Culture
This is an edited version of my response to Michael J. McCullough, who asked me to take a look at “Growing Up Philly,” which I did because it was so much like growing up in the South Bronx, where I was born. His $14 book is available as an ebook
Culture
On Monday, Fox News Channel ran with the story that former presidential press secretary Jen Psaki made an error, or lied, when her new book claimed President Joe Biden did not look at his watch during a dignified transfer of the remains of troops killed in Afghanistan. Fox went crazy,
Culture
On this first day of Passover, the holiday that commemorates the Jewish peoples’ exodus from slavery in Egypt to establish a new nation that its enemies today deny ever existed, Jews are threatened as never before — here. For centuries, Jews came here to escape lands where they were persecuted. In
Culture
Listening to Kathy Barnette fill in for Dawn Stensland on WPHT-1210/AM one day last week, I nearly drove off the road when I heard her share an anecdote about public education and kitty litter boxes. What she said — and I am paraphrasing — was that a school across from her
Culture
Since I care about, and endorse, free expression, I sat down with one of the most banned books in American literature, which at the same time is hailed as an American classic -- “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade),” Mark Twain’s sequel to “The Adventures of Tom
Culture
Is Scrabble going Woke? That’s the first thing I thought when I saw a CNN report about Mattel bringing out a version of the popular board game that is less “intimidating.” Less intimidating? Words are now microaggressions? I wanted a tile for Y. The new Scrabble Together is also
Culture
During the course of a memorable career, I have been an editor of both magazines and a newspaper — notably features editor of the Philadelphia Daily News. In that role, not only did I accept submissions of questionable merit, I actually commissioned some. One that sticks out in my mind was
Culture
Jonathan Zimmerman is going to get his ass fired. Not at Penn where he teaches education and history (and has tenure), but from the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he has been a veteran, left-leaning contributor. His offense? Deviation from progressive orthodoxy. Look — it’s bad enough the broadsheet felt obliged to
Culture
When things happen in New York, America’s largest city, there is usually a spillover effect. A new policy becomes law, and pretty soon New York wannabes become copycats. (OK, to be fair, when a policy works, why shouldn’t it be copied?) I am talking about the soon-to-be-instituted congestion
Culture
It’s a little crazy at the White House this Easter, which is a religious holiday, the most important holiday on the Christian calendar. In one case the holiday is being disrespected, but not in the other. In the first case, some were surprised to learn that children of National
Culture
No, it made me laugh, and that is my test for what gets used. I don’t have to agree. The interesting thing about this, if you want to analyze it, is that the target is not really women — it is the Disney corporation, and its movement into the Magic
Culture
The dictator of George Orwell’s “1984” knew that “Who controls the past, controls the future: Who controls the present, controls the past.” This is the special sauce of tyranny. How do you gain control? Force of arms is one way. It is expensive, obvious, and fraught with the danger