Mar 13Down the HatchThanks to a memorable traveling companion, I learned to navigate a novel culinary line. — This story is adapted from my 2014 memoir Into the Field: A Foreign Correspondent’s Notebook. Let no one say a word against our human family’s culinary choices. But individuals who parrot the idea that exploring global cuisine inevitably opens us to a world of gastro-orgasmic delights probably haven’t encountered the…Humorous Life Lessons5 min read
Aug 31, 2021Have Parasites Infected the American Brain?A country, once famous for common sense, faces a pandemic of bad ideas. — This essay originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News. Why are so many bad ideas infecting our body politic? (Examples: COVID-19 is a hoax; Jan. 6 was a typical tourist day at the U.S. Capitol; top Democrats operated a child sex-trafficking ring from a D.C. pizza joint.) And why are…Philosophy6 min read
Published in An Injustice!·Jul 27, 2021America’s ‘Liberal vs. Conservative Political Discourse Is Too Puny for What We’re Facing’Rev. William Barber II Comes to Texas to Press for Voting Rights — This essay originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News. If you think American democracy is holding on by its fingernails, you won’t get an argument from the Rev. William Barber II. Yet he’s quick to let you know that shining a spotlight on the overlooked and struggling among us offers…Civil Rights6 min read
Jun 28, 2021A Message From Hemingway for Our Nuance-Challenged TimesWhat happens when we lose our grip on our literary infrastructure? This essay originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News. In July of 1961, when a self-inflicted shotgun blast killed Ernest Hemingway in Ketchum, Idaho, the news hit in a way that’s impossible to imagine today. Two years earlier, George…Reading6 min read
Jun 14, 2021Selling a Home Can Be a Painful LossBe ready for the impact of downsizing on your soul — This column orignally appeared in The Dallas Morning News. It was the night before moving and row upon row of cardboard boxes snaked through our house in the Austin near-burbs. A home of 15 years, comfortable as a pair of old sneakers, had become a collection of bare, echoing rooms. …Transitions6 min read
Mar 13, 2021Yes, the Internet Has Us Dazed and Confused. But Our Real Problem Is Lack of Civic TrustOld verities about the centrality of truth have been conked on the head. — This column originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News. In 2008, back in the halcyon days of the digital revolution, author Nicholas Carr sent up a warning flare in his provocatively titled Atlantic article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The progressively addled attention spans he predicted have come to pass…Civic Engagement4 min read
Published in The Startup·Dec 30, 2020Surviving Our Information Frenzy: A New Year’s GuideDistrust of the media is up, conspiracy theories are in, but giving up on wresting meaning from the news isn’t the answer. In normal times, before COVID put the kibosh on casual conversations at the gym, a public event or an eatery, I’d be approached by people, not to give…News Media5 min read
Dec 20, 2020Learning to Love the OctopusAn extraordinary new documentary called ‘My Octopus Teacher’ taught me to turn the tables on an old family story. — This column originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News. I confess I never warmed to our friend the octopus. I like to think I’m as animal-friendly as the next person, but for this cephalopod I’ve reserved the categories of enemy and dinner. My uncharitable attitude turned on an old family…Documentary5 min read
Dec 8, 2020The News Media Must Come to Grips with Trump’s PopularityBetter listening by journalists could help heal a divided nation. — This column originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News. It’s no secret the incoming Biden administration faces long odds in taming the partisan antagonisms and ill will roiling America and eclipsing its health and promise. The news media have an important role to play, but they need to do a…Journalism5 min read
Jul 29, 2020By Dissing Science, Trump Is Turning His Back on What Made America GreatRegard for science and rational thinking has eroded in the U.S. in recent years. Why it needs to make a comeback. This column originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News. Looking for evidence of what made America great? A good place to start is our genius for scientific envelope-pushing. Since…Science Education5 min read
