Zander Sherman

Sherman is the great-grandson of Frank A. Sherman, cofounder of Dofasco, a steel company in Hamilton, Ontario. Sherman grew up in Muskoka, where he was homeschooled by his mother, whom he credits with his interest in writing.[1] His father, Jamie, is an artist, glassblower, and musician.[2]

Sherman’s career began after graduating Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, when he got a job as a copyeditor at a local magazine. Interested in the history of school, he eventually left to write a book.[3] The Curiosity of School: Education and the Dark Side of Enlightenment was published by Penguin Random House in 2012, and debuted on the national bestseller list.[4]

Sherman then turned to other stories. In 2014, he began investigating the disappearance of Joan Lawrence, an elderly woman from Huntsville, Ontario, who went missing under suspicious circumstances.[5] Sherman’s work on a CBC documentary about the case won him a Canadian Screen Award in 2019.[6] An adapted version of the story was released on July 9 as the fourth season of Uncover, a CBC podcast. Sherman wrote and hosted the six-part series, entitled “The Cat Lady Case,”[7] and he and a friend scored the soundtrack.[8]

Sherman has written extensively for various magazines including Vanity Fair and Esquire. His subjects include politics,[9] crime,[10] mental health,[11] education,[12] and memoir.[13] Sherman also composes lyrics for the band Larch.[14]

On June 12, 2020, Sherman won a gold National Magazine Award for his story "Forged by Fire," published by The Globe & Mail's Report on Business Magazine.[15]

Sherman lives in Muskoka, Ontario. He has said he struggles with insomnia, and wrote the lyrics for his second album with Larch, “Night Light,” as a tribute to the predawn hours.[16]

• The Curiosity of School