and scholars of communication studies, cultural studies, and Canadian studies.