A&S alum John Lorinc has built a stellar writing career on a foundation of math and logic

June 7, 2023 by Peter Boisseau - A&S News

There is a certain logic to the story of how Arts & Science alum John Lorinc dreamed of being an astrophysicist but instead became a star journalist and author.

Lorinc found his university astronomy courses boring but really liked his math classes, even if they didn’t like him back. He found his real calling after a chance detour through the universe of student journalism.

“There are two types of students in pure math, the ones who get perfect in everything, and the ones who just get by, and I was the latter,” says Lorinc, who earned his bachelor of science in mathematics with an English minor in 1987 as a member of University College.

“At the same time, I got very involved in writing for the Varsity. I really learned to love journalism there,” he says.

Book cover with title: Dream States
Dream States won the 2022 Balsillie Prize and shortlisted for the Donner Prize. 

“What math taught me was how to prove an argument. It's a logical discipline. I like to write logically, do the proofs, one thing leads to another. That kind of habit of mind is very important as a writer.”

It’s a discipline that has garnered the Toronto writer a long list of accolades, including numerous National Magazine Awards.

He was the Atkinson Fellow in Public Policy in 2020, producing a series of 10 articles that became the basis of Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias.

The book won the 2022 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy and was shortlisted for the Donner Prize, a $60,000 annual award for excellence and innovation in public policy writing by a Canadian.

Lorinc is the author of three other books and has co-edited six anthologies. He reports on urban affairs, politics, business, technology, and local history for a range of media, including the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Walrus, Maclean’s and Spacing, where he is senior editor.

A freelancer since the late 1980s, his math studies not only indulged his affinity for logic but numbers as well, and business writing seemed a natural fit for his early years in journalism. A long-time gig as the urban affairs reporter at Toronto Life followed.

He’s been writing a lot lately about real estate development, climate and clean technology, an area that really interests him.

Lorinc proves the adage that extracurricular activities are sometimes among the most formative parts of the Arts & Science experience. In his case, everything flowed from the Varsity.

Everything about my adult life was determined by the University of Toronto. It was a great experience. I have a warm place in my heart for the University.

“I met my wife at the Varsity, and I found my profession there,” says Lorinc, whose wife Victoria Foote earned her bachelor of arts in philosophy and English in 1988 as a member of Victoria College.

“Our son Jacob later became the editor of the Varsity, and our other son Sammy was the editor of a political science journal at U of T. The Varsity is kind of the headwaters of everything,” he says.

He also finds U of T a great source for expert opinion, tips and information for his journalism and writing assignments.

“There are lots of people there who have really interesting research, and it's close at hand. It’s tremendous resource.”

He says his memories and ties to U of T go back to his parents.

After his parents fled Hungary during the 1956 revolution, his physician father went to U of T to re-sit his exams. While Lorinc was still a boy, his father would sometimes take him swimming at Hart House.

“Everything about my adult life was determined by the University of Toronto. It was a great experience. I have a warm place in my heart for the University.”

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