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I own more books by Joan Didion than I can count. Some are in my dorm room, piled on my window sill overlooking East Tenth Street. Some are on my IKEA bookshelf at my family home in the suburbs of New York. It’s as if these books are children living in a split custody situation. […]
Features
Mongolia’s Tuvan reindeer herders
Photos by Andrew Califf There is a small section of taiga [boreal forest] surrounding the Darkhad Depression in northern Mongolia that is home to a niche community of Tuvan reindeer herders. The border cuts them off from the Russian Tuvan Republic, which has exponentially better herding conditions, less hunting restrictions and more land for larger […]
Afro-Costa Rican’s history of inequality & long road to Pura Vida
(Costa Rica) — For native Costa Ricans, the phrase “Pura Vida” loosely translates to “living life to the fullest” in English. However, Costa Ricans with African ancestry have been subjected to a far darker experience because of their hidden history, advocates say. For more than a century, the Afro-Costa Rican population has been subjected to […]
Kendama: Why is a traditional Japanese wooden toy getting so popular in the US?
Austin Donovan encountered a kendama for the first time when he was 14 years old in 2008. A friend in his art class took one to school and attracted a line of people who wanted to try a basic trick on this traditional Japanese wooden toy. Everyone, except for Donovan, just stared at the line […]
Yukako Satone: Queen of the loom
On Sept. 11, 2001, Yukako Satone stepped out of her house to take her daughter to school. When she opened her front door in Jersey City, she was greeted by the view of the twin towers in flames. After witnessing this terror attack from so close by, she decided to move further from the city […]
Unions make headway for adjunct professor pay parity after decades of exploitation
NEW YORK – On a cold Saturday before Thanksgiving, the New School campus lit up Fifth Avenue like a festive ornament. Gaudy, out of place and yet oddly inviting, the private liberal arts school glittered in the waning daylight. Inside, figures gathered while putting on coats and slowly heading outdoors after enjoying one of the […]
The One With the Truth Behind America’s Funniest Friend
“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage Matthew Perry.” The announcer’s voice was followed by a roar of applause and a collective standing ovation as 53-year-old actor Matthew Perry walked on stage at The Town Hall in New York City. But I didn’t recognize him. As someone who has watched all 10 seasons of […]
Strangers Project shares stories in Washington Square Park that make you smile, cry or break your heart
Some days, if you walk past Washington Square Park, you’ll see a rack of papers with handwritten stories. Brandon Doman has been doing the Strangers Project for 13 years, gathering stories and sharing them with other strangers. With more than 65,000 anonymous tales, you can read about love, loss, joy or fear on the pages. […]
The NYPD vintage fleet: back on NYC streets for parade
The weather demanded nothing more than a lightweight jacket on the morning of Italian Heritage Day and Indigenous People’s Day (formerly Columbus Day) on October 10, 2022. The iconic parade was just about to begin, and the atmosphere was lively and festive on Fifth Avenue; bands played music, dancers rehearsed with props, and crowds waving […]
Author Emi Nietfeld shows us that love is possible, even after hardship
At 17, Emi Nietfeld won an opportunity to excavate Roman ruins in England. A Minnesotan who had battled unstable housing because her hoarder mother could not maintain a livable home, she was excited to backpack through Europe and have a place to stay in hostels. But during her adventures in Budapest, her trip went from […]