Meet Professor Brandon McFarlane
Photo: Brandon McFarlane
Brandon McFarlane is thrilled to bring his expertise on the creative city and Canadian urban culture to Sheridan. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto, where he produced the first comprehensive study and theorization of Canada’s urban literature. He pioneered an interdisciplinary approach to the subject that placed cultural texts in critical dialogue with urban studies, economic research, and government policy. In addition to publications in Canadian Literature, Literature and the Glocal City, The Malahat Review, and University of Toronto Quarterly, Brandon has appeared on CBC’s Metro Morning and Amanda Rebecca Cosco’s Girl About Toronto to talk about creativity in Downtown West. Brandon’s current research focuses on the intersections between the creative city and urban culture; he designed interdisciplinary seminars that explore the cultural, geographic, and social consequences of the City of Toronto’s Creative City agenda for the Canadian Studies program at University College. Similarly, he has collaborated with Lindsay Zier-Vogel’s The Love Lettering Project and Larissa Koniuk’s Bicycle Opera Project. He looks forward to developing interdisciplinary classes, forging community partnerships, and fostering a creative campus at Sheridan.
Prior to pursuing a life in academia, Brandon grew up in Stittsville, Ontario—a former small town that grew into a bustling suburb after it was annexed by the City of Ottawa. A hockey fanatic, Brandon can tell you everything about the Ottawa Senators and how advanced statistics are changing the game.
Brandon McFarlane takes Alchemy’s Proust Questionnaire:
My favourite virtue: Punctuality.
My favourite qualities in student: The willingness to take risks, try new things, and take full advantage of the opportunities offered by post-secondary institutions.
Most important lesson I’ve learned this year: It takes equal pinches of luck and talent to fulfill your dreams.
In my opinion the secret to success is: Hard work and the willingness to fail over, and over, and over again…and more work.
The word I overuse in life: Awesome!!!
The phrase I overuse in life: It’s the law!
If I weren’t a teacher I’d be: An entrepreneur offering knowledge-based industries creative facilitation and communication expertise.
My favourite literary character: Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the scrivener.
My favourite food: Ottawa-style pizza.
