Articles
When I’m not obsessing over the career of Jeff Goldblum, I also write any number of news articles, features, profiles and cultural criticism. These days, I do it for The Washington Post. Before that, I wrote for anyone who would have me, including Esquire, GQ, Time, Southern Living and a variety of other extremely kind publications that gave me money for words. Here are a few of my favorite pieces.
Behind the right’s loathing of the NEA: Two ‘despicable’ exhibits almost 30 years ago
THE WASHINGTON POST | March 20, 2017
President Trump’s proposed budget calls for the complete elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, much to the delight of many conservatives, particularly those old enough to remember…
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‘There is no other medicine’: Texas father breaks law to treat self-harming autistic daughter with marijuana
THE WASHINGTON POST | February 28th, 2017
Kara Zartler’s life began too soon.
Along with her twin sister, she was born at 26 weeks. At 1 pound 12 ounces, she weighed slightly less than the healthy Keeley. Then, 10 hours into life, Kara suffered a brain hemorrhage…
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Give Me Richmond!
SOUTHERN LIVING | January 2016
Spend any time in Richmond and you’ll hear the following joke: How many Virginians does it take to screw in a lightbulb? The answer is three: on to change it and two to write about how wonderful the old bulb was. Sure Virginia is for lovers, but…
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New Face of An Old City
SOUTHERN LIVING | October 2015
On April 10, 2015, the 140-year-old St. Roch Market reopened after sitting empty for 10 years. Back in the 1960s, the market was a bustling center of commerce for the working-class St. Roch neighborhood, acting as both a small grocer and lunch counter…
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‘Narcos’ Netflix Release Helping Streaming Service Expand To Latin America
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES | September 29, 2015
Two hundred countries by 2017 — that’s Netflix’s stated goal for global expansion, and last month it unveiled its secret weapon: “Narcos,” a crime drama told in both English and Spanish and designed to appeal to audiences in the U.S. and across Latin America…
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Maryland’s Best Crab Shacks
SOUTHERN LIVING | August 2015
“There’s no such thing as a perfect bushel of crabs,” says restaurateur Albert Levy, who watches the sun rise over the Chesapeake Bay each morning as he sorts through freshly caught crustaceans to serve in his Ocean City, Maryland, restaurant…
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Draped In Roses
SOUTHERN LIVING | June 2015
“It was a total shot in the dark,” says Birmingham landscape designer Brent Donaldson, referring to the intricate wooden arbor on the preceding page. He designed it with a particular Alabama garden in mind and brought his unsolicited idea to the owner…
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Your Perfect Crawfish Boil Is 9 Steps Away
ESQUIRE | April 25, 2014
Friday begins the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (colloquially known as Jazz Fest), the two-weekend music festival that showcases the likes of Clapton, Springsteen, and The Arcade Fire. More importantly, it showcases all the best of the Crescent City’s local talent….
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Kissing Language Barriers Goodbye
SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE | May 28, 2014
For a long time, the universal translator has been a pop culture obsession. Star Trek presents it as a handheld machine, resembling a microphone, that can translate most languages immediately. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy boasts a Babel fish, a creature that…
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FYI: Louisiana Is Just Fine With How It Looks on TV
ESQUIRE | May 14, 2014
New Orleans is pretty hot right now. Weather-wise, because “winter” is a term this town doesn’t understand, and media-wise. Tremé, True Blood and True Detective — HBO’s trilogy of Louisiana-based shows — have spurred a lot of discussion of what “authentic life” in New Orleans looks like…