I conceived of this photo essay in October 2020 before the presidential election. My goal was to record either how our nation’s capital handled the transition from one administration to another or how Washingtonians would react to the prospect of living four more years with a President who had declared war on the city’s norms. One hundred and nineteen photos comprise this exhibit.
Culture
Notes on Driving Across the Country During the Pandemic
What I am about to describe is not intended to inspire others to follow our path. My wife and I decided to drive across the country in the new year so that we could winter in Tucson, Arizona (that very same Arizona, which was portrayed by the darkest of dark reds on the New York Times indicating rates of COVID-19 infections).
This Aggression Will Not Stand, Man
Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Who is Allowed to Marry My Daughter, Based on Baseball Hat Fashion
The whole reason baseball hats were invented was to keep the sun out of ballplayers’ eyes. However, too many young people choose fashion over practicality, revealing their unsuitability. My daughters deserve better.
Dr. Roy Wood, Jr. | “Don’t Be Like Your Racist Cracker Daddy Commercial”
Public service announcements starring Dr. Roy Wood, Jr. and an earnest group of young white male and Black actors -- like the one scripted in this blog post – can help save lives.
Featured
Nobody Took Your America Away: Labor Day 2010
If your fair town cannot hold a parade this Labor Day, you can enjoy Greenbelt, Maryland's parade from 2010. What a celebration of all that we share. In the midst of everything, it's just a joyful reminder that no one took your America away. It's always been here, if you just open your eyes.
Cooties v. Coronavirus
None of us children could define -- much less see -- cooties. However, we understood that other children could be “infected” with cooties if they got too close to someone with cooties. And we never could explain the origin of cooties, other than through a simple declaration: “you have cooties.”
10 Images You Maybe Should Not Share on Facebook During the Pandemic
Maybe you should not share the announcement that you are taking a road trip to Florida two days after the national emergency was declared. Florida?!?!?
A Modest Proposal: A Truly Modern Olympic Decathlon
Herewith is a modest proposal to create a more modern test for the Olympic decathlon and heptathlon, reflecting modern challenges in a way that may appeal to sports fans in unexpected and gratifying ways.
Upon Awaking Amidst Pandemic
As I awake, the distance between my night and day feels like a demilitarized zone with hostile forces on either end defending their territory through hi-powered rifles loaded with fear and doubt.
Third Ed Novak 