Category Archives: Essays

On the eve of the G-20 summit, a native son finds a city moving toward the future but longing for its past. When President Obama announced that Pittsburgh would be the site of the upcoming G-20 summit, even Pittsburghers were … Continue reading →

I FIRST SET FOOT on European soil–if we include Britain as a European country, which most Americans don’t–when I was twenty-three years old.  I stayed a week, traveling around England and Scotland, visiting sites like Oxford and Coventry and Shakespeare’s … Continue reading →

It’s a thrill to be asked for a recipe for The Great American Writers’ Cookbook. I’m honored to be among such giants as Mr. Cheever and Miss Welty. I hope this’ll do: Flannery O’Connor Chili

THE SUCCESSFUL, mostly non-violent protests against the World Trade Organization this week surprised only those Americans who have the luxury of avoiding all forms of media. For weeks before the fateful demonstrations, anyone who saw the news on TV, heard … Continue reading →