Columnists
Saturday, May 16, 2026 · Martin County
A Japanese Master Captures Spring in Seventeen Syllables
Matsuo Basho watched a frog jump into an old pond in 1686, and the ripples from that moment still reach us today. His haiku reminds us that poetry doesn't need grandeur to hold the whole world.
The Brutalist Was Three Hours of Watching a Man Be Mad at Architecture, and I Loved Every Minute of It
Brady Corbet's epic demolishes the blockbuster formula by refusing to give you a single moment of relief—and somehow that's exactly what cinema needs right now.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
The Quiet Luxury Backlash Has Arrived, and It's Loud
Understated elegance is officially dead, murdered by the very people who preached it. The fashion pendulum is swinging hard toward maximalism, and honestly? It's about time.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
My Boyfriend Won't Stop Texting His Ex—And She Won't Stop Replying
He says they're "just friends." She sends him thirst-trap photos. One reader is losing her mind—and wondering if she's the crazy one for minding.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Stop Pretending the Viral Dance Trend Is Actually Good
TikTok's latest choreography sensation is technically impressive and spiritually empty, and we need to talk about what we're actually celebrating when we share it 10 million times.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
I Make Good Money But Keep Blowing It All—Where Does It Go?
A reader earning solid income feels like money vanishes into thin air every month. We traced the leak, and yeah, some of it's embarrassing.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
I Quit My Job to Start a Business and Now I'm Eating Cereal for Dinner at 11 PM
Your startup is failing quietly, your savings are evaporating, and nobody warns you about the psychological toll. Here's what to do when the dream looks more like a nightmare.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
My Kid Refuses to Do Homework and I'm Losing It—So I Stopped Making Him
A parent writes in about their teenager's academic spiral. Here's the uncomfortable truth nobody wants to hear.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
The Guy Who Won't Stop Talking About His New Supplement Stack
A reader's gained 15 pounds since his buddy got obsessed with fitness influencers. He's tired of the unsolicited advice—but worried he's being a bad friend by shutting it down.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
My Teenager Won't Stop Lying About Small Stuff—Should I Worry This Means She'll Become a Criminal?
A parent discovers their 14-year-old has been fibbing about homework and friend drama. Mama Mae explains why this particular flavor of lying is actually normal—and what actually matters.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
I Panic-Sold My Index Funds During the Dip. Now What?
One reader admits to doing the thing everyone warns against—and wants to know if they're permanently wrecked or just temporarily stupid.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
The Fed Just Admitted It Overshot, and Nobody's Talking About What Comes Next
Powell's pivot away from rate hikes signals Washington expects a softer landing. What they won't say is how messy the dismount could get.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
My Husband Thinks Our Sex Life Is "Fine." I Think It's Dead. Who Gets to Decide?
After five years of marriage and two kids, she wants passion back. He wants to know why she's suddenly "complaining." Here's the thing nobody tells you about mismatched desire.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
The Dangerous Comfort of Certainty — Why Doubt Might Be Your Most Honest Friend
We celebrate people who "know what they believe," but history's wisest voices have always been the ones comfortable admitting they don't know much at all.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Why Shakespeare's Sonnets Still Hit Like Heartbreak (Even When You Read Them in 2025)
The 154 sonnets aren't dusty museum pieces—they're proof that human obsession, jealousy, and longing haven't changed in 400 years. Here's why one particular sonnet rewires your brain.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Why Your Affirmations Keep Failing (And What Actually Works Instead)
You've been doing affirmations wrong. Here's the one shift that makes them stick—and it has nothing to do with saying them louder in the mirror.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Backcountry Touring Bindings Finally Work—Here's Why That Matters
After years of compromise, modern touring setups deliver real downhill performance without sacrificing uphill efficiency. We tested three that actually perform both ways.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 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.
Saturday, May 16, 2026