Books
Book cover by Hiller Goodspeed.
Laser Quit Smoking Massage
NEWEST PRESS
A collection of essays that I think you might like. This is how my publisher describes the book.
From prairie towns to sprawling cities, Laser Quit Smoking Massage revels in the peculiarities of the Canadian West. A unique and exciting new voice in Canadian literature, Cole Nowicki’s witty, insightful, and ever-curious reportage explores the evolving states of community, family, and belonging.
And here’s what Carleigh Baker, award-winning author of Bad Endings, said about the thing.
“Urban poodle art, corpse flowers, and Craigslist’s enduring humanity. These are the things that keep Cole Nowicki up at night. With warmth and wisdom to spare, Nowicki takes readers through a mix of imaginative and deeply entertaining topics. This is not just an essay collection, it’s a guidebook of curiosities and family histories usually reserved for locals. Laser Quit Smoking Massage is a lozenge of literary absurdity that might just as soon sell you a watch as blow your mind.”
Laser Quit Smoking Massage is currently shortlisted for “trade nonfiction book of the year” by the Alberta Book Publishing Awards.
Photo via The Palomino.
Right, Down + Circle
ECW PRESS
I wrote a book about the history and cultural impact of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game franchise. I think you might like this one, too. Here’s what Michael Christie, Giller Prize-nominated author of the novels Greenwood and If I Fall, If I Die, had to say about the thing.
“With incisive and heartfelt writing, Cole Nowicki unlocks the source code of the massively influential cultural phenomenon that is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and finds wonderful Easter-eggs of meaning within. Even non-skaters will be wowed by this examination of youth, community, risk, and authenticity and gain a new appreciation of skateboarding’s massive influence upon our larger culture. This is my new favorite book about skateboarding, which isn’t really about skateboarding — it’s about everything.”
Freelance
A video version of “the old burying ground (★★★★★)” for Peach Mag.
My work has appeared in The Walrus, The Tyee, Catapult, VICE, Maisonneuve, The Outline, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Joyland, THIS Magazine, subTerrain Magazine, PRISM, Feathertale, Invisiblog, Geist, SAD Mag, Peach Mag, Funicular Magazine, Bad Nudes, Echolocation, and elsewhere.
I’ve covered skateboarding for outlets like King Skate Mag (where I was a columnist and contributor for close to a decade), Thrasher Magazine, Closer Skateboarding, SBC Magazine, Quartersnacks, the Toronto Star, VICE, and Neighbourhood Skate Mag.
Newsletter
Simple Magic is a weekly newsletter about skateboarding, the internet, and other means of escape. It comes out every Friday. I also publish monthly long-form essays that take a deep dive into everything from the lives of today’s top professionals, the flattening effect of social media on skate culture, to an investigation into the origins of a bizarre series of bootleg skateboards.
Television
Post Radical – VICE
I worked as a writer and researcher on the acclaimed documentary series, which explores obscure skateboarding subcultures from around the world.
My jobs included writing the voice of the narrator and finding the subjects we showcased — from a Taekwondo/skateboarding instructor in Ethiopia to a group of intensely passionate individuals who turned a small Bavarian village into the world hub of fingerboarding.
Copywriting
Electronic Arts
Senior Creative
February 2022 – Present
Article.
Copywriter
December 2019 – October 2021
lululemon
Freelance copywriter
June 2019 – December 2019
Hootsuite
Copywriter
Dec 2018 – April 2019
Adidas Skateboarding
Copy and content writing
2015 – 2016