Category Archives: Features

Brace yourself: the latest, greatest edition of Mark Twain’s Autobiography is almost here

Posted on 28 October 2010 by

[Slate] At Slate, I’ve got an essay on the crazy behind-the-scenes history of Mark Twain’s Autobiography and its various editions. The latest one just arrived, and, over the last six months, it’s been getting some unbelievable hype, thanks in large … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Books, Features | 1 Comment

The surprising fate of David Markson’s library (which wasn’t actually that surprising)

Posted on 17 September 2010 by

[Boston Globe] This Sunday, in the Boston Globe‘s ”Ideas” section, I’ve got a story on the fate of authors’ personal libraries — the books they owned, annotated, and probably threw against the wall in frustration. One of my story’s main points … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Features | 10 Comments

The Technician: A Profile of Rick Moody

Posted on 28 July 2010 by

[New Haven Advocate] In this week’s New Haven Advocate, you’ll find my profile of Rick Moody and his new novel, The Four Fingers of Death. (Moody writes such disparate books that it’s tough to pick a best [or a worst], … Continue reading →

Posted in All History is Local History, Books, Features | Leave a comment

Lebronnukah

Posted on 9 July 2010 by

[Deadspin] Over at Deadspin, I’ve got a dispatch-slash-photo gallery from last night’s LeBron James television special, which was staged in Greenwich, CT. The special generated tons of coverage in both the standard and Watching-the-Watchmen traditions, but I tried to focus … Continue reading →

Posted in All History is Local History, Features, Sports, The Media | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Wide World of . . . Urban Squash?

Posted on 16 June 2010 by

[New Haven Advocate] In this week’s New Haven Advocate, I’ve got a long story on Squash Haven, a local nonprofit that follows the after-school orthodoxy except for one thing: its kids play squash. This focus raises some obvious questions (namely: … Continue reading →

Posted in All History is Local History, Features, Sports | Leave a comment