A look at the American heartland, from a West Virginian who can’t explain it
I keep getting asked–this is a paraphrase–“Why is West Virginia still so damn racist?” Media reports on the racism in the part of the…
Read More2008
From Rwanda’s female-dominated parliament to Alaska’s hockey mom…
It’s a long trip, perhaps. Here’s an interesting piece from Salon, not for its politics, but for its insightful consideration of the way the…
Read MoreSeriously, I have to change the title of this blog. Here’s something really cool about New York.
That was self-serving, because the “something” is an article I wrote that went up today, a profile of the founder of Overheard in New…
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What You Hear If You Make a Point of Eavesdropping in New York
On a scorching September afternoon, Morgan Friedman, semi-professional wanderer, must stop. We’ve been moseying through Brooklyn neighborhoods for nearly two hours, because I wanted…
Read MoreThis has nothing, but nothing, to do with Africa. But it does have to do with Bill Clinton
Whatever your politics, if you can still make an argument that this man is not a liability to the party he’s trying to help,…
Read MoreYes, they can
It’s the political season here, and so I have to admire the chutzpah of Paul Collier, who had an op-ed in today’s NYT. Let’s…
Read MoreWomen in Rwanda are all the rage
I seem to always miss the proper news. In the parliamentary elections held earlier this week–only the second election in the country since the…
Read MoreAn almost-meeting of the minds
Two weeks after I get back from Rwanda, who shows up but Paul Kagame? He is, of course, the president of Rwanda, and he’d…
Read MoreA note not technically from, but in light of, Central Africa
New York City Ever a woman of geographical ADHD, I’ve been in three cities since returning to the U.S. about 10 days ago. A…
Read MoreWhat to ride, where to go in Congo
Well, sort of. You won’t probably make it very far on a chikudu unless you’re a local. It’s a rough-looking hand-made road warrior, part…
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