Longform
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, […]
The Fight To Keep Philly’s Theater Scene Alive
Act I. Setting the Scene “What a wonder is a gun! What a versatile invention! First of all, when you’ve got a gun — ” […]
How Kate Scott Went From Outsider to Groundbreaking Voice of the Sixers
It’s a surprisingly hot morning in late September, and Kate Scott is sitting in front of an enormous mountain of scrap metal. The claws of […]
How 2023 Turned Me Into a Climate-Crazed Eccentric
“What the hell is that?” my next-door neighbor asks, peering over our shared backyard fence at the enormous orange plastic orb that’s taken up residence […]
How Bankroll Went Bust
The problem with Paul Martino may be just how good he is. Martino lives in Doylestown, after growing up in Lansdale, where he started his […]
The Power of — and Problems With — Lucky Girl Syndrome
Each morning, West Chester author and fourth-grade teacher Rebecca DiCicco looks in a mirror and recites a few words aloud. Sometimes they’re simple, like, “I […]
The Wild Optimists Who Turned the Philly Wine Scene From Blah to Brilliant
A New Yorker walks into a bar — Bloomsday Cafe’s bar, to be specific — studies the bottle list, and flags down GM and beverage […]
My Ride-Along With the Police Commissioner
Anyone who’s read my work here over the years knows where I stand on law enforcement: Like so many members of the Black community in […]
What Will Become of Philly’s Vacant Office Space?
Dropped by your office lately? I haven’t. This magazine gave up its offices on Washington Square in January of this year. And Philly Mag may […]
Can Keith Jones Lead the Flyers Out of the Wilderness?
When Keith Jones and Steve Coates, retired hockey players turned Flyers broadcasters, used to fly on the team plane, Jones liked to pull out a […]
Rich Lazer Would Like You to Love the PPA. No, Seriously.
The sidewalk on the 1800 block of Fishtown’s Blair Street was just like that alongside many Philly streets, and by that, we mean it was […]
Will Wind Power Save the Shore, or Ruin It Forever?
There was a whale on the beach of Ocean City. Black and white, of average height and stocky build; its mouth was agape, revealing a […]
When Did Halloween Become an Endurance Test?
The best Halloween costume I ever made for either of my kids was the year Luke was three. We teased and sprayed his blond curls, […]
What the Hell Is Happening With the Mütter Museum?
In 1873, a year before retiring from the University of Vienna, Joseph Hyrtl composed a letter to a surgeon in Philadelphia named Thomas Hewson Bache. […]