Category Archives: Uncategorized

Making Bets on Kentucky Derby Day

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

I’m headed up to Boston tomorrow to attend my dear friend’s (and Kentuckian expat) Derby party. Convenient timing too, in that I just finished Common Ground. In honor of this esteemed occasion, and the expected libations, I have a P.G. … Continue reading →

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Kingsley Amis in Philadelphia

Posted on March 8, 2013 by

From Kingsley Amis’ Memoirs, on his only trip to the City of Brotherly Love: “Philadelphia, where my most vivid memories are of the squalor of its approaches and, to make up for that…catching a glimpse of the prettiest girl I … Continue reading →

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Should You Get the HPV Vaccine?

Posted on February 2, 2013 by

My latest health piece for Slate on the efficacy of the HPV vaccine for older people who have, in all likelihood, already been having sex for a while. There a lot of expert interviews and technicalities, but here’s the takeaway: … Continue reading →

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Consider the Bee (Or, Actually, Don’t)

Posted on December 26, 2012 by

I recently stumbled across this wonderful letter to the New York Times, written in the October of 1865, taking a strong line against anti-loitering laws. It’s quite funny and, I think, the correct inclination. Arresting people for hanging out is … Continue reading →

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Killing Them Softly Makes Criminality Look Awful

Posted on December 20, 2012 by

My review of Killing Them Softly, a movie I don’t necessarily recommend you see because its so grim), can be found here. A significant portion of the review got clipped, including all of the below. (Also, read the book it … Continue reading →

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Philadelphia Loves Dickens (He Didn’t Return the Favor)

Posted on December 6, 2012 by

Last Sunday I had a front page piece in the Philly Inquirer’s Currents section on Philly’s one-sided love affair with Charles Dickens. (We were considered “more provincial than Boston or New York,” by the great man in question.) The wonderful … Continue reading →

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