November 2013 Archives

Forecast

The Cause of All the Commotion

This Saturday, the 2013 hurricane season will end—and with it, possibly, New York City’s final hurricane-less year.

The Morning News Tournament of Books X

Believe it or not, it’s time to gear up for the 2014 edition of The Morning News Tournament of Books. You may know it as the Rooster, the Grandaddy...

Dispatches

The Champagne of Maine

The top-selling spirit in Maine is a coffee-flavored brandy, something that could be straight out of old medicine texts. A hunt for the origins of a staple, in the northern woods and waterfronts.

The Arts Desk

Dancer in the Dark

An American ballerina makes headlines when she says the Bolshoi Ballet wanted a bribe to let her perform. The company denies her accusation. But a small library in Virginia knew about it first.

Explainers

All the President’s Killers

Fifty years after Dallas, an illustrated guide to every person, plot, and nefarious organization ever accused of killing JFK.

Exegesis

A Few Brief Remarks

Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg was short: only three minutes long, following a moving, two-hour performance by famed orator Edward Everett. It also was nearly meaningless.

Gallery

Personal Kill

In training centers around the world, American soldiers are taught to kill at close range—a “personal kill.” Pictures of the places where soldiers practice, and a discussion of the U.S. military’s increasing reliance on machines.

Pulpheads

Brief Interviews With Very Small Publishers

Magazine publishing is a dark art. But the world of niche publishing—people who create magazines for necrophiliacs or donkey hobbyists, or for those of us who like to ride really small trains—features its own requirements.

Our Passions, Our Day Jobs

The Window Cleaner

Dirt is difficult to see on glass. That’s why so many people don’t bother to hire a professional for the job—they just can’t see what’s wrong.

Gallery

The Origin of New Species

Inspired by folk tales, mythical beasts, and Portuguese azulejos, an artist paints her own version of natural history.

The Sports Desk

Let Football Live

Cracks are appearing in football’s helmet—injuries to athletes, injuries to the game. For one former high school and college player, the damage has gone too far.

Dispatches

Kitty Pride

A visit with the prima donnas of the 32nd Annual Westchester County Cat Show helps a longtime owner appreciate her unruly childhood best friend, now departed.

New York, New York

The Cyclist’s Dilemma

Afternoons in the big city are terrible. Sunsets are horrifying, nights are long and anxious. Other people have choices, but not you. Then suddenly, a bicycle.

Gallery

Soliloquies

Sometimes beauty appears only for a short instant, as a flash of visual energy. It’s the photographer’s job to wait, observe, and then pounce.