October 2003 Archives
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Stories
The Man Who Was Hook
Nothing says Halloween like a gutted teenager, or some other urban legend told around the candy bag. But hasn’t everyone already heard the ending? THE WRITERS band together for a dozen new ways to finish your story.
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People
Rob Cockerham
The bastard child of Mr. Wizard and Amy Sedaris, online provacateur ROB COCKERHAM talks about busting Herbalife, Bounty towels, and spending $25,000 at Safeway.
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Personalities
Strangers in the Night
Since the great Columbia University scandal of 1984, paranormal investigations have had a bad rap in the United States, at least on the East coast. Seattle writer MATTHEW BALDWIN joins up with A.G.H.O.S.T. for a night of spirit seeking.
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Guides
How to Carve a Pumpkin
It’s nearly Halloween, time for ghosts, treats, and hours of time invested in what invariably winds up splattered down your block. Yes: the season-o-Jack. Here’s how to cut your gourd.
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Behind the Scenes
The Vermonster
Once the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, Howard Dean has lost a lot of ground to Clark and his free candy bars. Can the campaign recover? Our reporter hitches a ride on the Dean bus and reports on the new political strategy.
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Gallery
Everyday Matters
In a city of unexpected fates and constant change, it’s hard to pin down the state of things. Drawing can help, especially after a traumatic accident. An excerpt from Danny Gregory’s new drawing-diary, Everyday Matters.
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The Non-Expert
Not Fade Away
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we go back through our priest’s record collection to find out when the music died.
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Opinions
Notes on a Federal Culture
Urban character is easy—Chicago has architecture, New York has culture, Los Angeles has a six-hour flight to New York—but what about cities with zero personality? Let’s say, Washington?
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Letters From the Editor
Short Note on Trombones
Today’s story is a great conversation between our frequent contributor Robert Birnbaum and writer Julie Orringer. Robert’s shared a number of his interviews with us so far, and...
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Letters From the Editor
The Commuter’s Apology
To the woman on the train wearing flip-flops: I’m sorry I almost stepped on your toes. I understand that the danger may have warranted the mock look of pain,...
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Birnbaum v.
Julie Orringer
American literature may over-adore the short story, but that doesn’t mean some great stories aren’t being written. A conversation with writer Julie Orringer about New Orleans, snarkism, and the relative ease of brain surgery.
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Spoofs & Satire
The NPR Blooper Reel
Hearing about Howard Stern and a bevy of strippers is no big surprise for the radio-savvy, but David Brancaccio and a goat getting clinical? Here are the clips not included in your regular broadcast.
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Listening
The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
Oh, oh, oh, Oh, Inverted World was nothing short of mind-blowing, which means the follow-up from The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow, is going to be under some pretty serious scrutiny....
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Personalities
Early Broadcasting
What happens when a ten-year-old enters the ranks of ham-radio enthusiasts and Dirty Old Men? Our writer remembers his friends, his call letters, and his place in broadcast history. No ham or ham-product punnery included.
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The Non-Expert
Krazy Kittens
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we ruffle some whiskers when we investigate the truth behind feline insanity. We may also get scratched pretty bad.
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People
Carson Ellis
Illustrator, artist, and all-around winner Carson Ellis tells us about her work with the Decemberists, collapsed mining towns in Montana, and what’s stuck in her head.
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Personalities
Letters from Edinburgh: Colorful Lullabies
In the first of her series of letters from Scotland, our writer moves into her flat, learns the Scottish hoedown, and goes on a countryside jaunt that turns out to be anything but Withnail & I.
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Letters From the Editor
Seat 11, Row 9
Poor fan seat 11, row 9. The story’s everwhere by now: a Cubs fan sitting by the left-field wall reached out for a foul pop-up, deflected the outfielder, denied the Cubs...
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Opinions
Rock This County!
Mega-selling pop music may seem to be more about navel-sculpting than song-writing, but that won’t cut it for a stadium full of Shania Twain fans. What it takes to sell 19 million records.
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Gallery
If on a Summer’s Day a Television
A city’s orphans are the furniture on its streets, left out for garbage or an enterprising upholsterer. San Francisco photographer Heather Champ examines her town’s left-behinds.
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Gallery
Stupid Dreams
Our dreams often help us understand ourselves, who we love, or how we look naked. Other times they’re simply worth ignoring. Artist Sam Brown offers his interpretive talents.
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Opinions
In The Rear With Broken Gear
We depend on our troops to protect our shores—shouldn’t our troops be able to depend on their weapons? A look at 11 deaths attributed to bad equipment.
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Letters From the Editor
Pride, Rage, and Sandwiches
Recently overheard:On the L train, 3pm, near Union Square, train packed with high-school girls going home after school, in blue and white uniforms: Girl 1: See white girl laughing at...
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How To
How to Road Trip
Driving at least once from Connecticut to California should be required for all Americans, but how to survive the trip is less understood. Timeless advice for a tiring journey.
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New York, New York
New York Do’s and Don’ts
With budget crises, unemployment, and wild animals on the loose, New York can be a difficult place to navigate. Luckily, we have some tips on how to make contemporary Gotham life more bearable.
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Letters From the Editor
Confessions of a Businessman
It’s meant to be an ironic title – I’m a terrible businessman, and really I have no idea what to do when it comes to numbers, selling, or any...
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Stories
The Bellow/Parcells Letters
Forget worrying over book contracts, alcoholism, or unwanted kids—where do Nobel laureate authors turn for advice on their hair? KEN KRIMSTEIN discovers the lost correspondence between two great authors.
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The Non-Expert
Raises & Terror
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we explain how to get the raise you deserve using the only appropriate method for today’s terror-ific world.
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People
Malcolm Gladwell
Author of The Tipping Point and a connoisseur of RonCo products, Malcolm Gladwell talks about his writing habits, the war effort, and the glory of being confused for Tommy Lee.
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Stories
Sweeping the Dirt Floor: Fuego! Fuego!
The Peace Corps has ambitious goals for its programs and participants, though setting a pueblo on fire isn’t one of them. Former Corps member Matthew Baldwin recounts the early days in San Pedro, Bolivia, before his infamy.
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Guides
How to Write a Thank-You Note
“Sincerely, Help?” Having trouble finding the right words to thank cousin Sal for that mango slicer? How to write the perfect, honest thank-you note every time.