Montreal-based retailer Frank and Oak to close all stores, sell intellectual property

When people ask what I do for a living, I’m faced with two choices: either I can lie or I can bore them with the truth, which is too complicated to explain succinctly. While those around me have normal, definable jobs—accountant, journalist, engineer—my work requires headings and subheadings to get it across properly: a map of overlapping gigs and contracts. “What do you do?” It’s a simple question that often gets asked on first dates. No matter how much I pare down my reply, it’s always long winded. “Well, I’m a freelancer,” I start, “so I have a million little jobs...