Columnists
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 · Apollo Beach
On Starting Small: Margaret Atwood and the Single Seed
The author of The Handmaid's Tale once compared writing novels to gardening. Her insight applies to anyone planting tomatoes, learning Spanish, or facing a blank canvas this spring.
Start Your Sourdough Starter This Weekend
A jar of flour, water, and time transforms into one of baking's most forgiving yet rewarding projects. You'll have your first loaf in two weeks.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Why You Should Read a Poem Out Loud This Week
Most of us encounter poetry on the page alone. Reading a poem aloud changes everything—and you don't need a dramatic voice to feel the difference.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Fed's Silent Admission: Inflation Isn't Going Anywhere Soon
Federal Reserve officials just signaled they're done cutting interest rates, and the market heard what they didn't say: price growth will stick around longer than they predicted six months ago.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Peculiar Persistence of Forgotten Rules
A man fought city hall over a century-old ordinance. A woman discovered her town banned something nobody remembered banning. Welcome to the legal attic.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Why "Leopoldstadt" Matters More Than You Think
Tom Stoppard's final play isn't about nostalgia or historical trauma—it's about how we choose to remember when memory itself becomes political. This is theater that changes how you see your own family.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Fall Topwater Is About Timing, Not Casting
When baitfish bunch tight in September, one retrieve beats a hundred perfect casts. Here's how to read the water and get your topwater in front of feeding bass before they scatter.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Traveler's Paradox: Why Getting Lost Leads You Somewhere Real
A medieval geographer knew something we've forgotten in the GPS era—the best journeys begin when you stop knowing where you are.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Librarian Network Helping Formerly Incarcerated People Find Work
A coalition of public librarians across the country spent the last two years building something that rarely existed before: a coordinated job-placement system designed specifically for people leaving prison.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Cast Iron Cornbread, Done Right
Cornbread shouldn't be sweet, and it shouldn't be dry. A hot cast iron skillet and a few minutes of attention fix both problems at once.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Brutalist Exhausts You on Purpose, and That's the Point
Brady Corbet's three-hour epic demands patience but delivers something rare: a film that trusts you to sit with discomfort. Here's what's worth your time this week, and what you should skip.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Soft-Spoken Revenge of "Quiet" Media
While everyone screams into the algorithmic void, audiences are abandoning overstimulation for shows, podcasts, and books that whisper instead of shout. The backlash against maximalism is real, and it's reshaping what we actually want to consume.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Winter in the Ozarks: Why You Should Skip the Resort and Drive to Table Rock
The Ozarks in January aren't crowded. The food is real. And a weekend here costs less than a single night at most resort destinations.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Scramble That Rewards Slow Walkers
Rockslide trails look impossible until you realize the boulders themselves become your path—and the views from the top justify every careful step.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Streaming Wars Just Got Weird—And We're Here For It
Networks are abandoning the prestige drama playbook, and the shows people actually can't stop talking about look nothing like what HBO promised us five years ago.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Mercury Stations Direct—Your Words Find Their Landing
After weeks of miscommunication and missed connections, the messenger planet shifts course today. Here's what each sign needs to say (and do) right now.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Stop Stretching Cold Muscles—Do This Instead
Your pre-workout routine is probably backwards. Here's what the science says you should do before you exercise, and why static stretching before a run or lift actually makes you weaker.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Homeowners, Alligators, and the Bureaucracy of Chaos
This week, a Florida resident discovered that some neighborhood disputes require scales and a measuring tape. Also: a woman hired a lawyer to fight her own homeowners association. It went exactly as you'd think.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Slow Walk That Changes Everything
Winter invites you to move differently. A deliberate pace outdoors isn't laziness—it's the reset your nervous system has been asking for.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Week's Weirdest: Underground Chickens, Airborne Dentures, and One Determined Raccoon
A homeowners association discovers an illegal basement poultry operation, a man loses his teeth mid-skydive, and wildlife officials respond to their strangest call in years.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Where US-83 Crosses the Niobrara: A Sandhills Weekend Nobody Talks About
Valentine, Nebraska sits at the edge of the Sandhills where the Niobrara River cuts through grass-covered dunes. You can canoe past waterfalls, eat pie at a counter that's fed ranchers since 1947, and camp under stars that light up the whole sky.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Your Ankles Are Weak and It's Slowing You Down
Most runners blame their knees or hips when they feel sluggish, but the real problem often starts at the ankle. Here's how to fix it in under five minutes.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Potato Salad You Make When You Want People to Like You
Forget mayonnaise. The best potato salad I know uses brown butter and vinegar to turn a picnic side dish into something people will text you about later.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Your Weekend Wants You to Leave the House
Three concerts, two food festivals, and one art opening you can walk into without a reservation. Plus the sleeper pick that will beat all of them.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Mortise and Tenon: Why This 4,000-Year-Old Joint Still Beats Screws
You can learn the mortise and tenon joint in a weekend, and it will outlast every piece of furniture you own. Here's how to cut your first one with tools you can afford.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Starlette Signs: Mercury Whispers While Mars Charges Forward
Mercury slips into retrograde shadow today while Mars fuels our ambitions. One sign faces a career crossroads that demands an answer by sunset.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Skip "Griselda," Watch "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" Instead
Netflix wants you to believe Sofia Vergara's cartel drama is prestige TV. It's not. Meanwhile, Donald Glover made the year's smartest thriller, and nobody's talking about it.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Week's Strangest Victories
A chicken won a beauty pageant, a man broke a record nobody asked for, and scientists discovered something that makes you wonder why they bothered looking.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The "De-Influencing" Trend Hit Peak Irony This Week
TikTokers are building audiences by telling you what not to buy. The twist? Brands now sponsor the anti-recommendations.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Quiet Revolution of Artists' Books at Your Library
Between the novels and the coffee table art books, libraries hold a secret: artists' books that blur the line between reading and seeing. These handmade objects ask you to touch, unfold, and reconsider what a book can be.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026