Essays
1090 results
Page 90
Antiquity, looters and the Penn Museum
Who owns antiquity? James Cuno enters the Penn snake pit
Who are the best stewards of ancient artifacts— enlightened Western curators whose museums stole the loot long ago, or dictators of Third World lands where the treasures were originally found? James Cuno of the Chicago Art Institute (who believes the former) confronts the Penn Museum (which favors the latter).
Essays
6 minute read
Berlin's lesson in peaceful revolution
Lest we forget: Unsung heroes of the Berlin Wall
As the world marks the fall of the Berlin Wall, let's not forget the real heroes of that revolutionary moment”“ neither Reagan nor Gorbachev, but East Berliners themselves, who left their weapons home to confront one of the world's most heavily-guarded borders.
Essays
3 minute read
Aftermath of an accident
In fits and starts: The long journey to recovery
At first I thought myself lucky to survive a horrendous auto accident. My scars and broken bones have healed with the passage of time. But the memory loss, the rage, the inability to articulate my feelings— those have lingered much longer.
Essays
6 minute read
My great-grandmother grows younger
Cornelia's portrait: While I grow older, she grows younger
When I was a child, my pioneer great-grandmother seemed very old and insufferably proper. Now that I'm older than she was, she looks positively youthful, and I can imagine the two of us having a nice sit-down on the sofa.
Essays
4 minute read
Memory, loss, and the '50 Phillies
Defeat on the field, death in the family
A year after the Phillies lost the 1950 World Series, my younger sister died of leukemia. My parents did their limited best to cope with their loss, and so did the Phillies.
The winning basket (a memoir)
One fleeting taste of glory
When I scored the winning the basket, the sense of power was briefly overwhelming— which taught me something about athletes today.
Essays
1 minute read
The Phillies and my father: A memoir
They warmed my heart, and broke my father's
My father rarely missed a Phillies game, even during spring training. Year after year, they broke his heart. When I imagine how happy he'd be with this year's team, I miss him more than ever.
Essays
5 minute read
Behind the Bicentennial, Part 3: Keep it simple
Courting the Park Service: A Bicentennial memoir (part 3)
As 1976 approached, the National Park Service wanted a Bicentennial program that would appeal to visitors in all 50 states. I found the answer in one of Ben Franklin's letters. And unlike my competitors, I kept things simple enough to please the most important audience: the Park Service staff in the field.
Essays
9 minute read
The spy who snatched Baryshnikov
I chose one path, he the other: A memoir of Mexico, circa 1975
Who was that distinguished gentleman who shared our hotel terrace overlooking the Pacific at Zihuatanejo? And what was a middle-class theatrical producer from Society Hill like me doing sharing a drink with him?
Essays
5 minute read
Mischief Night follies: A memoir
Scared silent on Mischief Night: A Halloween memoir, circa 1955
We were typical '50 suburban kids whose Halloween hijinks were more a product of tradition than any kind of malicious intent. Nevertheless, on Mischief Night we learned more than we cared to about adults.
Essays
6 minute read