Archive for January 2026
Jilted for an Apple
by David Benjamin “Hey, sunshine I haven’t seen you in a long time Why don’t you show your face and bend my mind?” ―Simon & Garfunkel, “Cloudy” MADISON, Wis.—While I was half-listening to a CD in my car, a snatch of lyrics brought her back to me in a rush. Technically, I guess, she was…
Read MoreThree-Pee-Oh was a steel-drivin’ droid, Lord, Lord …
by David Benjamin “John Henry said to his cap’n, ‘Oh, a man ain’t nothin but a man, And before I let that steam drill beat me down, I’ll die with this hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord, I’ll die with this hammer in my hand’ …” ―Josh White, “The Story of John Henry” MADISON, Wis.—During…
Read MoreThe newshounds of Bowling Villa
by David Benjamin LAS VEGAS—At a giant annual trade show whose emphasis is on the all-new and “innovative,” the vibe at the House of Journalists this year was refreshingly old-school. This residential subset of an immense media presence at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was launched five years ago by Scott Fosgard, a veteran of…
Read MoreThe artisanal child
by David Benjamin “‘No grownups allowed’ was, after all, the principle that defined every kid’s kidhood. You took orders from grownups. You ate the food they fed you (unless it was liver or Brussels sprouts). You went to bed when they said. You went to school because they said. You got stuff from them—clothes, dimes,…
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