He was a drunk squandering his talent. She was a poet who believed in him. Their love saved the “modern master” of the short story.

MAYA LIN -- THE WOMAN WHO HEALED AMERICA

America needed a Vietnam memorial. The contest drew 1,421 entries. The winner was denounced as “egg roll” and “a gook.” But Maya Lin’s “wall” still touches the nation’s heart.

THE TRUTH ABOUT TOAD SUCK -- (ARKANSAS)

A town. A name. A joke. A poem. How ‘bout that Toad Suck (Arkansas, that is).

American PlacesBruce WatsonOctober 10, 2019TOAD SUCK, Toad Suck, Arkansas\ Comments

THE TOWN THAT SAID 'NO' TO HATRED

Neo-Nazis targeted Billings, Montana in 1993. The city fought back, saying “Not in Our Town!” The fight continues nationwide.

BATTLING THE B.S.The AtticSeptember 20, 2019Billings MT, Not in Our Town, Anti-fascism, Tolerance Comments

EMMA LAZARUS -- GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR. . .

Her stirring poem about a statue was almost forgotten. Today the statue still speaks in the voice of Emma Lazarus.

THE MUSEUM THAT CONQUERS TIME

John Rice Irwin saw his beloved Appalachia disappearing. So he preserved it in time.

THE REAL WOODSTOCK

The festival was 50 years ago and 50 miles away, but Woodstock, New York keeps the spirit alive.

IKE'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE -- COAST-TO-COAST IN 1919

When he crossed America by convoy in 1919, the future president saw the need for “broader ribbons across our land.” The seed of our interstate highways was planted.

History, HEROESThe AtticAugust 8, 2019Eisenhower, Interstate Highways, Road trips, 1919 Comments

STANDUP TAKES THE STAGE

Long before Netflix and Comedy Central, standup started in a single spot — the Borscht Belt.

WITSThe AtticAugust 5, 2019Borscht Belt, Catskills, Resorts, Jewish humor, Stand-up comedy Comments

VERA RUBIN, DOYENNE OF DARK MATTER

The Mt. Palomar Observatory had no women's restroom. Until Vera Rubin taped a paper skirt on the door. Meet the woman who changed our view of the cosmos and of women in science.

WONDERSThe AtticAugust 2, 2019Vera Rubin, Dark Matter, Physics, Astrophysics Comments