On the Road: Letter from New York—Culture Hopping in the City of Islands
“I’m in a New York state of mind”–Billy Joel New York is a city of islands or near-islands. In all, there are more than three dozen of them, inhabited and […]
On the Road: POWs in the Midwest—A Road Trip to Algona, Iowa
How do you store 425,000 prisoners of war? What sounds like the setup for a tasteless joke was an actual concern for the US in World War II. England ran […]
Feature: Afrofuturism and Black Excellence at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture
Chicago offers a variety of events to commemorate Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when America “officially freed” enslaved people. For an even deeper dive into the vast nation-building contributions of […]
On the Road: It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Super Air Museum Attractions
For today’s travelers, a trip to the airport can bring as much a sense of anxiety as anticipation. Outdated airline scheduling tools and ugly weather patterns can often mean long […]
On the Road: A Whimsical Look Inside California’s New Modernism Museum
The release of the 2022 film Don’t Worry Darling has once again cast a spotlight on Palm Springs. A playground of the rich and famous since its inception 85 years […]
On the Road: Get Your Kicks, Land of Lincoln Style–A Route 66 Journey
As everyone knows, Historic Route 66 gets its start at the corner of Adams Street and Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago and then winds its way through the country to […]
On the Road: Drizzle and Blues in Grafton, Wisconsin
Is Wisconsin the furthest state from the Mississippi Delta? Culturally, perhaps. Yet the land of butter burgers and cheese curds played a big role in preserving the blues. While 78 […]
Shelter in Place: Staying Sane and Productive, with Terry Galvan (Part 3)
In 2013-14, I spent nine months in the provincial capital of Latacunga, Ecuador, on a Fulbright grant. Social-cultural norms meant that daily life had a lot in common with today’s […]
Shelter in Place: Staying Sane & Productive, with Terry Galvan (Part 2)
A series with contributor Terry Galvan. For FAQs on why I chose this lifestyle, please see part 1. In 2013-14, I spent nine months in the provincial capital of Latacunga, […]
I Voluntarily “Sheltered in Place” for Nine Months. It Went Surprisingly Well. Here Are My Tips
In this series, writer Terry Galvan has volunteered to share their experiences with extended alone time in Ecuador and the things they learned about how to handle isolation. In this […]
On The Road: Memphis’ Graceland Is a King-Sized Tribute to Elvis and a Bygone Era
There’s hardly anything more American than a road trip, right? Pack yourself and your ride-or-die, and all your various belongings into the car with some extraordinarily unhealthy snacks and some […]
On the Road: At the National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina
A moving conversation between Anne (Frank) and Emmett (Till), somewhere in memory. A rousing concert tribute to soul music. A production of a Pulitzer Prize drama by Lynn Nottage. Two […]