It’s 105 degrees in here, and I can’t place the smell. Somewhere between hot feet and freshly popped kettle corn. Not distractingly smelly, but enough to remind me that I’m not at the Y, and I didn’t fall asleep in the sauna. This is Bikram Yoga. I am currently performing my favorite pose, called Savasana. … Read more
The Twitter post sat under my profile photo for almost two days. "Bummed about Sydney Pollack." It was pithy, but it was all I could muster at 2:30 in the morning. Sydney was dead. I had woken up in the middle of the night and rolled a drowsy finger over the laptop’s touchpad to light … Read more
I have no tolerance for pot dealers who insist on sharing a bowl every time they conclude a transaction. I don’t need to seal my drug deals with shiny happy-people vibes; that’s what I bring the money for. But that’s just me; when it comes to harnessing good vibes, I’ll take the mayhem of Altamont … Read more
I lived in Minneapolis for a few years, some years ago, and during that time I came to love the town and the quaint Midwestern customs of its citizens. People smiled at you on the street—without asking for money. If you were lost, they gave you directions—without asking for money. They even assisted the elderly … Read more
Taghazout, Morocco — It’s a postcard Malibu Beach view from the second floor balcony of a reclusive African surf camp. There’s a warm breeze. A few rocks and a broken formation of surfers crown the sea. The offbeat tinkle of a distant camel bell mixed with cries from trinket vendors is the lazy rhythm on … Read more
They don’t know what to expect, and why would they, they’re just passing by with dogs or strollers on this sleepy Coon Rapids sidewalk, and out of nowhere a stout bald man wearing nothing but cutoff jeans or tight shorts comes bolting down the side yard, throws his hands forward, leaps toward a padded sawhorse, … Read more
In an age when we can fill our homes with an abundance of uniform, sleek, inexpensive, mass-produced goods, the gracious imperfections of handmade objects provide a particularly human comfort. A few artisanal pieces incorporated here and there into your living spaces, whether it’s a simply constructed paper pendant lamp or a bit of ornate whimsy … Read more
For the Greeks, who had no word for irreversible death, one did not die, one darkened. —Mark Strand Where the Japanese iris right now stand ready to accept the inevitable purple blossom she found four dead mice in their nest of dirt and dusty fur all with their small ears pointed like pilgrims toward the … Read more
On the wrong side of the tracks in Fergus Falls, we drive past homes patched together by peeling paint, and climb up through the cement factory’s back lot. At the top of the hill, there’s a silver mailbox: C. Beck. A trail of faded wood steps carries us through the woods, over a ravine; the … Read more
Michael Thomsen was born into a line of circus people and performers and, in a way, he’s continuing in the family business. Thomsen grew up in Austin, Minnesota, "in the shadow of the Hormel meatpacking plant." His first job as a kid involved sorting through the junk drawers and closets of the recently deceased for … Read more