Context: Decades ago I used to go out clubbing and dancing. Back then I’d go out a couple weekends a month. Now I went once since the pandemic, and the last time before would have been years ago. A friend said he got tickets for a big DJ playing in Brooklyn and invited me to join. I didn’t know the DJ since I don’t know anything about the scene today.[…] Keep reading →

Last week, while I picked up litter in Washington Square Park, a guy approached me and asked, “Why do you do it?” Before I could answer, he continued, “Really, I’ve seen you do it and wonder why you do it.” He told me his name was Dave. Before I could answer again, he continued and talked about values, where this country is going, integrity, and things like that. We got[…] Keep reading →

A couple weeks ago, in a hurry to meet someone, I passed by one of the few addicts I’ve seen regularly in the northwest corner of Washington Square Park, in fact, enough to have had a few conversations with him. He was passed out on Sixth Avenue, looking close to death. I had seen him the evening before a couple blocks north, on the steps of the library, appearing to[…] Keep reading →

In the spirit of The Emperor’s New Clothes, although this parable doesn’t contain an emperor or clothes, I feel like it exposes self-important foolishness we see around us. It emerged from an email exchange I had with someone who flies a lot and sent a group message about a disaster in the news from glaciers melting, attributed to global warming. I wrote him, “If only there was something we could[…] Keep reading →

Longtime readers know one of the highlights of my summer is visiting the farm providing my summer and fall CSA vegetables, Stoneledge Farm. Since the pandemic, they haven’t chartered a bus for us in the city without cars. I’ve been biking more, including two overnight rides to Philadelphia, each 125 miles over two days. They were fundraisers and, since my group raised the most funds, I ended up getting free[…] Keep reading →

In Washington Square Park, I was sitting on a bench talking to a friend. A person came up and, unprovoked, started threatening me. I’ve written and recorded podcast episodes about the many times I’ve been assaulted and mugged, as far back as some of my earliest memories. I understand “battery” means physically hurting someone and “assault” means threatening it, which this person did. It began by him approaching and starting[…] Keep reading →

What does unwanted body fat have to do with pollution? At my father’s eightieth birthday last year, I saw friend and coworkers of his I hadn’t seen since childhood. The first thing one of them said to me was that he remembered me as chubby. By today’s American standards, I may not have been, but I remember from my childhood my older stepbrother grabbing my nipples and the fat underneath[…] Keep reading →

This morning I got an email: 안녕하세요, 봄비 촉촉히 내리는 4월 첫 아침입니다.터치 매거진 4월호가 발행되어 보내드립니다.아래 링크를 클릭하시면 터치 스토리랩 홈페이지와 4월호 매거진으로 이동합니다.지난 한 달 동안 저희가 열심히 준비한 다양한 컨텐츠를 읽어보시고 잠시나마 여유로운 시간이 되시면 좋겠습니다. 이번 달도 저희 터치 매거진을 성원해주시고 많이 읽어주시길 부탁드리며,건강하고 행복한 4월 되시길 바랍니다. 감사합니다. Which translates to Hello, It is the first morning of April when the spring rain is moist.[…] Keep reading →

I found an article in the Philadelphia Encyclopedia about Mount Airy, where I grew up, “a national model of racial integration, ” created through generations of conscious, deliberate work by residents, against opposing trends the article describes below, including white realtors trying to redline and black leaders trying to protect “blackness.” My mom, dad, and stepfather participated in several institutions promoting Mount Airy’s values mentioned in the article, especially West[…] Keep reading →