Longform
Inside the Epic Search for Philly’s Next Tuba Master
A young man sits alone in a room, a tuba on his lap, and blows it hard, huffing and puffing to play Snedecor’s Low Étude […]
Horseshoe Crabs Are About to Have an Orgy on Delaware Bay Beaches. Here’s Why — and What’s Threatening It
When the tide comes under May’s full moon, an extraordinary, almost magical event occurs on Delaware Bay beaches: Like an invasion of small prehistoric tanks, […]
Why Is It So Hard to Get a Doctor’s Appointment in Philadelphia?
I’m sitting in an armchair in a brightly lit room, my hands gripping my knees, head bowed as if I’m deep in prayer, when I […]
Is This the John Fetterman Pennsylvania Elected?
I’m on the phone one recent afternoon, having what had been a civilized conversation with a longtime Pennsylvania political insider, when he suddenly starts screaming. […]
Four Years After the Pandemic Began, Are We All Just Awkward Now?
My mom is a retired therapist. When I was growing up, one of my favorites of her mantras about her profession was this: “Most people’s […]
Yes, Philadelphia Is Safer Than They Say on TV
There are many memorable scenes in Martin Scorsese’s dark but gorgeously filmed 1976 movie Taxi Driver, in which Robert DeNiro plays a New York City […]
The Great Name Awakening: Inside the Audacious, Lucrative World of Baby Naming
It’s a random Tuesday night, and my husband, Christian, and I are doing what we typically do: bingeing a TV series du jour as we […]
Who Killed the Philly POPS?
It was a cold night in November 2022, and a brass quintet from the Philly POPS was performing a gig. The musicians, in heavy coats […]
The Brewers Building a Better — and Less Toxic — Philly Beer Scene
In May of 2021, it was like a rapture took place in the City of Philadelphia. The buildings remained in place, and so did the […]
Ben Kirshner’s Plan to Transform How Pennsylvania Does Business
In February of 2022, Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel broke ground on one of the most advanced steelmaking facilities ever built in North America. When it begins […]
Inside Par Funding: The Wild $550 Million Financial Scandal That Rocked Philly and the Main Line
The lure was a free dinner and the promise of returns as high as 14 percent. The key pitch came from Joe LaForte, a two-time […]
Death Can Be Isolating and Dehumanizing. But What If It Didn’t Have to Be?
Within days of learning she had pancreatic cancer that had already spread to her liver, forming more than a dozen tumors, Elaine Arazawa had her […]
My Love Affair With Designer Ice
I’m a cubist. I am. Ask anybody who knows me: There’s no one on Earth who loves ice cubes more than I do. I drink […]
Fight Like a Girl: The New Wave of High-School Wrestling
The first thing that hits me when I walk into the high-school gym is the smell, an acrid mix of stale sweat, dirty feet and […]
How Did Penn Get Here?
The moment that ended up on cable news, that went viral on social media, that within days would cost Penn president Liz Magill her job, […]