Consider the Pawpaw

Not everyone knows what a pawpaw is. Until more recently, it has been discarded and forgotten, falling in and out of favor over the years. For some, it is a luscious dessert, a delightful treasure hiding in the woods. For others, it is, to say the least, an acquired taste (and texture). It is an enigma.

2024-02-22T10:25:17-05:00February 15, 2024|

Bird in Kansas City

Alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, globally considered one of music history’s geniuses, is under acknowledged in Kansas City, say fans. A renewed remembrance of Bird is pondered in a city overtaken by Mahomes magic.

2024-01-29T20:15:02-05:00January 23, 2024|

Psychedelia in the Burgh

The Psychedelic Club of Pittsburgh is an open-to-all monthly discussion group geared as a free-form way for anyone with an interest in psychedelic substances to trade experiences, tips and tricks.

2023-12-11T11:52:43-05:00December 6, 2023|

Bard in the Belt

That observation made me wonder if there might not be something particularly “Shakespearean” about the Rust Belt, the arc of success and devastation, the clashing of all of those villainous characters during the Gilded Age and the nobility of those who resisted them, and the narrative culmination of the post-industrial landscape as blasted as Lear’s heath.

2023-11-26T16:26:54-05:00November 13, 2023|

“There are Queer Children Here”

Despite the anti-gay themes that prevailed in our education, in the community, and from our faculty, dozens of St. Raphael alumni identify as LGBTQ. This population, which has spread out across the country, proves that queer identity is an unshakeable force of nature.

2023-11-13T10:17:06-05:00November 8, 2023|

The Witches of Columbus

Columbus, Ohio, and its surrounding area is home to a wealth of these businesses and organizations, from Druidry stores to classic metaphysical shops. In Columbus and Ohio at large, the magic is strong.

2023-10-30T10:44:14-04:00October 25, 2023|

Ring Lardner’s Mysteries of the Central League

My point is that Ring Lardner’s stories helped shaped our nation’s sense of itself and its pastime, but these stories wouldn’t have existed without his experience in the Central League. That raucous baseball conglomerate of Midwest toughs and shady business dealings is down there in our cultural DNA.

2023-10-28T10:24:26-04:00October 23, 2023|