PinnedWHO WOULD GO NAZI?From The Attic — for a Kinder, Cooler America MANHATTAN, SPRING 1941 — All the people at this party seem true blue American. Well bred, well fed, well read, not the kind of rabble drawn to dictatorship. But as “a somewhat macabre parlor game,” the tall woman in the corner…Journalism5 min readJournalism5 min read
PinnedTHE FIRST ANTI-RACISTSFrom The Attic — for a kinder, cooler America CHICAGO, 1893 — For one magical summer, the World’s Columbian Exhibition created the “Great White City.” Ornate buildings stretched for blocks. The first Ferris Wheel towered above the Midway. A medieval village took visitors back in time. …Anthropology6 min readAnthropology6 min read
PinnedCRUISIN’ WITH DAVID FOSTER WALLACEFROM The Attic — for a Kinder, Cooler America FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — MARCH 1995 — The brochure promises a week-long Caribbean cruise. Once aboard the 12-deck m.v. Zenith, “indulgence becomes easy. . . relaxation becomes second nature. . . stress becomes a faint memory..”David Foster Wallace6 min readDavid Foster Wallace6 min read
PinnedTHE AUDACITY OF VIOLINSFROM The Attic — For a Kinder, Cooler America HARLEM — 2004 — It was “Showtime at the Apollo” and every act was on edge. Please the tough audience and you got applause, a chance to go further in the competition. Suck and you got booed off stage. …BlackLivesMatter5 min readBlackLivesMatter5 min read
4 days agoMember-onlyHANK WILLIAMS — SON OF A GUNFROM: The Attic: For a Kinder, Cooler America OAK GROVE, WV, New Year’s Day, 1953 — Drunk and disheveled, Hank died in the back seat of a sky blue Cadillac bound for his next gig. The heart attack must have been quick and quiet. Driver and passenger thought he was…6 min read6 min read
Apr 3THE CATHEDRAL OF BASEBALLFrom The Attic — for a kinder, cooler America THE BRONX, FEBRUARY 14, 1922 — A beefy man steps into a lumber yard frosted with snow. Wielding a hefty bat, he takes off his overcoat and turns to face a reporter. The reporter throws ball after ball and Babe Ruth…Yankee Stadium6 min readYankee Stadium6 min read
Mar 10HAMILTON’S OTHER HALFFrom The Attic — for a kinder, cooler America BROADWAY 2015 — As the musical winds down, the full cast returns. History, they sing, hinges on “who lives, who dies, who tells your story.” Washington shares his, then Jefferson, then Madison. But (SPOILER ALERT!) the final word falls to Eliza. …Alexander Hamilton5 min readAlexander Hamilton5 min read
Feb 28THE PINPOINT PRECISION OF LIGHTFrom The Attic — for a kinder, cooler America TAOS, NM, FALL 1932 — A blinding stream of high desert light blasts through the plate glass window. After a night of drinking “Taos lightning,” the light seems harsh, painful. …Ansel Adams5 min readAnsel Adams5 min read
Feb 20WHAT ARE PEOPLE FOR?From The Attic — for a Kinder, Cooler America NORTHERN KENTUCKY, DECEMBER 1988 — The barn floor needed a new layer of dirt. On a cold, sunny day, a balding man and his granddaughter got to work. They hitched horses to a wagon and hauled dirt from a nearby field…Chat Gpt Ai5 min readChat Gpt Ai5 min read
Feb 13THE WISE AND WILY GURUFrom The Attic — for a Kinder, Cooler America SAN FRANCISCO, FEBRUARY 1968 — The Summer of Love is over. “The Hippie” has been formally buried in a ceremony in the Haight-Ashbury.R Crumb5 min readR Crumb5 min read
