Timothy Snyder has studied dictators for decades. Even he doesn’t know what comes next.
For decades, Timothy Snyder, America’s most famous (living) historian, has parsed the ins and outs of authoritarianism—and the tyrants who weaponize it—in his professorial post at Yale and in 16 books, including last September’s On Freedom and On Tyranny, a 20-point guide to dictator-proofing yourself, published shortly after Donald Trump was first elected and currently back on the bestseller lists. Now he’s found himself north of the border. Snyder was recently appointed director of the Public History Lab, a research hub at the University of Toronto, where he’ll begin teaching this fall. His particular brand of expertise is in demand everywhere—not just in Trump’s America—for obvious reasons. Snyder is often referred to as “the leading interpreter of our dark times.” He’s addressed parliaments, and his writing has inspired protests, rap songs and an opera. And yet even he admits he can’t predict exactly what’s to come. Nevertheless, even in our so-called "unprecedented" times, Snyder believes an awful lot, if not everything, can be learned from looking back. In a wide-ranging interview in Toronto, I asked him about his social media use, Canadian exceptionalism and the aspects of autocratic leadership we should all watch out for. Visit macleans.ca for more coverage of everything that matters in Canada, and subscribe to the magazine here. —Katie Underwood, managing editor, Maclean’s |
Despite our many weird and wonderful advances in the world of sex tech, condoms—the old reliable of the birth control cinematic universe—are still, in 2025, the cheapest effective contraceptive on the market. Yet among Gen Zs, the sheaths seem to have lost their sheen: in the last decade, the World Health Organization has documented an “alarming decline” in condom use by sexually active adolescents around the globe. Shamin Mohamed Jr., a Canadian sex-ed expert, spoke to Maclean’sabout why condom use among youth is in free-fall, and what that means for sexual health. |
An acting career wasn’t on Anna Lambe’s radar as a kid—Iqaluit, her hometown, wasn’t exactly teeming with movie sets. When she landed a role in The Grizzlies, a 2018 film about a real-life lacrosse team from Kugluktuk, Nunavut, she thought it was a one-off. But more gigs followed. Now, Lambe’s next project is proof-positive of her range: a natural ability to toggle, chameleon-like, between the dramatic and comedic. In North of North, a new coming-of-age comedy, she stars as protagonist Siaja, a self-proclaimed modern Inuk woman. With the show slated to stream globally on Netflix this spring, Lambe, now 24, is thrilled to show the world her home the way it truly is—full of complex, hilarious, flesh-and-blood people, not stereotypes. |
If you live in a riding with a shot of going Conservative in the federal election, there’s a chance Jenni Byrne has knocked on your door. The ruthless tactician behind Pierre Poilievre’s campaign has spent decades shaping Canadian conservatism from behind the scenes. Her goal is to realign the nation’s political axis, to move the centre further to the right and end the long dominance of the Liberals. The upcoming election will be her greatest achievement—or her undoing. From our upcoming May issue, read Simon Lewsen’s profile of Byrne. |
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