The Pleasantest Prattler

Politics, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. – Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary, 1911 Ambrose Bierce—author, Civil War veteran and pre-muckraker—was one of the most influential journalists of his day, no doubt thanks in part to wit “so keen that it pierces Read More

A Blah History

If you thought National Thank a Mail Carrier Day was an obscure holiday, you’ll never guess what today is: Blah, Blah, Blah Day. “Blah” is a relatively recent addition to our lexicon, first appearing in 1918. Considering the wide range of complex emotions it conveys, it’s a wonder the English language did without it for Read More

The Prince and the Pilot

Loyal readers might recall the story of plant-eating, teetotaling, jiu-jitsu-demonstrating health nut and newspaper darling, Gladys Mason, who went missing somewhere between Chicago and San Francisco on a cross-country trek in 1913. Well, folks, we found her! It turns out, after leaving Chicago, she took a detour to Wisconsin, where she opened a popular burger Read More

Nuggets from Norfolk

Back by unpopular demand! This week, in response to calls from absolutely no one, I present the long-awaited sequel to Insults from Ipswich: Nuggets from Norfolk. Like the Ipswich Journal, the Norfolk Chronicle covered daily life in eastern England, beginning in the late 18th century. And as in Ipswich, the city of Norwich had plenty Read More

Five Unconventional Uses for Bread Boxes

You might recognize the bread box as a kitchen staple and the first line of defense against mold and stale toast. Or, if you grew up in the era of added preservatives and plastic bags like I did, you might have to google it. Either way, you can be forgiven for assuming a bread box Read More

Presidential Pardon

Even if you didn’t have the day off work, the onslaught of mattress sale commercials should have reminded you that this past Monday was Presidents’ Day. Along with National Thank a Mail Carrier Day, it’s a busy month. In honor of the holiday, let’s explore a footnote in the administration of one of the U.S.’s Read More

You’ve Got Mail

Hope your National Thank a Mail Carrier Day celebrations were first class! If you didn’t know this was a thing, perhaps your invitation was lost in the mail. In honor of this underrated holiday, I have for your reading pleasure an anecdote about a dead—that is to say, undeliverable—letter belonging to Henry Ward Beecher. If Read More

The Twin with the Nine Toes, Part Two

Welcome back! Pull up a chair, and if you’re reading in a region as cold as the one I’m writing in, settle in by a warm fire with a piping hot drink. And I do mean settle in—it’s a long one. When we last heard from Alfred Oliver in Part One, it was February 1914, Read More

The Twin with the Nine Toes, Part One

Upon seeing the front page of the Day Book on the morning of February 23, 1914, Chicago readers could have been forgiven for rubbing their eyes and wondering if they were still dreaming. They weren’t the only ones who might have reached for a cup of coffee to jolt themselves awake. A real-life Comedy of Read More

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