Marilyn Monroe and the science of the ‘little extra something’ — On an otherwise normal afternoon in 1955 Robert Stein, a young editor at Redbook magazine, sat at a table in the Gladstone Hotel in Manhattan, slamming rounds of scotch in rapid succession and fighting back a rising swell of panic. He had bitten off far more than he could chew…

Please help me exorcise the devil — I’ve been debating whether or not to write about this, because I am sure that the situation will resolve itself eventually. Then I realized that I found it amusing, and that I haven’t written a piece in a few days. So, here I am. I’m not a superstitious person by…

Or: How I learned to not love the bomb — Is it strange that we do not have a word in the English language to describe a waking nightmare? Here’s one I’ve had lately. It comes to me periodically throughout the day; I am standing in my hometown, Anchorage, looking west past the downtown at the silhouette of Mt. Susitna…

What else will we find as water levels plunge? — On Sunday afternoon, May 1st, 2022, a group of boaters spending the day on Lake Mead, east of Las Vegas, stumbled across a body stuffed into a barrel as they explored the lake. The locals noticed the barrel lying on the muddy lakeshore, except it quickly became apparent that something…

What does the world feel like when you’re waiting? — One of the defining features of my life is that I have always been trying to write more. I find it difficult to believe that it took me so long to accept that writing might be my life’s calling, or at least a major part of it. …

How do you write a 900 page novel? Nude, apparently — In autumn of 1830, Victor Hugo received a letter from his publisher about one of his most famous novels. It was, all at once; a pardon, a threat, and a signal that he needed to get his ass in gear. …

Will Smith’s Rock-slap is a strange aberration and should raise questions — The Smith/Rock scandal I am a bit too late to comment on the Oscars scandal, but I’m going to do it anyway. First, for simplicity, my own brief recap of the situation: The Oscars happened. Chris Rock cracked stupid jokes, including a lame and mostly forgettable G.I. Jane one-liner directed at Jada Pinkett…

That poor bastard had a really bad day — Kelvin the scammer Kelvin: “Hi. Is it still available? MSI Ventus2x RTX 3060?” R: “Yes.” Meet Kelvin. He’s a Facebook scammer. …

Our experience of time is more like art than science — Tempus fugit I have spent the past week caught up in a powerful illusion. Just two weeks ago I wouldn’t have called it an illusion. It is a common occurrence, and few people would stop to note its illusory nature or speculate about the psychology that gives rise to it. I only…