Novel looks at the Rust Belt, composed by an American doctor
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The Reading List for Geeky People
If the yellow T-shirt with E=mc2 wasn’t a dead giveaway, I’ll be even more overt—I fit the description in the

Marijuana: 10 Facts To Clear Up the Smoke
I don’t smoke (or eat) marijuana. But a lot of people do. And with the changing legal landscape, everyone is

The New Yorker
The New Yorker stopped pining for Dhaka years ago. Those days are long gone. The ones with youth. Options. Optimism.

New York City: 10 Numbers That’ll Wow You
Living in Upstate New York, it’s easy to have an inferiority complex. Why? Because Downstate is home to the city.

Julieta Venegas: 10 Songs You Should Know
Julieta Venegas has been perfectly situated to dabble in the sounds of North America. Born in Long Beach, California, and

The Mexican States Explained (For Americans)
The US is obsessed with its states. As evidence, each one gets an entire star on the national flag. Not

La Ciudad de México: Un Poema
Ciudad de México, no conozco mucho de ti Es así, viviendo aquí La mayoría de lo que he oído Tiene

When I Buy a Concert Ticket, Who Gets Paid?
Just as the COVID-19 pandemic made everyone an amateur virologist (some more amateur than others), the Taylor Swift Eras Tour

Dave Matthews Band: Have the Haters Retired?
Too happy. Too predictable. Bland. Cheesy. Just bad. Dave Matthews Band has heard it all. And it kept going.

War, Rochester, and Kurt Vonnegut
Writers change the world Actually, scratch that They simply unfurl The abundance of claptrap Because no one listens The

Why Lebron James Chose Syracuse
Lebron James, by text, is a very candid man. The following thread has been abridged for the sake of brevity.*

What Parenting Taught Me About the Rust Belt
I’m no parenting guru. In fact, about a decade from now, I’ll find out how I f****d it up royally.

I Hate You IKEA—but Thank You
Nostalgia, they say, comes with rose-colored glasses. But in the case of IKEA, it can also come with nausea—and not

How The Odyssey Saved Rochester, NY
You know The Odyssey—that Christopher Nolan film with Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway. And you know Rochester, NY—that rusty town

Why Spain Is Actually Playing Italy
Don’t fall for the hype about Spain playing Argentina. (Or, if you’re reading this after July 19, 2026, I hope

Confessions of a Rust Belt Addict
The Rust Belt addict, mercifully, is not always found with a needle in his arm. The addicted, I’ve learned, get

How Being a Writer Ruined the World Cup
Being a writer, as you must know by now, is a dream. By that, I mean it’s a nightmare, something

Thank You, European, for Being So Damn Smart
Dear European, I know you’re smarter than me. How do I know? Because you tell me. Anyway, I’ve come across

These World Cup Population Numbers Will Blow Your Mind
World Cup population numbers are for the worldly—and the weirdly obsessive. Without formally committing to either category, I’ve created this
I’m Officially an Idiot
On June 26, 2026, it became official—I’m an idiot. I’d like to thank my fellow human beings—without you, I would


