Atlas Obscura recently published a piece I wrote about the old lock system still in use up and down the Muskingum River in southeastern Ohio. The locks are operated by hand and require the skills of a lockmaster, who stays on site to help the estimated 7,000 annual boaters traverse the dams that make theContinue reading “The locks and canals of the mighty Muskingum”
Tag Archives: Nonfiction
My Search for an Incredible Piece of Sci-Fi Trash
When I was a kid, I had this ridiculous sci-fi novel full of mutants, profanity, shoot-outs, and sex. Needless to say, I loved it. But when I was older, I couldn’t remember its title or author. And thus began a decade-long search to track down this incredible piece of sci-fi trash, leading me to bookstoresContinue reading “My Search for an Incredible Piece of Sci-Fi Trash”
Medical waste: Who gets it, and what happens to it?
This article was originally published on April 9, 2018, in the El Paso Inc. Medical Section. The article was edited for length and slight stylistic reasons; the original version can be found below. Every day, box trucks pull up to a nondescript warehouse on the far-east side of El Paso to unload a fairlyContinue reading “Medical waste: Who gets it, and what happens to it?”
A €20,000 Monument to the Spanish Tortilla
I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of years in Spain, and like most people who spend any amount of time there, I found the country very agreeable. This stemmed in part from the fact that that country likes to eat a lot. In fact, Spaniards are passionate their food, and it was oftenContinue reading “A €20,000 Monument to the Spanish Tortilla”
The Grisly Murder That Launched a Podcast Star
I have been listening to a true crime podcast called “True Murder” for years. Each week, host Dan Zupansky interviews true crime authors about the cases they’ve written about. The complex/troubling appeal of true crime is a discussion for another time, but Zupansky is one of the first true crime podcasters and is considered anContinue reading “The Grisly Murder That Launched a Podcast Star”
He’s a Murderer With an Intergalactic Alibi. And She’s in Love With Him.
This article is about Jo Ann and Mark Richards, a couple with a backstory that is at first hard to comprehend. Their relationship stretches across the galaxy from a California prison, and is one that got its start with a senseless murder committed in 1984. I first came across this story when researching micronations forContinue reading “He’s a Murderer With an Intergalactic Alibi. And She’s in Love With Him.”