And then I start thinking about what I can buy people for Christmas that is not going to spy on them, because I would not want a gift to spy on me. This might seem like a weird thought, but Christmas really is the spying holiday. First, Santa is watching kids all the time. That’s surveillance. The Elf on the Shelf? A spy… Continue reading
There’s a guy holding a bird in the center of the room and a mountain lion in the corner, returning his gaze. The whole scene – room and inhabitants – is colored a kind of rustic brown, reinforced by planed wood beams on the floor. A white house cat stands to the left, fixed on … Continue reading
I’m on my way to buy face lotion at Rite Aid again. With clammy hands buried in the pockets of my corduroy jacket, I pass the Eastern State Penitentiary, one of the world’s most haunted places (among the top 10 according to TIME magazine). The abandoned prison remains a tour-able Philadelphia landmark and the home … Continue reading
by C. Eckel We used to stand beside the batting cages licking grape push-popsicles and talking about making prank phone calls. The crash of a foul ball against the chain link fence would make us jump while it rattled back toward the mechanical pitcher. Eventually, error after error, the metallic tremors became no more startling … Continue reading
On a cold Saturday morning in South Philadelphia’s Italian Market, trash lines the curbs, and one hunched guy dances with only his toes to a boom box in a shopping cart… Continue reading
