One of my favorite pieces of writing that I’ve ever read is “Pafko at the Wall,” a novella by Don DeLillo that also serves as the opening to his massive novel _Underworld_. The story is about “The Shot Heard ‘round … Read More
Dear Readers, Hello! We’re so happy to see you all. It’s been a whole week but you still smell exactly the same and you look only marginally worse. We open our pages to you—you lovely readers who support the little … Read More
Thirty-seven years ago a group of stoners at a California high school had a dream that they could smoke weed every day after school at a regular time. With the precision and commitment rare to their kind, they carved out a slice of late afternoon (and probably beyond), dedicating it to the illegal indulgence they share with an estimated 100 million Americans. If Wikipedia is to be believed (and really, for the scholarly subject of stoner cultural history, why shouldn’t it be?), this 1971 San Rafael High School tradition was the bong that launched a thousand hits. 4:20 P.M. daily outside the cafeteria evolved into the ‘High Holiday’ of 4/20.
The existence of these inflammatory sermons was portrayed as a news-event in itself, but for many Americans the real news should have been this: black people are not happy with America the way you’re happy with America.
“Two students, dressed in flowing black gowns, walk side-by-side through the courtyard. One student pauses, checks his phone, and sees an update: the University will be virtual for the remainder of the school year.”
In Doha and Dubai we have two vastly different cities. While it is difficult to simply declare one superior and the other inferior, different values are clearly present in the directions these hubs are moving. While Doha’s may seem more thought-out for the long term, Dubai’s stunning present development is a compelling counter-argument.
In this week’s special issue highlighting writers and artists of color, the Nass goes to the grocery, likens music to love, and washes with public soap.
