The moment I met this Border Collie puppy, I knew my fate was intertwined with his. For better or worse, I had the pick of the litter, which sounds exciting but is actually disturbing. Rather than saying yes to one puppy, you’re actually saying no to all the others, which in this case included five […]
When Wynton Arrived Read More »
One July a couple of years ago, I ran the Four Pass Loop near Aspen, Colorado. As the name suggests, the loop rises and drops four times, crossing four passes in an achingly beautiful swing through the mountains. I ran through haunting Aspen groves, climbed switchbacks adjacent to a waterfall, and trudged along high elevation
Where Does the Story Cross the Trail? Read More »
Within a city, everywhere we turn we encounter difference: neighborhoods, ethnicities, socio-economic classes, ideologies, desires, drives, and approaches. These differences make culture possible and provide the possibility for depth. At times, the vastness of difference may appear chaotic, but in the multitude, we find the birth of order. A city’s size manifests the dynamics necessary
Exploring Civilization’s Smallest Unit Read More »
As a child, Cassandra floated through life without overthinking. She never questioned her place in the world or judged the perspectives or motivations of others. Life appeared to her a magical opportunity, a pathway to pleasure. Tomorrow was the busiest day of her week. She lived in the moment, and as a beautiful, sensual woman
Cassandra D’Angelina: Lotus Eater Read More »
After serving as a medic in the Vietnam War, Vincent Bayonne settled in Central City. He’d seen too much death, barbarity, and destruction to believe in the things that brought him to Southeast Asia. He’d changed, and his hometown no longer felt like home. In Central City, Bayonne found his calling. He donned a different
Vincent Bayonne: Preserver Read More »
Born of violence and forged through society’s systems of reform—education, religion, and correction, Kane Kulpa developed outside the law. Despite his background, he’s a decent human, a man with a sense of his own moral code, a code developed from the outside looking in. Originally, Kane sought only to survive. He lived beyond the law
Kane Kulpa: Destroyer and Redeemer Read More »
Civilization, at some level, is always a lie. Or, perhaps, civilization is always a promise unfulfilled. When we talk about being civilized, we evoke ideas of manners, propriety, and community. Civilized people know how to get along with one another, and they know the implications of certain actions, references, comments, and mannerisms. The civilized share
Technology isn’t a problem; it’s neither good nor bad, neither here nor there. The problem is that we come to technology with certain expectations, beliefs about technology’s capabilities and promise. Then, we, as a culture, don’t think critically about technology’s efficacy. Instead, we apply our technological expectations to ourselves. The basic premise of technology in
Technology and Identity Read More »
Between 1954 and 1958, Rock and Roll ignited the American psyche. Born of a combination of rockabilly, blues, jazz, country, and doowop, Rock and Roll responded to a need deeply rooted in a cultural unconscious that had been sold ideas of traditional values and normative behavior. Identity: Being Special Like Everyone Popular culture grew out
Rock and Roll, Mass Media, and American Self-Absorption Read More »
The myth of the outlaw stretches back to ancient times. Odysseus travelled beyond the boundaries of society. He defied various gods and descended into the underworld. Bound to the mast of his ship, he heard the sirens’ call, struggled against his bondage, and gave a glimpse of a modern man bound to society’s regulations and
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