Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

For a long time, I didn’t *get* Anthony Bourdain. I thought he was just one of those machismo-fueled, egomaniacal celebrity chefs, who chose to be mean instead of having a personality. I finally picked up Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly and decided that I wasn’t wrong. But, I wasn’t right either. After reading … More Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Under Pressure

For the last three weeks, I haven’t been writing. When I finally felt capable of putting fingers to keys today, I wanted to work on my fiction or that series I was going to write about all the reasons I love Columbus. Instead, I couldn’t stop thinking about COVID-19 and what Columbus will look like … More Under Pressure

My Columbus: Libraries

Note: I started writing these before COVID-19 hit the United States, but I’m going to post them while practicing self-quarantine and social distancing. If given the opportunity, what would you want to share with a huge national audience about your city? What would you want one of your favorite celebrities to know about your small … More My Columbus: Libraries

The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston

Image: Business Insider High-tech military equipment, a flesh eating disease, and ancient curses collide in this unapologetically modern twist on the gentleman-explorer narrative. Most books about white men exploring the jungle harken back to the grainy black-and-white days of Theodore Rosevelt or Queen Victoria but Douglas Preston’s trek in The Lost City of the Monkey … More The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston

Why I’m Voting for Morgan Harper

Morgan Harper is a progressive Democrat running to be the congressperson for Ohio’s 3rd district against incumbent Democrat Joyce Beatty who has been in office since 2012. Obviously, since moving to the 3rd District, I’ve voted for Beatty happily. When you’re up against Goliath, though, sometimes you need a David. Here’s why I’m voting for … More Why I’m Voting for Morgan Harper