Coming of Age Between Somalia and Columbus
On moving, 9/11, and reckoning with the names and places that made you who you are.
John Edgar Wideman and Writing to Save Lives
Re-reading Wideman's "Writing to Save a Life" in an era of racist violence.
Except for the Cancer I’m Fine
"Is disease something we’re born with and prone to, or the result of a life lived in a place that can make anyone sick?”
An Ordinary Day in Charlottesville
Excerpted from "Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia."
Creating Space for Virgil Cantini in Pittsburgh
Cantini, who was a vital part of Pittsburgh's public art scene in the twentieth century, believed art should be free and available to everyone.
Lancaster is Burning
"The landscape of Fairfield County, Ohio sprouted the seeds of my imagination, helped them take root." [Excerpt]
The Tomato Man
How growing heirloom tomatoes helped me find community—even in a pandemic.
Following the Yellowlined Road
Yellowlining—the lesser cousin of federal-government redlining—was a discriminatory force that historians and economists have only begun to explore.
On the Van Galder from Wisconsin to O’Hare
"In Wisconsin, the Van Galder is a rite of passage for budget travelers of all stripes—students, retirees, the frugal, the working poor."
Between the Lake and Emmett Till Road
An excerpt from "The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook."
Cleveland and Chicago: Cities of Segregation
An excerpt from "Black in the Middle."
Life After the Derecho
In eastern Iowa, we’re a long way from recovery.