Essays
1093 results
Page 72
Christopher Hitchens, right or wrong
The mystery and tragedy of Christopher Hitchens
My old friend Christopher Hitchens had an omnivorous mind and an insatiable need to speak it. He possessed tremendous courage as well. But inexplicably, he and I wound up on opposite sides of an implacable political divide.
Essays
3 minute read
My passion for boxing, R.I.P.
The square jungle, or: The day I lost my passion for boxing
In boxing, I believed as a kid, the best man won— no bad bounce of a baseball or football to undo him, no teammates to weigh him down. You came out nobly with your shield or borne upon it. One night at a police station cured me of my youthful illusions.
On worshipping Steve Jobs
Sainthood for Steve Jobs? Not so fast
The late high-tech innovator Steve Jobs created products that no one had previously realized they couldn't live without, and that transformed millions of people into plugged-in zombies who seem to have lost all consciousness of inhabiting a common public space.
Essays
5 minute read
Beyond the Penn State scandal
Penn State's forgotten victims
Much has been written lately about children and athletes victimized by sex-abusing coaches at big-time sports programs like Penn State's. But what about the innocent Penn State athletes whose reputations will now be sullied by their association with a scandalized program?
Essays
2 minute read
When a mother vanishes
Life (after 70) without mother
For nearly 70 years my mother was in my corner. In her 90s she could barely communicate. But who could imagine life without her?
In defense of Joe Paterno
The (dubious) sins of Joe Paterno, or: What would you have done?
What is it, exactly, that Joe Paterno did that merited his firing after 46 years as Penn State's football coach? Are you certain that, in the same circumstances, you wouldn't have done the same thing?
Essays
3 minute read
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The thrill of falconry
When you own a falcon, who needs a gun?
The elegance of trained falcons must be seen to be believed, as I did in Germany recently. But what is now merely an elegant entertainment was once a means of human survival for hunters and warriors.
Essays
4 minute read
The Inquirer's new home
The Inky comes down from its ivory tower
After 86 years in an ivory tower on North Broad Street, the Inquirer is moving to modest third-floor quarters in a former department store. Farewell, elitist pomposity; hello humility.
Essays
3 minute read
"Boss': Politics as usual
A big-city boss confronts the ultimate challenge
“Boss” offers a dark, detailed, unsparing look at how a big city— in this case, Chicago— actually works.
Essays
3 minute read
Roger Ebert's "Life Itself'
A charmed life, with a little help from his friends
Roger Ebert's memoir reveals the film critic as a lovable fellow who never had to apply for a job, fight for a promotion, sleep with an editor or fret about money. No wonder his book made me grumpy.
Essays
5 minute read