I’ve had an extraordinary opportunity to write about all manner of Americana. Along the way, I’ve discovered interesting characters, like young British father turned an up-and-coming Vegas magician or the “subway hero” of New York City. I’ve visited some pretty strange places, like the labs that make sure our electronics don’t kill us. And I’ve uncovered a few quirky American habits, like our willingness to share intimate details in public spaces — and our eagerness to eavesdrop.
I’ve also covered more serious matters. I’ve profiled Lee Hamilton, one of Washington’s most powerful figures, and I’ve written about the torture debates, from several different angles. And a lot in between. Here’s a selection.
Updated 4/2013 with new work at the top
Remembering the Holocaust, One Scrap at a Time April 2013
Salon
A vignette about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “national tour” and the things Holocaust survivors hope to leave behind.
Don’t Blame the Victim, or the Photographer March 2013
A Salon commentary on taking, and viewing, pictures of domestic violence.
Below the Line: Poverty in America October 2012
Christian Science Monitor
A magazine cover story about who “counts” as poor in America, why the government measures poverty the way it does, and how ordinary people live and work making ends meet. Winner of the Sidney Award from the Hillman Foundation.
Gauging Poverty from Africa to Appalachia
A companion essay to my Christian Science Monitor cover story on poverty in America.
People
A human rights statistician finds truth in numbers
Christian Science Monitor
Patrick Ball is a numbers geek; his talent for hacking code has helped shed light on mass atrocities around the world. A look at how meaningful — and fun — statistics can be. Really.
Sister in a Glass House
The Boston Globe
A profile of Tiffany Sedaris, reclusive sister of writer David Sedaris.
A subway hero’s year of living famouly
Christian Science Monitor
Wesley Autrey became famous for jumping in front of an NYC subway car to save a stranger. He had more than fifteen minutes of fame, and he got a year’s worth of freebies. This is a about the day that year ended.
Extreme do-gooders: What makes them tick?
Christian Science Monitor Magazine cover story
A story about what motivates social entrepreneurs and profiles of five Americans taking on the biggest challenges: displacement, gang violence, homelessness, education and global poverty.
Lee Hamilton: Washington’s bi-partisan power broker
Christian Science Monitor
A profile of the co-chair of the 9/11 Commission and the Iraq Study Group, a long-serving member of the House, and maybe the most trusted man in Washington.
Glamour Heroes: Stephanie Nyombayire
Glamour Magazine
Stephanie was a kid when she lost 100 family members in the Rwandan genocide. Then she became a spokesperson for Darfur.
Illusions in Vegas
Christian Science Monitor
Mat Black’s hands are faster than our eyes. Here’s a voicey profile of one man making illusions realin Vegas.
Places
The safety geeks who rescue us before disaster happens
Christian Science Monitor
There’s a lab in Chicago — with satellites around the world — that test all things electronic, from refrigerator doors to toasters to hospital beds to electric toys. Here’s what it looks like.
Greening a Ranch on the Grand Canyon
Christian Science Monitor
A land deal makes unlikely partners out of conservationists and cowboys.
New Yorkers say the darndest things — and spies await them
Christian Science Monitor
In a city of 8 million people, secrets are bound to get out — and onto the Internet. Here’s a look at the man behind Overhead in New York, an online repository of the city’s craziest conversations, and how he sees his city.
(And here’s an unintentional companion piece from a year earlier, about the new American willingness to have private conversations in public.)
Issues
Defending Due Process for Guantanamo Detainees
Christian Science Monitor
What does it take — in legal reasoning and personal strength? — to defend accused terrorists?
Reading the Wounds
Search Magazine and Best American Science Writing
How doctors treat torture survivors, and what medicine can tell us about the torture debate.
Parsing the Torture Debate
Christian Science Monitor Magazine
What do the “torture memos” released by the Obama Administration in the spring of 2009 say, and why is it suddenly so hard to agree on what torture is?
How charities harness social media
Christian Science Monitor Magazine
Non-profits are using the new media to bypass the old media. Is it working?
