Essays

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Page 33
Who is this guy and why does he keep coming to my house? (Illustration for <em><em>BSR</em></em> by Mike Jackson of alrightmike.com)

The strange man in the blue uniform came to my house again today

The strange man in the blue uniform comes to my doorstep every day except Sunday. I guess he's a gentile.
Perry Block Illustration by Mike Jackson

Perry Blockand Illustration by Mike Jackson

Essays 3 minute read
At last, a foolproof system for filling out your bracket. (Photo: “Addiction” by Jason Dean, via Creative Commons/Flickr)

Picking a basketball bracket

Eliminating the insanity of March Madness

My system for filling out my bracket is foolproof, and it’s simple: Trust your eyes, sense of style, and regional loyalties first. Leave aside alumni affiliations and rely on a selection of good names and old standbys. (In a crunch, you can’t go wrong choosing Duke.)
Jackie Schifalacqua

Jackie Schifalacqua

Essays 4 minute read

On metaphors of grief

Pierced

The reason I found myself in a South Street piercing parlor on a March afternoon had everything to do with metaphor.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Essays 5 minute read
Mr. Hagar's golfing serves as a metaphor of a postmodern entropy. (Illustration for BSR by Mike Jackson of alrightmike.com)

On the impossibility of driving

What, one posits, might the lyrics to “I Can't Drive 55” reveal when given a deeper, contextual reading? Might there be another, subtler, hidden, darker, unceasing, and unrelenting meaning behind Mr. Hagar's seemingly straightforward statement?
Chris Sumberg Illustration by Mike Jackson

Chris Sumbergand Illustration by Mike Jackson

Essays 3 minute read
Harry Jay Katz and Chubby Checker in 2001. (Photo via harryjaykatz.com)

Remembering Harry Jay Katz

Like today’s Kardashians, Harry Jay Katz was more famous for being famous than for having done anything of substance.
Bruce Klauber

Bruce Klauber

Essays 3 minute read
The decidedly unglamorous Maggie Smith in “The Lady in the Van.” (Photo by Nicola Dove - © 2015 - Sony Pictures Classics)

Older women tackling meaty roles

Actresses over 70 are delivering powerhouse performances this season.

Carol Rocamora

Essays 4 minute read
The importance of being a character, from Wilde to Trump. (Illustration for BSR by Mike Jackson of alrightmike.com)

In Conversation at the Lantern: Wild(e) Modern Celebrities

What hath Oscar wrought?

Four experts trace the modern cult of celebrity back to Oscar Wilde — though there are some important differences between that talented writer and some of today’s current “stars.”
Judy Weightman Illustration by Mike Jackson

Judy Weightmanand Illustration by Mike Jackson

Essays 4 minute read
Leaving behind the Roman numerals. (Image via nfl.com)

Why I won't be watching the Super Bowl

The Super Ball will be piped into tents in Afghanistan, ships on the Straits of Oman, turrets on the 49th parallel in Korea, and the weightlessness of the International Space Station. It will also have a third of the country’s population watching — but this year it won’t have me.
Jackie Schifalacqua

Jackie Schifalacqua

Essays 5 minute read
The Third Avenue El above the Cross Bronx Expressway. (Photo by Jack Boucher, Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress)

Growing up in the Bronx

I am looking forward to hearing Arlene Alda on February 3 when she talks about her book, Just Kids from The Bronx: Telling It The Way It Was, at the Jewish Museum. If she'd asked for my recollections, here's what I would have told her.
AJ Sabatini

AJ Sabatini

Essays 5 minute read
"Untitled." Drawing by Steve Fegan, alumnus of San Francisco Art Institute, now living at Pleasant Valley State Prison, California. Courtesy of the artist.

Questions of truth and identity

Beneath the burden of truth lies the questions of art

Needing for absolute truth, we create absolute power to defend that truth. Can the ambiguity within art assist us in embracing the paradoxes of living and eliminate the need for this boundless power?
Treacy Ziegler

Treacy Ziegler

Essays 5 minute read